Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
TL;DR After intense criticism from fans, AYANEO has outlined a “Service Improvement Plan” for 2026.
It addresses shipping delays, poor customer service, quality control, and more.
The company has also delayed the Pocket Play campaign while it works to implement the changes.
AYANEO has been a trailblazer in retro gaming handheld designs, but when it comes to customer service, it lags far behind the competition. Crowdfunded products are frequently delayed for months with little to no communication, and after-market support is both slow and often ineffective.
Things came to a head in the past few weeks, with many fans and popular reviewers such as Retro Handhelds, Retro Game Corps, and others openly criticizing the company’s practices and even threatening a boycott. After a poorly received initial response, AYANEO’s CEO stepped in to provide a full statement and “Service Improvement Plan” to turn things around in 2026.
The comprehensive plan covers everything from crowdfunding and shipping to customer service and repairs. The image below provides an overview, touching on every criticism levied against the company in recent years.
The company is revamping its customer service pipeline, introducing tiered support to escalate issues to technical teams as needed. It appears that the current team has been overwhelmed following the success of three campaigns last year (the Pocket DS, Pocket FIT, and Pocket AIR Mini). However, the current backlog of enquiries is expected to be cleared within 10 business days. The customer service team will also receive additional training, and a public knowledge base with self-service resources will launch soon.
After-sales service is also being overhauled, as the current system hasn’t kept pace with the company’s growth. This should result in faster replacements for faulty units and overall speedier repairs. The company will also gradually establish overseas warehouses, which can offer replacement units and parts without shipping devices back to China.
AYANEO plans to open overseas warehouses later this year.
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