I made a big mistake, and I want to share my experience so no one else falls for this.
I recently decided to get serious about drones and work toward my Part 107 certification. I help teach math at my local high school, and our aviation teacher suggested I get certified since I might be teaching aviation courses soon.
After researching, I decided to buy the Mini 4 Pro Fly More Plus package. DJI’s official store was out of stock, so I searched online and found a sponsored link for DJI Droner. The website looked a bit sketchy, but they claimed to be an “Authorized DJI Store.” Since it was a Google-sponsored link, I assumed it was safe.
Well, I was wrong. I placed an order for $1,300, then checked DJI’s official site again and realized this store was not authorized. I searched for more info and quickly realized this was a scam. Their “customer service” uses a Gmail address, and their return policy is a joke—they claim to have a 30-day money-back guarantee, but in reality, they charge a $300 shipping fee plus a 20% restocking fee, meaning I’d lose $560 just to return it.
After 24 hours, I noticed small fraudulent charges on my card—$0.77, $0.99, $1.32, etc. I immediately contacted my credit card company, canceled the card, and flagged the $1,300 charge. Since the charge was still pending, I couldn’t dispute it yet. I emailed their “support” team multiple times, threatening legal action, but received no response.
If you’re looking to buy a drone, do not fall for scam sites. Always order from DJI’s official website or well-known retailers like Best Buy, Adorama, B&H, or Amazon (sold by DJI).
I ended up buying the same drone from Adorama for nearly the same price—with a real DJI Care warranty. Hoping my credit card company resolves the dispute soon.