Lowe"s bans the use of e-cigs on it's property

[Credo]

Dear Lowes,

Since you have banned harmless electric cigarettes which produce no known health risks or damage to property, I now wonder if you will please stop cashers from chomping chewing gum in my face? Also, I'm very tired of having to peel gobs of it from the bottom of my shoe after walking through one of your stores or parking lots.

Thanks

 

[JollyRogers]

Obvious form response:

Response #1

Replied On 4/22/2011 2:01:16 PM----------------------------------------

Dear JollyRogers:

Thank you for giving Lowe's an opportunity to respond to your e-mail. We are extremely proud of our customer service, however; we are eager to hear customer feedback so we can identify opportunities to improve our service and customer satisfaction.

Your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate department within Lowe's for review.

If Lowe's can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to call 1-866-284-8989 or e-mailexecustservice@lowes.com. You may also contact us by mailing your correspondence to 1605 Curtis Bridge Road, Mail Code CON8, Wilkesboro, North Carolina 28697.



Thank you,
LeDell
Lowe's Executive Support

 

[al-fredo]

Mo more shopping at Lowes, I may understand their inside the store policy, but not the prohibition for the outside areas.
Sent letter.

 

[bigtimeweb]

Thank you for your email.

I appreciate you taking the time to share feedback about Lowe's Policy on Smoking. I will share your comments with the department responsible for developing store policies and operating procedures. They will consider your feedback when evaluating potential policy and procedure revisions.

If you need additional assistance please reply to this email.

 

[WannaGetHealthy]

wow......ok, so if you are a user of nicotine in general, lowe's doesn't want to accommodate you by even letting you smoke/vape/chew/dip in the parking lot. I guess the recession hasn't hit them as hard as others 'cause I know more contractors (the people in places like that spending REAL money) that smoke than contractors who don't smoke. Oh well, home depot will be happy to have more money I'm sure.

 

[JollyRogers]

hmmm off to look at a shed for my wife's goats. Guess what, I am NOT going to Lowe's today.

 

[tigerlily]

Interesting. I vape in Lowe's parking lot frequently, lol. Although I've never actually vaped inside the store, I have been known to vape in the outside garden area. I've never had them say anything to me...but I'm pretty discrete about it.

 

[Slickstick]

I have spent over $1000 @ Lowes already this year, and spend hundreds every month.
I am sending an email to Lowes as well and will shop at Home Depot until Lowes fixes their policy to allow e-cigs.
I am also letting them know that I am going to spread the word of their idiocy.
It's not like I can't get away with it stealthing, but not allowing a proven safer alternative for smokers with no flame, cigarette smell, first or second hand smoke, and nothing but improved health effects is just ignorant.
The parking lot? really? What about all the vehicles exhaust which IS proven unhealthy?!?!
I was going to go back to Lowes tomorrow in fact. Looks like I will be going to Home Depot Instead.

 

[Slickstick]

My letter to Lowes:

It has come to my attention recently that Lowes has included electronic cigarettes in the smoking policy so that customers and employees cannot use the effective device in the store or parking lot.
I own my own electronic cigarette company and know MUCH about the devices. Electronic cigarettes are proven MUCH safer than cigarettes. They do not combust. There is no smoke or flame. No first or second hand smoke. Virtually no smell except maybe a faint sweet aroma of a particular flavor used if standing very close to the device while it is being used. It is a very effective device to help people stay off of harmful combustible cigarettes with over 4000 deadly chemicals. I spend thousands every year at Lowes. Just spent around $600 the past week. It is not like I cannot wait until I leave the store to vape. But why should vapers have to suffer when there are no harmful side effects of the device. You might as well ban coffee as well, since it is potentially more dangerous than an e-cig, and also produces water vapor. Oh and the 5 hour energy drink as well, since it states right on the bottle that it isn't even approved by the FDA. I will be shopping at Home Depot from now on, and will also be spreading the word to the rapidly growing masses of e-cig users about Lowes stupid policy on electronic cigarettes. Vaping electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers are perfectly legal in public shopping malls, grocery stores, bars, and restaurants in my home state of Virginia as well as many other states. Banning e-cigs is authorizing death sentences. If e-cigs are banned outright, people will go back to smoking and Lowes will be looked upon as a murderous company by many. Banning them in a public place sends the WRONG message.
Please pass this letter along to the Lowes policy makers.
Thanks you.
Sincerely,
VAPORHEAD

 

[Liv2Ski]

Other than the form response posted above has anyone recieved a "real" response to their email to Lowes?

 

[bigtimeweb]

Liv

It was not a form letter it was signed by a human that was a different human than the other posted response. CS departments do not make policy they buffer communications. They cant do anything directly except forward the message to those who can and they re definitely doing that.

 

[scinsc]

Lowe's Home Improvement has updated it's no smoking policy to now include E-cigs.

Policy Number 415:

Lowe's desires to support the public health and safety of it's employees and customers. In order to promote and provide a healthy and safe work environment, Lowe's bans the use of tobacco products and simulated smoking products( e.g. e-cigarettes) at customer support center locations, regional offices or store building or at outside break areas, docks, parking lots and any other area on Lowe's property.

All employees, visitors, customers and other personnel are responsible for adhering to this policy.

customercare@[I]lowes[/I].com

Public health? Do they think we’ve got stupid written all over our face?
This is the work of some pointy-head PC weenie that doesn’t have a clue.

Lowe's seems to be oblivious to the thousands of products that they sell that are irritants or even toxic that they expose their customers and employees to. Ever been by the swimming pool section? Five minutes there would probably kill your average Chihuahua. I have to plan what I need, hold my breath, run in and get my chlorine and run away before I can breath again. How about the bug spray area or the arsenic laced lumberyard? Yet they care so much for your health they are going to ban a harmless product that saves lives.

Since Lowe's is so concerned with the public’s health perhaps they should issue Policy number 416 and issue everyone that enters their premises a gas mask.

 

[Crumpet]

Why is the vaping community so up in arms over places banning the use of e-cigs in their facilities? Just be happy they aren't outright banned, period.

It's not that different from smoking being banned. You didn't smoke there in the first place. Vapers who vape to get around smoking bans are not helping the cause, the anti's just see it as a way to undermine already in place laws and fight back even harder.

People can still find the scents given off by the vapor offensive, and as such vapers should respect that. It's their air, too. Also at first glance it can easily be confused that you are smoking, not vaping, and cause a bunch of commotion. I, for one, don't want any unnecessary attention. I don't vape where I didn't smoke, except in my own home and vehicle.

Vaping being banned is waaaay different from smoking being banned. smoking is banned because the smoke produced is a toxin and it can medically affect others. However, vaping does no such thing, there is no smoke, and as for saying that a faint scent may be offensive.....the same could be said for anyone wearing cologne but that hasn't been banned in Lowe's. Neither has BO from not showering for days. The reason we have to oppose these bans is because they give others the impression that vaping is something people need to be protected from which suggests it is dangerous. They think, well why else would these things be banned if they aren't dangerous. It is simply an uneducated and poorly thought out decision that carries implications greater than just inconveniencing vapers.

 

[al-fredo]

Lowe's is selling Nicotine items.

Do those brains at Lowe's know that they are selling to their customers products containing Nicotine?

If they are selling in their garden area any of the following plants or seeds: tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, horsetail, tomatillos, both sweet and hot peppers, datura, zinnias, horsetails, cayenne, morning glory, petunias, etc. then they are putting in the garden and on the table of their beloved customers flowers and vegetable containing Nicotine.
They also make them available to minors.

 

[juicefreak]

bummer. i know employees of our local lowes by name, we've spent so much $ there. it won't stop me from shopping there. i figure if i could wait until i finished shopping back when i smoked cigs, i can be respectful of any business that chooses this policy. just because it's vapor doesn't mean it's cool to shove it in ppl's faces. many ppl are sensitive to odors and i respect that.

 

[juicefreak]

The reason we have to oppose these bans is because they give others the impression that vaping is something people need to be protected from which suggests it is dangerous.

how can you oppose a ban when there have been few studies as to its safety? let the studies play out in time and then we will have a leg to stand on.

 

[rons29445]

how can you oppose a ban when there have been few studies as to its safety? let the studies play out in time and then we will have a leg to stand on.

As a tobacco smoker, I allowed someone to take away my "Right of Choice" as they enacted smoking laws and ordinances dictating where and almost when I could smoke through complacency.
The Anti Ban Wagon started rolling and gained momentum.
Next came local governments dictating what type of grease a business could use to make food. More momentum.
Now the powers to be are trying to ban and/or control E-Cigs, which based on the reports from the studies that have been done are showing that they are a healthier alternative to tobacco and smoking. Momentum run amuck...
Now we have a ban wagon that is running out of control, to the point of anything someone does not like is banned/controlled.

But what happened to my "Right of Choice" as an American?

Sorry, but I am a fed up with the Ban Wagon running wild and will now stand up and push back on those trying to force "Their Will" on me on something I firmly believe in.

 

[Credo]

As a tobacco smoker, I allowed someone to take away my "Right of Choice" as they enacted smoking laws and ordinances dictating where and almost when I could smoke through complacency.
The Anti Ban Wagon started rolling and gained momentum.
Next came local governments dictating what type of grease a business could use to make food. More momentum.
Now the powers to be are trying to ban and/or control E-Cigs, which based on the reports from the studies that have been done are showing that they are a healthier alternative to tobacco and smoking. Momentum run amuck...
Now we have a ban wagon that is running out of control, to the point of anything someone does not like is banned/controlled.

But what happened to my "Right of Choice" as an American?

Sorry, but I am a fed up with the Ban Wagon running wild and will now stand up and push back on those trying to force "Their Will" on me on something I firmly believe in.

Some towns these days can stop you, take your DL, and write a ticket for upwards of $200 just because they don't like your bumper sticker (or your truck balls).

I agree, it's getting way out of control.

Smoking bans kind of made sense in that at least there was over 100 years of research to PROOVE the second hand smoke hurt innocent bystanders. The money from the big tobacco suits was SUPPOSED to go into funding public healthcare (funny, they decided to declare all that surpluses and give it back as tax breaks instead).

And well...I have to agree with rons...it's all getting WAY OUT OF CONTROL.
The ease at which someone can take your rights away, or hit you with fines at will over the least little junk.......s'crazy!

We're supposed to be an innocent until proven guilty society. NOT the other way around.
Then there's the hypocrisy of it all. Things FAR more dangerous to public health and economy are left alone.

 

[Crumpet]

how can you oppose a ban when there have been few studies as to its safety? let the studies play out in time and then we will have a leg to stand on.

Because bans should never be the default in a free country, ever. In order to implement something as severe as a ban, you should be able to justify a ban as necessary based on evidence, not 'what if'. Frankly, I've been hearing the word 'ban' used just a little too frequently lately. With all the other chemical laden products sold at Lowe's, do you really think that steam that dissipates almost immediately is a threat? There isn't even one teeny tiny shred of evidence that it hurts the people who actually vape it! Besides, it's much easier to implement restrictions one there is data to support it than it is to remove a ban once it has been put into place. The ban itself says that this is a bad product and that is how many less educated people will see it,too.

 

[StormFinch]

And I don't think a single one of us is at all upset about the fact that you can't vape in the store. We can understand that. It's the fact that it's now banned in the parking lot as well. Wait and vape on the way to, or even in your car? Think again, it's in Lowe's parking lot and the management is now within their rights to tell you not to.