FAQ

Retro Modding is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. We don’t have a physical store you can visit, but we have beautiful photographs of our products on our website!

Over 80% of our traffic comes from the United States, so it’s simpler to list the currency used by the majority of our customers.

You can reach us through Facebook Messenger, by email at support@retromodding.com, or via the contact form linked at the bottom of the page. We try our best to respond to queries as they come in, but please keep in mind that we are not always immediately available. We’re more likely to respond during business hours (weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST).

Please do not send your questions or requests to more than one messaging platform at a time. Doing so adds delays to our customer service response time.

If you’re reaching out to us about an order you placed, please include the order number in your message. If you're contacting us via email, try to use the same email address you used while placing your order. This will accelerate the customer service process.

We accept payment via credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. 

Please note that orders paid using a PayPal eCheck will not be processed until payment is received. Orders will be shipped 1-2* business days after reception of payment unless otherwise indicated in the product description.

While Shopify does not allow us to accept Visa Gift Cards as a payment method, you may be able to link your Visa Gift Card to your PayPal account and pay through PayPal using the Gift Card.

*NOTE: Due to increased order volume, orders can take up to three business days to be processed until further notice.

We have recently updated our payment flow! For all orders except for build-to-order consoles, payment will not be processed until fulfilment. Therefore, unless you ordered a build-to-order console, you will not be charged until your order is shipped.

We try to process orders quickly, so we recommend contacting us as soon as possible if you need to change your order. That said, we’ll do our best to accommodate your request. The most efficient way to adjust an order is to contact us directly through Facebook Messenger, email, or the contact form linked at the bottom of the page.

If you want to add something to your order once you’ve already paid for it, we will either have you pay the difference through an adjustment or create a second order with the additional products. Provided the first order hasn't been packaged and shipped, we'll refund the shipping costs on your second order.

You can cancel orders within a 30-day window provided they haven’t shipped yet. Any cancellation request made during that grace period will be issued a full refund.

After the 30-day mark, we will deduct a 20% restocking fee from the original purchase. We will issue you a refund worth 80% of the original amount you paid (minus anything that was previously refunded).

Orders with multiple components are shipped in one box once all items are in stock. If you want your other components without having to wait for the item on pre-order, it’s best to place separate orders.

If you’re having trouble with our website, we recommend updating your browser to the latest version. You can also try using a different browser. We recommend Google Chrome.

If that doesn’t work, please feel free to reach out to us through Facebook Messenger or by email.

If you open your package and find something is damaged due to a manufacturing error or missing from your order, reach out to us through Facebook Messenger, email, or the contact form linked at the bottom of the page. Don’t worry, we won’t leave you unhappy with your order!

To protect your order against damages incurred in transit, we strongly recommend you select shipping insurance at checkout.

We have a 30-day return policy for items that have been unopened or unused. If you’d like to return an item within this 30-day window, reach out to us through Facebook Messenger, email, or the contact form linked at the bottom of the page.

Once you have notified us of your intent to return an order, we will issue you a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and provide you with the appropriate return address. Once we receive the product and have verified that it’s in good condition, we will issue a refund. Please note that we do not return shipping costs or any fees incurred when transporting the package (customs, tariffs, etc.).

For more information, please see our Shipping & Return Policy.

We do our best to keep each item in stock. Unless the product has been discontinued, rest assured that we are in the process of acquiring more. Unfortunately, since products are often tied up in back order, manufacturing, and shipping, we can’t always give you an estimated time of arrival. We invite you to keep an eye on our website for updated stock quantities. We thank you for your patience.

Yes, we do! But please keep in mind that shipping costs and tracking options may differ depending on mailing address. For the most accurate numbers, we recommend simulating a cart on our website to preview the shipping options for your country.

Please ensure that you write your name and email address in the Latin alphabet. We cannot generate shipping labels with any other characters.

Please note that, as of August 1, batteries are prohibited from being shipped into Germany. Customers who have placed orders for individual batteries and for custom consoles with our battery packs will be contacted for a refund. Unfortunately, this situation is out of our control. We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more information, please see our Shipping & Return Policy.

At long last, we do! We've partnered with Route Shipping Insurance to protect domestic and international orders against loss, damage, and theft. For 1% of the order amount (minimum of $0.98), Route will insure your shipment, even if you select untracked international shipping. 

Please note that this partnership is still in the beginning stages. Shipping policies may change in the future.

By deselecting shipping protection with Route, you agree to waive any claim to refunds for lost, damaged, or stolen goods, whether the loss or damage occurred before or after you receive them.

If we have all the components of your order in stock, your order will be prepared within two business days* (Monday to Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm EST). Once we ship your package, you’ll receive an email confirmation and a tracking number (provided you paid for a tracked shipping solution).

Please note that this estimate does not apply to our built to order consoles, anything that requires trimming, or products on pre-order. Estimated timelines for build to order consoles or plastic trimming services (shell, battery door, etc.) are specified on each project page. Wait times also apply to products in backorder at the time of purchase.

*NOTE: Due to increased order volume, orders can take up to three business days to be processed until further notice.

Please remember that express shipping does not mean express handling. Purchases are processed in the order in which we receive them. We still need those two business days to process, package, and label your order.

If ordering USPS express shipping for packages sent to the United States, express shipping begins once your package crosses the border and is handed to USPS. This does not include the time it takes to cross the border, nor any delays at customs.

We recommend you evaluate whether express shipping is worth it based on the projected times provided during checkout. We are not responsible for any delays on the shipping company’s side.

No. Doing so would be illegal.

No, our prices do not include local taxes, duties, brokerage fees, value-added taxes, or any other charge you may receive when your package arrives.

Please consider all fees before placing your order. You will have to pay them once your package arrives. We cannot refund you if you change your mind.

Make sure you know your country’s laws before making a purchase with us. For information specific to your region, contact your local customs office.

If you chose a tracked shipping solution at checkout, you should be able to follow your package via the tracking code you received by email. However, there are some exceptions:

• Canada Post often has trouble tracking packages in British Columbia and Alberta. If it seems stuck somewhere for a couple of days, it’s probably still moving on its way to you and should be there soon.


• Customs offices (in the United States and elsewhere) can sometimes hold packages for a couple of days without explanation, even if you ordered express shipping. This can add an unpredictable delay to the standard transit time. Unfortunately, we have no control over these offices. Please keep these delays in mind. 


• If international customers choose “Standard Shipping (No Tracking),” tracking will cease as soon as the package leaves Canada. Please do not contact ChitChats for further information. If you aren’t confident in your local postal system, please select a tracked shipping solution.

Please make sure you add a valid mailing address for your order. To guarantee your package, make sure to keep the Route Shipping Insurance option selected at checkout. Retro Modding is not responsible for lost packages that are untracked and uninsured.

If your package was stolen and you purchased Route Shipping Insurance at checkout, you can file a claim using the link they provided by email. 

If you did not purchase Route Shipping Insurance, the order is considered complete once the package has been delivered to your mailbox. Retro Modding is not responsible for uninsured packages that have been stolen after delivery. It is your responsibility to make sure your mailbox is secure. We cannot be held responsible if you miss your post officer's delivery.

It is your responsibility to make arrangements to receive your package. Generally, if you miss your package’s arrival, the post officer will bring it to a nearby post office and leave you with a delivery notice card. In Canada, you typically have at least a week to pick it up from the post office. If you live outside Canada, please familiarize yourself with your postal service’s rules and regulations.

If you fail to pick up your package and the post office ships it back to us, you have two options:

1. You can pay for shipping again and we’ll send it back to you.




2. We can refund your order with the exception of shipping costs and any additional taxes, duties, customs or miscellaneous transportation fees. If it’s been over 30 days, we will also charge a 20% restocking fee.

Please note that, once a delivery attempt has been made and the package has been deposited with your local postal service, the order is complete on our end. After this point, we can no longer track the package. If your local postal service ships it back to us, we cannot give you an estimated date of arrival since we no longer have eyes on it. 

Again, it is your responsibility to be there to receive your order or to make arrangements to pick it up from your local post office if you miss it.

Yes. All built-to-order consoles go through a rigorous quality assurance process before shipping. We use specialized utility cartridges to test button inputs, brightness, and sound quality. We take our work as modders very seriously.

Even if your console seems to work because you can power it on, there’s no guarantee the electronics inside are in good condition and no guarantee it won’t fail our own rigorous quality assurance protocols. What’s more, we wouldn’t want anything happening to your handheld when you ship it to us. For these reasons, we only work with our own products, which have been thoroughly tested.

If your console holds strong sentimental value and you absolutely want to mod that one, we have some tutorials for how to do so yourself and can sell you all the requisite parts.

We specify a production (or lead) time of approximately 8 weeks. During busy seasons, it might be longer as we catch up on our orders.

Please note that this production time does not include the time it takes for the product to pass our quality assurance protocols, nor does it include shipping and handling times..

Depending on where you live, it might take upwards of 10 weeks for you to have the product in hand. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The day we start modding your unit is the day we finish it. After that, it has to pass our quality assurance tests. Once it does, it typically ships the following day. For that reason, we can’t provide much by way of an update until we start working on the console.

Retro Modding is committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment for all staff and customers. While we’re delighted to help all those who reach out to us through our support channels, we do not tolerate harassment of any kind when doing so.

Harassment includes any behavior that victimizes, humiliates, or threatens a person, such as directing racist, homophobic, or misogynistic slurs at any member of our team. Please note that, should you harass our support staff, your ticket will be closed without further response. Repeated harassment may result in your account being banned or in appropriate legal action.

We thank you for your understanding and look forward to creating a safe, respectful modding community with you!