Risks of Cheap DJI Drones from Grey Market Retailers

Heliguy Insider have been looking into buying drones on the Grey Market. We discuss warranty issues, the lack of support and why to buy from local retailers. ... Read More

What is the Grey Market?

Why avoid the Grey Market?

Buying from the Grey Market can open you up to a large number of issues that you didn’t expect to encounter. The following are just a few problems that can occur.

Drones Will Likely Be Designed for Other Countries

Warranty Issues

Warranty issues are extremely common with products purchased on the Grey Market. Neither Heliguy or DJI honour the official warranty on goods purchased through the Grey Market. This is becoming increasingly common for companies, especially in the tech industry to ensure sales are made through approved channels and products can easily be recorded. This means, if you encounter an error with your aircraft that would usually be covered by the warranty, you will likely have to pay for your aircraft to be shipped to a repair centre, the assessment of the aircraft and its repair. Issues whilst in the warranty period can be common due to use of the drone in a country it wasn’t designed to be used in. Additionally, shipping such a delicate product like a drone, especially if not properly packaged, can easily lead to damage to the aircraft in transit. If you have to shell out for a repair that would have been covered if purchased through the legitimate market, the previously appealing price tag won’t seem so good.

Help and Support

Hidden Fees

The price you pay for your new drone on the Grey Markey might not be its final price. As well as the additional fees we have discussed above, there are other ways you could end up paying more on the Grey Market. When products are shipped from abroad, if a company is not VAT registered in the UK with a valid VAT number, the responsibility will fall on whoever bought the product. This would result in at least an additional 20% fee on top of what you’ve already paid for your product. If you don’t pay this fee in the allocated time slot, the product will be returned to the sender. You may also be responsible for additional import and duty fees if these have not been covered by the import company, again adding to the cost of your drone. These fees will likely put the price to that of buying a drone through a DJI approved retailer.

Missing Packages and Refunds

Counterfeit Products

Although the Grey Market doesn’t include either counterfeit or stolen products, there’s a risk when buying from any unreliable and unapproved source of the equipment you will be receiving. This is especially the case if you’re new to buying on the Grey Market. Counterfeit products are illegal, can be used to fund organised crime and might be unsafe. Especially when it comes to drone, they can be dangerous things if the product isn’t genuine. Faults are rife throughout fake drones as they’re not subjected to testing like official products. This doesn’t just apply to drones. Fake batteries and chargers are more common than counterfeit drones. These products can also be defective and shouldn’t be trusted. If there’s a problem when using a fake or third-party charger, you’re likely to void any warranty, costing you a lot more than the extra money for legitimate products. Even when you’re not buying through the Grey Market, it’s recommended to avoid all third-party products to help keep your aircraft safe.

Summary

Why Buy Local

Buying local from local companies can have some huge benefits to consumers and businesses. Here are just a few of the many positives of buying your new drone through Heliguy:

Heliguy are an authorised DJI and Freefly retailer who have a wealth of experience in all things UAVs. The Sales Team will be happy to help with any queries and can be reached by phone, email or live chat during office hours.
Heliguy are an approved DJI repair centre who offer technical advice, drone repairs and even builds. We also offer technical support through the Heliguy Knowledge Base.
Heliguy are also a CAA approved NQE who offer commercial drone training and an introductory day for new pilots. Not sure whether you need commercial drone training? Find out here.
Heliguy offer Crash Cover on their aircraft. This means you’re covered when the worst happens. We're currently offering free Crash Cover across a range of our products.
You’ll earn loyalty points on your purchases and receive free delivery on all orders over £99.00.
We act as a go-between you and the manufacturer, so you don’t have to. Any issues will be sorted by our staff.
Heliguy are a UK based company so whenever you buy from Heliguy, you help the UK economy.

To discuss anything from the above post or any DJI or Freefly product, please give one of our team a call on 0191 296 1024 or email us at info@heliguy.com.

Keep checking back to Heliguy’s Insider Blog for more announcements, insights into drones and, of course, the latest news from the drone industry.

James Willoughby

Written By

James joined heliguy™ in 2018 following a 13-year stint in print and online journalism, having worked on regional and weekly newspaper titles. He is responsible for spearheading heliguy™'s content strategy and social media delivery. James collaborates with DJI Enterprise's European marketing team to coordinate and produce case studies and helps organise events and webinars.