B&M charging money to test juice ?

[Rocketpunk]

Oh, well, that changes everything.

Yeah. Samples of flavors is one thing. "Can I mix this with this? (for free, using your stock?)".

No.

EDIT: For what it's worth, VapeRite was one of the first vendors I ever patronized back fifteen months ago when I first started vaping. I can't remember what I vaped, but I remember I liked it. That was the first time ever got a free sample, too. Butterscotch. It sparked the fire.

 

[Myk]

I think this could be somewhat discouraged by using 0mg samples. Many of us vape at least in part because we're looking to satisfy a nicotine craving. If the samples don't do that, then the sampler has to either purchase or use his/her own juice to satisfy the craving. (If grocery stores could give out flavor samples that lacked calories and nutrition, allowing customers flavor without hunger satisfaction, you can bet good money they would.)

I also suspect that the percentage of people who would sample vape juice all day without buying anything tends to be lower than the percentage of people who might impulse buy something they enjoyed while sampling.

0mg probably would fix those who would abuse free sampling, or at least cut it down so far that it wouldn't be a problem even where it was once a problem.

 

[GoodNews!]

The B&M in my town charges $1 for a rubber condom, and then you can sample anything you want. If you have to go out to your car and get your keys, they make you pay another $1 if you want to test even one more juice. It's pretty ridiculous, they make at least $100 a day on this because the place is always packed.

That being said, once I pay that $1, I make sure to sample about 15 juices, puff on them about 5 times, ruin their cartomizers by testing what ranges the juice holds up to, ect ect. This particular vendor runs on fraud schemes anyway, it serves them right. They've already stolen about $20 from me on false advertising. Horrible customer service too, the worst.

 

[Sucker_dad]

The B&M in my town charges $1 for a rubber condom, and then you can sample anything you want. If you have to go out to your car and get your keys, they make you pay another $1 if you want to test even one more juice. It's pretty ridiculous, they make at least $100 a day on this because the place is always packed.

That being said, once I pay that $1, I make sure to sample about 15 juices, puff on them about 5 times, ruin their cartomizers by testing what ranges the juice holds up to, ect ect. This particular vendor runs on fraud schemes anyway, it serves them right. They've already stolen about $20 from me on false advertising. Horrible customer service too, the worst.

And you go back because...?

 

[Rocketpunk]

The B&M in my town charges $1 for a rubber condom, and then you can sample anything you want. If you have to go out to your car and get your keys, they make you pay another $1 if you want to test even one more juice. It's pretty ridiculous, they make at least $100 a day on this because the place is always packed.

That being said, once I pay that $1, I make sure to sample about 15 juices, puff on them about 5 times, ruin their cartomizers by testing what ranges the juice holds up to, ect ect. This particular vendor runs on fraud schemes anyway, it serves them right. They've already stolen about $20 from me on false advertising. Horrible customer service too, the worst.

This is behavior unbecoming of a vaper.

What is this community coming to? This influx of new people... I may have to take a sabbatical from ECF.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

If the B&M wants to charge $1 for a protective sleep, cap/cover or whatever you want to call them, that's their call, not yours. If you don't agree with it, don't stop by and patronize their establishment. It's really that simple. If you keep going back, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Ruining their equipment is not only CHILDISH behavior, but is a good way to ruin the experience for others. If they want to rip others off, charge $50 for 20ml or whatever they feel like doing, they have the right.

You may not agree with it, but let them fall on their own. No reason to become "that guy" that no one wants in their shop.


No only does what you claim to do give a BAD name to us all, it's slightly offensive.

The B&M in my town charges $1 for a rubber condom, and then you can sample anything you want. If you have to go out to your car and get your keys, they make you pay another $1 if you want to test even one more juice. It's pretty ridiculous, they make at least $100 a day on this because the place is always packed.

That being said, once I pay that $1, I make sure to sample about 15 juices, puff on them about 5 times, ruin their cartomizers by testing what ranges the juice holds up to, ect ect. This particular vendor runs on fraud schemes anyway, it serves them right. They've already stolen about $20 from me on false advertising. Horrible customer service too, the worst.

 

[Thunderball]

If you didn't mention the store name just to make sure we stay on the topic you intended, I understand. However the only B&M with 2 locations I know of in the ATL area is ------ and I see no reason to avoid saying the name. I have tasted juice they already have in cartos for free. I don't know the whole story for charging but I know they have bottles full of juice that appear almost the same as the ones you would see in a bar with the attachments to measure shots. I haven't asked but I assume the charging thing has something to do with that since I read about a place (I think in NYC) that sells it straight form bottle to tank.

As far as your intended topic - I have nothing against charging for sampling if it is a credit towards what you end up buying. Some humans will abuse anything if given the chance.

The store that I heard about was supposedly charging to test juices per the amount of time spent vaping the tested juices......not purchasing them nor purchasing any portions of bottles of juice from them. After I heard this (from two people that didnt know each other) in a casual conversation, I posted my orginal question about what I heard and simpley asked.....what do you folks think about that. A simple question. I did not want to bring anyones name into it.

I see the OP is in GA & i also know of a store here that charges for testing (probably the same one). I thought that was just how B&Ms did it so I guess those who have free taste testing are lucky.

edit: If it's the store I know about they are not hurting for business and they have more than 1 location so they're doing well enough to support both stores.



The store I order from online does give free samples. In fact ever store I've ordered from has given free samples. I might just be lucky though.

This post apparantly confirms what Ive heard.


It has however made for an interesting thread.

 

[Train2]

As the standard in this still-new business is clearly for a shop to offer free sampling - and it clearly works in stimulating sales - this one shop MUST be responding to "abuse" of sampling. I suppose it's possible they just live in a vacuum and don't realize that it's a non-competitive policy, but it's more likely that they used to offer free samples and found it an expense rather than a marketing success. Or perhaps had trouble with specific abusers - puffing away in volume and not buying.

Either way, it's a bad idea that's going to limit their business...

If it's otherwise a well run shop, I'd ASK THEM, or TELL THEM that other shops allow free sampling and see what their response is.
If it's not an otherwise well-run shop, I wouldn't care.

 

[Penn]

The store that I heard about was supposedly charging to test juices per the amount of time spent vaping the tested juices......not purchasing them nor purchasing any portions of bottles of juice from them. After I heard this (from two people that didnt know each other) in a casual conversation, I posted my orginal question about what I heard and simpley asked.....what do you folks think about that. A simple question. I did not want to bring anyones name into it.

I hear ya and if we weren't in the same area my mind probably wouldn't have gone to "who?". The reason my mind went there is every store I've been in I have been able to sample free, though I just didn't in one since I had no intention of buying and in another I didn't intend to but they insisted I try some.

What you describe is more like ordering a drink at a bar to me. I don't see the issue. As I said before, I also wouldn't care if the charge was a credit toward purchase.

 

[kaztle]

I don't like it and don't frequent the one store near me that does. Doesn't bother me one bit as there is a better one 10 minutes away where as the one that charges is about 30 minutes away.

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[JulesXsmokr]

WOW !
"If" I go into a B&M, I expect myself to buy at least something, why else would I go there..
I would go in expecting to see some products that aren't available for me to touch and handle by looking at Photoshopped pictures online.
That's my draw to a B&M... Now if I see they have a selection of juices that look like they are custom made or from a Big Online Vendor, it certainly would entertain me to sample a few flavors, and get an idea if their juice was worth a darn. If it was OK, I would at least certainly pick up a bottle or two just for the vendor being their and to somewhat support their worth to the community, again , if their prices aren't over the top either. Would I pay just for a few samples? NO - It wouldn't entice me to buy if I had to pay just to get a feel of their juice. But like I said in the beginning here, I have every intention of buying something when I first walked in. So, if I walk out spending 3 dollars on a pre-wrapped coil or 200 dollars on a PV mod and a tank, it's up to the vender to make himself a value to me.
In conclusion -- Juice samples are not freebies..

 

[nostinkies]

Not. I'd walk out. A sample is not a sample if I have to pay for it.

 

[zmauls]

I won't kiss and tell, but I heard today about a Brick and Mortar store that charges customers to test their juices that they sell. I was a bit dumb founded by this when I heard it. I understand its like so much per 10 or 15 minute sessions. To taste test what you might like to buy !!

What do you folks think about that ?

Sounds to me like a dimwitted attempt at an e-hookah lounge.

 

[WellAdjustedAndroid]

There is a vape bar near me that has a rack of Egos and tanks filled with different flavors of juice. they give you a condom and you try 'em out. you can buy 10-50ml of what you like and you can take it to a table with a drink or a coffee or whatever. I don't think its happened yet but I imagine some entitled jackhole will grab the sample tank off an ego, plop his .... down at a table and start vaping away. He'll probably go on an ill advised rant pointing out 'it says free samples! I need to test it with my battery!' And eventually they'll move to a system where you pay a quarter for a .5 ml drip in your clearo (which will have residuals of 9 flavors by the end of your trip.)

There's always one that ruins it for everybody.

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[CommaHolly]

If you are dripping and taste testing...no way...it's just good customer service to have it there.

But, if you are going in and filling up your tank to take away to test drive...yea - charge for that.

this.

One of the advantages of buying juices at a B and M is that you can try it first,,,,,,,,if I can't try it for free first, I don't want to buy it,,,,,,,I'll go online to buy it for a better price.

Having said that, I wouldn't sit there and vape 4ml of a flavor at their bar,,,,,,,,a couple puffs to know what it tastes like and I move on to check out another flavor.

 

[Sundodger]

Mixed feelings about free samples. Big box store sams club has free samples but wine tasting here in ny is not free. All wineries charge for testing and they get zero complaints for charging a fee. And a bottle of wine in most cases is much cheaper than a bottle of ecig juice per ml

Most states have laws against giving free alcohol, whether it be samples or full drinks. It's very seldom enforced for the free drinks or even reduce lower than allowed by law, but they always charge for samples. Every state is different and so are law enforcement. Here in WI it's illegal to have a deck of cards in a bar. In the northern part of the state it is enforced, further south they advertise card tournaments.

 

[Landosnotasystem]

To play devil's advocate, and without any details on the store situation, I can actually see this making sense, depending on the behavior of clientele and location. While I don't like going into a vape store without at least picking up a bottle of juice, I can see employees at neighboring stores in, say, a strip mall, coming over for a daily vape-break without ever buying anything. Or maybe college kids between classes.
If a coffee roaster gave out free samples (enough to get you over the 2pm caffeine slump), I can see that easily getting abused by neighbors who don't want to drop $3 at starbucks. And if it doesn't lead to sales, it's just throwing away product.
If it were a dollar (50 cents, maybe) to buy a cheap drip tip and sample juices, I would have no problem. Again, without knowing details, it's tough to say.

 

[wharr]

I can assure you with all the B&M's in Ga, if I walk in one and they try to charge me to sample a sample I will walk out. There are some awesome shops here and none of them I buy from charge samples or tips to try their juice.

 

[MrStik]

What would everyone here think about the following?
When approaching a juice bar, lay down a dollar, receive a ticket. Sample away and if a purchase is made, redeem the ticket for a dollar towards the purchase.

That way those who are just sampling and not buying will be out a dollar or it will discourage those from just wanting to hit and run to not do so. And a legitimate purchaser is not out anything as the dollar will be applied to the purchase.

IMHO, a B&M that does not offer a complimentary juice bar is not capitalizing on their sales potential.

 

[mare ze dotes]

I went to my first B&M last week. They had free tasting. It was like a bunch of CEs types on a tray and I used a condom, or a small disposable plastic cover. I so enjoyed being able to taste all the flaves I have read about but did not want to spend $5 or $8 just to have It pushed toward the back of my vaping cabinet as it did not get used. I spent 50ish on liquid that I would not of otherwise.

Now from what I read in this post, is that different than free samples? If some one is going to fill up your tank with a sample. That I can see paying for.