How Good is DJI Care Refresh? A Review of DJI Insurance

Being an owner of a DJI drone is pretty sweet. Aside from having a premium drone from the number one drone manufacturer worldwide, you also have the option of signing up for one of the best drone insurance policies ever offered. DJI Care Refresh is DJI’s in-house drone insurance that they offer for the Mavic and for all drones that were released after.

DJI Care Refresh has been highly recommended since it was first offered. For current and future owners of DJI drones, getting this policy is practically a no-brainer. In this article, we list down all the benefits of owning a DJI Care Refresh policy and reinforce why it’s one of the best drone insurance plans available today.

1. Signing up is quick and hassle-free

When you buy your drone directly from DJI or from authorized sellers, you have the option of buying a DJI Care Refresh plan along with it. In this scenario, there is no need for any additional action on your part. However, if you buy your DJI Care Refresh separately, pairing your drone with it is as simple as inputting the DJI Care Refresh activation code and binding it with your drone’s serial number.

Take note that this quick binding method is only available within the 48-hour window after you active your drone. If you have an older drone, don’t worry as all hope is not lost, which brings us to the next item…

2. You can get DJI Care Refresh even after 48 hours

If your drone was activated more than 48 hours ago, you can still get DJI Care Refresh if you can provide DJI with a video showing that your drone is still in good working condition. This verification video needs to show a series of steps as prescribed by DJI and involves performing a few basic flight maneuvers. For best results, it is recommended to shoot this video on a bright and clear day using a high-quality digital camera. Approval of the verification video could take as long as 2 weeks, so you’ll need a bit of patience.

3. DJI Care Refresh is available for DJI’s most popular drones

DJI Care Refresh is considered superior to its predecessor, DJI Care, and is offered for the drones that DJI has released after and including the Mavic. Although it is not available for all DJI drones, the list of drones supported by DJI Care Refresh include their most popular models. Below is a list of the drone currently supported by DJI Care Refresh:

4. It covers damage due to pilot error and signal loss

The coverage for damage due to pilot error goes a long way towards giving drone owners peace of mind when flying their drone. Even if you’re an unskilled pilot who just happens to crash your drone into a tree, DJI will gladly send you a replacement drone if you are covered by DJI Care Refresh.

Signal loss is also one of the most common causes of drone crashed. Although DJI drones are equipped with very good transmission technology, signal interference and drop-outs can still happen. Signal loss typically triggers the drone’s return-to-home (RTH) function but in rare cases, it can cause the drone to just drop out of the sky.

5. It covers damage due to external factors

Whenever your drone takes to the skies, it sets off into a very unpredictable environment. Despite the excellent stability of DJI drones, a particularly strong gust of wind might still be enough to make it topple down and crash. Many drone owners have also recounted stories of birds or bees running into their drones.

These events can happen out of nowhere, and they are very hard to control. The good news is that DJI Care Refresh also provides coverage for damage due to external factors and circumstances out of the pilot’s control.

6. It covers water damage

Drones crashing into bodies of water happen more frequently than you would expect, and they are quick death sentences to the drones. With so many electrical components working together for a drone to function, it is highly unlikely to survive even the slightest water damage.

A huge upgrade to DJI Care Refresh is its coverage for water damage, a feature that was not available to the original DJI Care. This was a well-received improvement, as it allows drone pilots to fly over bodies of water with unprecedented confidence. Take note that you still need to retrieve the drone before you can make an insurance claim, so maybe don’t fly it too far out into the ocean.

7. It does not overlap with standard warranty coverage

Another great thing about getting DJI Care Refresh is that it does not cancel out the coverage of the standard warranty that comes with all DJI drones. The standard warranty can be invoked if your drone experiences failure due to a manufacturing defect and not due to any damage. In this scenario, repair costs or replacement units will not be charged towards your DJI Care Refresh insurance.

8. You can get a replacement drone for a small price

When you send in your damaged drone to DJI, they will conduct quick diagnostics and send you an invoice for the repair costs. You then have the option of paying for the repair or using your DJI Care Refresh benefit to get a replacement drone. DJI can either send you a new drone or a refurbished unit that they guarantee to be equivalent to new in terms of performance and reliability.

Although the replacement unit does not come for free, the amount you need to pay is a small fraction of the cost of a brand-new drone. For instance, a replacement Spark will only cost you $49, while a brand-new unit will cost more than $300. Even the high-end Mavic 2 Pro, which costs around $1500, can be replaced with a unit that only costs $119 if you have DJI Care Refresh.

9. All the essential parts of your drone can be replaced

DJI Care Refresh provides coverage for damage to almost all parts of a drone. For most drones, this includes the camera, gimbal, propellers, battery, and the aircraft itself.

10. Shipping costs are covered by the policy

You need to ship the actual drone to the DJI repair facilities to make an insurance claim. Fortunately, DJI Care Refresh will also cover two-way shipping costs if you ship the drone from the same region where you purchased it.

11. You can get a replacement drone right away with the Express option

The normal process to claim a replacement drone involves DJI receiving the damaged drone and conducting diagnostics to determine how much it will cost to have it repaired. They will then send you an invoice for the repair, and you are given the option to pay for the repair or request for a replacement unit.

DJI Care Refresh now offers an Express option, where you can skip the assessment phase and DJI will ship a replacement unit to you as soon as they receive your damaged drone. This is a great option, especially for commercial drone pilots who need their drones to earn money. With the Express option, you can get back to the air in no time.

12. Prioritized phone support

DJI customer support did not previously have a stellar reputation but things have gotten much better in recent years. Signing up to DJI Care Refresh also comes with the benefit of access to a prioritized phone support line to address your immediate concerns. However, phone support is currently only available to the following countries: US, Canada, the UK, EU countries, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

13. You can return a replacement drone within 15 days

Like the policy for brand-new drones, any replacement unit received via DJI Care Refresh can be returned within 15 days of receipt if you find that it is also defective. This will not count towards the number of times you have made claims for a replacement unit.

DJI claims that the replacement units they provide are equivalent to new so you should not encounter problems in terms of reliability and flight performance. If you find that this is not the case, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with DJI Support to request for a better replacement unit.

14. DJI Care Refresh can be extended by another year

Owing to the improved quality of the more recently released DJI drones, the DJI Care Refresh insurance policy can be extended by 1 year. This extension, called DJI Care Refresh Plus, also comes with another replacement claim benefit. It is also cheaper than the initial DJI Care Refresh, so there’s really no reason not to get it.

For extra convenience, it is possible to purchase a DJI Care Refresh Plus extension at the same time as the initial insurance policy. You may also purchase it separately, but you will need to do this before the initial policy expires. There’s no need to worry about the two plans overlapping since the extension will only activate upon the expiration of the original policy.

Final thoughts

Peace of mind is priceless, especially when you are handling a piece of technology as expensive as a DJI drone. Fortunately, the DJI Care Refresh drone insurance policy was developed specifically to provide peace of mind to DJI drone owners. Being able to outright replace your drone when it gets damaged is a benefit that no other drone insurance policy can offer. It also comes with a few nice perks such as a priority support line and free shipping costs.

For owners of DJI drones, getting DJI Care Refresh and getting the 1-year extension is a no-brainer. There is literally no longer any reason for you to be stressed out when flying your drone at great heights or over water. Getting DJI Care Refresh is also a great move for commercial drone pilots who can take advantage of the Express option so they can get right back to business even after crashing their drone.