B&Ms that sell clones; do they tell customers?

[Zealous]

I'd like to know what other people experience with B&Ms where this is concerned. I went to my local shop the other day & they had a "kayfun lite" & a Rocket among other things. The kayfun Lite was priced around $54.00 which I thought was a bit low (that is low right? I thought they were at or over $100). I asked if it was the clone & the person at the counter said she didn't know.

So, since I really think this is the clone I'm now not sure if any of their items are the genuine item or clones. And then I recently read comments of another store that orders items from fasttech & sells them at their store (possibly at higher prices but not sure).

So, is this common practice in B&Ms? I guess I expected the B&M to be like any online vendor & have it clearly noted as a clone if it is (the sites I use all say if it's a clone or genuine).

 

[vapero]

the issue here is that most b&m hire employes that don't know nothing about vaping really so I don't think that most (not all) are misguiding customers, that's more on the ignorance side

 

[WillyZee]

some do and some don't ... never hurts to research your local B&M.

 

[Train2]

If you don't want a clone, you'll need to KNOW you can trust the store, or know how to tell the difference.
Stores DO sell clones without telling people. Not ALL of them, but many.
And sometimes, it's not intentional harm - they have a device with a price on it, and they'll sell it to you - the kid at the counter may not KNOW that it's a copy of something else.
And YES, some stores DO buy stuff from FastTech or similar sites, then sell it for more - sometimes for triple.

 

[Mrs C]

I'd like to know what other people experience with B&Ms where this is concerned. I went to my local shop the other day & they had a "Kayfun lite" & a Rocket among other things. The Kayfun Lite was priced around $54.00 which I thought was a bit low (that is low right? I thought they were at or over $100). I asked if it was the clone & the person at the counter said she didn't know.

So, since I really think this is the clone I'm now not sure if any of their items are the genuine item or clones. And then I recently read comments of another store that orders items from Fasttech & sells them at their store (possibly at higher prices but not sure).

So, is this common practice in B&Ms? I guess I expected the B&M to be like any online vendor & have it clearly noted as a clone if it is (the sites I use all say if it's a clone or genuine).

At least they were honest and said they didn't know. I would much rather be told that than have someone misrepresent an item. It does go to show that management is lacking.

 

[Zealous]

the issue here is that most b&m hire employes that don't know nothing about vaping really so I don't think that most (not all) are misguiding customers, that's more on the ignorance side

I agree that I don't think the sales person was trying to be deceptive. She just didn't know. But surely the owner of the store knows whether they are putting out a genuine Kayfun lite or a clone. I would have thought that the sign in front of the product would say "kayfun lite (clone)" or something like this if it was indeed a clone since the online vendors I use will do this.

It just makes me worry now that they get their evod heads from somewhere sketchy & aren't going to tell me, or know, if I ask them. It's not like I can inspect an Evod head before I buy it to verify that's not a clone lol. so basically this just makes me feel like I can't trust them, which is too bad. Glad I bought a kayfun so I can make my own coils & not worry about it.

At least they were honest and said they didn't know. I would much rather be told that than have someone misrepresent an item. It does go to show that management is lacking.

I agree that it's better she say she didn't know. But I feel like not labeling the product clearly as a clone IS being dishonest. It doesn't reflect on the clerk so much as on the store itself.

 

[jemo]

No, there's this kiosk place at the mall I only go to if I'm desperate. Mentioned fasttech and got a really bad look though, lol.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Also remember, not every employee is going to know as much as you about certain subjects. I consider myself pretty savvy concerning just about everything there is to know about vaping, with the exception of mech mods and rebuildables. I simply don't care for them, or for that entire aspect of vaping. I know of and about it, but if someone came in and started bombarding me with questions concerning mech mods and rebuildables, clones or whatever, I'll tell them straight up, I don't know anything about that stuff, and then point them to the other employee who does.

 

[SnowDog]

I was just in my local vape shop earlier today and noticed for the first time that they do in fact label their clones as such. Every item has a little card in front of it with the description of what it is. The word "Clone" was included in the description on some of their items.

I don't know how long they have been doing this but I just noticed it today.

 

[zahzoo]

Yes, shop in Little Rock... Rogue Vapers. They sell clones and originals. They are upfront in labeling. No games.

Earlier this week they got in a shipment of clones and sold out most of them in less than a day.

 

[danca90]

Mine tells me. I've got a sentinel m16 clone. Very good clone, it doesn't have the logo on the top, only the grand vapor logo on the bottom button, and it says sentinel m16 on the lower side. Very nice clone, smooth threads.

 

[Zealous]

Well I just went to their online site & the Kayfun lite in question isn't even listed for sale on line. So I don't know what the deal is. Maybe they just got a few & threw them up there for sale. But I would much prefer any store to simply say the item they are selling is a clone if it is.

 

[Slobalt7]

Out of all the vape shops around me, the 3 that sell mechs and RBA's tell you all but such and such are clones though most don't have anything on the little signs aside from a sku and a price. Very good people, unfortunately there are only 2 shops that really seem to have knowledge on mechs and RBA's and that just happens to be one person in each shop.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

There are a few shops that I've been to that do label clones and there are a few that I've been to that do not. That downside, those that do not tend to hire people that know absolutely nothing about mods, batteries etc. They know enough to use their MVP or eGO and that's really about it. Forget about even mentioning battery safety, a kick, 18650/18500 etc, and so on. I get a blank stare and typically "oh I don't know much about that, we just carry them."

I have nothing against new vapers, I was one myself years ago so I understand they don't know everything (I don't either), but I don't think store owners should be hiring just anyone who vapes as it is a royal pain asking a question and hearing all but maybe one person know what you're talking about, if that.

If most B&M's hired in an organized fashion, the quality of the shop would explode. With that said....


For B&M & Online Store Owners:

My - I shouldn't have to ask you if it's a clone. If you, as the store owner, don't know the difference between a clone and the real deal or you're too lazy to label your products accurately, I'm not buying from you and I'd really like to ask you to take a step back and wonder why you though it was a good idea to open up shop. Informed shoppers know that you're $70 Nemesis isn't the real deal, but it's misleading to those who don't know.

 

[edyle]

LOOK FOR THE STAMP/LOGO/TRADEMARK

If there's no logo on the item, it's a clone.

If there is a fake logo, then its a counterfiet.

My pyrex talk looks like a protank, and I loosely refer to it as that, probably because the guy who sold it to me said so; but really there is no label stamped on it at all so it's really just a clone.


Anytime a sales person says they don't know if its a clone that just means that it is; cause if it was the original genuince warranted product they'd be boasting salespitch and calling $price$

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

....Anytime a sales person says they don't know if its a clone that just means that it is; cause if it was the original genuince warranted product they'd be boasting salespitch and calling $price$

In most cases, I'd agree, though a few shops I've visited are the exception to that and are those I'm talking about in my reply above. The staffing at some shops really gives me a headache. It's like asking a Victoria's Secret sales person about chemicals - sure a few may know exactly what I'm talking about (they may be going to college to be a chemist), but chances are the vast majority do not and will just give me that deer in headlights look. I get that same look at 1 out of every 5-6 shops I visit.

The most recent shop that opened here in Johnson City, TN is a small one, but they *know* exactly what I'm talking about and despite their current small size, they're already hitting a homerun. One of the guys started talking about mods as soon as he saw me with a Nemesis Clone and an RSST and went on to ask me what my build was, what all I was using as a medium, how I liked it etc. That's how a shop should be.

I've never been into a tobacconist shop, when I smoked, and had to ask where anything was. The guys at the counter grabbed my attention, let me smell different tobaccos, asked me if I liked cigars, etc. A vape shop should be no different. If you don't know enough about vaping and what you stock and be able to get your employees on-board, you don't need to be in business, period.