1st order of business

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Bigbob2322

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  • Jul 27, 2014
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    Schiller PK IL USA
    You will love it!!!

    20180602_143304.jpg
     

    Jack H

    Senior Member
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    Sep 4, 2014
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    Kunming, China
    Just returned from HK. Here is the low down on vape there.
    Only 2 actual BM vape stores exist. The others are gone. E-Land Vape (Causeway) is full of bad attitude, outdated hardware and stunningly high prices. Not worth the time or trouble to go there.
    The other The Vape Shop (Sai Ying) is actually a well equipped shop. Looks and feels like a "real" shop. People are nice and knowledgeable. Big selection of everything. But as seems typical, prices are high. BTW, they didn't have a Proton.
    So shopping HK for Vape gear is a wash. Plus HK laws are not kind to vapers. No nic is legal in HK. I brought my own which is acceptable only if for your own consumption.
    I understand one can online order nic and mix it into their juice, but if caught, it is the same trying to get narcotics through the mail.

    Then there is Shenzhen, mecca for all things vape. But you won;t find anything there. It is all made for export and most shops selling any vape stuff are most likely fake. Buy it, you own it.

    So, as always. I wait until I get back to the US on a visit to get my stuff, and at the best prices. I did find one place ave40.com that does have nice stuff and good pricing. Worth a look see. I did order my Proton from them and they actually do ship in mainland China as well. Now waiting for my Proton to arrive.
     

    diagrammatiks

    Super Member
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    Aug 18, 2018
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    You won’t find anything in stores anywhere In China anymore really. Everything is done online now. There’s really no need for a physical shop. I’ll check out ave40 though. I can’t read or write Chinese so it’s hard for me to get some specialized parts.

    Very little actual fake stuff in China as long as you know where to go. All the fake stuff is for tourists and export.
     

    Jack H

    Senior Member
    ECF Veteran
    Sep 4, 2014
    90
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    Kunming, China
    You won’t find anything in stores anywhere In China anymore really. Everything is done online now. There’s really no need for a physical shop. I’ll check out ave40 though. I can’t read or write Chinese so it’s hard for me to get some specialized parts.

    Very little actual fake stuff in China as long as you know where to go. All the fake stuff is for tourists and export.
    ave40 is English as well.
    I live in China 15 years now. MOST of it is jada (fake). In Shenzhen I can go buy sheets of hologram logo seals for every product imaginable. That is why most manufactures have a special website to verify if the product you bought is fake or not. Phones, software, vape, everything is knocked off here. Shops in Shenzhen specialize in selling fake goods. You can buy 1 or 1000 at below half normal prices because of fakes.
    In HK selling fake items is serious offense, like the US. Chances are here it is genuine. But in HK they will switch the item you bought with a different one in the bag if you are not careful. Never take your eye off the item you paid for until it is in your hands. Just a heads up.
     
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    diagrammatiks

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    Aug 18, 2018
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    Not trying to be rude but being here for 15 years doesn't really mean much. So much has changed in just the last 3-4 that most of the older purchasing methods and habits don't matter anymore.

    That's not to say that there aren't a lot of fakes.There definitely are and Shenzen is one of the fake capitals of the world. However, natives know better then to shop at obvious fake dealers. You just have to be careful and shop at properly.

    The big online portals like jd, taobao, xianyu will almost always side with the buyer in the event of a dispute. Most of the bigger Chinese brands have official stores with warranties and repair services. Eleaf, kangartech, innokin, joyotech all have an offical web presence. Aliexpress is a clusterf and natives don't even shop there.

    If the price is too good to be true it probably is. But, the proton is available from innokin directly fro 530 rmb or around 75 dollars for the kit shipped.

    There are a lot of fakes but there's no way every purchase here is in danger of being fake.
    The holograms and authentications are useful to make consumers feel better they oftentimes they aren't necessary if you are buying a high quality device. Yihi, Dna, and Voopoo chips have the serials and authentication information hardcoded at the firmware level.
     

    Jonathan Tang

    Multiple ID Suspension
    Sep 12, 2018
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    Taipei Taiwan
    ave40 is English as well.
    I live in China 15 years now. MOST of it is jada (fake). In Shenzhen I can go buy sheets of hologram logo seals for every product imaginable. That is why most manufactures have a special website to verify if the product you bought is fake or not. Phones, software, vape, everything is knocked off here. Shops in Shenzhen specialize in selling fake goods. You can buy 1 or 1000 at below half normal prices because of fakes.
    In HK selling fake items is serious offense, like the US. Chances are here it is genuine. But in HK they will switch the item you bought with a different one in the bag if you are not careful. Never take your eye off the item you paid for until it is in your hands. Just a heads up.


    Have you ever tried to use Taobao with trusted vendors? I usually buy vape stuff through XiaoMaGe/Geek this kind of diamond sellers in Taobao shops for better shopping experience.

    However, for most of Brand like Innokin/Joytech brand are hardly to find latest models in China since they claimed they only export and nothing sold in local...anyway, just self experience sharing :)
     

    diagrammatiks

    Super Member
    ECF Veteran
    Aug 18, 2018
    651
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    Have you ever tried to use Taobao with trusted vendors? I usually buy vape stuff through XiaoMaGe/Geek this kind of diamond sellers in Taobao shops for better shopping experience.

    However, for most of Brand like Innokin/Joytech brand are hardly to find latest models in China since they claimed they only export and nothing sold in local...anyway, just self experience sharing :)

    Innokin and joyetech both have tmall verified stores. Aspire is on jd. All final say for customer returns is handled at the platform level. Just leaving that here. It’s not nearly as hard as this guy says.
     
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