DJI Will Cover Cost of Repairs if You Crash Your Drone

It can be thrilling to fly your drone at top speed low to the ground, but that’s also asking for trouble, since accidents can be quite expensive. Owners of DJI drones, the Phantom or the Inspire, can now push the limit without worrying about covering the full cost of repairs. The drone maker is now selling what it calls DJI Care — a basic insurance plan to reimburse customers for their drone repairs. The damage has to come from normal use, so if you chip the drone or somehow disconnect the camera mid-flight, DJI will cover those repairs, according to its FAQ page. The plan is only available for the Inspire 1 C2.0 with its X3 gimbal camera and the Phantom 3 series.

DJI will cover damage to the aircraft, gimbal, and camera due to “dropping, squeezing, or crashing caused by operator error or other accidents.” Accessories aren’t included in the deal, but it does cover shipping costs.

The plan isn’t free, though. Six-month plans start at $99 for the Phantom 3 Standard; the most expensive plan costs $699 for a year’s worth of coverage on the Inspire 1 V2.0. Coverage can only be purchased once, although there’s no limit on how many repairs can be made. However, the total cost of the fixes can’t exceed the coverage amount. Ten minor repairs are okay, but a unit burned to a crisp won’t be completely replaced.

The plans are tied to each drone’s serial number, so customers can’t use the care costs between their different products. However, the DJI Care cost can be put toward a new purchase, and the company suggests doing this if 80 percent of the drone is destroyed. Customers in the US, parts of Europe, and mainland China can currently buy the care package, and DJI plans to roll out to additional countries going forward.

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