Around 2,500 GoPro Karma drones have been sold since its launch. Actually, if you own one of the devices, GoPro wants you to cease using it immediately and return the drone directly to GoPro Store or the retailer you purchased it to get a full refund. Anyone who bought the Karma as part of a bundle with the Hero5 and Karma Grip will have to return all elements of the package to receive the full refund despite the fact that the said gadget and accessory are not part of the recall.
GoPro says the issue affected only a “small number of cases.” Nevertheless, GoPro still felt it was serious enough to recall every single Karma out there—and it won't give you a new one in exchange.
According to PC World, there is a certain story behind the accident happened. In many ways, it’s surprising it took GoPro so long to come up with a drone of its own. A flying mount for the company’s Hero line of action cameras—popular among adventure sports enthusiasts—is a no-brainer. GoPro had high hopes for the device especially after the company posted lackluster quarterly results in early November. For now, those hopes will have to be put on hold as the company works out some engineering issues, but there’s little doubt another drone is in GoPro’s future.
Executives from GoPro addressed the production issues regarding the Karma during last week's earnings statement. “We are working in close coordination with both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Federal Aviation Administration,” said CEO Nick Woodman in a statement from tonight’s press release. “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.”
The recall is a significant setback for GoPro as it attempts to challenge leader DJI in the drone business, and it follows a bruising financial quarter for the action cam maker, as reported by The Verge.
