Action camera maker GoPro has announced to offer a free Hero5 Black camera as compensation to all Karma drone owners.
GoPro's foray in the drone market has been full of hurdles. The company delayed the launch of its first drone — Karma — several times before releasing it in October 2016. After the drone hit the shelves, several customers reported that the drone lost power abruptly resulting in a crash.
GoPro Karma Recall
On Nov. 8, the company had to officially announce a recall for about 2,500 Karma drones. Nicholas Woodman, the CEO and founder of GoPro, says that customer safety is the company's top priority and no property damage or injuries have been reported due to a small number of faulty Karma drones.
"We have moved quickly to recall all units of Karma and provide a full refund while we investigate the issue. We are working in close coordination with both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Aviation Administration. We are very sorry to have inconvenienced our customers and we are taking every step to make the return and refund process as easy as possible," says Woodman.
Free Hero5 Black Camera As Compensation
The Karma drone costs $800 and all customers will get full refund once the quadcopters are returned back to the company. The drone maker also confirmed that customers who purchased any Karma-related accessories will also get a refund. On top of the refund, GoPro is also offering the Hero5 Black camera as an apology to customers.
"You will receive a refund for your purchase. All components included with the Karma drone bundle, including HERO5 Black and Karma Grip, must be returned for a full refund. Once your complete return has been processed and refund issued we will send you a HERO5 Black as a thank you," says GoPro.
It is worth noting that the Hero5 Black camera has a retail price of $399.99 on GoPro's website.
Karma Customers Who Bought The Drone From Best Buy
Customers who bought the Karma from Best Buy should contact GoPro's customer support team to get the free Hero5 camera. Best Buy customers should keep the original transaction number handy while contacting GoPro customer support team.
GoPro also noted that customers who no longer hold receipts for the Karma they purchased can still contact the company and arrange for a refund.
GoPro has been hit hard by Karma's recall. GoPro, however, plans to resume shipment of Karma once the issue is resolved, but it is very likely that customers would opt for other drones available in the market from companies such a DJI.
