The 5 Best Places To Buy Drones Online | DJI, Autel & More

The Best Places To Buy Drones Online are:

• Official Manufacturer Stores (DJI, Autel, Parrot, etc…)
• B&H
• Amazon
• Adorama
• eBay

Manufacturer Stores – DJI, Autel, Parrot, etc…

We all know that the most reliable way of purchasing a drone is directly from a specific manufacturer. Whether that’s DJI, Autel, Parrot, or anyone else, you are guaranteed to get the best experience.

You typically get superior after-sales support than what you get from 3rd-party retailers. In addition, solving issues related to your warranty gets much easier if there is no other merchant involved.

However, you should keep in mind that most products (and that’s not exclusive to drones) have higher pricing if you purchase them from the official store.

Pros

• The most reliable stores.
• Great after-sales support.
• Easier to get a warranty.

Cons

• Higher Pricing.
• Less Variety.

B&H

B&H Photo Video is arguably the best and most reliable place to get anything related to photography, videography, drones, cameras, and much more. They are the world’s largest camera store for a reason.

Their merchandise is really varied, and the prices are fair. They mostly have good brands of drones such as DJI and Autel. From my experience, their personnel will answer phone inquiries and genuinely know what they are talking about.

They have never made a mistake with any of the orders I’ve placed with them, and they have excellent return policies when necessary. Their customer support is actually one of the best you can find out there with 4.9/5 on TrustPilot.

As for their shipping, depending on the product, they can ship to countries outside the US. They even have special deals with Free Next-Day Shipping.

The only disadvantage of this retailer is the lack of refurbished drones so keep that in mind if you want to save some extra bucks.

Pros

• Fair pricing.
• Very reliable.
• Good customer support.
• Free next-day shipping.

Cons

• Very few refurbished drones.

Amazon

Amazon is the biggest e-commerce store on the planet so it makes sense that it makes the list of the best places to find drones. They have a lot of different drones. Their shipping is often faster compared to B&H and Adorama.

This can be a positive since the more sellers you have the bigger the competition so the price gets even lower. However, this can also be a negative as there are so many Amazon drones that are literally worthless.

Don’t get me wrong, not all drones are made for professionals, but, they have a lot of those no-name cheap drones which could end up tricking a lot of customers. A word of advice; stick with reputable brands and mostly DJI and you’ll be fine.

Another drawback of Amazon which I have mentioned before is the fact that everyone can sell on Amazon. Even you and me! So, you don’t really know who you are buying from unless they have good reviews. You should always check the reviews!

Luckily, Amazon has the A-Z Guarantee so you can return the item without much hassle. Now, just a heads up, there is no payment method using PayPal so you’ll have to make a purchase using your debit card.

Pros

• Competitive pricing.
• Fast shipping.
• Very large inventory.
• A reasonable amount of refurbished drones.

Cons

• Less reliable sellers.
• No PayPal for extra security.

Adorama

Adorama is the second-best store after B&H that you can use to get your hands on a new and pre-owned drone. Their prices are often comparable to those at B&H and Amazon so it really comes down to specific drones and sales that you’ll find.

Adorama ships to more than 200 nations globally in addition to the U.S. and Canada. Therefore, not every nation is present on the list. For instance, I haven’t been able to try them personally because Greece isn’t one of them.

The biggest disadvantage of Adorama is its customer service. There is a reason they only score 2/5 on TrustPilot.

Their selection of refurbished drones is also rather small. Finally, compared to Amazon, their quadcopter inventory is significantly more constrained.

Pros

• Very reliable.
• High variety.
• Great pricing.
• Fair return policy.

Cons

• Limited shipping locations.
• Poor customer support.
• Limited refurbished options.

eBay

eBay is excellent when it comes to buying a drone for less than it costs in most other stores. It has by far the most refurbished and pre-owned drones of all online stores.

Similarly to Amazon, you can get scammed here by sellers so be careful of what the seller offers and make sure there is a return policy and warranty in place.

There is also the bidding system of eBay which you can use to get the best deal possible. The company has a Money Back Guarantee which can help you get a refund. Nevertheless, don’t rely too much on that since its coverage is limited.

My personal experience with it is not the most positive. I misread a title of a product and then asked for a refund when it arrived to me.

Well, eBay didn’t side with me when the seller refused to give a refund. I would suggest you use PayPal when buying from eBay.

Pros

• Cheap pricing.
• Worldwide shipping.
• A lot of refurbished drones are available.

Cons

• Some sellers can scam you.
• Money-back Guarantee doesn’t always cover you.