RHS Sells Fake AK2i By Mistake

[Another World]

A few GBATemp users have reported that RHS is contacting customer to inform them that they have stocked and sold FAKE AK2i Flash Kits. RHS was unaware of this issue and only found out after their wholesaler eventually admitted sending them a mixed batch of real and fake Acekards. RHS can not be blamed for this current problem as Acekard has changed their selling policy. Acekard no longer sells to resellers outside of China, shops like RHS have to trust wholesale outlets willing to ship internationally.

RHS has since been checking the anti-counterfeit code on the back of 2i kits shipped after 8/30/11. If your 2i says it was checked once before then this is the reason why. If your 2i says that it was checked multiple times than it may very well be a Fake/Clone.

According to a few sources close to Team Acekard, the anti-counterfeit code should be unique on each Acekard. Whether Acekard actually did this or not is yet to be determined as we have not yet received a reply from them. Another source claims that the codes are being recycled and that users are panicking for no reason.

The HWID 81 "clones" which are shipping have reportedly been working just fine with AKAIO. We have yet to fully determine if they are indeed clones or if the anti-counterfeit code is being recycled.

For now, purchase your AK2i with caution. Check the anti-counterfeit code after receiving it and then conduct a full round of testing using AKAIO.

We will follow up with more information when it becomes available to us.

Spoiler: E-Mail from RHS

We have discovered a discrepancy in our latest batch of Acekard 2i's. After a couple emails from our customers, we contacted our current supplier and he admitted to sending us a mixed batch of authentic and counterfeit Acekard 2i's. Please note, we have been using this supplier since the last debacle in early 2010, and up to now he had been consistent. Please understand, as a retailer we cannot check the codes - as they do come up as "fake" if checked more than once - but we do check for contact issues and randomly update the 2i's with the latest firmware. We have been able to update them consistently and the HW id comes up as: 8181.

We have contacted Acekard. They claim that all codes are unique. We have attempted to order from Acekard directly, in order to avoid issues like this, but they refuse and we have to order from outside suppliers.

To any customer who suspects there is an issue with the legitimacy of your cart, please contact us immediately. En route, we have a new batch of Acekard 2i's that are confirmed legitimate from a trusted partner. If anyone needs a replacement as soon as possible, we are checking codes and updating them with the latest patch. Please note - if you choose this option, the code will have already been checked once, and you will get the counterfeit message on Acekard's website should you feel you need to check it again. To all customers who have made orders from 8/30 and on, we will also be checking the codes before we ship them out.

We apologize to all customers for the inconvenience and are committed to resolving this issue. You do not have pay to send the cartridge back. Please contact us through email ([email protected]) or open a support ticket http://www.realhotstuff.com/ticket_create.php to resolve this issue. Feel free to PM me if you like.

- RHS

*There is one discrepancy we noticed: When you peel back the authenticity sticker ( the silver layer), if there is still a holographic effect left on the surface of the numbers, the cartridge is most likely fake.

Update from RHS:
I have received a response from RHS and they have confirmed that the cards with fake codes have identical designs to real AK2i kits. They appear to be 1:1 exact hardware copies/clones. RHS is being very kind to users and swapping their fake kits with real kits. If you happen to have received an AK2i from RHS and your anti-counterfeit code says it was checked more than once then your card is a clone that is reusing a legit anti-counterfeit number.

Update from Acekard
Acekard has responded stating that the anti-counterfeit code is indeed unique to each Acekard. Acekard has further added that while the clones appear to be 1:1 they are actually made using cheaper parts, which is how they are offered at cheaper prices. They specifically mentioned potential issues with the PCB and msd springs.

Please keep in mind that if your code has previously been checked 1 time it may have been done so by your reseller to verify your card was legitimate before shipping it out. However, if your code has been checked multiple times you are advised to contact your reseller and ask for a replacement.

 

[Absurd]

Pirates pirating piracy devices. Is nothing sacred...

 

[kevan]

On-Topic: And I thought RHS was supposed to be good.
Although according to your info it's out of there hands.

 

[pugmalion1]

I have nothing but positive experiences with RHS. It's good to see in that attached e-mail that they are doing the right thing and handling the issue professionally and courteously. Stay classy, RHS.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I always continue to vouch for RHS. I've bought plenty of items from them (including 3 Acekard 2i's over the years) and never had any issue that they didn't resolve immediately and with the utmost urgency and respect.

I don't think this should turn anyone away from them. In fact, having them take the initiative and offer compensation for the issue should tell you something about them.

 

[Deleted-236924]

On-Topic: And I thought RHS was supposed to be good.
Although according to your info it's out of there hands.

So basically you're admitting that your argument is invalid.
Good job.

 

[Another World]

i've been talking with a user who got an ak2i from RHS. he checked the code and it didn't match up. he has been able to upgrade the bootloader to 1.4.3, akaio runs fine, he tested a bunch of games, etc.

i'm not 100% sure these "clones" are fake at all, but perhaps legit acekards in fake shells. my logic is probably really flawed because i have yet to get a response from acekard or RHS. i have no idea what’s going on, no shots of the PCB yet, but everything seems to work on the cards. maybe they are a 1:1 hardware clone so in essence they are legit acekards =/.

-another world

 

[Nathanaël]

I know for sure that there have been a lot of Acekards in Europe last year with real PCB (or 1:1 clone) but a fake casing and sticker. That was before the fake check code.

Some of the largest european stores had these cards. I even got one of these from a very big and popular chinese store.

 

[nPrime2000]

I think I may have been a victim of a fake acekard. Mine was showing as being checked 18 times! However, I was able to load Akaio onto my sd card and load it just fine in my 3ds. Sooooooo.....yeah. Not sure what to think. I contacted RHS about it, but akaio runs. Does that mean its legit?

 

[Another World]

I'm still waiting on a response from Acekard. Resellers are telling me that they were told the anti-counterfeit code is unique. If it shows it was checked more than once then its probably a fake sticker. Some shops are checking the codes before they ship them out so it could have been checked 1 time before.

RHS replied to my e-mail and stated that this "clone" they were shipped is identical to the HWID 81 Acekard. I am awaiting images.

At this point it seems like we have a 1:1 clone epidemic (not to be confused with the 1:1 hardware R4 which is just old stock and not actually a clone).

We may never know for sure what is going on, if these are clones, old stock, fake cases, spoofed HWID 44 cards, etc. If the bootloader update works and AKAIO works, its probably a real Acekard.

-Another World

 

[Nathanaël]

When people asked about this fake sticker 1:1 Acekards from last year we said: When Akaio works on it, then it's a real Acekard.

But it is an annoying and confusing situation, of course. Are some guys printing their own Acekards now or what? Acekard has such a low quality, it should be very easy and cheap to replicate.

It would be nice if Team Acekard could use the situation to improve their product (after three years or so) a bit. They make a lot of profit with this card. I'd be nice nice to see that they actually care about their hardware.

 

[nPrime2000]

Well, I downloaded the latest Akaio software and loaders, installed it all, and it boots right up (but strangely, it still says Akaio 1.8.7 for the build, even though it clearly states it as being 1.8.8 on the Acekard site) Odd. Curious to see what RHS responds with.

 

[Another World]

updated the first post with new information.

basically if your code has been checked 2 or more times your card is probably fake. before you panic try contacting your reseller and asking how many times they check codes before shipping out their cards. if they tell you 0 then you know its fake. if your card has been checked 10 or more times (as some users are reporting) then your card is indeed fake.

these new cards appear to be 1:1 hardware clones. i had a user do some debugging for me and he was able to upgrade to the v1.4.3 bootloader and had no issues with akaio 1.8.8.

-another world

 

[nPrime2000]

updated the first post with new information.

basically if your code has been checked 2 or more times your card is probably fake. before you panic try contacting your reseller and asking how many times they check codes before shipping out their cards. if they tell you 0 then you know its fake. if your card has been checked 10 or more times (as some users are reporting) then your card is indeed fake.

these new cards appear to be 1:1 hardware clones. i had a user do some debugging for me and he was able to upgrade to the v1.4.3 bootloader and had no issues with akaio 1.8.8.

-another world

I was able to flash to the newest firmware and akaio 1.8.8 this morning using my 3ds. I still suspect a clone, but it must be a 1:1, because it seems to be working just fine.

 

[RupeeClock]

Is this talking about realhotstuff.com or realhotstuff.hk?
One is the american site, the other the hong kong site. I'd be surprised if the HK site needed to buy from a supplier the way that the american site does.

 

[Lily]

these new cards appear to be 1:1 hardware clones. i had a user do some debugging for me and he was able to upgrade to the v1.4.3 bootloader and had no issues with akaio 1.8.8.

So if it's a perfect 1:1 clone that works exactly the same -- what's the problem?

By the by, if the Acekard team has stopped allowing legitimate distributors to distribute their product, for me that's enough to not do any business with them, nor recommend their cart. Everyone knows those shady Chinese suppliers slip in fakes -- they do it with flash carts, microSD (been burned too many times myself, even directly from ShopTemp!), anything that can be faked. I wouldn't want to do business with them knowing that I can't guarantee my shipment, AND that I have to be responsible for providing my customers with replacements on what is a very low margin product.

 

[Urza]

RHS can not be blamed for this current problem

They definitely can and should be blamed. As a merchant it is their responsibility to make sure the correct product is sent out. Regardless of what Acekard's policy is, RHS is the one who chose to continue selling them. If they sell a customer X, then the customer needs to receive X.

Not to say that RHS isn't one of the few consistently solid merchants who's managed to stick around for this many years. That however is not an excuse, and in the future if they're going to sell products for which fakes are known to be floating around, from unofficial Chinese wholesalers, they need to continue pursuing measures which verify the legitimacy of the product.

 

[notmeanymore]

Is this talking about realhotstuff.com or realhotstuff.hk?
One is the american site, the other the hong kong site. I'd be surprised if the HK site needed to buy from a supplier the way that the american site does.

I'm wondering this too. My sister bought an AK2i from RHS's American site not long ago.

She's not a hardcore user in any sense, so I'm curious if this fake even makes a difference. If it works in AKAIO, is there any reason I should have her send it back? (She and her husband have their own house and I don't see her that often so it would be hard to tell if it's counterfeit.)

 

[Urza]

It's the US site.

 

[Zolotor]

To be safe, I would stay away from acekard from now on. Boycott it if you will...

Because soon you may be in a situation where in you don't care now if your cart is a clone since AKAIO is working just fine. and I'm sure AKAIO team is now finding and asking people around to give them snapshots or samples of this supposedly clones. And once they find the difference between real and clones, they will block this so called clones and how you wish you bought another brand to begin with.

If I still own a ds I would prefer the R4i Gold (with woods firmware) or Supercard DSTwo over acekard anyway. Acekard 2i has a long history of problems from the contact issues, and to a story I read somewhere where the team splits into two, and the history of clones and clones...

And people should stop blaming sellers if they sold a supposedly clone without their knowledge, after all, they probably just relied on AKAIO to determine if it's fake or not. Since latest AKAIO works with this supposedly clones, then they might have concluded it's the Real deal just with that knowledge.

I feel bad for the sellers like RHS, one day they sell acekard 2i, knowing it's real, then out of the blue, AKAIO team blocks or will block the carts and now it becomes a fake! So what happens now is the seller lose a lot of money considering their markup is quite low to begin with. Now what will they do with the clones if they were already sold clones by their distributors. All those carts becomes money wasted. And this happened simply because they believe and choose to sell Acekard product.

If I am a seller, and this is the kind of crap I'm getting from acekard team and possibly from AKAIO team as well, then I will stop selling them outright. I would rather push for the other worthy carts like those I have already mentioned above.

Too bad I am not a seller nor do I have a DS, so I can't do anything anyway. But if I own an acekard 2i now and there's a chance it may be a clone, how I wish my clone is a 1:1 copy, so that AKAIO cannot block it, otherwise it will be a waste of money if it's blocked afterwards.

But for you, if you still deciding which cart to get, you have a choice now, you can continue to gamble your money on an acekard 2i, knowing it's working as a REAL cart today and maybe tomorrow it will be flagged as a FAKE by AKAIO team.

So what's your choice now? Buy another cart and stop buying acekard 2i.

Boycott acekard 2i if you will, that's what I'll do, but that's just me. At the end of the day it's up to you.