Disappointed with Blu E-Cigs

[Audacious21]

I have succesfully made the transition of Marlboros to e-cigs with the Blu e-cig as of January 25th. I was happy with their product at first, but am now realizing the product as a whole is a piece of junk. It has a one-year warranty on everything which I see now could be put to use multiple times until the warranty runs dry. So basically everything needs to be replaced multiple times either because it doesn't work at all or is just faulty at the start. My battery does not charge. I just ordered a new one and now after puffing once, the light won't shut off. I did all the tricks. I contacted customer service who just told me to let that battery run out and try it again. All the while I keep having to recharge my other battery after puffing three times. I keep coming across almost empty or empty cartridges and now my battery pack itself doesn't seem to charge well.
At this point I am extremely frustrated, and no longer want to continue with the product. I am sad about this, but it is their problem, not one I want to continue dealing with. As someone who smoked a pack a day for eight years and a broke college student, I need a trustworthy investment so I don't just give up and go buy cigarettes since it seems like the easy thing to do. I would like to know what would be the best investment in overall quality. I am willing to pay more starting out if it will end up being cheaper and more useful in the long-run. I don't care how it looks, I just want the darn thing to work. I am open to suggestions, but will also need links to websites and info on how to follow through with another product in the best way possible.
Thanks, and good luck to the rest of you. This has been difficult, but I am determined not to go back to cigarettes.

 

[serenity21899]

An ego twist 1000mah is about $25. 100mah=1 hour of battery life. So, getting 2 of these will last the whole day. You also need a USB charger.

Instead of the carto you get with Blu, there are other options. Clearomizers you can fill yourself and change the heads as needed. There are a bunch of choices here, maybe just try a few to see what works for you.

And you need juice. About the cheapest price for it is:
Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes, USA made E Juice, and Accessories

 

[OptimoMuffin]

First of all I feel your pain, I'm a broke college student (who smoked a pack a day, usually more) as well.

Im using blu right now too... Just ordered a ego but I'm using the Blu currently while waiting and have been using it in the past.

About your battery though... The DAY i bought my Blu starter kit (normal PCC version not fancy one) I was letting my roommate vape with the second battery and the same thing happened with the light not turning off, with the pressure switch or whatever. I called like 3 times the next day, and every time they were "at maximum capacity" and told me I'd have to leave a voicemail. Being a persistant mother....er I just hung up and kept calling, but at the last time i figured I'd leave the voicemail for them to call me back. BUT SURPRISE! THE VOICEMAIL BOX IS FREAKING FULL. They hung up on me... "Voice mail box full, goodbye. click"

Noting that they kept telling me to use the online chat feature, I decided to do so (which is open 24 hours, thats pretty nice.) SO I go on the chat with a rep on their website. I still had to wait a long time and it kept sending me smaller and smaller estimates of when I would get a person so I just browsed the web till I noticed I had some messages (30 minutes later...). The guy on the other end was actually really nice. I didn't even know why I wanted to talk to someone because I figured they'd just tell me to mail it in with a proof of purchase so I could get a new one. Surprisingly, after a few short questions about the defect (which he already knew about from the info I had to fill out before the session) he just apologized on behalf of Blu and asked me to set up a customer account. After I did, he just added enough rewards points to buy and have another battery shipped to me with no shipping costs... So I literally went into the online store and bought another battery with rewards points and I could have been totally lying or even tried buying a different product that costed the same or less with the points he had given me.

Come to think of it, it would be totally possible to now mail in the broken battery they never asked for and get ANOTHER one, but I'm not that cruel. He never had me provide ANY proof of purchase and wielding this information I could tell random people to go online and get free Blu stuff by saying they bought things that don't work, which I'm sure people have done... Anyway I just suggest that you go onto the online chat because I'd guess they would do the same, unless he only let me do this because I had said that the battery stopped working the DAY I bought it (which it did). But I think they are just way overwhelmed because they are getting way more sales than they expected/can handle, which is good because this means less people smoking and more money flowing through the e cig/vaping industry. But it seems their product won't live up to its function and its taking its toll on their customer service to the point where they're cutting corners like they did with me.

But anyway like all the folks here will tell you, move up to a better vape. I'll let them take care of the details since I'm new here, just wanted to share that story and my thoughts.

However, no matter what you end up doing I'd keep your Blu, because its good for being in public since it looks like a cig and is not some obnoxious super vape that will draw negative attention. Plus, if you use your Blu for public outings only/going out and have a nice vape for at home/any other time, your Blu will get way less usage and you will probably experience less problems. I find that the less I use my Blu the better it works when I do need it.

All in all when you get past your frustration with Blu you will find that Vaping is so much better than smoking. It's like a fun hobby, when smoking was just an addiction. So stick with the vaping, once you get on a good roll you'll find normal cigarettes disgusting and you'll be happier and healthier with an interesting hobby.

EDIT: I have't actually received the battery yet, I should soon. I fully expect it to actually come but I wouldn't be surprised if it never actually came.

 

[XxTBoNeeXx]

you should try smoke to live get a lifetime warranty on everything they have a bunch of options. I've been using them for about 3 weeks now and had no problems battery last about a day. I've also tried blue and have the same problems as you from the day I bought the Ecig.

 

[Irishgal55]

Smokeless Image is a great company to deal with. That is the company I started vaping with, and they have EXCELLENT customer service! The Volt X2 battery is a passthrough...which means you can use it while it's charging. The Volt X2/T3 Clearomizer combo works awesome, and is so easy to maintain. I really recommend them! For juice, Mt. Baker Vapor all the way! Their prices are fantastic, they have lots of options, and extremely fast shipping. If you order over $15 they throw in a FREE 15ml bottle of eliquid...your choice of flavor, pg/vg, and nic level....or random flavor. They also have the T3 clearos, and a lots more hardware. I cannot recommend them enough!

 

[andrewr623]

I started with the blu as well when I started on vaping and they only lasted me a week before I sold them to a guy in a bar who was asking me about them and said he was mainly a social smoker. then I did a bunch of research and found bloog and have been good ever since from what I gather the volt and the bloog are basically the same and I have heard good things about volt as well but without personal experience with them I would personally recommend the bloog first . I have yet to have a need for more than 3 batts in a day and don't even bother carrying a pcc with me. I just carry the unit I'm currently using, a couple carto's in my pocket and a couple extra batt's in the little pouch they give you for free whenever you order batt's and maybe a bottle of juice in case I feel like dripping, and I'm set for the day.
plus they are fairly inexpensive you could get all set up with

3 batts you choice of color for 11.99 ea so 35.97
3 usb adapters for 6.95 ea so 20.85
a powered usb hub for about 20 bucks (i use this instead of their usb adapter's so I only have to use 1 wall plug)
as many carto's as you want for 10.99 for blanks 11.99 for loaded.

so for basically 75 bucks plus carto's you can get all set up with everything you need to get through the day, plus bloog runs specials pretty regularly and you can get stuff even cheaper.

 

[Sir Center Fire]

If you want the best, most durable e-cig, get a Provari. Thats what I started with, and I am very satisfied. Vapor production is amazing. One battery lasts more than a day, though I usually change it every night. Its built like a tank. nuff said.

 

[wv2win]

You are now part of a very NON-exclusive club: former Blu users who realized it's all marketing hype and very little performance.

If I was new and didn't have the cash to spend on one of the top of the line models such as the Darwin or Provari, I would get the new VAMO. It is much better than any "eGo" type model whether fixed or variable and it is in the same $40 price range. VAMO is a Power Regulated variable wattage (as well as VV) model with a 5 amp switch. No eGo has either of these advantages. Here is one site that sells them and a reveiw by an ECF veteran:

VAMO Variable Volt/Watt APV V2

A PBusardo Review - The Vamo - YouTube

 

[JahJahLoO]

Wow, never turning off.. kinda scary.

Never had a Blu but I started with a V4L battery, which was manual; like wv2win says, a VAMO is a great mod.

 

[tteabags]

Wow, never turning off.. kinda scary.

Never had a Blu but I started with a V4L battery, which was manual; like wv2win says, a VAMO is a great mod.

I concur, I think the VAMO would be the best bang for your buck. But if you're not warming up to the idea, of jumping straight into mods...then the kr808d's from smokeless image are really worth using. I'm also an ex-blu user... then I moved onto kr808d's and cartomizers, which in my opinion, totally changed my world. I think that would be a good switch for you, being that it's the most analogous to actual analogs. But if you don't mind, moving up to a mod, then definitely VAMO.

 

[Zodiac247]

Hey fellow Tx vaper! I'm just down in San Antonio if you want some help. I can also hook you up with some stuff to tryout that way you arn't blind buying from somewhere. I have a lot of ecigs laying around the house.

 

[Johnnie Price]

As you're finding out, there are a crap-ton of options and opinions on e-cigs. And there are so many variables that it all really comes down to personal preference.

What I will suggest is figuring out some things you would like. Does it need to be automatic, like puffing on a cigarette? Or would you be willing to push a button every time you want to draw on your device? Does color matter? What about size? Devices range from roughly the size of a 100 cigarette to a pen to a flashlight or bigger. Do you want a lot of options to better control your experience, or do you just want to pick it up and go? A battery can last an hour or two like the Blu; several hours in the case of something like the Volt or an eGo-style device; or several days in the case of some of the larger mods.

If you want something that is like the Blu in terms of size, shape and looks, then look into the Sidesho by Modern Vapor. It's what the Blu should be, at less cost. If you're ready for something different, there are plenty of great suggestions here already.

Good luck.

 

[jeepguy]

I started with an eGo, but bought a disposable Blu when i ran out of juice and was waiting impatiently for the mail to hurry up. I got the standard tobacco flavor and found it was a very good vape, but for ten bucks def not worth it.
I have never had a problem with the egos, i have several batteries that have been charged countless times. I kinda prefer the manual batteries anyway.

 

[seahawkin]

I started with Blu, thank them greatly for being so accessible and trendy. After a few weeks though I was getting mood swings and having issues with cartos. Thus my journey into the world of ecigs started. Wish I found this place earlier, I would have saved a ton of cash.

The suggestions here are good, go with em and you will save money. Just don't become a gear head like me, luckily my husband loves the Telsa so when it came in the same day as my Provari I didn't come off as a total tool

 

[ocalajohn]

These posts all sound soooo familiar. Six months ago, when I started vaping, I got a Blu solely based on their commercials. Not very smart. Anyway, I liked the Blu for roughly two days, then battery life gradually diminished from two hours to about 45 minutes. Hours of research later and a few brands later, I ended up with the Halo G6, and I've been with them since. Love it. Battery life is great, e-juice is tasty and it is reasonably priced.

I just ordered a Ce4, though.

Best.

 

[jazon1]

should have joined here sooner we could have told you the blu's were total junk,if anything they are hurting the e-cig industry by turning people off to e-cigs with there high prices and junk equipment,but at least i guess they helped a bit by all the advertizing they did about ecigs i dont get as many weird looks anymore when i vape in public lol.

 

[Koman]

I started with Blu and am sticking with them!

 

[mkbilbo]

I have succesfully made the transition of Marlboros to e-cigs with the Blu e-cig as of January 25th. I was happy with their product at first, but am now realizing the product as a whole is a piece of junk. It has a one-year warranty on everything which I see now could be put to use multiple times until the warranty runs dry. So basically everything needs to be replaced multiple times either because it doesn't work at all or is just faulty at the start. My battery does not charge. I just ordered a new one and now after puffing once, the light won't shut off. I did all the tricks. I contacted customer service who just told me to let that battery run out and try it again. All the while I keep having to recharge my other battery after puffing three times. I keep coming across almost empty or empty cartridges and now my battery pack itself doesn't seem to charge well.
At this point I am extremely frustrated, and no longer want to continue with the product. I am sad about this, but it is their problem, not one I want to continue dealing with. As someone who smoked a pack a day for eight years and a broke college student, I need a trustworthy investment so I don't just give up and go buy cigarettes since it seems like the easy thing to do. I would like to know what would be the best investment in overall quality. I am willing to pay more starting out if it will end up being cheaper and more useful in the long-run. I don't care how it looks, I just want the darn thing to work. I am open to suggestions, but will also need links to websites and info on how to follow through with another product in the best way possible.
Thanks, and good luck to the rest of you. This has been difficult, but I am determined not to go back to cigarettes.

Yah. We could start a "former Blu" club round here seems like.

One thing on batteries. If (and only if) you have the basic, plain, original starter kit from Blu, you can use Volcano's batteries:

http://www.volcanoecigs.com/v-battery-st-patty.html

I confirmed with Volcano that their older model is basically the same equipment as the basic Blu (not "premium" not "premium 100", the low end you can find in stores like Walgreens). I can tell you now I've personally charged the Volcano batteries in the Blu PCC and everything worked fine. Apparently, Blu's battery polarity is reversed from the standard 510 (which standard Blu generally uses) and you can't swap batteries and chargers around without damaging batteries, chargers, maybe yourself (lithium-ion is touchy about being charged wrong, it gets, ahem, really hot about it).

But, yeah, Blu is... mediocre and overpriced. I wanted to like them. I couldn't. Mine is going on to a new home. To a friend who recently tried the disposables and liked them and was about to order a kit when I said, "WAIT!!! STOP!!!"

Giving him my Blu for the time being while he figures out this whole "vaping" thing. I kind of refer to my Blu as my "training wheels". Got me away from tobacco cigs but was not going to stick with them. The thing drove me nuts. The batteries are just awful.

And overpriced. Yeesh. Check this:

https://www.cignot.com/product_p/kit-51t-nbx.htm

That's what I have now (no pic, too bad... hm... Google "Joye 510-T", lots of them around). $45 plus shipping, much happier. It's... about one and a half times the length of the basic Blu (not 100). Has a manual battery button and small "tanks" for the juice. Very pleased with it. Also with Cignot. They got my order out lightning fast.

Anyway.

Stick around here and you'll get tons of options to replace the Blu. Loads of ways to go and everybody has their preference. I've only been around about two weeks and have picked up a ton of info. Wish I'd found ECF first. I could have saved a lot of money and frustration avoiding Blu.

 

[manglepup]

If you have the cash if say skip straight to a mod as suggested by others, if not I think the eGo kits are a huge step up in performance for less money.

 

[Zire02]

If you're still looking for something that's about the same size as a Blu / cigalike style e-cig, I'd check out Halo's G6 starter kit. You get way more vapor, battery life and throat hit plus their e-quid is American made. I've compared it to many other mini e-cigs and it's by far my favorite.