About INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes

[LaceyUnderall]

We wanted to give a little background as to who we are.

INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes started in August of 2007 as The Place For Electronic Cigarette Updates. We take pride in our top-notch customer service, where you can contact us anytime via email or via phone.

INSTEAD offers e-cigs to those who are wishing to change their brand of cigarette. We stand fast that these are not quit smoking devices. They are an alternative to smoking tobacco. We accept that no real scientific data has been presented that allows for this product to be sold as a "healthier" alternative. It is simply an alternative. As we all assumed our own responsibility with our tobacco cigarettes, we shall do with our electronic cigarettes.

We currently offer shipping for $9 within the US and $16 within Canada. All US orders are shipped via UPS or USPS (to post boxes and APO) and all Canadian orders ship from Manitoba via Canada Post.

US customers can place their orders through INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes US and Canadian customers please visit INSTEAD Electronic Cigarettes Canada.

If you are interested in some further reading we have all types of blog posts that might interest you.

e-Cigarettes: Nicotine, Yes, Toxins, No
e-Cigarette Video
Electronic Cigarette receives good reviews on “The Doctors”
The Electronic Cigarette as a Homeopathic Drug
Using Your Electronic Cigarette like a Tobacco Cigarette
Clinical Trials and Testing of the Electronic Cigarette

Keep your eyes posted as we like to write!

[taleywhacker]

I love you Lacey!!

[Lithium1330]

That is the right way Lacey, well done, honest and let the product and the costumer service talk

[Nuck]

$18 to ship within Canada via Canada Post is pretty inflated. That alone would stop me from purchasing.

[LaceyUnderall]

Originally Posted by Nuck

$18 to ship within Canada via Canada Post is pretty inflated. That alone would stop me from purchasing.

We are working on getting our shipping rates in Canada down... and will pretty soon. But please remember, if you order from the US you will most likely pay duties at the border. With INSTEAD: No duties.

[Beequeen]

Never mind the shipping, it is the pricing on everything on the site that would deter me in a heartbeat. I'm being honest here, and those are reeeeally inflated!

[CaSHMeRe]

Originally Posted by Nuck

$18 to ship within Canada via Canada Post is pretty inflated. That alone would stop me from purchasing.

Nuck, remember, shipping to Canada isn't the easiest of things to do here in the USA. We are talking long lines, paperwork, etc... Shipping costs also include handling/package costs/etc...

Originally Posted by Beequeen

Never mind the shipping, it is the pricing on everything on the site that would deter me in a heartbeat. I'm being honest here, and those are reeeeally inflated!

Beequeen ... Don't take this as an attack, simply an observation (and Lacey, if you find this post -- not worthy of your section, feel free to delete, just trying to back up a fellow *Honest/Good/Hardworking* supplier.

Take a look at what Lacey has done, not only on her website, but the valuable posts she has on this very forum. Importing ecigs in to the USA is an UNBELIEVABLE risk ... we are talking about losing thousands and thousands of dollars on a single shipment (defined unworthy by the FDA) Pricing is associated with whatever that certain supplier deems appropriate.

Many things go in to pricing structure.

1. Supply vs. Demand
2. Accesibility of getting them in LARGE BULK here in the USA.
3. The cost of running a Business
4. Local/State/Federal licenses, taxes, etc...
5. Brokerage/Customs Fee's
6. Cost of doing business in such state
7. Advertising (Even marketing here on ECF)
8. Setting up a pricing structure that will further allow wholesalers/distributors and expansion of your business.
9. A persons time spent on the business.
10. Product Liability Insurance
11. Shipping Suppliers
12. Cost of a storage/retail location

Lastly .... RISK, not to mention probably another 12 things I forgot.

Remember ... Anyone and everyone can offer *cheap* ecigarettes, and there will always be people that do, its the nature of the beast. Good customer service, attentative and honest suppliers, and a solid business plan go further than cheap prices. Smart business' price the above in to each and every transaction ...

Just my $.02 cents on the subject ... I just have an issue whenever I see pricing on a certain product critisized.

Good Luck Lacey ... Speaking for myself (and I know a majority of ECF) we are happy you are here and really value your posts and contributions ...

-CaSH

[LaceyUnderall]

Awe, thanks Cash! I do appreciate your post. You have hit the nail on the head with complete accuracy and I do appreciate the props.

We have decided that yes, our pricing may be a bit higher, but we want to offer an entire experience for our customers. We also want to work hard for the entire community, focusing our energy on moving the e-cigs into a future where we can all smoke/vape at our own free will.

We can all agree that the mini is an e-cig that many start out with, and as they become avid e-smokers, they can move on to funky styles, flavors etc. Our customers start out as brand noobies and they do require attention. When they receive their units, they call and ask "What am I doing wrong?" And we answer.

Until the new format, we have done absolutely NO selling in the forum. As far as the community format goes, I will continue to do NO selling in the forum, only in the INSTEAD forum and maybe the Suppliers forum if it sticks around. I know that many of you are skilled at your smoking/vaping products and have loyalty to your suppliers and that is awesome. I have no intentions of "stealing" you away.

But what I can tell you is keep checking back! We have some awesome ideas that are coming to fruition here in the next month and maybe even the most experienced of you will find some extra added value to our packages.

Either way, we offer solid product and solid customer service. So whether you find us in your price range or not, as we tell people on the phone and via email all the time: If someone is cheaper, great. By all means, head over to their shop and take a gander. But... find a phone number, find an email, find something so you can interact with someone before the purchase. It may save you heartbreak in the end.

[ZambucaLu]

I hope it is appropriate to post this here but to add a comment:

This whole buyer/seller thing is really a double edged sword. It seems when a company is small, you get great one on one customer service but as the company expands, their prices become more competitive and may go down but somewhere along the line, that one on one customer service seems to get lost in the shuffle. And I am sure any supplier who has grown drastically in a short period of time knows what I mean.

But how many times do we hear "I am buried in trying to fill orders so if I don't respond right away, I'll get back to you as soon as I can"? When you're trying to fill and ship 30 orders a day (or whatever), there is no longer time for that personalized customer service that the customer has been used to.

I remember when I first ordered from David Yang....an answer to any question in like minutes. Now I just ordered from him and had to ask him something and he said sorry for the delay, he has been very busy. I imagine so with his new site and all!

And imagine if Cash had a phone? My gawd...he would need a team of phone operators available who had all the answers to all the various products, just to keep up with it.

So it does seem like a dual edged sword of sorts....higher prices but great one on one service versus lower prices and wait for replies.

I feel the suppliers do their best but we consumers get swept up in the better price/better customer service roller coaster as well. I guess we all just do the best we can.

Lu

[LaceyUnderall]

Lu - Thanks for weighing in!

We totally agree with you. We are trying to grow at a pace where customer service does not get pushed to the side. It is a double edged sword. We started out as a blog of 2 kids wanting an e-cig and holy crap! Almost two years later we are where we are with two shipping points in two different countries and our customer service has not lacked in all of this.

One step at a time.

Actually, last night we had a very good chuckle reading our very first post!
The e-Cigarette | e-Cigarettes - Electronic Cigarettes

Either way, in the coming weeks we are going to be launching our new kits and I think even the veterans will see the value in addition to our great customer service.