Do Not Order "Free Trials"!!!

[TedC716]

I just saw a tv commercial for a "free" e cig startup kit... just pay 4.95 shipping. The fine print is that if you dont return the kit within 16 days you have to pay 119.95 for the kit and 49.95/mo for refills ! What a ripoff ! Its places like that give the vaping community a bad reputation.

 

[StephanieK]

Thank you for posting this! I will be sure to stay away from these.

 

[staypuff]

Had no idea about these free trials, but then again, I never go for those things to begin with.

 

[Ol River Johnson]

Great advice. Outside of the free samples you get from perusing the more popular E-juice companies... getting something for free ends up with you believing that you get what you pay for.

 

[Marjan]

After reading this and Wolfyjr421 post, I do thank you for the heads up!

 

[nopuff]

thanks for the info

 

[lostinky]

i have seen them on tv from time to time and rarely online almost purchased one till i seen all the fine print and the cost of it all.

 

[NoobPatrol]

Fantastic advice!!! thanks!

To all new members that are thinking about getting into the world of PV's (e-cigs)...

Do not order "free trial" offers. Most of these companies offering so-called free trials are thought of as scams by most members of this forum.
I use the word 'scam' loosely, as they are operating under all the policies and conditions laid out in the fine print of their contract, so they are a legal operation. However, the shady practices they use qualify them as scams to me.

They will suck you in with the offer of free goods. Then, once they have your credit card number, you're hooked. After the 'trial period' expires they will charge your card for the device. Usually charging way more than the device is selling for elsewhere.

They will also start you on a plan to send you a supply of prefilled carts each month and automatically charge your account.

Many of these are selling inferior models at triple (or more) the cost that they can be purchased from one of the many suppliers listed on this forum. Do some research on this forum, and determine what model suits your needs best. Then make an informed purchase from a reputable supplier.

If you have already purchased and received one of these 'free-trial' offers, return it immediately! The trial period typically starts when they ship the product not when you receive it, so you don't have much time to act once it's in your hands.

Moderators: Can we get a sticky on this subject? It doesn't have to be this post, but this warning should be one of the first things prospective new users see. These scammers are giving the whole industry a bad name.

Edit Note: To anyone wishing to reply to this post and share their experiences, that will be helpful to others as well. However, please refrain from calling out any company by name. I would hate to see this much needed information have to be taken down due to posts that break any forum rules. I think just mentioning a company as a "free-trial supplier" is enough to cover all such companies. There are many of these companies out there now, and some even seem to change their name on a regular basis. The one that advertises on my local radio station has altered their name twice in the last 6-8 months, yet have the exact same script in their commercial (with just the name changed).

 

[ElectricMists]

These companies will have to stop trading soon due to high chargebacks if they operate in an unethical way. Generally the free trial model businesses only last a few months unless they make it very clear that you should expect automatic billing and show you how to cancel. If you feel you have been treated unfairly by these businesses you have every right to ask for a refund and you should be able to come to a mutual agreement with them about this. If you are unable to do this then you can contact your card provider (bank, credit card company, etc.) and ask for a chargeback. If said business chargeback levels exceed 2 or 3% on a regular basis then they are very likely to get their merchant account terminated and will be unable to accept payments.

 

[cigjunkie]

There seems to be someone always out to try to take us on a ride .
excellent post .

 

[maddogg]

yes never buy from those sites. i had a niece that did high way robbery! gotta read the fine print!

 

[Sanna]

Hi ! I am very new to the e cig world and like many checked out the a couple of "FREE" offers..but all seemed to link back to the 1 company when it was time to pay..lol..I just received my kit (NOT FREE) yesterday and am loving it ! I have had such a warm welcome from everyone..Thank You!
Sanna

 

[newbie77]

Thanks for the warning ! Have to beware of free kits ..

 

[Barto]

Only cheese in mouse trap is free, and even that for the second mouse

 

[Penny02]

If you do fall prey to this scam - yes, I did - then immediately cancel the order and make sure they give you a cancellation number! You still have to watch your bank account, though....

 

[IMADVS1]

Why buy an overpriced piece of #*#* when you can buy a quality satisfying product for less money, especially in the long run.

 

[Pony]

Wow- that's a shame. I haven't seen any like that around here. I did get a free kit from a company recently, but it really was free. I didn't give them any credit card info or anything. It's an outfit run by someone who really seems to just want to help people quit smoking. It's a low-end kit, naturally, but I figured I can give it to someone. I have it in my truck, ready to hand off to an open-minded smoker. heh.

 

[Toker_410]

Thank you for the info!

 

[Link'sMirrorShield]

I actually was considering one of the "free trials." I like to get information from outside sources before I put my CC number into anything, so I came here. I love forums. Sometimes, they could contain too much info but if you are planning a purchase it is very useful to see what other people have to say.

 

[macenzy]

i've seen alot of these offers and the price is almost always shady, its nice to know not to trust them. thanks