Managed to crash my mini 2. Luckily I’d taken out DJI care plan. Took the Premium route. Packaged up the wreckage, got ups confirmation that they now had it.
Also got email from DJI saying a replacement had been shipped, and one from ups saying it would be delivered today.
So far so good.
But now I’ve had an email seemingly from ups saying I have to pay £53.62 shipping dues or they won’t deliver my new drone.
That can’t be right, surely? I’ve emailed DJI and am awaiting a response- just wondering if this is a scam or whether anybody knows what this extra shipping cost is about?
i had a similar experience recently ordered something from the US which was using FedEx to deliver it to me
i had a request for a similar payment amount to you and when i contacted FedEx to ask what the charges were for ,they told me that it was customs and admin charges that they would have to pay to get the package released to them ,in order for them to deliver my item ,i did contact customs in the UK and gave them my order details and they confirmed that the charges were correct
needless to say ,i shall not be ordering anything from the US in future
Either you or DJI haven’t done the paperwork correctly to waive the customs charges? There shouldn’t be any import charges on this, if that indeed is what it is
If it’s a scam it’s a clever one - the ups email looks genuine. I’m not going to click anything to ‘pat online now’ though. I’ll just have to wait for DJI response I guess. Too windy for drones anyway 
Pay!
Also had a similar experience with an eBike battery from Germany - no (clear) mention of it on their website, but then got hit for Customs duties before UPS (might have been Fedex) would deliver it - grrrr… 
Think Brexit was tied in there somewhere - now we’re no longer part of glorious EU. There are also two thresholds - under £39 no VAT, under £135 no duty, above £135, all-in, unfortunately 
. Site at Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad: Tax and duty - GOV.UK explains all - hope that helps. Reckon it’s a legit message (tracking-number supplied by DJI should confirm courier etc.
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I’d just like to say, it would be a BIG coincidence you getting that message at the time your expecting your drone, check with ups first,
Everyday pretty much I get spam / scam emails from ups / fed ex & DHL saying I have to make a payment when nothing I am expecting, chances are it’s legit as they’ve specified your drone, but, I’d double check to make sure it’s legitimately them before payment.
Check the UPS app on your phone that’s the best way to be in contact with them and track your package
This was my delivery last week and all free there and back in 4 days
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My Mini 2 went back for replacement, there and back postage paid, it’s part of the Care Refresh.
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@Seasidepeter don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. If it was a legit email it should have the corrwct tracking number. Just go onto browser and get to ups website, put in tracking info. If it’s legit all the details will be in there, if they don’t find the tracking number that was in the email then it’s a scam. I’m sure dji also sent me the tracking number, so you can cross check
Yip the courier is covered by care refresh, but if dji haven’t marked it correctly then it will be liable for duty. You shouldn’t be paying duty on an item that is technically yours, and away for repair or replacement!
You’re right…I did that, and it seems it IS a genuine request for shipping charges or they won’t release the drone.
I’ll have to pay it and then wrestle it back from dji, I guess, as I haven’t yet had a response to my request for action…
Unless you’re really desperate tobget it back I’d hold off for a reply from dji. Much harder to get your money back once they’ve already got it. I’ve sent mine off twice now and never had any issues, same with the vast majority I’ve read of in here too, there customer service is normally excellent. Go onto dji user forum and ask them the question in there, give your support ticket number too, they usually respond quickly in there.
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Thanks for this, Joe. Sadly, I’m so new to all this (hence the crash!) I didn’t even know there was a forum. It seems I can’t yet post on it (something to do with points earned?). So I’ve emailed support direct and had an automated reply; but no help as yet.
Mind you, ups hasn’t turned up yet either…
Thanks - but the chat line just gave the message “sorry but our online chat service isn’t available.”
Technology…
Had my Air 2S replaced via care refresh last November Crashed and wrote it off. Paid 49 pound for express Service as per Care Refresh Terms and Conditions. Dropped it off for collection by UPS it was going to the Netherlands. Could track it all the way. On the same day they received it, they dispatched a Brand New sealed Air 2S which they had already registered to my DJi Account. I was told to return it minus the battery. From dropping it off to return took 7 days. No Tax or Customs to pay, no request for payment from UPS. Ziltch, so it has got nothing to do with changes due to Brexit or the EU, I think it’s either a scam or the paperwork was completed incorrectly when you put the information on the form and completed the customs declaration. Which you must also place in the return Package. If you go online to DJi Website they have a PDF Download of the full terms and conditions for Care Refresh. Clearly all Tax and Customs is covered by the Care Refresh. I had to download it for myself. As I was having a dispute with DJi because all 3 of my Air 2S Batteries have blown at the bottom so they no longer lock into place. As they were over 12 months old they refused to replace them. Each had only had 30 to 40 cycles in the 18 months of owning my Air 2S. I was indicating it was a manufacturing fault as they state on average you should get 200 + Charge Cycles per battery. But no they would not budge. Sent the Serial Numbers and a video of each blown battery rocking on a flat surface. But when they checked the records they could tell me the day and date I 1st activated each battery in my drone. As it was over 12 months. Game Set and Match to DJi. I had to buy new myself. Thats how I know about the terms and conditions not only Care Refresh which doesn’t cover Batteries and each Warranty and whats covered for how long upon purchasing your new Drone. I was arguing that it should be an either or 12 months or 200 cycles which ever occurs. Apologies for War & Peace. But if it helps Members then so what if its a little long winded. Regards Nigel G
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Sorry to hear of your hassle. I’d pester DJI and try not to pay.
This is probably a rabbit hole you won’t want to go down but this year the government are introducing a Border Target Operating Model which will be implemented later this year in stages as, till now, importing was made purposefully easy. No doubt the mandarins busy working from home… Me neither but I’d bet £53.62 that companies are trying to comply in a fog of missunderstanding.
Does anyone know if the Care and Refresh can be done through, for example, The Drone Doctor who are based here?
Well, I finally got through to Live Chat.
The gist of a very long-winded exchange (is “Jasmine” a bot?) is that Customs randomly checks whether a parcel has been sent from an EU to a non-EU country - in which case they charge VAT on its value.
That’s nonsense, of course, as to all intents and purposes it was my own drone going back and forth for repair. But that’s what “Jasmine” says.
It gets worse.
I had to pay the customs charge on delivery or forgo my drone, as “Jasmine” said if I didn’t pay there was a “high probability” that UPS would never get round to re-billing DJI; so the drone would vanish.
My choices: pay it and accept a coupon against other purchases; or await a refund which would take a month or so.
I don’t want to rant here; but I do want to let people know there seems to be a good chance you’ll have to pay a VAT charge on items sent back to dji under the care scheme.
I even offered DJI the option of just sending me a spare battery instead of a refund kerfuffle. “Jasmine” said the battery would be less than the charge I’d had to pay, so they couldn’t do it.
Now that really is bot logic…
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