My broken Evo 2 dilemma

[Spikemixture]

This could be a very long story but I will try to keep it short.

2nd time I went to fly my gimbal was shaking vigorously on start up. (attached is a mp4)

After checking firmware etc were all up to date and several restarts the shaking did not stop.

I contacted Autel and was answered promptly although due to time zones every exchange took two days.
So after a week it was decided to get it returned and fixed/replaced.

This is where it gets interesting. I live in the Philippines and bought my evo2 from an authorized reseller in China. (No one sells Autel in PH)

So the US support said he would pass it on to the "international office" as he could not do anything in the US.
He has contacted them 3 x and I still have not heard from the "international office" - I am guessing that is head office in China

The 8th of august was my first email so today is day 14 !

Meanwhile I have contacted the reseller who appears keen to help but then there is another issue. If i send it back to them (at my cost) apparently they get hit by high import taxes. What the workaround is I send it to a 'freight forwarder' in HK who then forward onto my reseller ( allegedly at a much cheaper rate)
That's fine except the FF in HK are restricted to receiving goods due to political unrest or covid19 or flooding or whatever.

So I am stuck with a broken aircraft that cannot be sent to the FF to forward to the reseller then to Autel to be fixed then back to the reseller then back to me in Philippines. (they will pay)

I can see not days, but weeks of no flying!

 

[xspwhite]

Thats a shakey gimbal alright. I wonder if it could be firmware related?

 

[Spikemixture]

Thats a shakey gimbal alright. I wonder if it could be firmware related?

I have gone back to 2.1 and 2.3 and nothing changed.

Some here suggested that u cannot go back
So I am not 100% sure I went back but when it finished it was a different page to when going to 2.5. !

Tech support did not push the firmware thing.

 

[Tufargon]

I have gone back to 2.1 and 2.3 and nothing changed.

Some here suggested that u cannot go back
So I am not 100% sure I went back but when it finished it was a different page to when going to 2.5. !

So you went back. then now you're not sure you went back? If you can prove that you went back in firmware with Autel I would seriously like proof.

 

[Spikemixture]

So you went back. then now you're not sure you went back? If you can prove that you went back in firmware with Autel I would seriously like proof.

No I tried again with 2.1 then 2.3 and only 2.5 said successful.

Both 2.1 and 2.3 show a screen with all green lights next to each update details.
Reboot 'remoter' control and aircraft then try again is a little ambiguous with all those green lights!!




But Gimbal still running amuck!

 

[xspwhite]

That sucks, must be a main board problem.

 

[Ansia]

This could be a very long story but I will try to keep it short.

2nd time I went to fly my gimbal was shaking vigorously on start up. (attached is a mp4)

After checking firmware etc were all up to date and several restarts the shaking did not stop.

I contacted Autel and was answered promptly although due to time zones every exchange took two days.
So after a week it was decided to get it returned and fixed/replaced.

This is where it gets interesting. I live in the Philippines and bought my evo2 from an authorized reseller in China. (No one sells Autel in PH)

So the US support said he would pass it on to the "international office" as he could not do anything in the US.
He has contacted them 3 x and I still have not heard from the "international office" - I am guessing that is head office in China

The 8th of august was my first email so today is day 14 !

Meanwhile I have contacted the reseller who appears keen to help but then there is another issue. If i send it back to them (at my cost) apparently they get hit by high import taxes. What the workaround is I send it to a 'freight forwarder' in HK who then forward onto my reseller ( allegedly at a much cheaper rate)
That's fine except the FF in HK are restricted to receiving goods due to political unrest or covid19 or flooding or whatever.

So I am stuck with a broken aircraft that cannot be sent to the FF to forward to the reseller then to Autel to be fixed then back to the reseller then back to me in Philippines. (they will pay)

I can see not days, but weeks of no flying!

Have you asked Autel USA if you can send it to them? I am not up to date on shipping charges, but would it be more expensive to send it to the US vs Hong Kong?

 

[skipper1]

Have you asked Autel USA if you can send it to them? I am not up to date on shipping charges, but would it be more expensive to send it to the US vs Hong Kong?

I would go the expensive route and send it to the US because it will arrive.
The first week of March I sent a tablet to China and they still have not received it because of the US/China relationship.

 

[Spikemixture]

Have you asked Autel USA if you can send it to them? I am not up to date on shipping charges, but would it be more expensive to send it to the US vs Hong Kong?

Autel US do not want to know about as not bought in US!

And re costs
HK is 1,000km from Philippines and to the US it is 11,000kms!

What do you reckon?

 

[Spikemixture]

I would go the expensive route and send it to the US because it will arrive.
The first week of March I sent a tablet to China and they still have not received it because of the US/China relationship.

Autel US passed the buck

 

[Spikemixture]

An update for anyone that is interested.
This started on the 7th August.
A few back and forth from Autel US with no fix.
They then contacted "International" office three times over a week before getting a reply.
"International " reply was they had contacted me. No they did not.

Meanwhile I had a reply from the APAC office (Japan I think) about where I could get batteries to ship to Philippines. They gave me a HK reseller. I replied asking about repairing my Shaking Gimbal - that was 10 days ago and no answer!

In between all this I have been chatting to my Chinese authorized reseller. They contacted Autel and was told they would fix it but I must cover costs getting the drone back to HK. (Sending goods to China directly incurs large taxes apparently)

So drone picked up by DHL from my house in Angeles City 5.30pm Tuesday Sept 1.
Delivered 11.30am Wednesday 2nd Sept. in HK.
That is 18 hours !!
So, much of courier delays talk is BS!
My cost - US$75 .

It is currently on its way to Autel which apparently will take 3-4 weeks to get from HK to Autel - Yep 3-4 weeks to go under 100km after it tooks 18 hours to go from PH to HK.
If it finally gets repaired by Autel it will be shipped back to me at no charge (I am arranging to get another battery and charger sent with the drone ($240)) which is much cheaper than the US price and almost gets my original shipping fee back!!.

 

[Ansia]

An update for anyone that is interested.
This started on the 7th August.
A few back and forth from Autel US with no fix.
They then contacted "International" office three times over a week before getting a reply.
"International " reply was they had contacted me. No they did not.

Meanwhile I had a reply from the APAC office (Japan I think) about where I could get batteries to ship to Philippines. They gave me a HK reseller. I replied asking about repairing my Shaking Gimbal - that was 10 days ago and no answer!

In between all this I have been chatting to my Chinese authorized reseller. They contacted Autel and was told they would fix it but I must cover costs getting the drone back to HK. (Sending goods to China directly incurs large taxes apparently)

So drone picked up by DHL from my house in Angeles City 5.30pm Tuesday Sept 1.
Delivered 11.30am Wednesday 2nd Sept. in HK.
That is 18 hours !!
So, much of courier delays talk is BS!
My cost - US$75 .

It is currently on its way to Autel which apparently will take 3-4 weeks to get from HK to Autel - Yep 3-4 weeks to go under 100km after it tooks 18 hours to go from PH to HK.
If it finally gets repaired by Autel it will be shipped back to me at no charge (I am arranging to get another battery and charger sent with the drone ($240)) which is much cheaper than the US price and almost gets my original shipping fee back!!.

When I sent my Evo for repairs last year, I had to wait 32 days.

 

[Spikemixture]

When I sent my Evo for repairs last year, I had to wait 32 days.

That is absolutely ridiculous.
If a drone takes that long to fix - REPLACE it.

 

[Ansia]

That is absolutely ridiculous.
If a drone takes that long to fix - REPLACE it.

Took about 1 week to get to Autel. They kept it for 4 weeks, but 2 of the 4 was in a shelf waiting it's turn. The other 2 I have no clue why it was kept, since they never did anything to the drone. and another 1 week to get back to me.

 

[Spikemixture]

Took about 1 week to get to Autel. They kept it for 4 weeks, but 2 of the 4 was in a shelf waiting it's turn. The other 2 I have no clue why it was kept, since they never did anything to the drone. and another 1 week to get back to me.

If a company like Autel has product on the shelf waiting to be repaired for 2 weeks they have problems.
Bad manufacturing and/or not enough technicians. One can be fixed easily.

I don't understand how any company can have a system that says it will take x weeks to get fixed, answered, etc.
Why not catch up with overtime or reallocate resources.

Then that x weeks can be x days. !

 

[Spikemixture]

Update,
Drone took 18 hours to get picked up from my house in Philippines to be delivered to office in HK !!! (DHL) $US80.
Chinese resellers sent it to Autel. That was last week . No update!

And 2 more emails to Brady at US Autel have gone unanswered.
Never did receive any email from "International " wherever they are!

 

[Spikemixture]

When I sent my Evo for repairs last year, I had to wait 32 days.

That is really really bad .
? and ?

 

[Spikemixture]

My Evo 2 is in HK waiting to go to Shenzhen then to Autel.

It has been in HK for 11 weeks !

 

[Spikemixture]

FYI
My Drone has now been in HK 14 weeks and I am now getting no replies from the reseller.
And no reply from Autel US

Looks like USD1500+ gone !!