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Skydio support's response regarding my Skydio 2's crash

stefanonwheels

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Skydio support finally got back to me with the expected disappointing response:
Regarding your crash, Thank you for uploading the logs and sending the video. We are glad that your Skydio 2 survived that tumble. I'm sure you have gone back seen how many close calls you had with thin branches. While Skydio 2 is a giant leap forward in autonomous tracking there are still limitations. While that type of collision would not have been covered under the warranty, there are steps you can take to avoid future crashes. For example, if you had set the Skydio 2 to a higher altitude and maybe further away it would have avoided most if not all the thin branches completely. While I don't think you should have to anticipate every trail you're flying in, It's always beneficial to take some time to consider the situations you are placing your Skydio 2 in. It's always better to err on the side of safety when it comes to co-piloting with the Skydio 2. You do have some incredible footage on your channel and we really hope that Skydio 2 can continue to help you capture amazing footage.

Skydio support also mentioned that they don't even have the means to repair Skydio 2 drones at this point, so even if I was willing to pay them, they wouldn't be able to fix my drone at this point. So right now, if your camera lens is scratched, well, please buy another $999 drone or just live with it.
The most annoying part about that is that in case my Skydio 2 crashed again and it's not thin branches or anything they blame me for, they will simply say that it crashed because my cameras were scratched due to the first crash and therefore, they won't cover it under warranty, either.

Fail #2 is that my Skydio 2 didn't record any flight logs since 12/21/2019 and as it crashed on 12/22/2019, it didn't have any flight logs for my crash. It almost looks like the drone intentionally forgets flight logs from crashes, so it's easier for Skydio to blame to user. But... that would not be nice at all, right? Must be just a coincidence.
After Skydio support instructed me to factory reset my Skydio 2, it is now recording flight logs again.

Also, interestingly, they have stopped to re-post my Instagram photos and stories since the crash. Before the crash, they reposted about every Skydio 2-related Instagram photo and story I would post. So not only do Skydio ignore issues in their obstacle avoidance and leave users with damaged drones hanging, no, they also take it personally and stop supporting their supporters on social media. So if your Skydio 2 crashes and you want to continue to receive social media support from Skydio, better don't tell anyone and keep pretending and telling people that Skydio 2 obstacle avoidance is bullet-proof!

Here's my response to Skydio support:
Hi John,

got it. Thanks for confirming the disappointing but expected response. I won't even comment on it. Could you please just convey the following to your product development team?

In all the situations that we've seen Skydio 2 crash so far, would the R1 have crashed? Are you really making a step forward in usable (!!!) drone autonomy?
I sincerely hope that you don't seriously believe "innovation" is to sell a drone whose significant limitations require you to enforce a customer-unfriendly warranty statement that rules out about 50% of the areas that people would like their autonomous drone to be able to fly in.
Failure to acknowledge deficiencies in a product is the beginning of the end of that product, I hope you realize that. People are less and less capable, expect more and more and the world consists of thin branches and power lines, so please make your drone able to cope with those situations, otherwise is pretty much worthless to me and many other people who use Skydio 2 for what it's made for.

Stefan


Crash videos:
(part 1)
(part 2)
 
Interesting they can’t even repair them. Thanks for the
follow up.
 
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I don't understand? As of right now are they refusing to repair? If repairs can be done what kind if time frame are you looking at? If you paid with a C.C. maybe inquire about a refund?
If they have no means to repair it that's messed up. I personally wouldn't buy a product that I intend to keep and use for a long time knowing that it cannot be fixed or repaired.
 
I don't understand? As of right now are they refusing to repair? If repairs can be done what kind if time frame are you looking at? If you paid with a C.C. maybe inquire about a refund?
If they have no means to repair it that's messed up. I personally wouldn't buy a product that I intend to keep and use for a long time knowing that it cannot be fixed or repaired.
Well, they said that they can't repair it yet. I hope that they'll be able to perform repairs at some point in the near future, though. They mentioned, however, that replacing an OA camera is an extensive and costly repair because they need to recalibrate the OA after installing a new camera and stuff like that.
 
Maybe they will take a trade-in on a new one! :oops:
I doubt that. A fellow Skydio 2 owner with a crashed S2 got the response "Please feel free to buy a new Skydio 2 drone. Let us know the order number and we'll prioritize shipping" from Skydio 2 support.
 
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Sigh, I really hope this company doesn't become a customer service nightmare. The signs are starting to appear on the wall. The answer I received from support yesterday sounded an awful lot like several I've received in the past from DJI. Only difference is I didn't have to wait a week for DJI to give me the vague answer and direct me to one of their moron proof videos... Fortunately, I still love this drone.

Edit: Looks like they took care of the fellow from the YouTube channel "Accelerated Heights".
 
Last edited:
Thank you. They just replaced it. Maybe that will be what
happens with the OP.
 
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Interesting. He states that his Skydio flew into telephone wires on the way home. Skydio specifically mention that Skydio 2's OA is inactive when it's landing, so I'm now confused why they accepted his warranty claim and rejected mine and others'. I'm gonna follow up with them right now.
 
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Interesting. He states that his Skydio flew into telephone wires on the way home. Skydio specifically mention that Skydio 2's OA is inactive when it's landing, so I'm now confused why they accepted his warranty claim and rejected mine and others'. I'm gonna follow up with them right now.
On the way home is not the same as landing is it? (I think of landing as in descending to earth, which it actually doesn’t even do when you hit home - it flies back to where it took off and hovers.)
 
On the way home is not the same as landing is it? (I think of landing as in descending to earth, which it actually doesn’t even do when you hit home - it flies back to where it took off and hovers.)
Correct, OA does not turn off until you hit land. OA is still active on the way back home.
 
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We’ll see if they do the OP that way. Hope so.
 
We’ll see if they do the OP that way. Hope so.

I can't imagine why they would. He admits he was flying into low sun and thin branches, both conditions Skydio specifically warns about and specifically says up front their warranty does not apply to. This business does not work if they replace every crash even when people are not following the guidelines, the OA is amazing but it does have limitations and OP knew about them. He then complains that he's lost faith in the drone because it won't do what they go out of their way to say it may not be able to handle and to do only at your own risk, even when the drone is still flying after he managed to crash it. He then goes further to suggest that they're deliberately deleting crash logs, impugning the integrity of the people and company, and complains that they don't promote someone posting multiple crash footage videos on social media and complaining about the drone on message boards, as though they're obligated to harm their own business to promote him. Honestly, the OP's expectations strike me as unrealistic and his approach to them, at least at this point, seems unjustifiably demanding and hostile. I'd be the first one to critique them where justified - if the drone is losing logs, this is a serious bug and needs to be addressed, I had one flight not recorded as well (fortunately not involving any crash) and they are looking into it. But if you are flying in branches at low sun, this is exceeding the limitations of the OA tech and you accept the risk, now OP is complaining about the results of those choices and taking the opportunity to attack the company, I don't know why they would want to continue to interact with him under these circumstances.
 
Most credit cards include a 30 day damage replacement benefit - definitely worth looking in to on these new drones.
 
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Most credit cards include a 30 day damage replacement benefit - definitely worth looking in to on these new drones.
Or at least crash insurance until Skydio can perform repairs on S2. I hope they get the repair business part sorted out by batch 3.
 
I don't understand? As of right now are they refusing to repair? If repairs can be done what kind if time frame are you looking at? If you paid with a C.C. maybe inquire about a refund?
If they have no means to repair it that's messed up. I personally wouldn't buy a product that I intend to keep and use for a long time knowing that it cannot be fixed or repaired.

I think what we are seeing here is competing requirements..on one hand we all expect them to continue to ramp up production (so we all get our craft) AND at the same time take 1-2 people out of the production crew to diagnose/fix a specific craft. A big company like DJI can do this with minimal disruption, a startup like Skydio has to weigh the backlash of the number of customers they’ll “upset” by making one choice over the other (would you rather upset a handful of paid customers or a whole lot of prospective ones?). The fact the OP seems to have knowingly/unknowingly operated the craft in areas that go contrary to the company’s specific warning, does NOT make the choice easier.
Bottomline, IMO it is too early in the process to malign Skydio’s tech support/warranty work. Also, let’s not forget the company/craft are breaking “barriers” so, like any (tech) early adopters, we are willing “advanced/paying” beta testers in some of these capabilities.
 
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It very seldom is ever cost effective to diagnose and repair a device like this drone.

If its covered under warranty then expect a new or refurbished unit.

If and when they do repairs unless it something minor expect to
pay as much for repair as a new unit, especially with shipping charges.

Maybe once they catch up some parts may be available to do your own repair.
 
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