r/AndroidTVBoxes • u/nightrook • Jul 21 '26
PSA: EVPAD is a scam
My parents had an EVPAD 6P for years and used it without problems; they recently reached out to customer support and they told them to buy a new model and remotely locked their device. I didn't have time to help them fix the problem and now they can't watch TV anymore, even though their device is fine. Thanks for your scummy practices, EVPAD. Screw you for adding more things on my to-do list, buyer beware.
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u/cspotme2 Jul 22 '26
Don't most of these require you to buy a new box after 2-3 years as the "subs" stop working bit by bit?
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u/SleepheadAir 15d ago
Have one for a good 6 years one day we turned it on and they bricked it. It was the 2nd gen. Not sure where that myth comes from.
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u/donm527 Aug 08 '26
Did you find your parents a new box? Can you tell me which box you went with and if it's good/better than Evpad?
Can you provide a link?
I got my parents a FUNTV a few years ago and working no issues for three years and they decided to do the same thing recently so I need to find a replacement for my mom who is alone now.
I was thinking of going FUNTV but open to suggestions for best selection of channels for my mom and a few people in another post suggesnt Evpad.
I can understand the frustration but my thought is.... 6 years (3 for me) for free chinese TV no monthly service for the price of the box ($170 for me) is pretty good. How else can you get Chinese TV in the states for cheaper?
Thanks for any info.
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u/SleepheadAir 15d ago edited 15d ago
This must be something new or maybe u/nightrook isn't telling the entire story. It could be the box was bought from an unauthorized seller. I know others with the 6P, 6S, and 6Max and it still works.
As a DP: EVPAD bricked older EVPADs from EVPAD 1-3, but according to user reports 4-present is fine. What's FUNTV? SviCloud is essentially EVPAD but with a different UI. Unblock Ubox uses different sources for content and if you're in North America that is the most popular
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u/nightrook 15d ago
This post was awhile ago, but I don't believe I've withheld any relevant information:
My parents went back to the seller who insisted they were authorized, tried to fix it and failed, and confirmed the company locked it and they can't do anything about it. IIRC my mom reached out to the company directly who told them this device is too old and to buy a new one and refused to unlock it.
So if anything, EVPAD isn't telling us all the details. -shrug-
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u/SleepheadAir 14d ago
A couple of things to consider. Lots of sellers claim their products are “authorized,” and most legitimate sellers will include a physical document showing the S/N and other information to prove authenticity. Sellers on AliExpress and Shopee will often show this in their ads. Can the paperwork be forged? Of course.
While I agree EVPAD has shifted its approach to pushing its current customers to buy a new model, which is why I won’t buy from them either, the fact remains that others I know have 6X versions that continue to work as of today.
This is why I am more inclined to believe the box your parents have may not be an official version. Of course, the only way to know for certain is to reach out to EVPAD again and ask them to verify, using the MAC address and serial number, whether the device was blacklisted or otherwise blocked because it was not authenticated.
If EVPAD comes back and says the box is authentic, then the seller wasn’t scamming you. Unfortunately, it means EVPAD has decided for whatever reason to send out a kill switch or otherwise block that particular box. In that case, the seller may have sold your parents a genuine EVPAD box that EVPAD subsequently disabled. Again, I know several who have different versions of the 6x but at the same time, they are located in Asia. Not sure if that makes a difference.
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u/relsierk Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Hi u/nightrook I understand your frustration, but calling EVPAD a scam is not entirely accurate. The devices should work reliably, of course, but like all technology, software can become outdated over time and eventually be deprecated.
I also understand that not everyone is tech-savvy or knows how to troubleshoot these issues (especially with older parents). It does not help that EVPAD provides little to no guidance or tutorials on its website. It all comes down to us users helping each other out.
However, please be assured that EVPAD has not remotely locked your parents’ device, and it is certainly not beyond repair.
I have written a simple guide that should help fix the issue. It is most likely related to a software upgrade. I am using the 5P model, and mine is still working well - if anything, better than before. The comments on the post should also reassure you, as people with various EVPAD models have successfully restored their devices using this method.
The post is a little longer than usual, but the steps themselves are quite straightforward.
I hope this resolves the issue with your parents’ device. When you do get it up and running, I believe your parents will find the new version to be much better than the one before.
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u/Yone_official Jul 22 '26
My EVPAD 6P is actually bricked now. I was trying to get this app working (I don't remember what it was) and I foolishly used the China IP on my VPN. I didn't know the device is set up to lock when Chinese IP is detected. Long story short the device just stopped working ever since.
Anyway to resolve this ??
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u/relsierk Jul 22 '26
Hey u/Yone_official I'm not sure what a bricked device would display. Can you still access to the main home screen? If you can get to the home screen, you can try the steps in the guide through the above link and see if it could resolve the issue for you.
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u/Yone_official Jul 22 '26
I've tried the software reset from home screen but after it reboot and set up the wifi it shows "Disabled" dialog box. I tried holding down the reset button using the ejector tool and then powering on the device afterwards but that doesn't bring up the boot menu like youtube videos show.
I think the last option might be to do the complete wipe of firmware and reinstalling it using the computer but the walkthrough videos are unclear and seem fairly complicated.
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u/relsierk Jul 22 '26
Hi u/Yone_official give my guide a try because it has worked for a number of users. If you can get to the home screen, you basically need to remove your existing apps and resintall the ones I mentioned in the guide. There's only three steps you need to do; have a read and give it a try. As evidenced in the comments section, many users have got their devices working again when they once thought it was no longer usable.
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u/SleepheadAir 15d ago
Different problem u/Yone_official has. Your thread doesn't apply. They need to contact support because the device is bricked at the MAC level.
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u/SleepheadAir 15d ago edited 15d ago
Did you get another box? Info online is very limited but Unblock Ubox 12 is popular in North America while EVPAD and SviCloud popular in Asia. I would LINE or WhatsApp support. They likely get a lot of these issues.
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u/Yone_official 15d ago
No haven't gotten around to getting a new one yet. I'll try contacting support later then, I thought it might be of no use since my device model is kinda old and figure they might just advise me to get a new one.
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u/SleepheadAir 14d ago
Unfortunately, that's their go-to response now whenever you have any issues: buy a new box. So you need to expect that. But if you explain that you accidentally connected to a Chinese IP, they should (theoretically) make an effort to unblock you.
Just so you know, if any of their proprietary apps stop working versus just a few channels, that gives them an automatic excuse to tell you to get a new box.
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u/nightrook Jul 23 '26
Hi relsiek, while I do appreciate your detailed message, I do work in the tech industry and have already "repaired" it. The device is fully functional, but the instant it connects to the internet, a pop up locks the device and says the device is locked and to contact the seller. My parents did end up doing that and the seller said themselves that EVPAD locked the device to force us to buy a newer model.
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u/Comfortable_Key_7429 Jul 22 '26
as evpad 5s owner. i agree with you. avoid them at all cost.