In-depth buying guides from the AST-Drones certified inspection desk.
DJI Care Refresh can be the most valuable line in a used drone listing — or a worthless bullet point. The rules are specific, and sellers get them wrong constantly.
DJI Care Refresh binds to the drone's serial number, not the owner's account. If the aircraft has active Care Refresh, the remaining coverage period generally stays valid after sale — the new owner can request service under it. This makes an active-Care used drone genuinely more valuable: two replacement claims at low fees is real coverage.
Three checks: the Care agreement is active (serial lookup on DJI's support page), replacement claims remain (each plan allows a fixed number — a seller who already used both is selling you a sticker), and the drone is unbound from the seller's account so service requests aren't blocked. Get screenshots of all three before paying any Care premium.
Care Refresh cannot be purchased new for a used drone after the activation window (48 hours from activation for standard purchase, with a video-verification exception for lapsed cases). DJI Care Enterprise and some regional plans have their own terms. And if the seller's Care period expired, it cannot be renewed on your behalf — the aircraft is simply uninsured going forward.
Care Refresh flyaway coverage requires the drone to remain bound to the account that registered the plan in some plan versions — changing binding can complicate flyaway claims. For crash replacements (the common case), binding transfer is routine. If flyaway coverage matters to you, confirm terms for the specific plan generation on the serial.
An expired or absent Care plan isn't a dealbreaker — it's a pricing input. Replacement-fee exposure on a Mavic-class drone is $400–700; a dealer warranty covering the same failures (ours runs up to 12 months) substitutes for most of Care's crash-adjacent value. Every used DJI we sell ships verified-unbound with Care status documented in the listing.
Generally yes — it binds to the aircraft serial, not the owner, so remaining coverage continues after sale. Verify active status and remaining replacement claims on DJI's site before paying any premium for it.
Only within 48 hours of first activation (already passed) or via DJI's video-verification process for lapsed aircraft, when offered. You cannot freshly insure an old drone at will — price that into the deal instead.