stefan35 I wonder....maybe all your drama could have been avoided if you had first talked with a sales rep prior to ordering on your own. You made assumptions that turned out wrong but you want to place all the blame on the manufacturer. You researched after ordering, not before......victim based crocodile tears....
Purchase experience and customer support feedback
I wouldn’t call this a drama—it’s just a situation that’s happening and will eventually resolve one way or another. As I’ve stated before, I’m not here to complain or “cry like a little girl.” I’m simply sharing my story, hoping it might be helpful to others. That’s all I’m doing.
To address your point, yes, this situation could have been avoided in several ways. To make it clearer, I’ll outline some of them:
1. Not ordering at all.
This would obviously prevent any issues, as there would be no purchase and therefore no “drama,” as you put it.
2. Not trusting the advertised features and extensively researching online.
While this approach could help clarify certain doubts, it’s not a guaranteed solution. Some information might be incomplete, hard to find, or even unavailable.
3. Relying on the product page for accurate information.
Ideally, the product page should contain all necessary details in a clear and comprehensive manner. If any information is missing, reputable manufacturers usually provide datasheets or other documentation that fully describes the product’s features and options.
Unfortunately, in this case, the product page didn’t include a link to any such supplementary information, leaving customers without a complete understanding of what they’re purchasing.
As someone who works for a company that manufactures high-end products, I can tell you that transparency is key. Disclosing as much information as possible is not just beneficial for customers—it’s essential for maintaining trust and reputation.
If my company were to handle things the way this situation was managed, we would quickly lose credibility and, eventually, go out of business. Reputation is everything.
When mistakes happen, we take full responsibility. Here’s how we approach it:
1. We prioritize solving the issue immediately, ensuring the customer’s satisfaction.
2. We often offer discounts for future purchases or services as a gesture of goodwill.
3. In some cases, we go further and provide a service or product entirely for free.
Doesn’t that sound like good business practice to you?
Now, let me ask:
• Do you believe businesses should take care of their customers and correct mistakes?
• If a mistake is made, should the customer bear the cost of fixing it?
In my case, the seller sent me the wrong unit entirely—a completely different product from what I ordered. Isn’t that reason enough for me to return the item and expect a refund?
If so, why should I be responsible for paying the return shipping costs?
We don’t even need to discuss the chip issue to see that this is a fundamental failure. The seller failed in the most basic responsibility: sending me the correct product.
stefan35 Well to be honest I don't believe your story in full, you know what they say, every story has three versions. yours, mine, and the truth. 
If a business mails the wrong product then the customer should not be charged a return or restocking fee, unless they opened said product upon delivery acceptance after being advised not to. Or if a customer orders the wrong product on their own accord based on their incorrect assumptions and knows this a day after ordering and attempts but is unable to stop the order delivery schedule then all shipping and restocking fees should be the customers responsibility. I don't know all your specific details, but I understand you're disappointed and frustrated.
My money is still on you installing and using their product and loving it for all that it offers.
stefan35 I myself ordered a 6/64 13” unit from the French store on the 20/01/25. I did my research beforehand, decided on the cheapest specs w/o 360 and pulled the trigger when a coupon from Ali made available.
I feel your frustration but it will become your experience dealing with Ali. Better to pay by Paypal. Trust the seller only if it’s a well established store with many years record. Otherwise, you should raise dispute with Ali directly, they can send you free return label. If all else fails, you still have the protection from Paypal. For the case of Mekede, there are 2 French stores, differs only by a “-“. I negotiated with one store seller beforehand for a free canbus and frame but ended up ordering from the other store by mistake. I thought they are the same. Quite sketchy!
I get the impression that you may not fully believe what I’ve said, and that’s fine. If I need to provide proof, I can, but that’s not my intention here. My goal is to highlight issues related to product presentation, customer support performance, and problem-solving skills. These are key areas that, in my opinion, require significant improvement.
I’m confident that I’ll enjoy the product once I finally receive what I ordered. I’m passionate about technology, innovation, and advancements. For over 10 years, I’ve been using Chinese head units, so I’m no stranger to the challenges they can present. I’ve dealt with cases where I had to replace chips on main boards or make other hardware enhancements to keep things running.
Tbui Getting the one that you ordered is already a good start.
The Ali experience, yes. I don't know how old is my account there but I would think it's more than 10 years. Most of the time I order cheap stuff that I can throw in the bin when something is not correct. In this case though it is important to resolve the problem the correct way.
Paying through PayPal now sounds like a good idea to me. I will look to do that for more expensive purchases. Thanks for the advice.
stefan35 For the most part, Ali after sale service is good. I have returned 2 head units w/o problems due to their false marketing of android version. Full refund, shipping label provided. They can also propose partial refund for you to keep it as well. I was aware of the 360 camera chip implication before buying but decided to go without. I have seen sample images and they are too gimmicky to be of any use for my case.
stefan35 I understand you can't provide proof to fully validate your story, but you still can't take ownership of the original problem you created either.
- Edited
Your reactions are those of a happy user, not a user who has been misinformed. This has nothing to do with smart marketing, but with misleading. Most times everything is just fine and works out, but I have read dozens and dozens and dozens of stories on XDA and 4PDA where these kind of things happened. Sometimes by fault of the user, sometimes by fault of the supplier.
I even had it myself where it costed me a 140 euros to Joying as my unit had a faulty motherboard, and they only wanted to send me another unit if I paid for all the travel and customs costs for return the old unit and shipment of the new unit. This took 3 months where the replies took longer and longer, just as @stefan35 mentions. In the end I paid the 140 euros, otherwise I had paid for a unit and still had nothing. It was my last Joying. It is sometimes terrible doing business with a Chinese company behind AliExpress and behind the "Chinese wall" .
Everything that can bring their rating down on AliExpress of bring costs to them via AliExpress, is a reason to "sabotage" the negotiations as long as they can.
Note: I have had 4 Joying units (incl. the replaced one), a Mekede and now a dudu7 (also a Mekede). 5 times happy, one time really annoyed. It really does happen as @stefan35 describes.
Edit: So far my experiences with Mekede and Dudu are excellent.
- Edited
picasso1850
Stop. Just stop defending what many are actually having to deal with. I am in the same boat. I am a very savvy tech buyer and user and like many, have been falsely advertised to regarding the 360 chip. No where on their page does it say you must buy the chip separately. No f-ing where. That is a fact (or was ant time of purchase) and stop saying that we are the ones to blame. Just because you had a good experience or probably getting paid from Dudu, it doesn’t mean others are having issues.
Hey Homie, I'm Tony.
I’m pretty satisfied with the Dudu head unit. It’s not the pinnacle of Chinese engineering, but it’s far from scam-tier junk & marketing lies. My responses were crafted to counter Stefan’s overly dramatic story telling — his chapter-like breakdown and bolded headings was more performance art than genuine feedback, imo.
I get the frustration of dealing with companies across time zones, we live in an instant-gratification world where patience runs thin. But this isn’t Samsung or Sony — they don’t have massive support teams working 24/7. Maybe the marketing could be seen as confusing or misleading to some people; like claiming LTE compatibility with only a few bands and limited speeds. Is that deception or a lack of understanding the technical specs? Perspective maybe...
They don't lie about what Android OS version it runs or fail to provide ongoing software support like many Chinese resellers. We all researched and made the decision to buy this product based on our expectations and assumptions. But managing our assumptions is key. I’ve ranted before about my unmet expectations but they were based on my own assumptions and expectations. There is middle ground between my points and stefans story...
Tswire Sorry, no can do. He ordered the wrong product based on his own assumptions without consulting a sales rep and bought from a third party website. The problems that followed weren’t Mekede/Dudu’s fault, but he frames it that way. Balance is key.
Interesting opinions for which, I'm grateful.
For the ones saying that I ordered the wrong product based on my assumptions.
How about the fact that I ordered 8/128GB 10'' and got 6/64GB 9''. Which assumptions are wrong in this case?
It is not about the chip at all at this point. There is not even a single parameter that matcher my order. What would you have done in this case? Would you just say - "Ah, I probably had wrong assumptions and it is totally fine that I paid more for less."
What about not getting answers for days, and when you have them, they are 3 to 4 words long and are not clear at all?
What about different people from support giving you different instructions all together?
What about not trying to take any responsibility for making such a fundamental mistake?
I don't think you guys are reading my posts in their entirety.
As I said before, I'm sharing my experience the way it unfolds. I'm not judging, I'm simply reporting. I'm sure when I get an actual product, I will be pleasantly surprised. At this time, I paid for two and I have empty hands.
About the way I write my posts. This is simply because I come from a working environment that is fundamental to know how to present information, that's all. If some of you perceive my story as dramatic, it is probably because it is. I never said that I'm creating a drama, I even denied it.
Most of us haven't seen such a customer support level and that's why it also can sound unbelievable. I admit that if I was listening to someone explaining this, I would be at one point skeptical but this does not make it untrue. What is true is true, and nobody can change that.
I'm glad that most of you have had a positive experience with Mekede/Dudu. This is the reason I did a second purchase. One way or another, I will get what I want. You know why, because I paid for it. This is my part in this transaction, the rest is the sellers responsibility.
I tried to be respectful at the start of this thread but there's a reason why I know you live in Texas, drive a Prius, and lied about this whole story. I won't respond to this thread or you again.
Right, first of all thanks for your opinion. Since we came to the point that you are accusing me of being a liar. Can you at least explain to the rest of the readers, how did you come to this conclusion. If you present something, then I will give hard evidence of what I'm telling here, if not, we can safely discard your opinion. Unless you can present something that tells everybody that I'm lying, this is also the last time I'm dedicating time to respond to you.
For the rest of the users that do want to know what happened, I received today the second unit that I ordered. This time it is exactly what it bought - 12/512GB + 360. For this order, all is perfect. Fast shipping, great packaging and quick delivery. Next step is to get refunded for the unit I already returned.
2 months later
stefan35 FWIW, two thoughts:
1) If you had been shipped the correct product up front, you'd have had the 360 chip.
2) I wonder if AliExpress is aware:
At least in the USA, if you are shipped a product that you did not order, legally speaking it is YOURS to keep or dispose of as you wish. That includes ordering A and receiving B.
Most people of course are happy to return the incorrect product. But the seller is on thin ice in all such situations (even though they often don't act like it!!)
I would be careful buying high value items on Ali. I've been buying from China for many years and many items. Most times it works out but occasionally it doesn't. You have be firm but polite and if the discussion with the seller hits a dead end, then file a dispute through the system and/or Paypal. For a case like this, I would buy directly from the manufacturer site, and only if they support Paypal, even if it's more expensive. #1 they would be more inclined to provide after sales support. #2, on Ali you may never know if you're buying from an official reseller, manufacturer, or gray market, and any support you seek from the manufacturer may be denied.