So what’s going on at DJI? Having originally intended to ship the Mavic Pro in the middle of October, orders only started to be dispatched on October 21st. It wasn’t a huge delay in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to some of its industry peers. But many DJI customers are still waiting patiently for their delayed Mavic Pro and have no idea when it will arrive – despite having paid around $1,000 up front. Clearly, this isn’t an ideal situation for anyone involved. Thousands of customers around the world are frustrated at a perceived lack of communication from DJI, while the company is obviously straining under the weight of more demand than it accounted for.
So it looks like a simple case of too much demand overwhelming the supplier. At least, that’s what was assumed before an article published in Gizmodo on Thursday. The piece suggests that something more is going on behind the scenes; that the apparent dispatch of Mavic Pros on the 21st was small in number and simply a move to “comfort the market”. The drone industry equivalent of looking busy while your boss walks past.
Gizmodo pointed to a leaked email from DJI that reads:
The truth is, that is only a very small quantity of it released to comfort the market. (Please make this confidential, just for you dealers.)
Please try your best to convince your customers to stick with you, don’t cancel their preorders. IF they head to DJI official store for it now, they will have to wait much much longer to get it because there are hundreds of thousands of preorders in line on DJI official store now and they will have to take care of it for the whole globe.
Sorry for the inconvenience and I will try my best to ship out orders as soon as possible starting from Oct. 25th.
On the face of it, this will be concerning for pre-orderers and DJI’s loyal customers. A delay is one thing. These things happen, of course. But covering it up with token gestures is another.
This all just adds to the speculation that the delayed Mavic Pro has is a sign that something has gone wrong in production or that last-minute tweaks have been needed. The fact that over 1,000 customers have resorted to adding their delivery information on a communal spreadsheet perhaps shows exactly how effective and informative communications from DJI have been.
Read the latest: Mavic Pro Shipping Update – DJI Admits to “Issue” with Part
According to the spreadsheet at the time of writing, only 64 out of 1028 customers around the world have received shipping information on their Mavic Pro. Obviously, we can’t guarantee the accuracy of those figures. Nor can we say that it’s representative of a global trend. People still in the dark are much more likely to place their details on the spreadsheet, after all. But what we can say is that it’s all a bit of a mess.
DJI’s Mavic Pro – The Timeline
- Product launch – September 27th, 2016
- Original Shipping Date – October 15th, 2016
- Announcement of Delay – October 18th, 2016
- Shipping Starts – October 21st, 2016
- Claims that customers are being misled – October 27th, 2016
DJI’s latest response to the delayed Mavic Pro
We can’t vouch for the veracity of the email above or its content, and as big DJI fans the last thing we want to do is fan the flames of speculation. So we got in touch with someone who can help put things straight: Adam Lisberg, DJI’s head US spokesman and corporate communication director.
First up, we asked if there was any truth in the suggestion that a small number of Mavic Pros have been dispatched “to comfort the market”. In response Lisberg was unequivocal. “No,” he said. “As we ramped up the production line in our factory, we dispatched Mavic Pros because people had ordered them, and for the past week we have been shipping as many as we can, as frequently as we can. We have a significant number of orders to fill, and we’re working as hard as we can to fill them.”
DJI has never introduced a product that generated such intense demand for pre-orders.” – Adam Lisberg, DJI
We asked Lisberg why the company wasn’t prepared for global demand of the Mavic Pro, and to what extent a rush of pre-orders could have been anticipated. “We never disclose sales figures, but I can safely say that DJI has never introduced a product that generated such intense demand for pre-orders,” he said. “We will use this as a learning experience to help us gauge how to meet demand with upcoming products. Because we intend to keep producing amazing products for our customers.”
There seem to be plenty of disgruntled DJI customers out there who have placed a pre-order for the delayed Mavic Pro, but still have no idea what is going on with their shipment. Lisberg agrees that something has gone wrong here. “Clearly, we have not been able to meet our customers’ expectations. We ask for their patience as we work as quickly as possible to satisfy all their orders.”
Next, we asked Lisberg about the impact of increasing competition in the market, and whether it causes manufacturers to overstretch, launching products and setting shipping deadlines earlier than is ideal. Both the delayed Mavic Pro and the GoPro Karma have had setbacks, so is there a connection here as two giants battle to outdo each other?
Lisberg was quick to deny that the timing of the Mavic Pro announcement was based on the actions of competitors. “In fact,” he said, “it was based on our own aggressive estimates of when it would be ready. We set our own aggressive timetables for new product introductions because we intend to stay as the market leader in innovation, not because we’re trying to respond to anyone else.”
We are working extremely hard to make up where we fell short” – Adam Lisberg, DJI
At the moment it’s difficult to say how the delayed Mavic Pro will impact upon the reputation of DJI. On the one hand, global demand for the company’s new drone is only going to grow when people see how long the queue is. But on the other, customers like to be kept informed and feel looked after – and it doesn’t seem like that’s the case at the moment.
Lisberg said that “DJI is well aware that we have not met our original delivery deadlines, and in doing so, we have not met our customers’ expectations. We are working extremely hard to make up where we fell short, and to continue to try to bring incredible technological advances to our customers and open up the world of unmanned flight to them.”
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
Email Malek
Twitter:@malekmurison
Subscribe to DroneLife here.
we used dji mavic pro for interior spaces and the result is very professional record in 4k check this out https://video-aereo.com
no interior space video at link. just your web site
It amazes me that I placed an order on November 2nd through Drone-World and will not get mine until sometime in January when there are companies selling on hand stock? DJI is just selling to the highest bidders.
DJI Mavic Pro In Hand Immediate Shipping 3-5 days
D.L.C STORE COMPANY
Website: http://www.dlc-storecompany.com
I receive my DJI Mavic Pro fly more in 3 days
Excellent and fast service, From personal experience
I’m not sure I understand this post. Does this mean that DJI has them in stock and are shipping now? I have 2 Mavic Pro Fly More packages on order and paid for. Are they on the way? Christmas is very very soon!
Thank you very much
D.L.C STORE COMPANY
This an amazing company
I bought 3 pieces of DJI Mavic Pro fly more on Monday
I’m very happy
I received my shipment on Friday today
Only four days, I can not believe until now
This product DJI Mavic Pro is more wonderful
I can not believe I will live with my DJI Mavic Pro the Christmas
Thank you again
D.L.C STORE COMPANY
http://www.dlc-storecompany.com
Hi Michael, just for clarification. Did you order three MavicPilots Pro Fly More kits/packages mid December and all three full kits arrived 4 days later?
Yes, my friend
I received 3 units of dji Mavic Pro Fly More
and arrived in 4 days later
good luck
You are very lucky, Michael as many of us have been waiting for a long time. I wonder why your order was filled so fast while others are waiting?
Yes, I think myself lucky
I am not the only
I told some of my friends also
About the D.L.C STORE Company
And they received nearly the units between 4 to 5 days
This is an excellent company
When I want to buy a product
Be unavailable or few in the market
Find the product available in this company D.L.C STORE
I think they have good relationships and share capital are buying many pieces constantly.
http://www.dlc-storecompany.com
bye bye
You have to be kidding ! I ordered mine back in 0ctober 7th from Drones Direct UK , just been told will have to wait until March 2017 at least ,buyer beware !
DLC store only accepts wire transfer payments – so you are not covered in case anything goes wrong
What I find really annoying you get the likes of these top youtuber’s lose there Mavic Pro then proudly show off there replacement…
Imagine the amount of money they and dealers are holding AND making, i am sure $$$$ in interest each day on our money, while we all wait. I ordered mine from Foxtech at the beginning of October (Combo) for AU delivery. Nothing yet.
Still not have news. Order made one moth ago and half. Sending only one general mail for customers is not respect for them. I really hope having news and DJI will make something for apologise for this too long delay.
They advertised that the order we placed would ship on the 15th. They clearly knew how many units they had, and could have easily changed the ship date when that number of orders was exceeded. Given their new competitors announcement, that is especially suspicious. Even the ship date they are advertising today seems inconsistent with the apology they just issued. The advertised ship date in their store – right now – leads one to believe they’ll have it by xmas, yet the 7-8 weeks in the apology means it will be after. This seems egregious enough they are likely going to be chatting with the FTC soon.
You are exactly correct. I cancelled my order today from GetFpv. Ordered on 9-28-2016, they promised the delivery for 10-5-2016. They were also charging $23.05 for shipping. I don’t need this type of deceptive ways of doing business. Getting my full refund from PayPa.
Just received this.
Dear DJI Customer,
We owe you an apology for our delays in delivering the new Mavic Pro. We want to thank you for your patience and also advise that we are looking into improving our order process and systems, based largely on your feedback.
When we announced Mavic Pro and began accepting pre-orders, we expected to deliver the first units in mid-October. However, ramping up production to full speed at top quality took longer than planned. Prior to our scheduled shipping target, we encountered an issue integrating a part into the Mavic Pro. We resolved that within a week. On top of that, the excitement for the Mavic Pro beat our expectations. As a result, we are working diligently to ramp up production to meet the higher-than-anticipated demand for the Mavic Pro.
We have been shipping for nearly two weeks, but even with round-the-clock production, we unfortunately cannot give specific delivery estimates for many orders moving through various global sales channels because of this demand. For Mavic Pro orders received before November 3, 2016, we will do our best to clear them all within the next seven to eight weeks.
Some of you waiting for your Mavic Pro also expressed concern about our immediate billing of pre-orders. We’ve heard you and are examining potential alternatives with our payment provider.
DJI exists to put amazing technology and innovation into your hands, and we’re sorry it’s taking so long with Mavic Pro. Our internal systems haven’t kept up with the enormous demand for our products, and your enthusiasm for our newest offering is spurring us to improve. We appreciate your understanding and are doing everything we can to get Mavic Pro to you as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
DJI
Sorry we don’t understand the level of complexity of the design of the mavic Pro ,can be utterly let down by the imagination of the sales team , come on ! You should have learnt by the delays from the Phantom 4 ,alternate payments !ask Apple ,you advertise on their website .They don’t charge until delivered .Im very sure Apple surely would have run this past you ,sorry don’t believe you .
I gather there are cancellations for the pro increasing ,sadly DJIs reputation is losing its Karma ( sorry no pun intended ) as also any release of any new Models from DJI . Advertise now ,yours in a year !
Dear DJI Customer,
We owe you an apology for our delays in delivering the new Mavic Pro. We want to thank you for your patience and also advise that we are looking into improving our order process and systems, based largely on your feedback.
When we announced Mavic Pro and began accepting pre-orders, we expected to deliver the first units in mid-October. However, ramping up production to full speed at top quality took longer than planned. Prior to our scheduled shipping target, we encountered an issue integrating a part into the Mavic Pro. We resolved that within a week. On top of that, the excitement for the Mavic Pro beat our expectations. As a result, we are working diligently to ramp up production to meet the higher-than-anticipated demand for the Mavic Pro.
We have been shipping for nearly two weeks, but even with round-the-clock production, we unfortunately cannot give specific delivery estimates for many orders moving through various global sales channels because of this demand. For Mavic Pro orders received before November 3, 2016, we will do our best to clear them all within the next seven to eight weeks.
Some of you waiting for your Mavic Pro also expressed concern about our immediate billing of pre-orders. We’ve heard you and are examining potential alternatives with our payment provider.
DJI exists to put amazing technology and innovation into your hands, and we’re sorry it’s taking so long with Mavic Pro. Our internal systems haven’t kept up with the enormous demand for our products, and your enthusiasm for our newest offering is spurring us to improve. We appreciate your understanding and are doing everything we can to get Mavic Pro to you as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
DJI
Please can you have someone with k now ledge contact me about expected delivery? Thank you.
“As we ramped up the production line in our factory, we dispatched Mavic Pros because people had ordered them, and for the past week we have been shipping as many as we can, as frequently as we can. We have a significant number of orders to fill, and we’re working as hard as we can to fill them.
If ever a corporate communication director should learn to give information instead of non-information, the above sentence is a clear indication of such a situation.
What a nonsense reply to a clear question.
Just received an email notifying me that my order has shipped. Kind of excited but when I clicked on the FedEx tracking number, there is no info yet. Hopefully that will change tomorrow when I check the tracking number again. Much better than the Lily camera which I ordered over a year ago but have not received. We’ll see how it goes.
When did you place your order?
I have been trying to return my order for over 5 days and have just been bounced around being ignored
Online sales chat sent me to aftersales, who sent me to presales, who said email sales, who return my email saying its not their area and to email onlinesales, who then replied to talk to online sales chat on their website. who gave me a smart ass response of Wait or request a refund…and guess who they sent me too…. yea After sales chat -.-
What a great way to threat a customer you pays you 1300 dllrs and you give no quality response to his problem
It is surely obvious that a company leading the way with drone technology, would of manufactured thousands of units for the initial launch. Strong global demand doesn’t account for the lack of released units nor lack of communication to customers who have had significant money debited from accounts.
Come on DJI man up and swallow the truth pill, people would be much happier and probably a lot more sympathetic with a realistic reply.
It is now becoming increasingly clear that those of us who ordered directly from DJI and handed over our hard-earned cash are complete mugs.
People have placed orders more recently with third party vendors such as Newegg and Amazon and are receiving their orders more quickly. Furthermore, those sensible people have not had to part with money until, their orders have shipped.
The moral of this sad story is to avoid ordering directly from DJI…
DJI are setting new standards for appalling customer service and showing a total disregard for their direct customers.
Amen to that !
I ordered directly from DJI on 29/09/16. I paid more than £1300 for the flt more combo. Absolutely no sign of it shipping and zero information from DJI….
All of DJI responses are silly… No company will admit fault or wrong doing, DJI will deny and use the repeated “the demand was overwhelming” lame excuse.
I also paid over £1300 for the combo and care mavic package on the 29/09/2016 and have to search around the net for any information. DJI wont update us at all. I dont think anyone in the UK has received their own mavic yet. If its going to be another 4 weeks then just let us know FFS.
Go to http://m.dji.com/ This is the mobile site and on the bottom of the menu you will find “Chat”.
You can ask for a refund and you will get immediate answer (might have to wait 10-15 Min actually)
Same here….
Ordered September 29. Received email December 6 saying it would be shipped out within 1 week with free overnight shipping. Nothing yet as of Dec. 19. Thinking I’ve been scammed.
Well….recieved my Mavic Pro Dec. 24, 2016 and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. I have not one complaint with this thing other than it took some time to get.