DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh: Frequently Asked Questions

A constant nagging fear that all drone owners are familiar with is crashing their expensive drone and breaking it permanently. It can crash into a tree, have a bird fly into it, or be blown away by a particularly strong gust of wind. Even the most sophisticated and expensive drone probably won’t be unscathed after a 100-foot fall. Worse yet, it could fall into water.

Drone insurance policies have become popular product due to these concerns. The number one drone manufacturer, DJI, has also come out with their own in-house drone insurance policies: DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh. If you are planning to buy a DJI drone, chances are this is a product you should be looking into.

What is DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh?

DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh are DJI’s very own in-house drone insurance policies. These policies cover not just the DJI drones, but also some of their high-end cameras. Either one of these policies offer a free repair service or replacement of parts in case your drone gets damaged to a point where it can still be repaired. The circumstances of the damage that are within the coverage of the policy depends on whether you have DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh, which we will cover shortly.  Both DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh have a validity of 1 year.

The policy also covers shipping costs, should you need to ship your broken drone to their service center. Aside from the one-time cost you need to pay to sign up for the insurance policy (a fraction of the drone’s purchase price), there are no hidden costs to DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh. Moreover, you can be sure that your drone is in good hands when you send it to be repaired by DJI’s highly skilled experts.

What’s the difference between the two?

DJI Care was the first drone insurance product offered by DJI and is offered only for their older drones. Basically, the plan covers the costs for repair and replacement of parts of your damaged drone if the circumstances satisfy the conditions set by the policy. There’s no need to worry because the acceptable scenarios are quite extensive: operator error, signal interference, damage due to drops, accidents, and collisions. These are some of the most common causes of drone damage and should cover most situations.

DJI Care Refresh is DJI’s newer drone insurance policy. As such, DJI offers it for the more recently released drone models. It retains most of the conditions and benefits of DJI Care but adds a few key improvements. Should your drone be damaged beyond repair, having DJI Care Refresh gives you the benefit of receiving a new or equivalent to new drone for a small fraction of the unit’s original purchase price. This benefit can be collected twice, with the second replacement costing a bit more than the first.

DJI Care Refresh also expands the acceptable conditions that will be covered by the policy. In addition to the conditions of the original DJI Care, DJI Care Refresh now covers water damage. Whether you drop your drone on a lake or it suffers some damage due to water spillage, DJI will gladly repair or provide a replacement for your drone. Just make sure that you can still retrieve the drone, as it needs to be physically sent to their repair facility.

The DJI Care Refresh plan has also been recently updated with a provision to replace the replacement drone within 15 days of receipt. This is only possible if you find that there are manufacturing defects with the replacement unit. This adds another layer of safety to what we consider is already a very comprehensive plan.

Under DJI Care Refresh, practically all the essential parts of your drone can be repaired or replaced. These include the camera, gimbal, battery, propellers, and the drone itself. It doesn’t matter if only the gimbal is damaged or if the drone itself can no longer function – DJI will provide free repair services as long as your drone is under the protection of DJI Care Refresh

Which drones are supported by DJI Care / DJI Care Refresh?

Below is a summary of the drones and the accessories covered by DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh.

You’ll notice that the newer models of the DJI drones can all be covered by DJI Care Refresh. By far, the new policy is the superior choice, so this is hardly an issue.

What is NOT covered by the policies?

Whether you sign up for DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh, you will need to physically send the broken drone to the DJI facilities. This means that the policies do not cover loss of the drone. If you happen to fly too far from line of sight and crash it in an area you can’t access, then even a DJI Care Refresh plan cannot help you. The same applies to crashing your drone in an ocean. Although DJI Care Refresh covers water damage, it’s still useless if your drone has sunk to the depths of the sea.

Many prudent drone owners attach a small and lightweight independent GPS tracker to their drones in case these types of situations come up. With a GPS tracker, you can easily find your drone using any smartphone. Although it’s technically possible to locate your drone using the DJI GO app and the drone’s onboard GPS receiver, your drone’s battery may die before you can reach it.

How much does it cost and what are the other associated expenses?

For the DJI care policies, you only need to pay a one-time fee for all your repair and parts replacement needs to be covered for 1 year. Take note that a DJI Care policy only gives you a set coverage amount from which all repairs and replacement are deducted. It does not matter how many times you send in you drone for repairs as long as there is still remaining balance in your coverage.

The pricing scheme of DJI Care Refresh is a little more complicated, as you still need to pay a set amount if you request for a replacement unit. The second replacement is a little more expensive, as DJI is probably hoping that you won’t ever need to replace your drone a second time. DJI has recently updated the prices of DJI Care Refresh so the policies are now a little more affordable than before.

Take note that replacement fees vary per region, and the prices listed below are only for North America. To be sure, it is best to consult the DJI website

How do I sign up for DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh?

It is most convenient to buy a DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh policy when you buy a new DJI drone. You can also purchase it separately, as long as it is within 48 hours of activating your drone. The process involves binding your drone’s serial number to your policy. This means that your policy covers only one drone.

If a DJI drone changes ownership, is the DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh policy also transferred?

Since the policy is bound to the drone’s serial number, it does not really matter who owns the drone. Yes, the policy can also be transferred along with the drone’s ownership.

I bought my drone a month ago! Can I still get DJI Care or DJI Care Refresh?

Yes, you can still get DJI Care of DJI Care Refresh even after the 48-hour window has expired, as long as you can prove that your drone is still in good working condition. To do this, you need to send a video to DJI showing your drone’s serial number and demonstrating a few basic flight maneuvers. The exact steps you need to take are detailed in the DJI website.

The verification video serves as the diagnostics for your drone, similar to how a health insurance provider will need to see your medical results. Keep in mind that the verification process may take quite some time. Some owners have said that it took 2 weeks or more for their applications to be approved, although there have also been accounts where the process was completed in less than 24 hours.

To improve the chances of your policy application being approved, make sure to perform the flying exercise on a bright and clear day where your drone will be very visible. Also, try to use a high-quality digital camera for recording the video. Remember that DJI is looking for all the necessary details, no matter how small they can be

Is it possible to extend the period covered by the policy?

If you have an older drone and can only purchase DJI Care, then the answer is NO. DJI Care does not offer an extension of the plan beyond the original 1 year. This means that there is no way for you to get free repairs or parts replacement on your older DJI drone after a year has passed.

However, if your drone is eligible for DJI Care Refresh, then you are in luck. DJI now offers DJI Care Refresh +, a 1-year extension to your original DJI Care Refresh. In addition to the 1-year extension, DJI Care Refresh + also provides an additional replacement service. The price of the extension is even lower than the original plan, so there’s no reason not to get it.

The most convenient way of getting the DJI Care Refresh + is to buy it at the same time as the original policy. You can also buy it after, although we recommend getting it while your original DJI Care Refresh policy is still active. In any case, you do not need to worry about the two policies overlapping, as the extension will only take effect once the original policy expires.

For reference, summarized below are the prices for getting the extended DJI Care Refresh + policy, along with the cost of getting a replacement drone. Again, these prices are region-specific, and the figures listed below only apply to North America.

Like the original policy, DJI Care Refresh + covers all the drone components including the gimbal, camera, battery, and propellers. Each drone is eligible to only one application of DJI Care Refresh + and the policy can no longer be extended.

Is it worth it?

We have been consistent in recommending that drone owners get insurance policies on their drones. This is especially important for commercial drone operators, who typically rely on high-end and expensive drones for their livelihood. While there are dozens of companies offering drone insurance policies, owners of DJI drones are especially fortunate that they can avail of DJI’s very own drone insurance.

The DJI Care and DJI Care Refresh insurance policies are considered some of the very best that you can get for your DJI drone. Aside from their friendly prices, these insurance policies also give you access to the DJI’s technical expertise for repairing your drone. Who else will you trust with repairing your drone other than the same people who made them?

The provision for replacement drones of DJI Care Refresh sets it apart from any other drone insurance policy. When you get DJI Care Refresh, you’re essentially paying for the peace of mind that no matter what happens, you can probably get a new drone at a fraction of the price of buying a brand-new drone. If only for this peace of mind and the increase in confidence that the policy will grant, we highly recommend getting a DJI Care Refresh insurance. You might not ever need it, but it’s always a valuable tool to keep in your back pocket.

Are there any other questions you have? Leave them in a comment below and we will answer them.