Drone Crash Cover: Heliguy Repair Refresh vs DJI Care Refresh

• Heliguy Repair Refresh and DJI Care Refresh are drone crash cover policies;

• Heliguy Repair Refresh is a one-off payment (policy and repair/replacement); DJI Care Refresh has a policy fee, plus additional replacement fees;

• Depending on the plan, DJI Care Refresh can cover multiple replacements over two years; Heliguy Repair Refresh offers one repair over a 12-month period.

Buying a drone, gimbal or camera is a big and important investment.

The last thing you want is that equipment getting damaged or broken.

But sometimes, accidents happen.

To give you peace of mind and to ensure you can receive a repair or a replacement as quickly, easily, and cheaply as possible, Heliguy and DJI have comprehensive crash-cover policies.

Heliguy's plan is called Repair Refresh, while DJI's policy is known as DJI Care Refresh.

Repair Refresh and Care Refresh offer a range of benefits and cover certain drones, cameras, and gimbals within the DJI ecosystem.

But which one should you choose? And what are the differences between the policies?

At a glance, these are the key details:

Want to know more? Then read this in-depth comparison guide.

Heliguy Repair Refresh vs DJI Care Refresh: What Is Covered?

Heliguy Repair Refresh and DJI Care Refresh provide comprehensive coverage for a range of incidents, including water damage.

Scenarios covered by both policies include:

• User Error

• Signal Interference

• Collision

• Water Damage

• Accidental Damage

There are, however, some scenarios which are not covered by both crash-cover policies.

These include:

• Loss or theft.

• If the equipment is damaged by means not in accordance with the user manual recommendations.

How Long Am I Covered For?

One of the biggest differences between the two policies is the type and length of coverage available.

Heliguy Repair Refresh has one plan available; up to 12 months of crash cover which expires on the first successful claim.

DJI has numerous packages, including a one year plan with up to two replacements (additional fees apply for each replacement), a Care Refresh+ bolt-on, and a recently introduced two-year policy. The two-year policy is currently only available on select items.

Heliguy's Repair Refresh previously had a two-claim option, but was streamlined after pilots didn't tend to claim more than once.

The table below shows the differences between the various policies.

How Much Does Heliguy Repair Refresh And DJI Care Refresh Cost?

Another key difference between Heliguy Repair Refresh and DJI Care Refresh is the price.

Heliguy's policies are straightforward one-off fees, covering the crash cover and the cost of the repair/replacement. There are no extra or hidden fees to pay!

In contrast, DJI Care Refresh requires a cover policy fee, and then extra payments for each replacement.

This means that the initial fee is often cheaper than Heliguy's Repair Refresh, but the costs can stack up with each replacement - which can make it a more expensive policy in the long run.

Open the accordions below for example price comparisons between the two crash-cover policies, as well as a detailed list of the price of each policy for each product.

The prices/products were correct at the time of writing, but can be subject to change.

Price Comparisons

Full Cost Breakdown

Heliguy Repair Refresh vs DJI Care Refresh: What Products Are Covered?

As the table above shows, Heliguy's Repair Refresh covers a wider range of DJI products.

For instance, items such as the Tello, Smart Controller, Goggles, and CrystalSky monitors are all protected by Repair Refresh, but not Care Refresh.

On top of this, Heliguy's crash-cover policy also covers the drone's remote controller; Care Refresh does not.

As a side note, both policies cover various parts of the damaged drone, such as body, propellers, and cameras where these are fixed to the drone as standard.

Cameras such as the Osmo Action, X5S, and X7 are also covered by Repair Refresh and Care Refresh

Repair Refresh includes enterprise products, such as the M300 RTK, Mavic 2 Enterprise, and cameras like the H20 and H20T.

In contrast, DJI Care Refresh does not cover these Enterprise drones and payloads. These, instead, are covered by a separate policy, called Enterprise Shield.

Like Repair Refresh and Care Refresh, Enterprise Shield covers user error, signal interference, collision, water damage, and drop damage.

Two options are available: Basic and Advanced.

There are a few things to note with Enterprise Shield, including some caveats.

When it comes to unlimited free replacements:

• For each replacement, a fee equivalent to the damage assessment cost for the original product is deducted from the coverage amount.

As for the caveats, the Zenmuse XT and Zenmuse XT2 are not covered by the replacement service.

The Backup Device Service supports the Zenmuse XT series only.

Purchasing Options

Heliguy Repair Refresh can be purchased online, at heliguy.com, for applicable products purchased from Heliguy.

Repair Refresh will be automatically bound to the piece of equipment and the cover period will begin automatically.

DJI Care Refresh can be purchased in a number of ways.

• Go to DJI Store and input the serial number of your product to purchase DJI Care Refresh. After DJI Care Refresh is successfully purchased, it will bind to your product automatically.

• Visit an official flagship store or an authorised store to purchase a DJI Care Refresh activation card. After purchasing, follow the instructions on the card to bind DJI Care Refresh.

DJI Care Refresh (2-Year Plan) can only be purchased with the product on the DJI Online Store. It cannot currently be purchased separately.

Activation

So, you've purchased your equipment and want to add a crash-cover policy.

Now it's a case of activation. Are there any differences here between Heliguy Repair Refresh and DJI Care Refresh?

The simple answer, is yes.

Repair Refresh cover can be bound to your product up to seven days from purchasing the equipment from Heliguy.

As an added bonus, Repair Refresh is automatically activated. As such, you will not receive any documentation.

The best way to purchase Repair Refresh is via the Heliguy website - www.heliguy.com.

As for DJI Care Refresh, it is automatically activated if purchased at the same time as the product.

Manual activation is required if purchasing the cover separately.

DJI Care Refresh can be bound to your DJI product in the following circumstances:

• New and un-activated product;

• Aircraft or gimbal activated within the last 48 hours;

• Handheld device activated within the last 30 days;

• Aircraft approved via video verification.

If your product has been activated longer than the periods stated above, you can apply for video verification. You will receive a purchasing notice, and DJI Care Refresh must be purchased within 72 hours after receiving the notice.

There are numerous ways to purchase DJI Care Refresh. These are:

• Through the DJI Store, at the same time as buying your product.

• Separately on DJI store; enter the serial number of your product according to the prompt page when purchasing the service.

• Via a DJI Care Refresh activation card; enter your activation code and serial number of your product through DJI Care Activation page to activate your DJI Care Refresh service.

Is Shipping Free?

Both the Heliguy and DJI policies offer free shipping, but there are exceptions.

Heliguy Repair Refresh includes free UK shipping, but international shipping is not included in the cover and must be paid at the rate provided at the point of claim.

Following a logged incident, Heliguy Repair Refresh customers in the UK will receive a pre-paid postage label within 48 hours to cover courier postage.

Then, leave the boxed-up drone at your local DPD drop-off point.

After repair or replacement, your equipment will be returned via courier next-day delivery.

DJI Care Refresh's replacement service is only available in the country or region that matches the version chosen when purchasing DJI Care Refresh.

DJI pays for two-way shipping fees generated in the service area.

If you use the replacement service in a non-service area, DJI will charge shipping fee, tax, and any other fees which arise from this arrangement.

Support

Customers are supported through Repair Refresh and Care Refresh.

Heliguy policy holders are able to speak to the team of UK-based, DJI-trained technicians by phone, email or face-to-face at the UK HQ.

Heliguy aims to repair/replace the product as quickly as possible, aiming for within 10 workings days.

DJI offers two avenues for its Care Refresh policy, including an Express Policy to get a replacement sooner. This process skips the damage assessment and quotation process.

I Have Repair Refresh/Care Refresh. Do I Need Drone Insurance?

Both Heliguy Repair Refresh and DJI Care Refresh are crash-cover policies, but they do not count as drone insurance.

If you want/need drone insurance, this will need to be purchased seperately.

In the UK, if you are flying a drone or model aircraft below 20kg for recreation, sport, or as a hobby, you can choose whether or not to have insurance.

If you fly it for any other reason, ie commercially, then you must have third-party insurance.

Flyers of drones and model aircraft weighing 20kg and over must always have third-party insurance, no matter the use.

Is DJI Care Refresh Worth It?

DJI Care Refresh is a comprehensive policy, offering more than one replacement. But this has ups and downs.

The positive is that you can access more than one repair, which can be invaluable for some pilots. The downside is that you will pay for it - both times, on top of the initial policy fee.

This means, in the long run, Care Refresh can mount up (and becomes more expensive than Heliguy's Repair Refresh); even if you only need one replacement.

DJI Care Refresh can also be extended to two years.

Is Heliguy Repair Refresh Worth It?

Heliguy Repair Refresh set the standard for similar programmes which followed in its wake.

Taken at face value, Repair Refresh is a more expensive upfront payment than DJI Care Refresh. But the devil is in the detail.

Heliguy Repair Refresh is a one-off payment, which includes the policy and the one repair/replacement, whereas DJI Care Refresh has a cheaper policy price but then an additional repair cost - which then makes it more expensive than Care Refresh in most cases.

Heliguy's Repair Refresh only has a one-claim option. However, this is based on experience, as customers never claimed twice under a two-claim option.

Repair Refresh covers more items than Care Refresh, as well as the drone's controller.