The question to me is why this particular customer service rep made such claims ( no DA/AP ). Was he/she directed by upper management, was it implied by management, or did he/she take it upon himself to respond in this manner and if so why. Just doesn't make any sense to me.
It kinda makes sense to me. The issue (of diketones) is rather convoluted. People think they want diketone free liquid. Think they will be safer and that the information is paramount to their current purchases. 5P had a PC version of handling this, which is something I've seen in the industry, from other vendors, in how they worded things. It implies none, but isn't really a clear assertion, much less, data to back up the implication. It is plausible to me that management conveyed to CS reps that the implication ought to be emphasized, and about equally plausible that a CS rep would infer that what management had conveyed was something more than what was actual. As someone whose worked in CS, I could see a rep taking liberties to increase sales, with idea that more sales makes for better chance to get ahead.
Leaving that aside, i don't disagree with the rest of your analysis ( with the exception of testing your own liquid, just not realistic ).
It is realistic. If it is truly unrealistic, then vapers are doomed (to whatever they place trust in, and nothing else).
But i do agree that the whole DA/AP issue has been the elephant in the room that for the longest time most vendors did not want to acknowledge. There is no doubt that consumers are demanding these compounds ( whether knowingly or more likely unknowingly ). Just take a quick look at the Vaporshark test results and you will see the liquids with the high AP numbers are often the most popular liquid in that Vendors line.
I don't think that consumers are demanding the compounds, but pretty sure you get that. Vapers are fairly notorious for bragging about wide array of flavors that come with our choice of nicotine delivery. Smokey Joe notes in the annual polls he does that this is (I think by far and away) the #1 cited item that draws people to vaping. People want great tasting eLiquids and have become very accustomed to that in the vaping community. I still think the substitute for DA/AP (or lack thereof) fits in well with the idea of "we don't have long term studies to determine if this is safe for human consumption." It is possible that the alternative route is more dangerous. I would say unlikely, but still possible. Also possible that someone comes up with great alternative, gets ringing endorsements from a bunch of 'experts' and that becomes the new compound of choice, making for wonderful flavors, only to realize years down the road, "whoops, this is actually worse for you than DA/AP. Sorry bout that."
Five Pawns are not evil and they haven't done anything other vendors haven't ( besides the emails ). Five Pawns knew there was AP in their juice and they also knew there was AP in their competitors' juice. It's like the Tour de France and all the cyclists on steroids. Most of them did it and they all knew it. 5P just made some unwise moves imo.
It really is beyond me that in an unregulated industry when it is not illegal and not against the rules ( unlike steroids ) why have vendors just not come out and admit these compounds are present and make their case for them ( As Five Pawns were forced to do ).
I think there are a few reasons for not coming out and admitting.
A - Cause like some consumers are just going to trust without verifying themselves, vendors may be trusting flavor manufacturers, without testing
B - Cause of the ANTZ factor. How this would be beyond any vaper's scope of understanding is beyond me.
C - Cause of the consumer fickleness around this issue. Some want general info. Some want specifics. Some don't care. In most other industries what suffices is, "this product may contain some of compound X." There are those amongst us who would say, "that's all I ever wanted!" While there are others that would be like, "not nearly enough info." Or others, like myself, that care if it is present, but feel the concerns are inflated. So, release of info is tricky to appease everyone.
D - Cause science is wishy washy on this whole ordeal, which is prevalent to this particular case as specifics are in dispute. So, if you combine the B factor with this one, then it is plausible ANTZ could have studies showing things that we'd all be questioning methodology and what have you. Then add in the C factor, and who other than likes of FDA are going to get everyone to be on exact same page. Yet, even with FDA involved, you'd likely have industry with one version of what is most fair for general consumer and ANTZ version of what absolutely must be disclosed or shouldn't be allowed on the market.
There may be some vendors who have moved or are moving toward DA/AP free lines for ethical reasons but more importantly it's a long term business strategy. They may be foregoing some short term profits, but they are gambling that they will make up for it in the future. Does any one seriously think Halo and Johnson Creek for example were not able to make a delicious vanilla custard if they chose to do so ?
I voice a wager repeatedly that says things will not be safer under FDA, and there are a few parts to this that make me confident as to how I would win, rather easily, such a wager. Because of the ANTZ factor and because of consumer fickleness, which is visibly influenced by the ANTZ factor, there is in essence no way around this going forward. There will ALWAYS be things (chemicals) to loft soft balls into the public domain of FUD, in which consumers who are not going to do own testing will be ripe for notions of betrayal and seemingly ill will from the industry. At same time, ANTZ factor and zealous regulators will plausibly, if not likely, produce an underground market where certain things will not matter to those who enjoy vaping for reasons where healthiness of product is not paramount. For those that it is, I really see no way in which that position will "win." As I said before, that position is doomed if it is truly unrealistic for consumers to do their own testing.
