I bought a DJI Air 3S directly from DJI’s website and wanted to share my experience for anyone buying in the U.S.
As many of you probably know, DJI is currently “prohibited” from being imported into the U.S. According to a customs officer I spoke with at Oakland Customs, all DJI drones are being detained. Despite this, DJI is still selling them with “expected delivery” times of 3-5 business days, which is misleading.
I ended up finding one at Adorama about a week later, but my original order has been stuck at customs for three weeks now and will likely be sent back to China.
Just a heads-up—don’t order directly from DJI’s website until (or if) Trump fixes this. No idea how Adorama or B&H are still getting their shipments.
Blake said:
I really feel for those of you in the USA… your government is a bit out of touch.
How long until our government decides to side with America on this? I bet as soon as the conservatives get in, it’ll be a big issue in Canada. The left takes our freedoms, while the right takes our money. One day, there will be nothing left to take. Sorry for being too political; it’s just that every time I think about those poor folks, something else our government does makes as little sense.
@Wilder
America just seems paranoid about Chinese companies. I get it for some types of equipment, but drones are just for taking pictures; they aren’t loaded with crazy tech.
Someone I know ordered directly from DJI. When he called customs, they said they were waiting for an authenticity letter for the batteries to confirm they weren’t made with forced labor.
It’s not the drone itself, but it happened to be the latest model released around the time there were worries about bans. They even accused DJI of using child labor to produce the drones, which the community doesn’t believe and for which there’s no evidence.
So you have a much-anticipated drone and then the ban/blockade happens before they could get enough into the country, which means the few that were available sold out quickly, and now they’re coming from outside the country. Some have even reported issues with the Mini 4 Pro and the Flip.
I don’t think getting the new Mavic will be easier either, but I hope I’m wrong for everyone’s sake.
It’s the US government—specifically one side—that’s anti-China with no real reason other than they fear competition with American drone makers.
Finley said: @Tobin
The US government is concerned about China spying and has paused new drone shipments to the US, labeling it a ‘National Security Risk.’
Meanwhile, I’m just trying to create YouTube videos .
Yep, politics in America and officials looking to gain favor with the current administration.
If anything, DJI has been pretty good at being open about data collection and where it’s not okay to fly. Drones are only a national security risk if flown improperly. Hopefully, things will change someday.
Finley said: @Tobin
The US government is concerned about China spying and has paused new drone shipments to the US, labeling it a ‘National Security Risk.’
Meanwhile, I’m just trying to create YouTube videos .
They don’t truly care. They just dislike being behind the competition.
All drones have been returned. Mine was held up in Memphis customs for almost two weeks. If it’s been sitting there for over 10 days, it’s likely not going to be delivered. I suggest calling DJI to ask for a refund and then order from a local store.
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