I apologise for this huge post. Maybe it interests only the people that buy boxes in large amounts from Chinese sellers on alixxxx/aliexxxxxx. This is only to share my experience with Yiyate, so other buyers do not have the same experience with a seller that proved to sell bad hardware, bad QC (if any) and lie to their customers.
A few months ago I made the mistake (as it turned out) to order a few M8 boxes from Yiyate Technology from Alixxxxxx.
Three of the boxes had constantly the same issue: after a few minutes of video playback (on GoMovies and subsequently Genesis) they would show a black screen and the blue light would stay on. Plugging the power out and then back in wouldn’t turn on the box. They would only turn on after 10-15 mins which proved that it was a heating issue and the boxes would power on only after they had cooled down enough.
I tried every single ROM on Freaktab (Finless 1.7/1.8, Stane’s Android/Linux, JustMe Roms, LifeForce rom) and I had the same problem on all three boxes. I had marked these boxes with a pen on their MAC address sticker at the bottom to distinguish them from the good ones. For one of the boxes, I added Arctic Cooling MX-4 paste between the CPU and the heatsink but this didn’t fix the problem. In the process, I lost the lower right plastic pad that covers the screw (you will read later why this is “relevant”).
So I contacted Yiyate through emails and specifically a woman employee (let’s call her Jane). She was kind enough to help me by providing links to their “latest” firmware which was dated April 18. I tried that firmware and I had the same issue.
So I asked Jane if I could get replacement units but she said that they couldn’t provide replacements unless I sent the problematic units back (fair enough). I asked whether they should pay for the shipping to China but she said that I should pay it and even though I didn’t agree (since they were clearly faulty units from the factory), I accepted and sent the three boxes back (without any accessories) after paying 26 euros shipping via EMS.
After they had received the boxes, I was told by Jane on Skype that the technical department would test the boxes to check if they indeed had issues. I specifically asked that I wanted new M8 boxes (without their accessories) or even the same ones but with the hardware fixed (PCB or whatever). After a week, I was finally told that they had shipped the boxes. After asking Jane if they had sent new boxes she said “Yes” and even put a smily face.
I received the boxes after 3-4 days (DHL). I opened the box and indeed found three M8 boxes inside. Guess what? They were the same three boxes that I had sent them. All three had the pen writing which I used to mark them as the faulty ones and the same MAC addresses (I took a picture of all three before I sent them and confirmed). One of them was missing the lower right plastic pad that covers the screw and when I opened it up it still had the thermal paste that I had added!!! Proves that they didn’t even open the box or else they would have bothered to add the missing pad (unless they are that cheap).
I turned the boxes on and it prompted me to choose a launcher, proof#1 that they didn’t test anything or maybe they just chose a specific launcher to launch “once”. I went on the settings and saw the firmware dated 18 April 2014 (!!!) same one that I was sent links to install before I shipped them back to China. I opened the XBMC app (Gotham 13.0 Beta!!!) and it gave me the “Preparing for first run” message, proof#2 that they didn’t even open XBMC to test.
I installed Genesis on the boxes and started playing a video hoping that they actually did change something that it was not obvious to me. They all gave a black screen after a few minutes as before. I was shocked and appalled by Yiyate.
I contacted Jane on Skype asking why she lied to me about sending new boxes and if they had even tested them. Her reply was “the three boxes are run well now , we flashed it with our firmware. You can test them”. She basically admitted lying to me about sending new ones and the only thing they did was install their firmware. I sent three boxes all the way around the world just for them to insert a toothpick in the box, plug in an SD card with their crappy 8 month old firmware and sent them back.
I told her that I had tested them and still had the problem and her reply was “but our QC test it for one day, he said all run well”. I then asked for three brand new boxes to be sent to me and she said that they cannot send a new replacement but “help to fix them”. I told her that they should have fixed them when they had the chance and that I wasn’t going to do their job. She basically admitted that they didn’t try to fix the hardware problem and that she lied to me about sending new ones. She said that she cannot make the decision of sending new replacements and that she would report it to her manager the next day.
Then she said (this is funny): “we also help you to fix them , but you insisted them not work well. we do not know what kinds of addons you add on the xbmc. if you add to much on them , it is affect the tv box speed”. So we’re not only talking about liars but we are also talking about either incompetent sellers or sellers that try to fool their customers. I wasn’t even talking about box speed and the number of addons that I had installed. A single addon (Genesis) installed, a video playback and black screen after a few minutes.
The next day (Friday) I asked her on Skype 4-5 times (within a few hours) if she had spoken with her manager. I got no response, even though she was online. Then, she went offline. Today, Monday, she was kind enough to reply after three hours and insisted that it was a software problem but offered a discount if I order more boxes from them. I declined since I am not willing to give them a cent from my money.
This is it. I got faulty boxes, sent them for replacement, was lied to that I would receive new replacement while they just installed their own firmware and shipped them back. Bottom line, avoid Yiyate for your own peace of mind. They have crap hardware, crap customer service and lie to paying customers.
A few months ago I made the mistake (as it turned out) to order a few M8 boxes from Yiyate Technology from Alixxxxxx.
Three of the boxes had constantly the same issue: after a few minutes of video playback (on GoMovies and subsequently Genesis) they would show a black screen and the blue light would stay on. Plugging the power out and then back in wouldn’t turn on the box. They would only turn on after 10-15 mins which proved that it was a heating issue and the boxes would power on only after they had cooled down enough.
I tried every single ROM on Freaktab (Finless 1.7/1.8, Stane’s Android/Linux, JustMe Roms, LifeForce rom) and I had the same problem on all three boxes. I had marked these boxes with a pen on their MAC address sticker at the bottom to distinguish them from the good ones. For one of the boxes, I added Arctic Cooling MX-4 paste between the CPU and the heatsink but this didn’t fix the problem. In the process, I lost the lower right plastic pad that covers the screw (you will read later why this is “relevant”).
So I contacted Yiyate through emails and specifically a woman employee (let’s call her Jane). She was kind enough to help me by providing links to their “latest” firmware which was dated April 18. I tried that firmware and I had the same issue.
So I asked Jane if I could get replacement units but she said that they couldn’t provide replacements unless I sent the problematic units back (fair enough). I asked whether they should pay for the shipping to China but she said that I should pay it and even though I didn’t agree (since they were clearly faulty units from the factory), I accepted and sent the three boxes back (without any accessories) after paying 26 euros shipping via EMS.
After they had received the boxes, I was told by Jane on Skype that the technical department would test the boxes to check if they indeed had issues. I specifically asked that I wanted new M8 boxes (without their accessories) or even the same ones but with the hardware fixed (PCB or whatever). After a week, I was finally told that they had shipped the boxes. After asking Jane if they had sent new boxes she said “Yes” and even put a smily face.
I received the boxes after 3-4 days (DHL). I opened the box and indeed found three M8 boxes inside. Guess what? They were the same three boxes that I had sent them. All three had the pen writing which I used to mark them as the faulty ones and the same MAC addresses (I took a picture of all three before I sent them and confirmed). One of them was missing the lower right plastic pad that covers the screw and when I opened it up it still had the thermal paste that I had added!!! Proves that they didn’t even open the box or else they would have bothered to add the missing pad (unless they are that cheap).
I turned the boxes on and it prompted me to choose a launcher, proof#1 that they didn’t test anything or maybe they just chose a specific launcher to launch “once”. I went on the settings and saw the firmware dated 18 April 2014 (!!!) same one that I was sent links to install before I shipped them back to China. I opened the XBMC app (Gotham 13.0 Beta!!!) and it gave me the “Preparing for first run” message, proof#2 that they didn’t even open XBMC to test.
I installed Genesis on the boxes and started playing a video hoping that they actually did change something that it was not obvious to me. They all gave a black screen after a few minutes as before. I was shocked and appalled by Yiyate.
I contacted Jane on Skype asking why she lied to me about sending new boxes and if they had even tested them. Her reply was “the three boxes are run well now , we flashed it with our firmware. You can test them”. She basically admitted lying to me about sending new ones and the only thing they did was install their firmware. I sent three boxes all the way around the world just for them to insert a toothpick in the box, plug in an SD card with their crappy 8 month old firmware and sent them back.
I told her that I had tested them and still had the problem and her reply was “but our QC test it for one day, he said all run well”. I then asked for three brand new boxes to be sent to me and she said that they cannot send a new replacement but “help to fix them”. I told her that they should have fixed them when they had the chance and that I wasn’t going to do their job. She basically admitted that they didn’t try to fix the hardware problem and that she lied to me about sending new ones. She said that she cannot make the decision of sending new replacements and that she would report it to her manager the next day.
Then she said (this is funny): “we also help you to fix them , but you insisted them not work well. we do not know what kinds of addons you add on the xbmc. if you add to much on them , it is affect the tv box speed”. So we’re not only talking about liars but we are also talking about either incompetent sellers or sellers that try to fool their customers. I wasn’t even talking about box speed and the number of addons that I had installed. A single addon (Genesis) installed, a video playback and black screen after a few minutes.
The next day (Friday) I asked her on Skype 4-5 times (within a few hours) if she had spoken with her manager. I got no response, even though she was online. Then, she went offline. Today, Monday, she was kind enough to reply after three hours and insisted that it was a software problem but offered a discount if I order more boxes from them. I declined since I am not willing to give them a cent from my money.
This is it. I got faulty boxes, sent them for replacement, was lied to that I would receive new replacement while they just installed their own firmware and shipped them back. Bottom line, avoid Yiyate for your own peace of mind. They have crap hardware, crap customer service and lie to paying customers.