Recently a type of retro handheld has been flooding the market thanks primarily to predatory social media marketing campaigns. 

The R36S 'Game console' series of handhelds are by themselves not horrible handhelds. But they require some extra love that an inexperienced player may not be able to grasp. Even that, by itself, isn't the issue I have.

Heck, the issue I have isn't even with this console itself. In fact most retro handhelds may require extra love to work well primarily with flashing a new custom firmware.

No. The issue I have is that these predatory social media campaigns aren't selling a legit R36S series console. They are poor quality bootlegs that are made poorly, and do not run correctly... made with inferior cheap parts.

There's a few ways to avoid buying a bootleg. 

One is to avoid buying it on social media shops such as the ticktock shop. These are often advertised on the social media themselves. 

Another is to examine the build quality of the device. If the type on the buttons is skewed, and it feels like it might break apart in your hands, it's probably a bootleg.

Of course the old adage rings true here, if the deal is too good to be true it probably is. The bootlegs always seem to be sold for sub fifteen to ten dollar prices.

If you think you have bought a bootleg/counterfeit R36S Games console, and the shop you bought it from has return policies or buyer protection, please document the console with pictures of things such as imperfections or videos of it running poorly. You should submit the evidence you now have to the shop you bought it from, along with why you think the system is bootleg.

If the shop you purchased it from lacks such protections you will be out of luck. There may be a way to make your bootleg at least a little useable by flashing a custom firmware on it meant for the 'clone'/bootleg consoles, which you can find here: https://github.com/lcdyk0517/arkos4clone. Be sure to do so on a fresh, new, SD card!