Beware, not all vape stores are created equal.

[IgnorantCig]

There are so many vape shops in my immediate area now that I can't even keep track of them all.

Even though I still qualify as a newbie vaper, since I've only been vaping for a few months, I now know enough about vaping to know a terrible vape store when I see one.

I was in a vape shop some weeks ago, and what I witnessed shocked me.

This vape store sold the typical premium juices and brands that you'll find everywhere and they also sold some hardware, like clones and mods.

They also had their own brand of cheap, in house juice which they sold and which they would also give out to customers as part of their rewards system, where customers who earn enough points will get a small, free bottle of juice.

While I was in the store looking around, another customer was there and they were getting a free bottle of that in house juice, and they were sampling different flavors, to see which one they wanted.

The sales person asked the customer what nicotine level they wanted, and after the customer told them, I saw the sales person walk towards the middle-back of the shop, and in less than 30 seconds, the juice was mixed and ready to go. The sales person was just eye balling the nicotine content! And it was being mixed right there in the open, in the middle of the shop!

I don't need to be an advanced vaper to know that this is not good at all, and I am shocked that somebody with such bad knowledge would even dare to open their own vape store. Needless to say, a vape store like that probably won't stay in business for long, when there are so many other better options around, with more knowledgeable people working in them.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

Been there done that, we have a store here in town that is exactly like you described. The fact of the matter is anyone with the money to rent a space and aquire some inventory can open a shop of any kind. The upside is that they are usually easy to spot by talking to the people running it. Especially if your a new comer to whatever kind of shop you're in and in a few minutes of conversation can almost positively say you know more than them with just a little research under your belt.

I haven't been to a lot of vape shops but have seen this time and time again in speed shops who don't have a clue about the stuff they're selling.

 

[MattyTny]

Yoy could always ask them about how they mix their juice, you don't really have anything to loose. They usually use syringes and it doesn't take very long to mix. Some places have a little centrifuge too.

I've been in a shop where they did the mixing where it was visible, but gloves and clean syringes were used.

 

[IgnorantCig]

Yoy could always ask them about how they mix their juice, you don't really have anything to loose. They usually use syringes and it doesn't take very long to mix. Some places have a little centrifuge too.

I've been in a shop where they did the mixing where it was visible, but gloves and clean syringes were used.

I saw it with my own eyes. I wasn't standing right next to them, so I didn't see every detail, but I think that I saw enough. They definitely weren't wearing any sort of gloves, and I can almost guarantee that whatever nicotine level the customer asked for is not what they got.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

That's how the store is near me, their clean room is a refrigerator and a shelf. No gloves or any other mixing equipment in sight. And from what I saw when I got curious and peeked around not even a decent supply of syreinges.

 

[IgnorantCig]

That's how the store is near me, their clean room is a refrigerator and a shelf. No gloves or any other mixing equipment in sight. And from what I saw when I got curious and peeked around not even a decent supply of syreinges.

That sounds better than this place, because I'm not even sure if they had a refrigerator.

Their "clean room" was the middle of the shop, filled with massive vape clouds and dust.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

That sounds better than this place, because I'm not even sure if they had a refrigerator.

Their "clean room" was the middle of the shop, filled with massive vape clouds and dust.

I know this post probably won't be popular but these examples are some of the places we do need regulation. Not to take vaping away from us but to make all the places we buy supplies as safe as possible.

 

[KittyinTumblrland]

This sounds like a horror story. That just seems completely unsanitary to me and one would think there would be some kind of health code for that.....

 

[IgnorantCig]

I know this post probably won't be popular but these examples are some of the places we do need regulation. Not to take vaping away from us but to make all the places we buy supplies as safe as possible.

I agree.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

I agree.

Having said that in a perfect world it wouldn't be the gooberment but a board of vape professionals who are well versed in the industry. One can daydream though.

 

[bwh79]

one would think there would be some kind of health code for that.....

One would think so, until one realizes that that's exactly what they mean when they say the industry is "unregulated." As in, there are no regulations (i.e. health codes) in place that dictate what can and can't be done.

 

[a wandering soul]

hmm.. im not appalled or outraged... or even really upset. e-juice does not grow nasties really. i mean it can.. but it almost has to be intentional. now.. eyeballing the nic.. thats pretty skeevy.. but since they do it in the open.. their customers can see.. and choose NOT to purchase/use that juice.

i can assure you that lots shops that don't do it in sight, follow similar protocol.. just behind a door you can't see beyond.


i would be thankful to know how they did it.. so i avoided it, even if I would have already avoided it. personally i don't think regulation needed is warranted here.. as the customers should be able to show the market what they will allow and wont. the problem w/ regulations is that they don't always stop where they should. look at the proposals in indiana for example.. they are basically trying to make it so that you have to have your facilities under surveilance equivalent to a casinos! you could have an iso-certified lab but lacking cameras and the rooms security being held to an outlandishly high level, you could not sell juice from that lab.

 

[YoursTruli]

If this was one of the regulations, eliquid manufacturing standards, coming across the board I would be all for it. Sorry but I think anything being sold to the public for human consumption should be regulated, I have seen way more then one vape shop operating in a similar manor to the one described here. A self regulatory board such as AEMSA | American E-Liquid Manufacturing Standards Association would be idea but I have my doubts that will happen. I personally can not think of anything that is specifically sold for human consumption that is not regulated, they even stepped in hard on the homemade/etsy type sellers to make sure they were following commercial regulations.

 

[noway]

There is only 1 store I go to and their ejuice comes directly from Hangsen bottled by Hangsen.

E-Liquid, Vaping and Electronic E Cigarette Deals at Caterpillar Vapes

It's clean, I can tell by how long my coils last and I know it's not signature rat turd ejuice created in some barn like moonshine use to be.

 

[dhood]

I have two stores within driving distance that have house juice. Both add the nicotine to your juice in the shop. Both have large bottles of the house juice on a shelf. One has Dr. Crimmys as their house juice, the other is their own brand. One has a machine that dispenses the nicotine with a machine based on requested strength and size of bottle, the other has high content nic they add with a dropper. Both then complete the filling process from one of the large bottles. doesn't bother me one bit. I've never had problems with any juice seeming to be either under or over on the nic content.

 

[bman1977]

This is why this industry should and will be regulated. Irresponsible people selling to ignorant people. Bad things are bound to happen at some point and it will only ruin it for all the rest anyway. I know this isn't going to be a popular thought but it needs to happen.

 

[RedForeman]

Would you feel better if he'd gone into another room to mix the product? Maybe if he had on a clean lab coat? Regulations will only put people out of business and do zero to improve quality. There's not enough government employees to enforce anything, even if they tried. If less than cleanroom prep was causing problems, there'd be plenty of sick/dead people already by now.

 

[ReigntheGamer]

Would you feel better if he'd gone into another room to mix the product? Maybe if he had on a clean lab coat? Regulations will only put people out of business and do zero to improve quality. There's not enough government employees to enforce anything, even if they tried. If less than cleanroom prep was causing problems, there'd be plenty of sick/dead people already by now.

I would've felt better if there were at least gloves, I really don't want someone who doesn't wash their hands after using the restroom mixing anything I am going use. But by all means if you enjoy vaping dried excrement continue to buy juice from those places.

 

[Rabbit Slayer]

I would've felt better if there were at least gloves, I really don't want someone who doesn't wash their hands after using the restroom mixing anything I am going use. But by all means if you enjoy vaping dried excrement continue to buy juice from those places.

Did they cup their hands and use that to transfer the liquid to the smaller bottle or something?!?

 

[ReigntheGamer]

Did they cup their hands and use that to transfer the liquid to the smaller bottle or something?!?

No but last time I looked at a luer lock needle you have to attach them by hand. Next.