Let's face it; DJI Drones are expensive pieces of equipment. If you're not careful, a single crash could set you back a few hundred dollars. You do not want to spend all your savings on a single flight. This is where DJI Care Refresh comes in. While this revolutionary service is not new, many pilots are still on the fence about whether to subscribe or not.
So, where does this leave you? Well, I’ll get straight to giving you a sense of direction;
Generally, DJI Care Refresh is a good investment if you're a beginner pilot or if you fly often. This is especially so for the high-end drones such as the Mavic Pro and the Phantom series. However, for low-end drones such as Mavic Air 2 or the Mini 2, you can afford to skip it, albeit at your own risk.
While the decision boils down to factors like frequency of use, costs, and type of use, you can never be too sure about what's going to happen. When it does happen, a single crash could set you back hundreds of dollars or leave you with an expensive paperweight. We'll get down to the nitty-gritty but first, let's get to understand what DJI Care Refresh is.
If you're wondering how much normal insurance costs, check out my guide on how expensive is drone insurance.
DJI Care has been an additional service offered starting with the Phantom 3 series, that allows you to get your broken drone parts replaced with new ones with no additional cost.
Today we're talking mostly about DJI Care REFRESH, which is pretty much DJI care for drones newer than the Mavic (including it).
Relying on our wild guess, you are a drone enthusiast who has decided to buy a DJI drone. We can dare presume you have probably heard the term 'DJI Care Refresh' thrown around, but don't know what it is.
DJI Care Refresh is a 12-month service plan offered by DJI to provide drone owners with professional repair services and replacements. The policy covers damage sustained in normal use, including flight accidents, water damage, and flyaways.
DJI Care Refresh also gives you access to a global network of authorized service centers, so you can always get your drone repaired quickly and easily.
The similarity in these names can be confusing and may lead to one conclusion: they are all the same. This is not the case, and there are a few key differences to note between these three plans.
While DJI Care Refresh is a 12-month service plan, DJI Care Refresh plus will extend this by an extra 12 months, giving you 24-months of coverage. DJI Care, on the other hand, is an insurance plan that gives you unlimited repairs and replacements for your drone within the time of the policy.
The table below depicts the first and second replacement costs involved for select DJI drone models under DJI Care Refresh:
| Product | First Replacement Fee ($) | Second Replacement Fee ($) |
| DJI Mavic Air 2 | 69 | 99 |
| DJI Mavic Mini | 40 | 49 |
| DJI Mavic 2 | 119 | 139 |
| DJI Mavic Pro | 79 | 129 |
| DJI Mavic Pro Platinum | 89 | 139 |
| DJI Mavic Air | 69 | 99 |
| DJI Osmo Action | 29 | 39 |
| DJI Osmo Pocket | N/A | N/A |
| DJI Osmo Mobile 3 | N/A | N/A |
| DJI Spark | 49 | 69 |
| DJI Inspire 2 | 209 | 329 |
| DJI Zenmuse X5S | 149 | 219 |
| DJI Zenmuse X7 | 379 | 529 |
| DJI Phantom 4 Pro Series | 99 | 149 |
| DJI Phantom 4 Advanced | 99 | 139 |
| DJI Phantom 3 SE | 69 | 79 |
| DJI Ronin-S | 59 | 69 |
| DJI Ronin-SC | 49 | 59 |
As a drone pilot, you never know when you might need DJI Care Refresh. However, there are some general situations in which this service would come in handy:
DJI Care Refresh comes in handy irrespective of your experience level. It gives you peace of mind, knowing that you have some level of protection for your drone in case something happens. It is especially handy for beginners and professionals flying in extreme or unpredictable conditions.
Flying a drone can be challenging when starting out. If you're not careful, one or two bad flights could quickly turn your prized possession into an expensive paperweight. So if you're just starting to fly drones, DJI Care Refresh would be ideal for you.
Even if you're an experienced drone pilot, there is no guarantee that accidents will not happen. DJI Care Refresh will be ideal if you fly often and live in an unsafe area. If your house is close to trees or power lines, chances are that you'll crash one of these days.
The cost of DJI Care Refresh depends on the value of your drone. It also boils down to the costs associated with the first and second replacements.
DJI Care Refresh will cost you anything from $39 to $339 depending on the drone model you have and the amount of coverage you want. Additional costs associated with first and second replacements range from $40 to $209 and $49 to $329 respectively.
The table below captures the cost of DJI Refresh for different drones:
| DJI Model | Cost to Buy DJI Care Refresh ($) | Cost of 1st Replacement($) | Cost of 2nd Replacement($) | Cost of a New Drone($) | Care Cost as Percent of Market Value |
| Mavic Mini | 39 | 40 | 49 | 399 | 32% |
| Mini 2 | 49 | 49 | 59 | 449 | 35% |
| Mavic 2 | 149 | 69 | 99 | 1,599 (Pro)1,399 (Zoom) | 20%23% |
| Mavic Air | 69 | 69 | 99 | 699 (Discontinued) | 34% |
| Mavic Air 2 | 79 | 69 | 99 | 799 | 31% |
| Spark | 49 | 59 | 69 | 399 | 44% |
| Mavic Pro | 99 | 79 | 129 | 829 | 37% |
| Phantom 3 SE | 59 | 69 | 79 | $729 (discontinued) | 28% |
| Phantom 4 Advanced | 139 | 99 | 139 | 1,299 | 29% |
| Phantom 4 Pro Series | 159 | 99 | 149 | 1,599 | 25% |
| Inspire 2 | 339 | 209 | 329 | 3,299 | 27% |
DJI Care Refresh may be a welcome safety net, but this doesn't mean that it covers everything.
The DJI Care Refresh policy covers:
The following table shows notable Product Parts are Covered by DJI Care Refresh
| Aircraft | Camera | Gimbal | Propellers | Battery | Grip | |
| DJI Spark | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| DJI Mavic Series | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| DJI Phantom Series | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | N/A |
| DJI Inspire 2 | Yes | N/A | N/A | Yes | No | N/A |
| DJI Zenmuse | N/A | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| DJI Osmo Action | N/A | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | N/A |
| DJI Ronin Series | N/A | N/A | Yes | N/A | No | Yes |
Getting a DJI Care Refresh cover is not a guarantee that you will be fully compensated for any and all damages to your drone. Always read the finer print in your policy to know what isn't covered based on your specific DJI product.
DJI Care Refresh does not cover:
Getting a DJI care Refresh Insurance is a pretty straightforward process. This depends on a few factors such as the area you live in and whether your drone is new or not.
You can purchase DJI care refresh insurance by either going to the DJI online store or your local authorized dealer and purchasing it there. Once you have purchased DJI Care Refresh, you will need to register your drone on the DJI website with the serial number and product code.
After registration, DJI will issue you a registration code and policy number, valid for one year. You will also need to provide your contact information and credit card details. Ensure to activate your insurance within 72 hours of the first flight.
The older DJI care didn't cover it, but the Care refresh Package helps your peace of mind when fliying above water. However, keep in mind, that you still need the soaked drone to send to them. If you lose it in the sea and can't find it, adios!However, if you drop some water on it, or lose it in a shallow lake from which you can recover it, then everyting should be fine.
This means that if you're a bad pilot and hit a tree or a house, you're good to go. DJI Care doesn't CARE about that... it will get your drone replaced!
Using DJI care refresh, you can replace most of the important components in your drone, besides the ability to get a completely new drone altogether.
You can replace the camera, the gimbal, the propellers and the batteries, which are the components that break most often. And especially the batteries and propellers have a lower lifetime compared to the rest of the drone.
This may sound like fantasy to you, but in the video bellow is my Mavic after it's been attacked by a swarm of bees, and this happened twice in the last 2 weeks.
Fortunately no harm was done, but the drone got pretty damn dirty, nothing you can't clean though.
Birds can also be a problem, as I many times saw them circling around in packs and even got followed by a hawk in sport mode.
The drone was in sport mode, not the Hawk.
DJI support was notorious some time ago for being very bad. Things have changed for the better in the meantime, but it could be better.
And if you have DJI care you can also call a support line that will be even more helpful.
It just adds to it.
So if you get covered by the standard warranty because the drone malfunctioned on its own, then you don't have to pay anything and you'll get a replacement for free, separate from DJI Care Refresh.
I got my drone 2 months and considering you should normally get DJI care only in the next 48 hours after aircraft activation I didn't really have any hope for it.
However, I got it successfully by sending DJI a video showing the drone working step by step.
Considering there have been quite a few times I lost signal and almost shat my pants, this is pretty important.
The good news is that even if you don't have the return to home activated and the drone just lands there you can use the "Find My drone" function in the DJI Go app to search for it on gps.
Even if it fell and got destroyed, as long as you find it, you're all good.
Many insurance companies don't even have plans for quadcopters and newer technology. And even if they have, it's pretty expensive to insure something that's flying and can crash at any time.
As much as you would want to fly your drone without worry, accidents do happen. You never know when a gust of wind or an unlucky crash could send your beloved drone crashing onto the ground below.
DJI care refresh still matters in 2022 because no matter how skilled you are as a pilot, accidents happen. As weather patterns change and drone use becomes rampant, DJI care refresh is necessary now, more than ever. This may seem like a hefty investment, but worth every penny in the long run.
So, if you are looking for extra protection for your drone- whether you are just starting out or have been flying for years- DJI care Refresh is the way to go. It gives you peace of mind and ensures that you don't have to pay out of pocket for repairs or replacement.
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