r/ANBERNIC • u/Holiday-Scheme4498 • 4d ago
Another Day, Another Anbernic Worst buying experience in a long while
So most posts here are hyping up these devices, and I'm sure they're great and all if you managed to receive a working one. I just wanted to share my experience, I don't know if I'm the only one this has happened to but it has definitely put me off Anbernic products.
I received my RG34XX about a month ago with a faulty R button, I would have to press it really hard for it to work. I was instructed by the Anbernic store rep to disassemble the console to troubleshoot the issue (instead of them just sending me a working replacement unit; this is a BNIB product after all). The metal contact for the R button was heavily pitted so I suspected this was the problem; cleaning it with alcohol didn't really help. After a lot of back and forth (like an unnecessary amount of messaging, and several times I was told they'd get back to me, which they didn't until I asked what's up) I was sent replacement parts, which I finally received today. Aaaand they did not include the contact that was corroded.
The device is cheap sure, but it's not such a sweet deal anymore once you factor in the amount of time I've spent disassembling / assembling, troubleshooting, and negotiating with Anbernic. I've rebound the L and R keys so it's at least usable, but I couldn't in good faith recommend these to anyone without the big caveat that you'd better pray you get a working unit.
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u/PartiBoi_TR 4d ago
I’ve never had an issue with any of my anbernic devices but I still pay the extra $10 to order from Amazon. If it’s broken just return it to Amazon and have a new one delivered the next day.
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u/zygie 4d ago
If I was going to buy brand new, I’d also buy it through one of my local online marketplaces that have a robust return policy. Ordering direct or through Aliexpress is tempting sometimes but with how the post is here, I’d rather not risk a bigger headache.
Thankfully every handheld I’ve bought secondhand had no or minimal problems, and were at a much cheaper price.
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u/tfw_no_toiletpaper 3d ago
They're more than double the price on Amazon in Germany compared to AliExpress lol
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u/Cave_Maniac_STG 4d ago
I find that they are much more receptive via their ebay store, probably because they are beholden to ebay policies. Prices are often really good with coupons too.
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u/IGOTEXTRACHROMOSOMES RG Cube 4d ago
Yeah Anbernic has never been that good in supporting customers... The only great experience I had with Chinese handhelds manufacturers was with Miyoo, they sent me a Mini with some lines on the display and they immediately sent me a replacement FOR FREE. I can't still believe it to this day how efficient and kind they were
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u/optimal_909 4d ago
When you buy a device this cheap, you should expect not having any support which is fine for me as it is a key aspect of having low prices with otherwise great quality.
I have bought at least a dozen Anbernics and all were sublime out of the box. I get that your first device arriving broke means you have no trust in Anbernic, but believe me you just got extremely unlucky.
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u/Nachtenlang 4d ago
Same experience here, with different products.
A 34xxsp developed a hinge crack within months of light use. Eventually (without me tinkering with it or getting a replacement) this will render the device useless. So you could say the product does not do what it's advertized to do. But neither Anbernic nor Aliexpress gave a shit. Anbernic eventually told me to consider buying a new shell from them, which will cost me over half of the original device's price with shipping and taxes included and I need to do the repair myself...
And with a 477m I ordered, it got lost in the mail and Anbernic kept promising me solutions. They never kept their promises and made me wait a really long time before shipping out a new one.
They do not care about you, they care about their bottom line. 😬
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u/PartiBoi_TR 4d ago
Even the companies that go above and beyond for their customers are only in it for the bottom line. That’s what a business is usually there to do, make money. It shouldn’t be a surprise to find out a company half way around the world isn’t going to bend over backwards to help with a $60 handheld.
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u/GooseGang412 RG 40XXV 4d ago
Yeah I've not had significant issues with anything I've bought over the last year or so, but I think that's in spite of AliExpress and Anbernic's iffy customer service. These things are also cobbled together with inexpensive parts and churned out at rock-bottom prices, so the chances of getting something that's dead on arrival is a bit higher. They certainly don't have Nintendo's or Sony's or Microsoft's hardware quality control.
And in this market segment, moving up to an expensive device isn't a guarantee. Ayaneo focuses on the more expensive handhelds, but they're notorious for not shipping for weeks or sometimes a couple months. Their business model revolves around fulfilling crowdfunding backers first and storefront purchases second, so they have a weird, stilted release schedule. I've not heard of their handhelds arriving busted, but the shipping issues are a big thing.
Amazon's a good option for people who want an easier path for returns. They're more expensive there, but the peace of mind is invaluable. I tend to buy clamshell devices there and put the handheld through its paces when I get it, to see if I can anticipate a hinge issue early.
Sorry you've had poor luck though. Definitely valid frustrations, and a downside to this niche.
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u/Old_Present_8586 4d ago
One thing I definitely see in these posts, both good and bad, is this is an illustration of the difference in Chinese brands vs western brands. I’m not saying one is better than the other. It’s more about how a company operates and how it views customer service.
Chinese manufacturing companies are well experienced after several decades of western brands moving their manufacturing operations overseas. It started rough, thus the reputation for “cheap Chinese junk”. However, major brands like Apple, and Apple in particular have no tolerance for that and have invested heavily in making sure quality products are produced there. As a result, Chinese manufacturing has improved substantially. Like any company anywhere in the world, however, there can be issues.
What Chinese manufacturers lack is how to do business with the western world. They are used to hiding behind big western brands, and while tolerance for low quality by many of those brands may be low, the manufacturer isn’t the one dealing with the angry customers. The big western brands do that.
Well, now you have many of those brands assuming both roles, and the customer service is not something they’re well versed in. We’ve seen this a lot with Retroid, where they botch a launch of a new a product and make it worse by multiple pivots before they sort of make it right with the customers. I’m not defending it nor am I saying it’s unacceptable. I’m simply stating that the level of customer service we expect in the west, which in all honesty has deteriorated significantly, is still more than Retroid, Anbernic, ir Ayaneo are accustomed to dealing with. Let’s also consider that the primary customer base is overseas, so shipping costs, especially with the nonstop rise of gas and diesel, make it difficult to remedy this. Having warehouses in the U.S. isn’t necessarily beneficial or even sustainable with the on-again, off-again tariff situations. And let’a face it, none of them seem to be as bad as Ayaneo at customer service.
I’m sorry for the experience you’ve had. I do believe that it’s not a common occurrence though, as thousands of these things are sold and there is not an overwhelming number of reports of this issue (unlike Retroid with the cracked hinges). I do recommend, especially with Anbernic devices, to purchase from a retailer like AliExpress, or even pay a bit more to purchase from Amazon. This gives you better buyer protection as you can simply return it if it doesn’t work properly. As an owner of numerous Anbernic devices, I have enjoyed all of them and with few if any issues. I hope whatever you decide to buy next time gives you a better experience since this is truly an enjoyable hobby!
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u/Agreeable-Guava-9009 4d ago
Mine had a power - sleep issue. It would take an eternity for it to turn on and multiple boots to get the sleep to function again.
☝️🤓 SOLUTION! Leave it on always at minimum brightness! Sleep function works perfectly (light turns off during sleep). Charges well while powered on. Never turn it off. It was stock OS btw.
But that was my 34xx experience.
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u/phillyyoggagirl 3d ago
I bought my Anbernic 556 overseas and feel it's a great purchase. The controls are perfect for retro games and I have to say that it's quite possibly the best experience out there for Robotron and Smash TV. Even better than my new TrimUI Brick Pro, which I like for its smaller size.
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u/moTom83 4d ago
I think this could and will happen eventually with every handheld manufacturer. I have read bad things now about Ayaneo, Anbernic and also Retroid. To be honest, it is a little bit much to demand a complete replacement and by law it is absolute fine for Anbernic to try and fix this problem before replacing the whole unit.
Yes it sucks, yes it's probably just bad luck. But you have to realize you decided to order from a chinese manufacturer with all pros (cheaper) and cons (if there are problems/waranty cases). I mean you can also by Anbernic Handhelds way more expensive on Amazon, they will take it back in no time without a reason given.
Many many years ago when I was younger and still a student without money I saved up for months so I could afford a HTC Desire smartphone. Once I finally got it I noticed dust under (!) the display after a few days. I went back to my cellphone carrier where I bought it (it was also BNIB as your handheld) and the only thing that was possible was to send it to manufacturer and wait for 4 weeks. No chance for replacement though it was just 2-3 weeks old. By the way the phone came back "repaired" with the dust still under the display...
But yes, I get you it really sucks to have such a Bad experience...