Warranty/Damage Repairs Turn Around Times?

[m5zealot]

Has anyone had any repairs or warranty work done on their H recently at Ontario Facility? They just got my broken H this morning and have been trying to prepare myself for the agonizing wait. Suffered crash damage due to possible software glitch and motor separating from an arm in flight. (see my other post if interested in details)

Last year I sent my CGO3 for my Q500 in for warranty repairs for being stuck and it took them 3 weeks to get it back to me. It got stuck again out of the box and I demanded a new camera be sent because I needed the quad for our family vacation ASAP. I know this can be a case by case basis but, just wanted to get some wait times others have experienced. Thanks in advance

 

[prathbun]

They received my ST16 (loud fan & faulty flight-mode switch) last Friday, the repair was complete yesterday morning, and it shipped yesterday afternoon.
Pretty fast turnaround.

 

[PatR]

Took a about 34 days, door to door for mine. It just got back two days ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[m5zealot]

Thanks guys! I may need to buy another one this weekend. I forgot a have a few video shoots in the next two weeks and if I'm going taking this business seriously, I should have a spare bird right? The Q500 can't keep up with cars snaking thru mountain passes. Let's see who has the best deal and in stock!

 

[m5zealot]

Took a about 34 days, door to door for mine. It just got back two days ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can you please remind me what they had to do to your H?

 

[PatR]

Gear, GPS, compass, boom, half shell, updated firmware, checked camera, test flew, removed their flight props and kept them, packaged loosely for the return trip.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlushVision]

Thanks guys! I may need to buy another one this weekend. I forgot a have a few video shoots in the next two weeks and if I'm going taking this business seriously, I should have a spare bird right? The Q500 can't keep up with cars snaking thru mountain passes. Let's see who has the best deal and in stock!

In my opinion...and this is just MY opinion, a commercial operator should have at least a minimum of two aircraft available. The last thing you need on a job is not being able to proceed with a mission because of some failure at the commencement. Doesn't do your reputation any good and is only going to peeve off your client.

No matter how much you maintain your aircraft and try to ensure all is O.K. prior to setting off for a job, something can possibly occur to prevent that aircraft from flying. For example, failure of the camera to connect (this happened to me quite recently).

I have two registered aircraft for commercial ops with a third for training and as a back-up.

 

[PatR]

2-H, 2-X8, 1-800mm heavy lift. You're slackin'


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[m5zealot]

In my opinion...and this is just MY opinion, a commercial operator should have at least a minimum of two aircraft available. The last thing you need on a job is not being able to proceed with a mission because of some failure at the commencement. Doesn't do your reputation any good and is only going to peeve off your client.

No matter how much you maintain your aircraft and try to ensure all is O.K. prior to setting off for a job, something can possibly occur to prevent that aircraft from flying. For example, failure of the camera to connect (this happened to me quite recently).

I have two registered aircraft for commercial ops with a third for training and as a back-up.

I totally agree. I'm not doing anything professional right now. Mostly friends and family type videos. I do have 5 DSLR/mirrorless cameras and lots of back up SD cards etc. just in case. But right now my confidence in UAVs is not as positive as I'd like it to be to invest more $$.

 

[PatR]

Never place 100% confidence in a UAV. Even the larger ones have bad days. Case in point, just last week some people found an AAI Shadow in a tree in Colorado. It had done a "fly away" after being launched from a military training area in Arizona. No one knew where it had gone until some people saw it in the tree. Camera on that dude costs about $100k.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[prathbun]

So...

I received my "repaired" ST16 last Friday (2/10/17) after sending it in on 1/30. Thought it was a pretty good turnaround.

The repair invoice said that they'd:

1. Replaced a cooling fan (original howled out of the box)
2. Replaced the right switch board (the flight-mode switch stopped working (stuck in safe mode) on my original unit after around 8 hours flight time)
3. Calibrated hardware
4. Flashed ST16 (glad I didn't have to witness that ;~)
5. Firmware updated

What came out of the box was a completely different ST16 than the one I sent:

1. Some industrial name & phone-number labels I put on it had been removed & replaced
2. The plastic film around both sets of switches had been miraculously restored

When I turned it on, I found that the the apps I had loaded were gone (UAV Toolbox, etc), and there were a several telemetry and downlink video files from New York in August of last year (see this). Going further, I found that the firmware wasn't updated; one of the joysticks wouldn't center (it failed the hardware calibration routine); the calibration functions accessed from the main screen were non-functional (gimbal, accelerometer, compass); and the GPS and LED switches didn't do anything at all.

Took me a while to get around to checking the S/N and sure enough, the "repaired" one is a bit long in the tooth.

The impostor's on its way back to Ontario this morning, and I called customer service to let them know they have a QC problem.

Keep you posted.

 

[PatR]

Not good.

They managed to send the H back that I sent them. Still has my registration numbers on it. Not sure about the -16.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[m5zealot]

Update guys! They got in 2/8/17 and got confirmation for UPS delivery today! Wow! Repairs were all under warranty - no questions ask. I wished there was a more detailed accounting of what caused the crash but, from the looks of the repair "bill" Steve was right - GPS gone bad! Only sad part now is heavy rains are forecast for the next three days!

Item

Quantity Inventory Detail Description Rate Tax Amount Options
YUNTYHBRUS 1 YU16350014B08A01 Typhoon H RTF in Backpack w/RealSense, ST16, CGO3+, Wizard, 2 Batteries (US plug)

0.00 Yes 0.00
YUNTYH118B 1 Typhoon H Blade B 19.99 Yes 19.99
YUNTYH118A 1 Typhoon H Blade A 19.99 Yes 19.99
YUNTYH116SVC 1 Typhoon H GPS Module Circuit Board (Authorized Service Use Only) 39.99 Yes 39.99
YUNTYH112SVC 1 Typhoon H Upper Cover Accessories (Authorized Service Use Only) 5.99 Yes 5.99
In-House Labor fee per hour 1 In-House Labor fee repairs on unit/calibration on cgo3+ 80.00 Yes 80.00
In-House Labor fee per half hour 1 In-House Labor fee 27 point inspection. 40.00 Yes 40.00
Subtotal 205.96
Discount Item (Warranty Repair or Replacement Discount) -205.96
Shipping Cost (UPS® Ground) 0.00
Total $0.00

 

[PatR]

Wow! They replaced your props. They sent mine back without any.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[prathbun]

Starting to get a little pi$$ed off at Yuneec customer service:

Sorry to bore you with the history:

Bought the TH on Jan 4. The controller had very loud fans out of the box, sounded like fried bearings. A service tech told me it was "normal" (I know better).
Other than that, I was (still am) really happy with it.
After 30 or so flights over 3 weeks, the flight-mode switch failed (wouldn't come out of safe mode regardless of switch position; calibration (even the secret calibration app) didn't work).
Got an RA number from Yuneec, and shipped it to Ontario.
Received a couple emails indicating that the unit had been repaired:

• Typhoon H ST16 Personal Ground Station (for US)
• Typhoon ST10 Cooling Fan (Authorized Service Use Only)
• Typhoon H ST16 right switch board
• -Calibrated Hardware
• -Flashed ST16
• -Firmware Updated

Got the controller back, and found that it wasn't the same unit I'd sent (different serial number, someone else's files on-board, etc.).
The firmware was pre-11/2016 (obviously the firmware hadn't been updated).

Bound it to the aircraft and opened the calibration tab:

• GPS toggle didn't work
• LED toggle didn't work
• Wouldn't enter accelerometer calibration
• Wouldn't enter gimbal calibration
• Wouldn't enter compass calibration

The aileron stick wouldn't center regardless of calibration attempts.
Got another RA number; was told the case would be expedited.

Shipped on 2/13, delivered to Yuneec on 2/16.

Still no joy as of 2/24. I spoke to a service rep about the fact that the controller they sent me wasn't the original (in addition to being messed up). She said that my original controller was not repairable (?), and replacing it with a used one is allowable under Yuneec's warranty policy. I asked her about the email & repair order I'd received indicating that the original controller had been repaired and calibrated; she said the emails must have been sent in error.

So far I've submitted 2 requests to speak with a manager (mid-day yesterday and this morning) and haven't heard anything back.

Very unhappy.

Anybody got some cheese to go with this whine?

 

[PatR]

Yuneec's warranty does permit substitution if product. If you bothered to read it you would know that. I win't address any of the other stuff, the warranty part was enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[prathbun]

Yuneec's warranty does permit substitution if product. If you bothered to read it you would know that. I win't address any of the other stuff, the warranty part was enough.

Dude, if you're going to continually talk down to people at least get your spelling right before you hit the "Post Reply" button.

Kinda diminishes your deified demeanor.

 

[PatR]

Fingers larger than buttons on phone. Bummer.

 

[Vegasrobbi]

Just want to say I got my H back, took about 3 weeks start to finish. A few days of that were a delay because of me so really about 2 1/2 weeks turn around. All the repairs were done at no charge as was the shipping. My GPS module was replaced and the fans in my ST16. Ran 3 batteries through my H yesterday and all is good so far. Much better experience than DJI.

 

[Dang]

I don't know? Ordered 1/1/18, received 1/23/18, worked for 2 days, 3rd day it went on and weird orbit buy itself and was unresponsive then crashed, 1/29/18 called and sent in log haven't heard from since other than " make take 5 to 7 days".
I am thinking i may have made a mistake buying this thing I mean dollar for dollar i could have rented a helicopter and got the 3 videos and 5 pics. the worse part is i haven't even got to send it back to them yet, so i still have a month or two. maybe i should just go for a refund...