Does DJI Care Refresh Cover Shipping Damage from China? A Detailed Guide to the Conditions

What DJI Care Refresh Actually Covers

DJI Care Refresh is an after-sales protection plan that covers accidental damage to the aircraft, gimbal, camera, and (depending on the model) the battery — typically including water damage, collisions, and unexpected impacts. It does not cover intentional damage, normal wear and tear, or unactivated equipment.

Shipping damage falls under the “accidental damage” umbrella in most cases. If your drone arrives with a cracked landing gear or a misaligned arm caused by rough handling during transport, the standard Care Refresh process applies: you file a claim, ship the unit to a DJI-authorised service centre, and pay the applicable replacement fee. The critical point is that the damage must have occurred after the plan was bound to the aircraft. A Care Refresh plan activated before shipping is a strong starting point.

What’s normally not covered:

• Pre-existing damage from a previous crash that you try to claim as shipping damage.
• Failures resulting from improper packing that has clearly contributed to the damage.
• Drones that were never activated or bound to a DJI account before transit (confirm activation workflow with DJI).

Regional Validity: When Your Plan Crosses a Border

A large portion of buyers purchase drones from Chinese platforms and then operate them in Europe, Africa, or the Americas. DJI Care Refresh plans are region-specific in how they are sold, but in practice many plans purchased in China or Asia-Pacific can be used in supported service regions — with a few caveats.

• China-purchased plans in Europe (e.g., France, Germany, Poland): Feedback from operators suggests that a China-issued Care Refresh plan is often accepted at European service centres for models like the Mavic 4 Pro or recent Air series, provided the drone is a genuine unit and the plan is within its validity period. Some users, however, have been asked to ship the drone back to a China-region service centre for certain repair categories. Rather than treating this as a universal right, we recommend that you contact DJI support with your serial number before you travel or finalise an international purchase.
• UK claims and routing to the China region: For products such as Ronin gimbals or complex drone repairs, DJI may direct UK customers to a service facility in the greater China region (Shenzhen/Hong Kong supply chain area). This can extend turnaround time and add customs paperwork. Document the original purchase invoice and Care Refresh binding confirmation, and check the precise shipping instructions with DJI before sending anything overseas.
• South Korea purchase, Nigeria user: When a drone and its plan pass from one region to another, two factors matter: whether DJI has a support channel in the destination country, and the equipment transfer process. Many operators have succeeded in transferring Care Refresh to a new owner through the DJI account system, but the buyer’s local service options may be limited. Encourage the Nigerian buyer to open a support ticket early, using the original purchase documentation from South Korea.

Shipping Damage: The Practical Checks That Help You

Catching transit damage early makes a claim straightforward. Here is a checklist you can follow the moment a parcel arrives:

These steps don’t guarantee a claim will be accepted, but they provide strong documented verification that the damage likely happened during transport — exactly the kind of supporting material a service centre will ask for.

If you’d rather not start your ownership with a long checklist and a claim process, see the Reboot Hub standard. Every unit we ship is graded Pristine Pre-Owned or Flawless, backed by a 180-day refurbished warranty, so you open a box that already reflects our quality checks. Explore the Reboot Hub standard →

Used Drones, Pre-Existing Crashes, and DOA Units

Buying a used DJI drone from China introduces a different dynamic with Care Refresh. The plan is linked to the drone’s serial number — not to the original owner in a permanently fixed way, but a transparent history matters.

Will Care Refresh cover a used drone that has already been in a crash?

No. If the aircraft has prior impact damage, dents, or signs of an earlier crash that a technician can identify, DJI will class it as pre-existing damage. The plan is not retroactive, and attempting to claim pre-existing failure under shipping damage will likely be rejected. This is why Reboot Hub’s multi-point bench test before sale is valuable: it documents that the drone left our facility in fully functional condition. It lowers the chance that you unknowingly purchase a machine with hidden structural issues. Understand our drone grading standard →

DOA (Dead on Arrival) imports from China — what about Care Refresh?

A drone that is entirely non-functional out of the box might fall under a DOA return or a warranty repair, depending on the seller’s policy. Care Refresh may still apply, but the distinction is critical: if the unit was dead before it ever powered on successfully, confirm with DJI whether you should pursue a standard warranty case or a Care Refresh replacement. The plan’s coverage only makes sense after the drone has been activated and linked; a genuinely DOA unit often needs a different resolution path from the seller or manufacturer.

Special-Use Scenarios: Forestry, Beaches, Golf Balls

Because Care Refresh revolves around accidental damage, many operators wonder how it plays out in niche environments. Here is a practical overview of what tends to be covered and what requires extra caution:

For those operating heavy-use commercial cycles — such as forestry or repeated beach shoots — having a source of refurbished replacement units can be just as valuable as the insurance itself. A MOHRSS Level-3-certified repair facility (like the Reboot Hub team) brings chip-level precision to post-claim refurbishment, something that can extend the life of your fleet well beyond a single replacement. Compare DJI models suited for demanding environments →

Transferring a Care Refresh Plan to a Different Country or Buyer

If you sell your drone to someone in another country, transferring the Care Refresh plan isn’t automatic, but it’s often possible. The process typically involves:

1. The original owner unbinding the drone from their DJI account.
2. The new owner creating or logging into their DJI account and binding the drone using the serial number and proof of purchase.
3. Contacting DJI support to confirm that the Care Refresh plan transfers with the aircraft.

The potential friction point is regional support. If the buyer is in Nigeria and the plan was originally purchased in South Korea, DJI’s online repair portal may default to a service centre in the Asia region. The buyer should clarify in advance whether they can ship the drone to that centre or whether a local alternative exists. DJI’s support team can provide region-specific instructions, and we recommend a written confirmation before money changes hands.

Sending a Damaged Drone to a Service Centre: Shipping Costs and Procedure

One of the most practical questions we hear is: “What will it cost to ship my damaged drone from China to a service centre in Poland, and how do I manage the whole procedure?” The honest answer is that shipping costs vary too widely to pin down a single number — they depend on the carrier, parcel dimensions, insurance value, and your departure point.

What we can tell you from operational experience is a reliable workflow:

• Request a repair case from DJI’s online support and receive a case number.
• Pack the drone securely, ideally in the original foam insert, with the case number written on the outside.
• Use a trackable, insured service, and declare the item accurately to avoid customs delays.
• If the service centre is in the China region (Shenzhen/Hong Kong supply chain), factor in potential import/export documentation — DJI often provides guidance for this.
• Keep copies of the shipping receipt and tracking number; DJI will require these if the parcel goes missing.

Insurance purchased through the courier is often the most cost-effective way to protect against shipping damage during the repair journey itself.

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