I manage a small e-cig kiosk at a mall. I contact the ECA about joining and they want $300 a month!!!! If I called my boss with that she would laugh at me and hang up. Looks like a great association to join.(if you are rich)
dues to high
- Thread starter Mac
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Are you serious???? No wonder peopple aren't jumping to sign up! I think I need to get involved with that...
I agree wholeheartedly there. It is a bit steep. They should really consider allowing more leeway in membership so those of you who can't afford it would be more inclined to donate at least something.
I'm confused. I thought the ECA had several different levels of "donations/membership" you could "buy" into?
you can go to their website and donate as little as $10
but to join the associated is $300 a month. At least thats what their rep told me when he called me.
Per the ECA Membership Page : ECA Membership | Electronic Cigarette Association
The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) is a 501(c)(6), a not-for-profit trade organization.
The ECA has a minimum application fee of $500 USD. If your organization can give more for the good of the entire industry, we encourage you to do so. Below are the ECA Membership levels and the associated monthly dues:
The benefits of becoming an ECA Member of a certain level will include a specific Seal that can be used on the Member’s website and marketing materials as well as other benefits to be determined at a later date.
These funds, along with any donations received, will be used for these purposes:
1) Engaging Policy Impact Communications (www.policyimpact.com) to lobby Congress on behalf of the ECA.
2) Engaging Policy Impact Communications to perform the administrative duties necessary to keep the ECA in good standing with the IRS and other government agencies.
3) Engaging a media relations firm to battle misinformation being presented by e-cigarette opponents and to expand the reach of electronic cigarettes so all smokers have the freedom to choose an alternative.
4) Implement standards to ensure e-cigarette suppliers and distributors meet certain requirements.
5) Implement standards to ensure the manufacturing of the products meet certain requirements.
No board members are taking a salary from the ECA. Matt Salmon is employed by Policy Impact Communications and was selected as the ECA President so he can effectively lobby on our behalf. No one ECA member will directly benefit more than any other member. This is about helping our industry, not one company.
If you represent an electronic cigarette supplier, manufacturer, or other business involved in electronic smoking technology, we encourage you to download the application below, complete it, and mail it to:
Electronic Cigarette Association
1401 K Street, N.W., Ste. 600
Washington, D.C. 20005
Please enclose a check for the $500 USD initial application fee and mail it with your application. If you can give more, please do. Once received, your application will be reviewed. If accepted, you will be notified and directed to send in your first month’s due. You will also be given a link and a password to obtain the ECA Seal to display on your website.
If your application is not accepted, you will be notified and requested to take specific action to meet the ECA requirements, which are outlined on the ECA Membership Application. If you have additional questions about membership, please contact the ECA.
THE ECA APPLICATION DOWNLOAD
*Make all checks payable to the Electronic Cigarette Association.
edit: donations of any amount are of course welcomed
The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) is a 501(c)(6), a not-for-profit trade organization.
The ECA has a minimum application fee of $500 USD. If your organization can give more for the good of the entire industry, we encourage you to do so. Below are the ECA Membership levels and the associated monthly dues:
- Basic Membership: $300 USD per month
- Bronze Membership: $800 USD per month
- Silver Membership: $1,500 USD per month
- Gold Membership: $3,000 USD per month
- Platinum Membership: $5,000+ USD per month
- Founding Membership: $400+ USD per month (this membership level must be approved by the ECA Board of Directors and is subject to ECA formation participation)
The benefits of becoming an ECA Member of a certain level will include a specific Seal that can be used on the Member’s website and marketing materials as well as other benefits to be determined at a later date.
These funds, along with any donations received, will be used for these purposes:
1) Engaging Policy Impact Communications (www.policyimpact.com) to lobby Congress on behalf of the ECA.
2) Engaging Policy Impact Communications to perform the administrative duties necessary to keep the ECA in good standing with the IRS and other government agencies.
3) Engaging a media relations firm to battle misinformation being presented by e-cigarette opponents and to expand the reach of electronic cigarettes so all smokers have the freedom to choose an alternative.
4) Implement standards to ensure e-cigarette suppliers and distributors meet certain requirements.
5) Implement standards to ensure the manufacturing of the products meet certain requirements.
No board members are taking a salary from the ECA. Matt Salmon is employed by Policy Impact Communications and was selected as the ECA President so he can effectively lobby on our behalf. No one ECA member will directly benefit more than any other member. This is about helping our industry, not one company.
If you represent an electronic cigarette supplier, manufacturer, or other business involved in electronic smoking technology, we encourage you to download the application below, complete it, and mail it to:
Electronic Cigarette Association
1401 K Street, N.W., Ste. 600
Washington, D.C. 20005
Please enclose a check for the $500 USD initial application fee and mail it with your application. If you can give more, please do. Once received, your application will be reviewed. If accepted, you will be notified and directed to send in your first month’s due. You will also be given a link and a password to obtain the ECA Seal to display on your website.
If your application is not accepted, you will be notified and requested to take specific action to meet the ECA requirements, which are outlined on the ECA Membership Application. If you have additional questions about membership, please contact the ECA.
THE ECA APPLICATION DOWNLOAD
*Make all checks payable to the Electronic Cigarette Association.
edit: donations of any amount are of course welcomed
Last edited:
If your boss can afford a Kiosk in a mall which is anywhere form 2000-4000$ a month i dont see how 300$ a month is steep!. These Fee are to help ECA as a whole push and stay ahead of issues, questions and progress the future of our business's in a positive and safe manner. Heck i am sure you get paid more then 300$ a month to sit at a Kiosk hoping to sell a ecig kit for 120$ +, talk about Steep...
If, in fact, the cost of operating a kiosk in a mall is in the $2000 to $4000 a month range, then selling an ecig kit for $120 in a mall kiosk seems more a business necessity than a price-gouging opportunity. It is, after all, a for-profit business.
A kiosk in a busy mall introduces more unaware smokers to the PV alternative than all the online supplier websites combined. The kiosk is marketing the concept as well as the product, whereas the supplier website is only selling product to those who are already aware of the concept.
Last edited:
I agree Bill, but i am presenting the statement that Mac claims the fee for the ECA is steep when his boss can afford 2000-4000$ a month , and i know they do because i have asked to the 2 largest malls in my area the price, as well as current Kiosk owners. If you boss can afford a kiosk, employees, i dont see how 300 a month to help ECA and their very own business sake is an issue
"If your boss can afford a kiosk, employees, i dont see how 300 a month to help ECA and their very own business sake is an issue"
Mac's reaction to the ECA dues might indicate how profitable his kiosk is for his boss. Can his boss even afford the $2000 -$4000 a month? We have no way of knowing. Of course, you could be right.
Mac's reaction to the ECA dues might indicate how profitable his kiosk is for his boss. Can his boss even afford the $2000 -$4000 a month? We have no way of knowing. Of course, you could be right.
The 2 largest malls in your area, happen to be 2 of the largest malls in the U.S..... 2-4 k is at the top end. You can get a kiosk at 2 malls in my area for 400-600/mo.
Not sure where you live, but thats definitely on the very low side. I used to own and operate Kiosks all throughout Texas, and my rent was never under $1500/mo, even at the 'ghetto' malls.
Edit: It is also virtually universal that you pay a % of your gross sales over X amount to the mall as well, and its generally a fairly low number, 10-20k gross and you start paying.
When I first got into the business, I was working for some Israeli's that didn't like paying that particular fee, oh the fun we used to have reprogramming the cash registers on the 30th and printing out a new set of receipts for management.
Last edited:
For countries as mine, the application fee + the first month is equal to the minimum salary of 4 employees. The $300 per moth is more than a minimum salary of 1 employee. So, yes, for me the fees are too high!
Also, I can not see really any service directed to the international suppliers that do not sell to the USA market.
I contacted Chad by email and explain this situation long time ago and I do not have any answer yet.
Also, I can not see really any service directed to the international suppliers that do not sell to the USA market.
I contacted Chad by email and explain this situation long time ago and I do not have any answer yet.
Good point CCURE, International Members will have a difference is what is considered high to steep for a monthly fee, because of the currency exchange rate
And it is not only the currency exchange rate that is a risk, also our market size is very small compared with any of the developed countries. Not because of the smoker's population, but the % of it that can afford to buy and to keep using and e-cig. In my case, just the 4% of the TOTAL population of Colombia, can afford to buy and keep using the e-cig!
That 4% is the TOTAL population that earns more than $650 dollars per month! Now, just 20% out of that 4% are smokers!
And to worse the picture, here, analogs are by far more economical than e-cigs. People can buy a analog's pack for as low as $0.30. So they are not saving money at all with the e-cigs.
You can see in my "I have been vaping for...." that it shows I have saved $29.xx avoiding 6335 analogs. But that is because I am using wholesaler prices.
So, yes, for underdeveloped countries an application fee of $500 and a monthly fee of $300 just to be allowed to use a sign (because it is not clear how ECA services will add value or help to a non-USA supplier) are just too much!
LOL
The ECA for all intensive purposes is an e-cigarette lobbyist. That takes a ton of cash to get a presence in Washington. If people are serious about vaping and want to see it around in the near future, money is required to get it started.
It may seem steep but it's the cost of doing business in these political times (and most other political times as well!)
It may seem steep but it's the cost of doing business in these political times (and most other political times as well!)
- Status
Similar threads
