Moderators, I searched for a related post that was specific to this topic and could not find one… If there is, I apologize in advance.
I cannot express my frustration with Autel enough without becoming unprofessional so I will make my issue known here in an effort to gain traction with those in a similar situation. I truly hope that someone in upper management at Autel takes time to read this because they surely are deaf to their customers that are calling and emailing regarding this situation.
I am a commercial inspection drone services company owner and pilot. My company performs many types of services to include agriculture, infrastructure, thermal, mapping, LiDAR and a few others. I have been flying DJI for the past five years professionally, and though their kits are good technology, modular and straight forward to use, I despise their flight restriction hoops one must jump through even when possessing pre-approved FAA authorizations and waivers – LAANC cannot be use with waivers.
My search for a reliable, cost effective and USA based company was nudged by DJIs overbearing , never ending restrictions and somewhat difficult to deal with customer support, something that I did not expect on the commercial side where I expected it to be more “professional”.
In that search, I came upon Autel and the
Evo II Pro for lighter work. I liked the specs and everything about it and decided that I would purchase one for photogrammetry work and grounded the I2/X4S combo for a while. I purchased the Pro Rugged kit with the Live Deck, extra batteries, lights, an 8K gimbal, everything, every option for the aircraft and because we take care of our equipment and expect years of life – and the Autel care package.
The kit with all options and extended care was approx. $3000. A reasonable price and what I considered a good bang for the buck. The live deck worked very well and that was a great addition for my clients.
I purchased the kit at the end of the year in preparation for the spring and performed a couple of minor flights to become acclimated. I was impressed and looked forward to the next month or two to pass so that I could perform work with the aircraft.
I had experienced one issue with the aircraft when I attempted to change the gimbal and sent the unit back and Autel. They corrected the issue because it was only a couple of months after the purchase – thank you Autel.
An engineering side note to Autel: One of the Philips head screws used to hold the gimbal ribbon could not be removed because it was overtightened or stripped. If the gimbal is to be changed (6k to 8k and back), why would an engineer use the micro Philips head screw, especially with low grade metal? A Torx head or square head screw will prevent this issue very easily and be able to handle repeated changes.
I was now “all-in” with Autel. They answered the phone, I could speak to a human, their support was good and the package was very nice except for a few minor engineering issues – I have a mechanical engineering background so I may be critical.
When the Smart Controller was to be released, I began to explore those so that I could use an app that is terrain aware, we have our favorites. I contacted my approved reseller with a few questions. I was then told that I must be aware that Autel was experiencing chip issues and that no longer would V1 and V2 hardware be compatible. I said that there must be a mistake, no company would EOL tech hardware in that short of a time period, and of course I was incorrect. Before the flaming begins, I know how this came to be with China but that should never be a significant client related issue.
I contacted Autel directly via phone and spoke to one of two individuals that I regularly speak with. I expressed my concern to him and explained that I had purchased this 3K kit not more than a few months prior and asked what their solution to the situation would be.
I was told that they had spare parts but they did not know how long they would last, and that was their plan. Parts would be used to fix or replace as required and as long as parts were available. My response was that this plan was unacceptable, especially since I have the Autel Robotics Care plan that allows for two replacements – how would that work?
Nobody at Autel could answer basic questions… if I crash and the aircraft must be replaced, how will that be handled? Will I then be required to purchase a new controller and live deck? What if I drop and break my controller, or worse, drive over it? Those are version 1 and my new aircraft may or should be version 2. All rhetorical questions here because the answer is clear.
I respectfully asked him if Autel had a buyback / upgrade plan to implement for those in my situation, where very recently purchased kits to include everything mentioned would be negatively affected. Four phone calls over three months later, I was told that “we” (Autel) have no clear plan and you (I) should call back in a month or so. I was and I remain furious over this debacle.
No upgrade path, come on Autel. Where is the customer / vendor loyalty?
My polite debate with them was that the equipment was basically EOL as of the chip change and due to incompatibility issues with everything else Autel. I find that to be unacceptable and it all fell on deaf ears as I found myself speaking in circles. I asked to speak with someone in management that could hear my case and speak with me to come to any type of resolution. I was told that they too would tell me the same… basically to go away.
As a long time business owner, I find it appalling that Autel conducts business in this manner. If I were to conduct my business in this manner, I would be out of business.
I prepared to get away from my DJI thermal rig and older D-RTK rig in favor of the
Evo II Dual and RTK. I had one on pre-order and was on a waiting list (at that time) and I cancelled both.
I believe that Autel will continue to stall until they can say that too much time has passed and we (Autel) cannot help.
I can no longer trust Autel to do what is right. How can I trust that the 12K Dual kit won’t be EOL in 1 or 2 years? That is a poor ROI when considering my M600Pro D-RTK is nearing 6yrs old and that I have rebuilt it to last, my I2 is nearly 5yrs. My M300 is newer but I expect it to last AND be supported at least 5yrs with proper maintenance, so why would expect less of Autel if they intend to sell and support “enterprise” systems? How does Autel intend to compete in the enterprise marketspace? BTW, the M600 was just recently EOL continued to be supported.
My intent is not to “bash” Autel. Their CEO and other problems are Autel problems and not mine to bear. I need to have proper resolution and I am certain that others here are in similar situations.
Autel, are you listening and will you answer the call to an amicable resolution for these Atuel deficiencies?
M. Taylor