Consistency ?

[Davo]

Until the consistency is worked out, the only customers that will be satisfied are the do-it-yourselfers. If the batteries are too airy I plug up a hole or two with household glue. If they don't thread correctly, I sand them down. If the holes are too small, I drill larger ones. Then, I always clean them just enough to get the right draw. Fortunately, I have a large shop in the basement and lots of tools.

V4L will never be mainstream company until the quality and consistency is worked out. Most average consumers will not put up with these issues. Me and my friends just happen to be handy and will continue to order and modify as needed. What choice do we have?

Said well 2Pack, it is unfortunate to have the quality control issues, but the alternative is much worse… smoking! And I understand fully what Steve and V4L are doing, it’s great, ideally a state side manufacturing facility would be optimal, but until all the legal action is over no one is going to put that kind of capital up for the venture here. There may already exist but in the meantime somebody needs to step up and manufacture a good mod (battery) that fits a KR808D- whatever cart.

 

[Maxwell_Edison]

One of the major reasons why so many new customers are drawn to V4L is because of the endless variety of battery colors, lengths, LED colors, and logos. New customers love the endless variety of flavors. Of course, all the charger types, carrying cases and colors of carrying cases. Once an established customer figures out their mainstay, they just want the same thing over and over.

The problem is all the combinations that a small company has to deal with. Here is a partial list:

batteries (lengths x colors x (LEDs/Logos)
carts (flavors x strengths x prem/wow)
Juice (flavors x strengths x prem/wow)
Accessories (Chargers & Cases x Colors)

This equals more than 2000 items to stock and maintain some level of consistency and quality.

The advantage that V4L uses in order to draw in so many new customers, is the very reason why existing customers can't rely on their mainstay products to be in stock and be assured of quality. As I see it, V4L can continue to develop new flavors, new devices and new carts to "improve" [Change] their products which will probably help to draw in new customers. Or, they can adopt the idea that the endless variety of new products and changes may actually hinder their growth by alienating their long time customers and frustrating their new customers.

From my experience of over a year of dealing with them, I believe that Steve likes creating new stuff more than anything else. And, it is up to the staff to try to keep up....

Interesting. Many studies have been done about 'brand loyalty' and that's one thing they don't want to screw up, IMO.

 

[2Packsaday]

I am not loyal, I have simply settled. I used to recommend them to everyone who had even a passing interest. I don't recommend anything now. Too many friends complained to me about various issues and I grew tired of explaining the in's and out's of the customer service Bermuda triangle. The whole vaping thing it's just too complicated for the average person. They are just better off quitting altogether. Unfortunately, for me I have become more addicted to vapor than cigarettes so I will have to just deal with it.

 

[Kimmy]

This is a very interesting discussion. I personally stick with vapor4life because they constantly seek improvement from China. Of course, there are some bumps along the way with products that don't work out. But V4L keeps swimming (as corny as that sounds). I think batteries should always be worked on to improve their life span, design, LED, etc (BUT NOT THE AIR FLOW). I think Leaford was misguided by asking us our opinion on that so many months ago. I think continued attempts at battery improvements is a worthwhile investment. I think consistency issues should be more so focused on juice, not the batteries. I certainly can understand people's frustrations, perhaps I haven't really felt the frustration because I despise automatic batteries.

Overall I have been a very satisfied customer this past year. My only issue is I keep losing all my new batteries. Maybe V4L could create a Warentee for that too! Hahahaaha.

Just my 2cents

 

[SMILIN]

I appreciate what both Maxx and Dave are saying. In my experience the last several XL batteries I have purchased are PITA
compared to the older batteries. I vape manuals, and the problems seem to be with the buttons. Two of my newest batteries
are so inconsistant, that at one moment I am ready to give up on them as lost causes, and then the next day they work
pretty good, and then you have to push the button up to eight times before it works!! I would order more (I already have
fifteen batteries) but I think I should wait until they get another or a better manufacturer. It is frustrating!! But I love
V4L...and I am not going anywhere. My ailing batts are more than 45 days old...they go on rotation, so don't see much
use....but too old to replace. I hope things get better quickly.

Sally, this has been indusrty wide, and the reason I had leaford in China for 5 months. I promise, our newest sre excellent, but, I am taking everything into my own hands. I am currecently working with 3 actual lithium/Polymer manuf. I have paid each of them lots of money to develop for V4L. In addition I have 2 fulll time empoyees who ive in HK/China to check results. I promise to NOT stop till we have the finest in the world(more on that later)

V4L will always work with our customers, and as long as you purchase enough, on a monthly babsis, we will replace all batteries, forever

after the first of the year we will have a new warrantee info, and make it EZ, Honset, and helpfull. We are also testing our new web site, which will enhance your pleasures, dealing with us. I am the hardest working person, in the ecig world, and I promise, we gonna make you SMILE

Any issues, cuased by existing manufacterers, let us know........please, if you refill carts, use sealed manual batteries.

2011 is the year of V4L, just wait and see

Thank You

Steve
CEO/COB

We will NOT let you down

 

[Sallyem]

[ My only issue is I keep losing all my new batteries. Maybe V4L could create a Warentee for that too! Hahahaaha. ]

LOL Kimmy! I have lost three batteries in the past couple months. My brand new black battery....just got it....somewhere
between my car (in the garage) and a shelf (in the garage), my e-cig disappeared from my fingers. I have looked in that
area at least fifteen times because I KNOW it has to be there.

 

[Kimmy]

LOL sally I can feel your pain. My pretty blue manual fell out of my back pocket, and my pink batt must have spontaneously combusted somewhere because it is no where to be found! Hoping it will be found eventually. Here's to hoping!

 

[maxx]

To address, briefly, the matter of customer service. I think V4L has excellent service....I just wish I didn't have to use it so often. Here is a problem. My last order was for pre-filled cartos and batteries. When the order arrived, the cartos tasted wrong and weren't the usual hard tops. Yet the labels were exactly the same as in past orders. The batteries were also different from the ones I had ordered previously. Now here is the question that a customer has to tend with each time this happens: Are my products defective...or are they a new design that I don't like? Now the first answer requires pulling the customer service trigger...the second does not.

Quite frankly, I don't know how a customer who doesn't read this forum has any idea how to answer that question....

 

[Sallyem]

Thank you, Steve, for replying to my concerns. I have opened a ticket for customer support about the batteries.
I know you are trying hard to perfect things for us. Once again, thank you!

 

[Maxwell_Edison]

2011 is the year of V4L, just wait and see

Thank You

Steve
CEO/COB

We will NOT let you down

WORD This sounds great!!

 

[2Packsaday]

Sally, this has been indusrty wide, and the reason I had leaford in China for 5 months. I promise, our newest sre excellent, but, I am taking everything into my own hands. I am currecently working with 3 actual lithium/Polymer manuf. I have paid each of them lots of money to develop for V4L. In addition I have 2 fulll time empoyees who ive in HK/China to check results. I promise to NOT stop till we have the finest in the world(more on that later)

V4L will always work with our customers, and as long as you purchase enough, on a monthly babsis, we will replace all batteries, forever

after the first of the year we will have a new warrantee info, and make it EZ, Honset, and helpfull. We are also testing our new web site, which will enhance your pleasures, dealing with us. I am the hardest working person, in the ecig world, and I promise, we gonna make you SMILE

Any issues, cuased by existing manufacterers, let us know........please, if you refill carts, use sealed manual batteries.

2011 is the year of V4L, just wait and see

Thank You

Steve
CEO/COB

We will NOT let you down

I feel your pain Steve. Chinese manufactures suck. I have been dealing with them you years....

 

[Neo]

What compounds battery frustration for me is that you never know what generation you're going to get. I keep a supply on hand to put away because you can't predict when one or more will die on you, so I order quite a few.

New colors you would assume would be the latest generation. But colors that have been around for awhile? It's a crap shoot. There's no way to tell what model you'll get.

I also find it frustrating that they don't have photos of all the current battery colors (and a drop down list of led colors to select from) but that's a different issue.

 

[jeffree]

Neo, just FYI. I emailed CS last night with some questions about the current XL mans on the shelves. Tim responded clearly and precisely today, so now I can order with some confidence. Might be worth a try.

 

[Beachlover]

WORD This sounds great!!

Sounds great to me too!

 

[rver]

Hey Steve...I can hardly wait for 2011. However, I gotta get my credit card ready also!!

 

[MsOceanCity]

Sounds great to me too!

Ditto for me! Can hardly wait

 

[slim66]

As I see it, V4L can continue to develop new flavors, new devices and new carts to "improve" [Change] their products which will probably help to draw in new customers. Or, they can adopt the idea that the endless variety of new products and changes may actually hinder their growth by alienating their long time customers and frustrating their new customers.

I ordered my first e-cig from V4L one year ago. The products I got were fine and I had no complaints about them. Due to no fault of the equipment, I stopped using my e-cig around April, 2010 and am now returning to e-cigs to try again. Naturally I went to the V4L site anticipating that I would order from them again since I had a good experience with them in the past. I have to say I was taken aback by all the new choices. I didn’t know the difference between premium, coolcart, and wow vapor cartomizers, or nobacco juice, premium nobacco juice or wow vapor juice (I knew what VG cartomizers and juice were, but other new customers might not). So I went to the V4L sub-forum to do research about what was what so I could figure out what I wanted to order. After doing a few searches and reading several threads I was still somewhat confused about the different juices and cartomizers, because it seemed the names kept changing. I was also coming across a lot of threads discussing problems with the quality and the inconsistency of the products, and even the customer service. It seemed that V4L was going through a lot of growing pains. After all I read on the forum, I was concerned that with all the changes in names, cartomizers, batteries, and juice formulations that I wouldn’t really know what I would receive if I placed an order. Due to the complications and concerns, I hesitate to say it, but I decided to try another vendor in the meantime until things settle out at V4L. I hope V4L does resolve the current issues and simplify matters a bit so I will feel comfortable returning in the future. I do think this company has the best of intentions.

 

[MachoKing]

I wasn't really feeling this issue until I ordered a few XL batteries and got the black button ones. I despise those batteries and never use them. The button is horrible, I can't screw most of the cartos on and the vapor production seems really weak. It's kind of a bummer to spend almost 40 bucks on two batteries and end up not using them. I've been afraid to order batteries in fear of getting more of those. Aside from that issue I really don't dislike any of my batteries.

 

[SMILIN]

I wasn't really feeling this issue until I ordered a few XL batteries and got the black button ones. I despise those batteries and never use them. The button is horrible, I can't screw most of the cartos on and the vapor production seems really weak. It's kind of a bummer to spend almost 40 bucks on two batteries and end up not using them. I've been afraid to order batteries in fear of getting more of those. Aside from that issue I really don't dislike any of my batteries.

It would be our pleasure to replace those for you, and you do Not need to ship them back

Enjoy

Steve

It would be V4

 

[SMILIN]

I ordered my first e-cig from V4L one year ago. The products I got were fine and I had no complaints about them. Due to no fault of the equipment, I stopped using my e-cig around April, 2010 and am now returning to e-cigs to try again. Naturally I went to the V4L site anticipating that I would order from them again since I had a good experience with them in the past. I have to say I was taken aback by all the new choices. I didn’t know the difference between premium, coolcart, and wow vapor cartomizers, or nobacco juice, premium nobacco juice or wow vapor juice (I knew what VG cartomizers and juice were, but other new customers might not). So I went to the V4L sub-forum to do research about what was what so I could figure out what I wanted to order. After doing a few searches and reading several threads I was still somewhat confused about the different juices and cartomizers, because it seemed the names kept changing. I was also coming across a lot of threads discussing problems with the quality and the inconsistency of the products, and even the customer service. It seemed that V4L was going through a lot of growing pains. After all I read on the forum, I was concerned that with all the changes in names, cartomizers, batteries, and juice formulations that I wouldn’t really know what I would receive if I placed an order. Due to the complications and concerns, I hesitate to say it, but I decided to try another vendor in the meantime until things settle out at V4L. I hope V4L does resolve the current issues and simplify matters a bit so I will feel comfortable returning in the future. I do think this company has the best of intentions.

Thank you for voicing your concerns. Please know this, we have ten's of thousands of very happy customers, and our statistics show we run over 96% perect in our product. This is really the best in the industry, already. Still, I promise, V4L will make it even better.

Welcome Back

Steve