UAV Direct would not honor warranty for opening Phantom

[N017RW]

UAV Direct, the North American authorized repair center, informed me that they would not honor the warranty once the shell is opened. This is what they wrote to me:

"Unfortunately you have voided the warranty by opening the shell.

Please reference this part of the DJI warranty page:

http://www.dji.com/service

"disassembling or shell opening which did not follow the instruction of official manuals.""

Should I email DJI itself and ask for clarification?

Without posting the email(s), (redacted for privacy if necessary) we have no idea what was stated, asked, or replied.
Not sure why everyone began making such conclusions, accusations, and assertions.

 

[Larry L]

I for one will state that I have had nothing but excellent service from UAV direct. I have spoke several times to Eric also & he has been most helpful any time I have called. I have been reading this thread & what was being said does not sound like UAV Direct.As Eric has stated, I am sure it was just a misunderstanding!

 

[Texphantom]

Phantompilots user Tahoe_Ed (DJI employee, Forum Support) has publicly stated here and elsewhere that opening up the shell on the aircraft to do routine maintenance or to fit DJI parts sold for end-user installation is NOT a warranty buster in and of itself. Any damage you cause while in there obviously is, but opening it up is good practice for preventative maintenance and flight safety. See post at the bottom of this page: viewtopic.php?f=27&t=23309&start=40

If the username doesn't already give it away, this is Eric from UAVDirect. Though under a different account, I am routinely on the forums including this one... listening to users' concerns and on-the-lookout for discovered issues and fixes. It probably comes as no surprise that I am in love with this industry, both as a pilot and for my role at UAVD. It isn't very often that I post in many of the discussions, but I do want to address this miscommunication on our part that has come up.

First of all, merely opening the exterior shell on any DJI aircraft is not going to void the manufacturer's warranty. Routine maintenance or replacement of parts that are deemed post-manufacturing date items have no effect on warranty so long as damage was not caused in the process.

Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to clarify this, as questions of warranty on such an emergent technology are quite common. I do not know the context of the email that the user here received, but it is evident that there was a misunderstanding. Being Factory-Authorized from DJI to complete repairs and make issuance of warranty protocol means that we see a lot of aircraft come through our facility for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. That also means that we follow the same guidelines and repair practices that DJI itself does.
I have seen and worked on plenty of aircraft that have been opened-up, painted, modified... etc, and I assure you that warranty is merited on a lot more than what you might take from this topic.

Our team takes a lot of pride in the services we offer and we always welcome your questions and comments, so please feel free to contact us at any time.

I just got in touch with Eric at UAV Direct, and he is the most helpful person I've talked to in a long while. It was a misunderstanding. Eric emphatically told me that opening the aircraft and performing routine maintenence does NOT void the warranty. I will send my V3 to UAV Direct for warranty repair of the broken solder point. Thanks Eric!

 

[N017RW]

Great, now ask a moderator to remove your topic/thread/etc.

 

[Reoscorpio]

Our team takes a lot of pride in the services we offer and we always welcome your questions and comments, so please feel free to contact us at any time.[/quote]

Eric,

Thanks for taking the time to clear this up for the OP and everyone else involved. It sounds like a lot of people are happy with your company. Hopefully there is a quick resolution.

 

[Txfirecop]

Just want to say that I purchased my P2V+ from UAVDirect. I drove to their shop on a day they were suppose to be closed. I called first and was told they would be there for a few more hours and come on by if I wanted to. When I arrived, I met with Eric and another gentleman that helped me perfectly. Answered all my questions and since I fly RC, they let me try out one of the guy's personal P2V out back before I purchased. Great service as far as im concerned. Glad the problem was worked out. By the way Eric, how's my Homeward Bound buddy?

 

[Prylar Bek]

This is all good to know and appreciate UAV's response. All is forgiven

 

[msinger]

All is forgiven

You mean I have to put my pitchfork away?

 

[atxc63]

I can also vouch for UAVDirect. I stopped by just to see what the shop looked like and to get an appointment for an upgrade.

I witnessed excellent customer service and a lot of "above and beyond" for the customers that were there.

Once I got to speak to a tech about my upgrade and ask what the turn around time was, he looked at his watch and asked if I could hang out a sec. 30 minutes later my P2V+ had the t-motor upgrade installed. I was prepared for a 2-3 day turn around but these guys were awesome and did it while I waited.

I know it can be a little scary dealing with people you never see (mail/internet ordering) but I can tell you that you never need to worry with these guys. Just a good group of like minded enthusiasts working to make the hobby even more fun.


ATXC63

 

[sbarton]

Great to hear it worked out for you Texphantom and they are some great folks to deal with !!
Doubt they will delete it but ya might add [ / Solved ] to the title

It's really only solved when the rep (and others UAVD reps who may not understand the policy) have been told that simply opening the shell does not void the warranty. You shouldn't have to speak only with Eric to get correct information and satisfactory work done, and I'm sure Eric doesn't want that either. All of the reps should be on the same page.

 

[RichWest]

Hopefully....they'll only be that much more successful...huge market in Texas alone to make the effort worth it.

 

[Prylar Bek]

they came correct. They have my future business

 

[UAVD-Eric]

Great to hear it worked out for you Texphantom and they are some great folks to deal with !!
Doubt they will delete it but ya might add [ / Solved ] to the title

It's really only solved when the rep (and others UAVD reps who may not understand the policy) have been told that simply opening the shell does not void the warranty. You shouldn't have to speak only with Eric to get correct information and satisfactory work done, and I'm sure Eric doesn't want that either. All of the reps should be on the same page.

As Service Manager, it is my responsibility to ensure that both our mission statement and DJI are represented by not only myself, but our entire team. Occasionally, the dialogue can be lost in context and my entire team is not alone in distractions that lead to a miscommunication.

While we strive to be leaders in this new market, misinformation can occur... and I have been guilty of this as well. What I can promise is that as a member of this organization I will always work to make those occurrences fewer and fewer. Our goal is to keep everyone in the air and happy.

 

[terrylowe]

As Service Manager, it is my responsibility to ensure that both our mission statement and DJI are represented by not only myself, but our entire team. Occasionally, the dialogue can be lost in context and my entire team is not alone in distractions that lead to a miscommunication.

While we strive to be leaders in this new market, misinformation can occur... and I have been guilty of this as well. What I can promise is that as a member of this organization I will always work to make those occurrences fewer and fewer. Our goal is to keep everyone in the air and happy.

What???!!!?? You're human???? Thanks for this eloquent reply. You'll have my future business!

 

[tpallred]

Great, now ask a moderator to remove your topic/thread/etc.

Why would you want it removed? This is a terrific example of someone who had a problem, was having difficulty solving it on their on, brought it to the forum and got satisfaction in a manner that created good will toward the dealer. It's a win-win that should be shared, not hidden.

 

[UAVD-Eric]

As Service Manager, it is my responsibility to ensure that both our mission statement and DJI are represented by not only myself, but our entire team. Occasionally, the dialogue can be lost in context and my entire team is not alone in distractions that lead to a miscommunication.

While we strive to be leaders in this new market, misinformation can occur... and I have been guilty of this as well. What I can promise is that as a member of this organization I will always work to make those occurrences fewer and fewer. Our goal is to keep everyone in the air and happy.

What???!!!?? You're human???? Thanks for this eloquent reply. You'll have my future business!

Thank you for your support!

 

[Mori55]

Great, now ask a moderator to remove your topic/thread/etc.

Why would you want it removed? This is a terrific example of someone who had a problem, was having difficulty solving it on their on, brought it to the forum and got satisfaction in a manner that created good will toward the dealer. It's a win-win that should be shared, not hidden.

I agree why remove ? I think it keeps these company's straight. Who knows how it would of worked out if not from pressure from these forums.
Plus UAV Direct has been around long enough to know better. How many previous customers got the same story as the OP got , but didn't know about these forums? Sorry I'm always skeptical about these things.

 

[Texphantom]

I had my doubts too. But after talking with Eric, who was extremely helpful, I am very confident that UAV Direct will take care of things the right way. I think they will earn my future business.

 

[Mori55]

Sure I understand , but what if this wasn't posted here ?

 

[msinger]

We will never know