About INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes - Page 2 - E-Cigarette Forum

tomrocks · 03-05-2009, 02:41 AM

How long have you been in business?

tomrocks · 03-05-2009, 02:42 AM

I am asking because I have recently become an affiliate member and want to add more information about you to my site. Which by the way is getecig.com

LaceyUnderall · 03-05-2009, 12:41 PM

August/September of 2007

Thanks for signing up as an affiliate...

If you need anything further, please feel free to ask!

SharonLM · 04-30-2009, 12:29 PM

First of three starter kits I've ordered came yesterday and it's from Instead. I'm so new to all of this. But I figured I'd try three companies to see which product I preferred, who's shipping was best and especially how good their customer service was.

Well, I received as I mention my first kit and it was the Instead, I was so excited. Then I plugged in my charger, followed directions (went to the website to read the manual) and something seemed wrong. The green light came on on the charger (indicating the charge was complete) almost 1/2 hour after I screwed in the battery. I waited another 2 hours and the green light stayed on, steady. So I tried the cigarette, got three fairly good puffs and the dang LED light started blinking.

Wrote the company and Joanna was great in writing back right away with suggestions. Tried those, didn't work. Wrote again and got a another suggestion, tried that and didn't work, wrote again and didn't hear back.

So I called the company. I also told them I have a terrible time logging into their website. The guy I talked to said, "yeah, we've had other people tell us that, but I don't believe it".....huh? So he changed my password while I was on the phone and again, couldn't log in, we tried a couple more times and finally got in. I told him he may want to fix that because it may dissuade customers. He said, nah, we're pretty big and our problem isn't having customers, it's getting supplies...another, huh?

Then we talked about the problem with the charger. He said he'd send another out to me tomorrow. That was good.

Then I get an email telling me when I receive the new one to send the old one back. Right, I've already spent over $300 at their site, I'm disappointed because I can't even use the product because of a faulty charger, and I'm going to go to the box this faulty charger up, drive to the post office and pay shipping.

I'm not real happy right now, sorry.

SharonLM · 04-30-2009, 01:28 PM

OK, edited to add, WOW, just got another email from Joanna. What a nice, nice lady. She apologized for not answering and even told me why she hadn't answered.

She got a charger out, tested it and says it's on it's way. I think I'll deal with her from now on. This company is definitely still on my list as one to continue ordering from.

Like I mentioned above, so far theirs is the fastest shipping. And they have (other than when Joanna was out of the office) answered my emails quickly.

Not sure I'll want to deal with anyone other than Joanna. James, I'm sorry, I guess I come from the old school (and I am old) and expect a little more appreciation for the customer and a little less arrogance.

Am I being harsh toward you James, perhaps, but I come from a military family (mostly Marines, which DH is also) and I guess we're used to calling it like we see it.

LaceyUnderall · 04-30-2009, 01:57 PM

Sharon,

I apologize for your frustration with James. You did call after 6pm (EST) and the phone was answered. He also felt the conversation went pretty well considering you were frustrated and had many questions regarding the FDA, supply, etc, all of which he answered. Might I also note that this entire situation occurred within 19 hours so I think Instead all around was pretty attentive.

A note on our website glitch: Yes, we do have a glitch that we have been trying to fix and it appears to not be an easy fix. Some accounts have issues and some do not. If you click on the side navigation and go into a product category, you can log-in through there. If this still doesn't work, we are always happy to log-in for you through the back end and place the order... so feel free to call.

Finally, our return shipping policy is that you do have to return problem items to us. This allows us to test the product, determine what is really wrong and keep an eye out for any trends so we can alert our manufacturer. We also do offer a discount on your next order so that you can recover your shipping costs and then some.

We will get that issue charger out to you today.

SharonLM · 04-30-2009, 02:09 PM

Actually Lacey I called earlier but no one answered the phone and although James and I talked about the FDA, it was the subject he preferred to talk about and one that interested him, I was trying to be polite and listen, and yes I did make comments about the situation.

Overall, please know that I'm quite pleased with the service thus far. When you have a problem and are frustrated, and then have a company that takes the time to answer emails, take phone calls and even send out a replacement in that amount of time, well, that says a LOT for you, Instead!

I'd rather read a post when someone had a problem, was frustrated and then came back and really raved about the handling. When I just read kudos I wonder what would REALLY happen if there was a problem.

Well, I can now say, yes there was a problem, some frustration, and I am more than pleased with how you all have handled it. I will remain a customer.

James may be young and he may just need some polishing of the rough edges, maybe not, I don't know, but I'm not backing down on that one. Yes, he was nice, but he was more interested in bragging about the company and left me feeling you have so many customers that you have no need to worry about our problems, your worry is the FDA and he went from there telling me about it. HE brought up the FDA problem.

Now when it comes to Joanna, wow, that lady has fantastic customer service.

Just being honest and this is just an opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaceyUnderall

Sharon,

I apologize for your frustration with James. You did call after 6pm (EST) and the phone was answered. He also felt the conversation went pretty well considering you were frustrated and had many questions regarding the FDA, supply, etc, all of which he answered. Might I also note that this entire situation occurred within 19 hours so I think Instead all around was pretty attentive.

A note on our website glitch: Yes, we do have a glitch that we have been trying to fix and it appears to not be an easy fix. Some accounts have issues and some do not. If you click on the side navigation and go into a product category, you can log-in through there. If this still doesn't work, we are always happy to log-in for you through the back end and place the order... so feel free to call.

Finally, our return shipping policy is that you do have to return problem items to us. This allows us to test the product, determine what is really wrong and keep an eye out for any trends so we can alert our manufacturer. We also do offer a discount on your next order so that you can recover your shipping costs and then some.

We will get that issue charger out to you today.

LaceyUnderall · 04-30-2009, 02:20 PM

Sharon - FYI: "Lacey" = Joanna

Again, I apologize about your frustration. It's funny, some people love James and don't like me! I know! Can you believe it!?! So you are one of mine... and that's cool... you deal with me.

Your charger is on its way today. If you have any further issues, you have my email and you KNOW I will answer as soon as I possibly can so please remember that I am here for you and that I am more than willing to make you a happy eSmoker...

SharonLM · 04-30-2009, 02:30 PM

LOL, well then Joanna/Lacey you truly do rock and you are a gem when it comes to customer service. I do believe you've got a customer from here on out!!

I'm impressed! In today's world when so often customer service is put on the shelf, you've taken it down and you deal with it, effectively I might add.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaceyUnderall

Sharon - FYI: "Lacey" = Joanna

Again, I apologize about your frustration. It's funny, some people love James and don't like me! I know! Can you believe it!?! So you are one of mine... and that's cool... you deal with me.

Your charger is on its way today. If you have any further issues, you have my email and you KNOW I will answer as soon as I possibly can so please remember that I am here for you and that I am more than willing to make you a happy eSmoker...

gjrhine · 05-20-2009, 01:46 AM

I received my starter kit within two days. Very fast service! The e-cig is 4 inches long from tip to tip so I believe it is one of these models I found on the VapeAtron web site. The question is which one?

Super Mini E-Cigarettes (100mm - 115mm)
Attempts to mimic real cigarettes as much as possible. Close in some cases, but usually a little thicker and longer than real smokes.
DSE-101
DSE-102
DSE-103
DSE-107
Janty Dura
Joye 510
KR-308
M401
M402
Njoy Npro
RN-4081

03-05-2009, 12:41 PM	#13
LaceyUnderall USA Supplier Forum Sponsor ECF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US and Canada Posts: 2,711	August/September of 2007 Thanks for signing up as an affiliate... If you need anything further, please feel free to ask! __________________ INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes and Blog \| I Support the Electronic Cigarette Association \| Right To Vape - A Consumer Organization Defending Your Right To Use a Personal Vaporizer

04-30-2009, 01:57 PM	#16
LaceyUnderall USA Supplier Forum Sponsor ECF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US and Canada Posts: 2,711	Sharon, I apologize for your frustration with James. You did call after 6pm (EST) and the phone was answered. He also felt the conversation went pretty well considering you were frustrated and had many questions regarding the FDA, supply, etc, all of which he answered. Might I also note that this entire situation occurred within 19 hours so I think Instead all around was pretty attentive. A note on our website glitch: Yes, we do have a glitch that we have been trying to fix and it appears to not be an easy fix. Some accounts have issues and some do not. If you click on the side navigation and go into a product category, you can log-in through there. If this still doesn't work, we are always happy to log-in for you through the back end and place the order... so feel free to call. Finally, our return shipping policy is that you do have to return problem items to us. This allows us to test the product, determine what is really wrong and keep an eye out for any trends so we can alert our manufacturer. We also do offer a discount on your next order so that you can recover your shipping costs and then some. We will get that issue charger out to you today. __________________ INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes and Blog \| I Support the Electronic Cigarette Association \| Right To Vape - A Consumer Organization Defending Your Right To Use a Personal Vaporizer

04-30-2009, 02:20 PM	#18
LaceyUnderall USA Supplier Forum Sponsor ECF Veteran Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: US and Canada Posts: 2,711	Sharon - FYI: "Lacey" = Joanna Again, I apologize about your frustration. It's funny, some people love James and don't like me! I know! Can you believe it!?! So you are one of mine... and that's cool... you deal with me. Your charger is on its way today. If you have any further issues, you have my email and you KNOW I will answer as soon as I possibly can so please remember that I am here for you and that I am more than willing to make you a happy eSmoker... __________________ INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes and Blog \| I Support the Electronic Cigarette Association \| Right To Vape - A Consumer Organization Defending Your Right To Use a Personal Vaporizer

05-20-2009, 01:46 AM	#20
gjrhine Super Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Sunny South Carolina Posts: 688	I received my starter kit within two days. Very fast service! The e-cig is 4 inches long from tip to tip so I believe it is one of these models I found on the VapeAtron web site. The question is which one? Super Mini E-Cigarettes (100mm - 115mm) Attempts to mimic real cigarettes as much as possible. Close in some cases, but usually a little thicker and longer than real smokes. DSE-101 DSE-102 DSE-103 DSE-107 Janty Dura Joye 510 KR-308 M401 M402 Njoy Npro RN-4081 __________________ Gary J

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03-05-2009, 02:41 AM	#11
tomrocks Full Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 12	How long have you been in business?

03-05-2009, 02:42 AM	#12
tomrocks Full Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 12	I am asking because I have recently become an affiliate member and want to add more information about you to my site. Which by the way is getecig.com

04-30-2009, 12:29 PM	#14
SharonLM Super Member ECF Veteran Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: State of Georgia, NW of Atlanta, USA Posts: 954	First of three starter kits I've ordered came yesterday and it's from Instead. I'm so new to all of this. But I figured I'd try three companies to see which product I preferred, who's shipping was best and especially how good their customer service was. Well, I received as I mention my first kit and it was the Instead, I was so excited. Then I plugged in my charger, followed directions (went to the website to read the manual) and something seemed wrong. The green light came on on the charger (indicating the charge was complete) almost 1/2 hour after I screwed in the battery. I waited another 2 hours and the green light stayed on, steady. So I tried the cigarette, got three fairly good puffs and the dang LED light started blinking. Wrote the company and Joanna was great in writing back right away with suggestions. Tried those, didn't work. Wrote again and got a another suggestion, tried that and didn't work, wrote again and didn't hear back. So I called the company. I also told them I have a terrible time logging into their website. The guy I talked to said, "yeah, we've had other people tell us that, but I don't believe it".....huh? So he changed my password while I was on the phone and again, couldn't log in, we tried a couple more times and finally got in. I told him he may want to fix that because it may dissuade customers. He said, nah, we're pretty big and our problem isn't having customers, it's getting supplies...another, huh? Then we talked about the problem with the charger. He said he'd send another out to me tomorrow. That was good. Then I get an email telling me when I receive the new one to send the old one back. Right, I've already spent over $300 at their site, I'm disappointed because I can't even use the product because of a faulty charger, and I'm going to go to the box this faulty charger up, drive to the post office and pay shipping. I'm not real happy right now, sorry.

04-30-2009, 01:28 PM	#15
SharonLM Super Member ECF Veteran Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: State of Georgia, NW of Atlanta, USA Posts: 954	OK, edited to add, WOW, just got another email from Joanna. What a nice, nice lady. She apologized for not answering and even told me why she hadn't answered. She got a charger out, tested it and says it's on it's way. I think I'll deal with her from now on. This company is definitely still on my list as one to continue ordering from. Like I mentioned above, so far theirs is the fastest shipping. And they have (other than when Joanna was out of the office) answered my emails quickly. Not sure I'll want to deal with anyone other than Joanna. James, I'm sorry, I guess I come from the old school (and I am old) and expect a little more appreciation for the customer and a little less arrogance. Am I being harsh toward you James, perhaps, but I come from a military family (mostly Marines, which DH is also) and I guess we're used to calling it like we see it.