http://in.pcmag.com/dji-phantom-3-p...-your-drone-safe-with-djis-protection-program If recent incidents are any indication, it's pretty easy to crash and destroy a drone. DJI seems to be aware of this phenomeon and has launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) protection plan. DJI said on Tuesday that new and existing DJI drone owners will have the option of buying either a six-month or one-year protection plan with their aircraft. The DJI Care protection plan will cover everything from damage to the drone to issues with the gimbal or camera, as well as pilot error. "By introducing DJI Care, we want to provide our customers with peace of mind and a worry-free flight experience. This program will also encourage more people to explore aerial technology and learn about the fun and potential of flying our drones," DJI CEO Frank Wang said in a statement. The protection plan will safeguard DJI owners in the event of a collision. The Consumer Technology Association estimates that there could eventually be over a million drones flying around the U.S. at any given time. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that in-air collisions could be common, making the protection plans even more necessary. The DJI Care protection plan is priced differently, depending on the owner's model. The Phantom 3 Professional, for example, costs $189 for a six-month plan, compared to $499 for the six-month plan available on the Inspire 1 V2.0. All DJI Care plans also include a coverage amount cap that ranges from $499 to $3,099, depending on the drone's retail price. "DJI Care will provide repair credits that equal the total amount of the aircraft's retail price at the time of purchase," the company said in a statement. "The plan does not limit the number of repairs and will expire once the contract term is completed or when all repair credits are used up. The standard product warranty that comes with all aircraft will continue to cover quality issues by the manufacturer." DJI Care is available to drone owners in the U.S., China, and parts of Europe. A plan can be purchased directly from DJI. This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
I don't think there are very many crashes in comparison to DJI drones being sold. If there were lots of crashes they wouldn't be offering insurance. Insurance is only profitiable if the claimants are a small percentage of policy holders. Having said that I wouldn't bother insuring a P3 for $500 as you can buy a new complete replacement unit, minus controller and batteries etc, for just a little bit more. Besides, my stuff is insured anyway, it has to be for legal reasons.
Take note, the quotes were for only a SIX month period, not a full year! That's like having full coverage insurance for $1,000 a year on a beatup old 1990's car worth $1,500 ! But I was wondering about insurance fraud. What if someone doesn't like their old P1 and crashed it on-purpose for the insurance payout?
And that brings up another point. Will they also consider depreciation? What about crash history? If someone's a bad pilot, will their premiums go up? What if your Parrot Beebop crashes into someone's Yuneec Typhoon causing both to go down in a crunch of plastic and carbon fiber?