The moment your new drone lifts up into the air, the probability that it will crash goes up significantly no matter how good you are.
Even with obstacle sensors on every side, there’s still a decent chance your drone could lose control or smash into a tree or building.
That’s where DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh come in.
If you are buying one a DJI drone, getting one of them is a no-brainer.
They cost a bit of money to purchase and you may also be required to pay for drone replacements.
But when you compare what they cost you to what you’ll pay repairing or replacing a damaged drone yourself, they are totally worth it.
So what exactly do these policies involve and which one between the two should you get?
I explain everything in detail below.
If you are in hurry, here’s the bottom line: the main difference between Care and Care Refresh is that with the latter, you get a maximum of 2 DJI drone replacements at a small additional fee DJI Care does not cover drone replacement.
DJI Care
DJI Care was the original protection plan for DJI Camera drones.
It’s currently available for a number of older drones including Phantom 4, Phantom 3 Professional, Phantom 3 Advanced, Inspire 1 Pro and Inspire 1 RAW.
The price depends on the type of drone.
For instance, a DJI Care plan for the Phantom 3 4K goes for $149 while a plan for the Inspire 1 Pro costs $549.
The plan, which is valid for 1 year by the way, covers the following scenarios:
- User error
- Signal interference leading to loss of control and damage.
- Collision
- Accident
- Drop damage
During the coverage period, DJI covers all costs of repairs as long as you don’t exceed the limit specified in the warranty.
You can send your drone in for repair as many times as you need as long as you stay under the coverage amount.
The only exception is if the drone is completely damaged beyond repair. In that case, the DJI Care warranty will not help you.
Note that DJI does not charge any deductibles.
You can buy DJI Care at DJI’s website or from a dealer. The activation code will only work for drones that have been active for less than 48 hours.
That’s why I recommend buying the warranty when you purchase your drone.
Visit DJI’s website to learn more about the warranty and see applicable terms and conditions.
DJI Care Refresh
DJI Care Refresh is available for many DJI camera drones including Spark, Mavic Pro Platinum, Mavic 2 and Mavic Air.
It also covers the Zenmuse X5S, X4S and X7 cameras.
The main reason to upgrade to DJI Care Refresh is that you can get up to two replacements for your drone at a small additional fee.
DJI Care stops short at repairs. If your drone is totally damaged, too bad, you are not getting a new one.
DJI Care Refresh covers normal repairs and if need be, can send you a brand new replacement drone.
First time replacement cost ranges from $49 for the Spark to $209 for Inspire 2. Second time replacement fee starts from $69 for the Spark.
DJI Care Refresh covers the same scenarios as DJI Care (user error, signal interference etc.) as well as water damage.
As with DJI Care, it is valid only for new drones that have been active for less than 48 hours.
Learn more about DJI Care Refresh on DJI’s official website.
Which One Should You Get?
DJI Care Refresh is the obvious choice here. It not only covers you against normal repairs, you can also get a brand new drone if yours is completely damaged.
What About The Standard Warranty?
The standard warranty that came with your drone remains valid even after you buy DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh.
Any repairs or replacements that fall within the standard warranty terms and services will not count towards your DJI Care or Care Refresh coverage amount.
Unfortunately, the standard warranty covers very few scenarios. If you accidentally drop your drone in a lake or crash it into a tree, the Standard Warranty will be of no help.
But under either of the above warranties, you can have the drone repaired for free.
Don’t rely on just the standard warranty.
