Get-rich-quick vaping stores - Gosh they annoy me!

[Giraut]

A new B&M has opened in town. Something in the name told me it was one of these jump-on-the-bandwagon stores, but I went check it out anyway. And sure enough, it was a typical 200 sq.ft mall box with nothing inside apart from fancy graphics, two sofas and a cheap glass top coffee table to create a craptastic lounge experience, a very small counter with 3 or 4 overpriced beginner's vaping kits and accessories, and a slick but clueless salescritter behind it.

I came in, watched potential would-be vapers being given advice by the sales guy ("Why, yes Sir. All you need is that state-of-the-art eGo vapor generator with 15 spare top-notch CE4 tanks and a box of our finest gourmet e-liquids selection especially selected by the most discerning connoisseurs to quit smoking immediately. All that for a mere 200 euros as a special store opening offer!"). Nauseating...

After a while, to yank the guy's chain a bit, I approached him and asked him whether he had any good top-coil clearo for dripping. "Well, not as such" he said, "but if you're looking to quit smoking, perhaps I can interest you in our special state-of-the-art eGo vapor generator, that comes with 15 spare top-notch CE4 tanks..." yada yada. At which point I brought my mod up to my mouth, took a long draw, answered that no-thanks I'll be okay, and left.

Dammit, these fake vaping stores annoy me to high heaven. They remind me of cellphone shops in the 90s - how many people got their first state-of-the-art, 2-year-old design cellphone in these two-bit shops, complete with a 3-year plan you can't get out of without selling a kidney.

I'm almost tempted to out them in the various vaping forums they advertise on. That would save a few beginners from getting stung. Trouble is, I hate telling on anybody, it just runs contrary to my morals.

Also, I remember the first vaping shop that opened in my city: they too had almost nothing to offer, and the saleswoman was clueless. I had written them off as a scam. But one day I went back to get something or other, and they had transformed completely: they now have a good choice of mods, accessories and liquids, and the woman behind the counter has educated herself. She turns out to care genuinely for vaping and vapers, and now she regularly organizes meets at the store for local vapers. So who knows, there may be hope for that new store yet...

 

[Nermal]

Sounds like a good ending. My favorite shop was good from the get - go, though they had a few clerks lacking knowledge. The prices on most stuff is comparable to internet, with or without shipping. The weak spots in the staff seem to be missing.

 

[FlamingoTutu]

Hopefully it will turn out to be like the second one you described. The only vape store I've been to was horrible. However, from reading many people's stories, a lot of them start off in a rip off store but it gets them vaping and eventually they find their way to the better stuff. So while I really don't care for them and wish all vape stores were fantastic, even the ones that are the pits will help someone start vaping and it may well be what saves their life in the long run.

 

[erazzz]

You're right both ways. Some vape shops just open for the money, have no product selection or knowledge. They just want to hop on the bandwagon while the going is good.

However, my local vape shop also had nothing when they first started selling e-cigs last December. Just a few Vision spinners, some cheap juices, and that was it. However, now they have a large selection of juice, mods, egos, parts, tanks, drippers, etc. So you never know. Maybe they'll improve, maybe they won't.

 

[1ceCreamMan]

I don't even have a local vape shop. The closest one to me is 45 minutes away and I hear it isn't even good damn you hudson valley NY

 

[CassiusCloud]

The two here are evolving with the people that live here..Locals are the ones that started them..
They are starting to get more stuff as people start asking if they have this or that,so they are evolving with their customers..
They can't stock a lot of stuff that will just sit there really..
Vaping really didn't start to take off around here until around last fall,so ego twists and some pro tanks and evods and iclear and other starter kit stuff..
They have some good stuff,but not like a big selection..
I'm just glad we have vape shops here..this small town usually never has any cool stuff..

I mean here they actually think dominos is good pizza
I'm from chicago and moved down here..I would do anything for a good pizza place ,good dog stand and a decent freakin burrito place to open up!
Least we got vapes!! BooYaaa!

 

[Rule62]

We're having a 'boom' in new vape shops opening up here in Central Florida. It seems like there's nearly one a week. I keep wondering when it will reach a saturation point. A year or so ago, there were only a couple. Now there are probably a couple dozen. Vaping has become big here.
Fortunately, we have had an active Facebook presence for the last couple years, and have held frequent face to face meet ups. So the owners of the newer shops have become somewhat educated on the subject, and the products, for the most part. Those that are just in it for the quick buck, with over priced, lousy products, won't last long. The local competition is becoming too steep.

 

[Jugband]

The closest thing I have to a vape shop here in the town time forgot I believe is in the running or worse than the one described by the OP. I was driving by and saw a local "Roll your own" kinda shop stumbled into e cigs. I figured hey, what do I know? Maybe it's better than I think. I stopped in. I was wrong. 99% tobacco products. But they did have a tiny counter set up equipped with a neon sign that read "Juice Bar." My friend and I walked over. She sampled a few. Couldn't taste a thing! No flavor, no vapor. She asked the kid what wattage it was set at. I kid you not, he pointed to the inside of the case and said, "It's the same as the blue one." We looked in the case. Now I thought I was familiar with most brands, but Puff King? I have to admit, their one line of brand threw me. I had to go home and google it, yep! It's real. All I can say is God help a new vapor that goes in there.

 

[Rule62]

What annoys me more are the shops where a customer walks in, wants to get started vaping, knows nothing about e-cigs, and the shop employee is sending them out the door with a bottle of juice, a mechanical mod, and an RDA, with a sub ohm set up that the shop employee set up for them.

 

[Tinkiegrrl]

There appears to be a new shop opening each month in NYC, and as more open and more competition generates, they're all improving. On Staten Island, there's this one, great place that I'm sure a lot of people will write off for being a head shop, however they are the most knowledgeable shop owners on Staten Island I think. More knowledgeable then the vape shop a couple miles away. You ask for it, and this place starts selling it if the owner likes it. He's asked to see the coils in any tank I bring in that he hasn't seen before, and if he likes what he sees and I'm happy with it, he's carrying it the next week. If he's doing this with every other experienced vaper out there, he's going to have quite the selection. I wouldn't be surprised if his head shop goes the way of a complete vaper shop before long. The owner clearly loves vaping, loves talking to people who vape, and I've seen him take a ton of time with new vapers. The rest of the store is kinda collecting dust. Hopefully, the people who are buying the pricey cigalike kits from the shop a few miles down the same road find their way to this guy.

 

[v1k1ng1001]

I'm sort of glad I learned all this on my own before any shops opened. (thanks ECF!) The one really good shop here is so incredbly overpriced that the only thing I will buy is juice. The other two are along the order of the OP's post.

 

[Vicshalls]

The one I started with was small and did not have much but in the last 6 months that I have been vaping they have been growing. It has been nice growing with them. Seems like we have been learning together. They were up the street but I guess they were just in the wrong spot so they moved. One would think I would be upset but to my surprise they moved right across the street from my apartment. It is closer to the freeway so there is more traffic down here. I am sure this will bring in more business and help them grow more.

 

[Giraut]

A third vaping store has just opened near my place. At this rate, soon there'll be more vaping stores than inhabitants in my town Of course, I had to go check it out, especially since this one is a mere block away from my house - how convenient if I ever run out of stuff I don't want to buy...

So, same gig as the last store: flashy sign, cheesy lounge, a few basic batteries, mods and clearos, a cash register and a clueless salesperson behind the counter. I popped into the store, and the guy immediately latched on me:

"Hello, may I help you?"

"No thanks" I replied, "I'm all set as far as vaping is concerned. But I heard your store had just opened, so I came check it out."

"Ooh you're already a vaper then. Still, maybe I can interest you in our EX-CLU-SIVE line of batteries and mods. Nobody else has 'em you know! What do you usually vape with?"

I wished he didn't do his sales spiel on me. But hey, I was the one who came into the store, and I couldn't possibly tell him off. So I played along, fished my bottom feeder out of my pocket and showed it to him.

"I see. Nice! I don't know this particular model per se. But if you like this sort of thing, I'm sure you'd enjoy an Innokin VTR. It's exactly the same thing, only bigger."

*Sigh*

"Yeah" I said, "it probably is. Perhaps another day though..." I put my mod back in my pocket, and politely left.

Needless to say, I am slightly underwhelmed...

 

[Vaslovik]

Ya know, I just love walking into those stores and looking around until they try to sell me something, then I pull out my mech with an RBA on it and start vaping as I look around, and they realize I'm well past anything they have already. Then they try to sell me juice, and I tell them I make my own, thanks anyway, but do you have any kanthal or mesh? Sometimes they don't even know what I'm talking about. I wish them luck and leave. Heheheeee!

 

[Giraut]

Well, I don't mind that they don't have advanced vaping supplies: there's so much of it, and the store is brand new, so fair enough.

I wouldn't even mind it if they admitted they don't know much about vaping - a little honesty goes a long way with me, and there's no shame in not knowing something.

What I do mind is smooth talkers who take me for a fool.