What you need to know about DJI Care in the U.S.

We wanted to take a moment to clear up some misconceptions about DJI Care and certain online sellers still promising this service.

On July 13, 2025, DJI officially discontinued DJI Care in the United States. This unfortunate decision was due to customs and import issues causing a lack of available parts and replacement units. 

When you purchase a new DJI drone and activate it, the controller screen will show that DJI Care is active and the remaining days in the service plan. We know this can be confusing as your drone says it has an active service plan. In reality, however, it does not. DJI Care is still available in other countries and the drone technically does have the service plan which is why it shows this on the controller screen. However, the service is not available in the U.S. at this time so the coverage is not available to be used. DJI may revisit the availability of DJI Care in the U.S. in the future. For now, you can purchase third-party accidental damage protection plans through companies such as Surebright.

Where the issue lies

There are certain unscrupulous sellers out there telling their customers that the DJI drones they are selling still have DJI Care. They exploit the fact the controller screen shows DJI Care active to say their inventory of drones still have the service plan, insinuating they get special treatment from DJI as a dealer to continue offering the service. In reality, this is misleading and predatory. These sellers are only out to make a quick buck and disappear, akin to a "fly by night" used car salesman. They are hoping you never have to take advantage of the DJI Care while they are in business, or if do and get told it is not available, they will pass the buck onto DJI and say it is their fault.

Many of these sellers popped up overnight in the last year or two as the political issues with DJI of recent times made it easier for private individuals to import DJI products through "grey market" exporters overseas without having to be a legitimate business as before. Prior to these "rogue" exporters shipping DJI products overseas, dealers had to be a legitimate business and be approved by DJI to either purchase direct or through an authorized distributor in the United States. Many of these new, unscrupulous sellers who tout their drones as coming with DJI Care sell only on online marketplaces or social media. Unfortunately, they prey upon unknowing buyers looking for advice on where to buy in many of the DJI support groups on Facebook. They will message the potential buyer and offer a bargain price while trying to discredit other, legitimate dealers. They will say they are "DJI authorized" or a "DJI dealer" but, in reality, they are not.

What's going on with DJI's U.S. repair center

DJI has a U.S. repair center. When you create a service ticket on the DJI website, they send you a prepaid shipping label to send the drone to them for repair. DJI products come with a limited manufacturer warranty that covers product malfunctions. DJI Care was to cover accidental damage such as from crashes. We have heard accounts of customers sending faulty drones to DJI in the U.S. and getting them repaired under warranty and returned quickly. We have also heard accounts of customers getting crashed drones repaired and returned. But these stories are very few and far between. It depends on the availability of parts and what the U.S. repair center has in stock at that time.

Depending on the level of repair, DJI often just sends you a brand new drone and then fixes your drone later to send to the next customer. If they don't have a new drone to send, they ship one to you from China. We have heard horror stories from our customers of sending their drone to DJI in the U.S. and not receiving it back for 3 months or never receiving it back at all because the replacement got sent from China and was seized by customs. This is why we don't recommend sending DJI products to the U.S. repair center currently. We have other options for repair and welcome you to contact us.

Why it matters where you buy

If you buy a DJI drone from one of these unscrupulous sellers, you run the risk of never getting your item, getting a drone not intended for use in the U.S. market, a pre-activated unit from another country, and you will not be able to use the DJI Care like they tell you. If you get a pre-activated unit, the manufacturer warranty will be based on the country where it was activated. Therefore, the drone has to be sent there for repair. We have heard unfortunate stories of customers getting units from South Africa, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other countries. After-sales support will likely be non-existent from these sellers as well. They will take your money and run. We've heard of them threatening to sue customers who complained about them online unless they took their negative posts down. They use bullying tactics to prevent the word from spreading about their business practices.

Buy from a legitimate, established DJI dealer instead. There are many out there and we don't act to be the only one or the best one. But what you get when you buy from Altitude Hobbies/Altitude Drones is trusted advice, no gimmicks, and a history of reliable service. We've been in business since 2011 and have sold DJI products since the beginning, starting with the iFlight i450/DJI Flamewheel. We sell to government, corporate, and enterprise clients as well as consumers and prosumers. We are upfront with our customers about things like DJI Care so they are educated on the issues at hand and can make an informed decision on the best drone to fit their needs. Not only will we guide you through the buying process, we will support you after the fact as well. We have solutions for North America DJI repairs and can help you through that process.

In summary

• DJI Care was discontinued in the United States in July, 2025. 
• Your DJI drone may tell you DJI Care is active in the settings. But, in the event of a crash, you will most likely not be able to take advantage of the service.
• Watch out for "fly by night" drone sellers on online marketplaces or social media claiming their drones still come with DJI Care. This is a lie. 
• If someone claims to be a DJI dealer but only sells through Facebook Marketplace or social media outlets, be wary. Especially if they try to get you to pay through PayPal "friends and family."
• Watch out for pre-activated DJI models. The warranty for these units is based in the country where it was activated.
• Buy from a trusted, reputable dealer.
• Altitude Hobbies/Altitude Drones is a DJI authorized dealer and has been in business since 2011. We would be happy to help select the best drone for your needs. We specialize in public safety drones for law enforcement, fire, and search and rescue. We offer bundle packages for deer recovery, mapping and inspection work, and pet search-and-rescue.
• Altitude Drones can assist you with North America repairs of DJI products without customs issues.
• Our drones, including popular models such as the DJI Matrice 4T and Matrice 4TD, are un-activated and shipped from Colorado.