Shared Drone Rental Pitfalls: Lost 102 Yuan in Just 3 Minutes Near Fish Mouth
At the entrance to Fish Mouth Park, I spotted a small booth advertising a thrilling 3-minute drone experience. But what started as an exciting idea ended up costing me 102 yuan—and a lot of frustration.
First off, the entire process was clunky and far from user-friendly. To begin, you had to scan a code just to watch a mandatory tutorial video. Then came another scan via Alipay to borrow the drone, which required linking your Sesame Credit score. And when it was all over? You were forced to download the DJI app to export your video—only to discover that this final step carried an additional fee of 3 yuan per minute!
To make matters worse, despite the prominent DJI logo, the device turned out to be a knockoff produced by some obscure manufacturer. This left me with no clear way to lodge a complaint or seek support.
After returning the drone, I noticed that the machine remained “in use” for an extended period. When I contacted customer service, they insisted the issue stemmed from the device failing to turn off properly—even though I had placed it back in its charging cabinet. Attempting to reopen the cabinet resulted in an error message, leaving the cabinet locked while charges continued piling up, as evidenced in the second image.
The customer service team was nothing short of unprofessional, slow to respond, and frustratingly difficult to reach. It seemed the machine had been purchased through a third-party agent, and the so-called support team might have been either the seller of the hardware or the software developers. Either way, they spent more time passing the buck than addressing my concerns. Images three through six document our futile attempts at communication.
But perhaps the most alarming issue was the complete disregard for privacy. As shown in image seven, I could easily access every single video recorded by previous users still stored on the device. Does this company not value user confidentiality? Worse yet, anyone who used the drone after me could casually download and view *my* footage without permission.
This entire ordeal was nothing short of maddening—and a stark reminder to approach such experiences with caution.
Ryan O'Brien 
Dorothy Soto 
Joshua Warren
This shared drone rental experience sounds like a total headache. I can’t believe how many extra steps they made you take just for a short flight—definitely not worth 102 yuan if it’s that inconvenient.
That sounds like a frustrating experience! I had no idea these shared drone rentals could be so confusing and pricey. Maybe there should be more transparency about the costs upfront. It’s definitely something to be cautious about!
That sounds like a really frustrating experience! I had no idea these shared drone rentals could be so misleading—charging by the minute without clear communication feels sneaky. It’s especially disappointing when the service isn’t even smooth or enjoyable given the high cost.
Wow, that sounds like a really frustrating experience! I had no idea these shared drone rentals could be so complicated and pricey. Maybe they need to improve their user instructions or pricing transparency.
Wow, that sounds so frustrating! I’ve had similar experiences with shared rentals where the process is way more complicated than it needs to be. Charging 102 yuan for just 3 minutes feels like such a scam—definitely not worth it.