The first B&M I went into kind of gouges on some things (Like atomizer elements for clearos) and has good prices on others (e-liquid). Wasn't aware of this my first trip in, so I'm a bit wary of them, but I'll keep going in for the stuff they're reasonable on.
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The biggest problem I have with my B&M is the service. Most of the time the staff is unknowledgeable and unprofessional, and for the 1 or 2 mediocre shops in town the wait to get service is generally 30min or more. That is just asinine in my opinion. To have to wait 30 min just to get service to pick up an extra battery or a pack or cartos. I have pretty much given up on them. Considering running my own shop. Just getting over the hump of what to call it and where to get good product to distribute.....
After your initial shock how did you feel about that? I would probably have wanted to chin him (metaphorically, of course).
I felt proud for knowing my stuff. I haven't returned since then....which is fine because their stuff is rather overpriced anyway.
I really put in alot of thought on opening my own B&M vape store. But never had a way to get the $$$$ to do it.
Shoot, you and me both. When I first started vaping, I ordered online because the disposables were holding me over at the time. But once I received my first ego, I needed more gear, so I searched for the closest B&Ms in my area and they were at least 45 minutes away (with the furthest being 2 1/2 hours away). I've visited the closest 3 shops and what I can say is that one shop is knowledgeable about what's in their store, have their own line of juices that are ok and up until recently sold a lot of knock off ego batts and such. Another has knowledgeable staff when it comes to juice making since they make all their juices in house, but I swear some of the other assesories they sold I've seen on Fasttech (attys for example). The thrid shop has knowledgeable staff, and have nice products and decent juice, but because of their location, they run out of everything in a day (they are only open on the weekends).
What I tend to notice about all the local B&Ms around here though is that it's not the staff selling the products, its the customers (especially us well informed, ECF researcher types
). It's folks like some of us that are just looking to pick up something quick just to get by until the online order comes through that end up educating new vapers and soon to be vapers. Heck, at one shop, a customer comes down and volunteers on the weekends just to help out!!
Please don't. What everyone is telling you is the old "I can buy it cheap and sell it on" way of doing things is now over.
Unless you can offer something more than FT can I wouldn't even think about it. People can now buy wholesale with free postage - they would go to a retail shop? Why would they?
There's a vape shop (kind of an add on to a tobacco shop I've been in once) by my place. I haven't gone. The most I've hoped for was maybe a drip tip. I don't expect much of any brick and mortar anymore. I buy most things I need/want online or at a few stores or ferret out deals locally. The art of selling is gone by and large. Just horrible box stores and giant parking lots as far as the eye can see and disconnected consumerites rushing from one purchase to the next vying for the next best spot in line.
When a store is good I frequent and support it. I go to co-ops and 2nd hand stores and construction rummage yards that have a better shopping experience than most places. Even if the guy at the local Lowes is knowlegeable it takes 10 years round trip to get to the product. Rather go the Ace where I know where everything is and when I ask about something I learn a thing or two from a life long craftsman.
OK. rant over....
When a store is good I frequent and support it. I go to co-ops and 2nd hand stores and construction rummage yards that have a better shopping experience than most places. Even if the guy at the local Lowes is knowlegeable it takes 10 years round trip to get to the product. Rather go the Ace where I know where everything is and when I ask about something I learn a thing or two from a life long craftsman.
OK. rant over....
I love the rants, cause I like a good olde one too lol. cant agree more moogle, found a nice second hand store months back and seen a n64 game console with 15 games and 4 controllers so had to ask how much. was shocked when he said £40 and ended up giveing him £50 after a long yarn and looking about. theres a collectors store just round the conor I had been in few months before hand who had a n64 console with no leads or controllers and separate games from £5-£15, asked him how much to be told £65 and he would even throw a game in lol.
shops these days only want a quick sale which makes them as much as possiable, couldnt believe how the stall owner of a ecig set up treated me once and tank god they are gone now. I was looking a new clearomizer when a customer came back who was looking a £40 starter kit the day before and she just brushed me off to attend her. she had the cheek to even say she had to sell her thjs first as she was in yesterday looking it, just walked away and honestly that set back off vapeing for a good while there.
shops these days only want a quick sale which makes them as much as possiable, couldnt believe how the stall owner of a ecig set up treated me once and tank god they are gone now. I was looking a new clearomizer when a customer came back who was looking a £40 starter kit the day before and she just brushed me off to attend her. she had the cheek to even say she had to sell her thjs first as she was in yesterday looking it, just walked away and honestly that set back off vapeing for a good while there.
I'm pretty lucky, great ejuice shop on the other end of town that really knows their stuff. Being a newbie, it's very helpful to have a great shop nearby.
Well, be carefull with that strategy!
Probably a hundred people here on ECF love the VAMO they got from FastTech.
But for Clearos - you need to know EVOD and Vivi Nova are not brand names - if it doesn't say Kanger or Vision you'll get a "knockoff".
(And I didn't like the FastTech EVOD - though some people are satisfied with them)
Probably a hundred people here on ECF love the VAMO they got from FastTech.
But for Clearos - you need to know EVOD and Vivi Nova are not brand names - if it doesn't say Kanger or Vision you'll get a "knockoff".
(And I didn't like the FastTech EVOD - though some people are satisfied with them)
So much easier to compare prices and product online... My brick and mortar experiences have been disappointing.
home made ejuice and cheap ego kits is pretty much how my shop experience is so far
I envy those of you with great Brick and Mortars. They should be like an old school music store. Laid back and competent and able to order anything you want at no extra charge and get it fast. I used to go to the music store by my place every week and even would ride the bus out there once I moved to buy a pack of strings and look around and BS with the employees. They would let me play any instrument as long as I wanted even if I didn't buy anything because they knew I was scrimping and saving. Now it's Guitar Center where they are all commission and most of them don't know anything about the gear. Pity.
I hope that with increased sales, mine expands and drops the markup a bit... it'd be nice to have a vaping option 2 minutes from my house.
I must be one of the real lucky one's. Have 2 real good B&M's in nearby Columbus, Ga. Both have good, knowledgeable staff. Both sell a good variety of kits & supplies to satisfy the noobs to the veteran vapers. Also, both stores have a well stocke tasting bar * make their own juice in house and mix it in front of you. One store's customers tend to run to the younger vapers but, don't even bat an eye at an old dude walking in to the store. I am glad I have these choices as I prefer a face-to-face experience. Additionally, their prices are not a whole lot (10-15%) higher than online & no 2 week wait. They will continue to get my business in the future. There is also an new shop opening in the next week or so in Albany that looks to be done in the same vein as the others. I will definitely check this one out next time I'm down there. In the mean time,,,,,,,
VAPE ON !!!!
VAPE ON !!!!
One opened up just a couple blocks from the house. I was thrilled that I didn't have to drive in to Raleigh anymore. Week one, they were great. Staff was awesome and they seemed to know what they were doing (um, because I sure as heck didn't). Week two, I had to go back, the kit I got was crap but I really liked vaping. New staff...um should have been a red flag. So, now two months after they opened I really had gotten annoyed on a previous visit and didn't want to go in but I needed an adapter and needed it right now! So my husband took me up there, grudgingly.
Hubby walks in and helps hold the door so I can get in. Youll see why I'm telling you this in a sec. I judge the doorway wrong and hit the doorframe with my knuckles on one side and smoosh my hand between the doorframe and my wheel so I have to back up, swear, and try again. I make it in with much loud complaining. So it's me and hubby in the store...just us. Dead silent. No employees to be found, anywhere. I sit in the storefront while my husband goes to investigate making a whole lot of noise along the way. We are both saying "hello?" at a decent volume and I sure as heck made enough noise in my totally gracefull entrance. Nothing. Then...we see him. Fast asleep on a couch in the back corner of the vape lounge.
Once he woke up he was just as useless as when he was asleep. He was totally baked.
Another customer came in and this kid couldn't figure out what he was doing or where he was for the first five minutes the other customer was there. He handed me a whole display unit from inside the counter and told me that he had no idea what a egp/510 adapter was and that what I really needed was in the display box he handed me...drip tips. honestly, if I were a thief it would have been too easy. We could have taken anything and everything we wanted and walked out and this guy wouldn't have noticed.
This guy is the manager!
I'm so disappointed. They went from a really great place with people who could and would actually answer questions to...anyway. I guess I'm getting my husband to drive me in to Raleigh if I have another "I need insert name of whatever part or juice is going to save my lifeNOW" moment. Thank God I can order online.
Hubby walks in and helps hold the door so I can get in. Youll see why I'm telling you this in a sec. I judge the doorway wrong and hit the doorframe with my knuckles on one side and smoosh my hand between the doorframe and my wheel so I have to back up, swear, and try again. I make it in with much loud complaining. So it's me and hubby in the store...just us. Dead silent. No employees to be found, anywhere. I sit in the storefront while my husband goes to investigate making a whole lot of noise along the way. We are both saying "hello?" at a decent volume and I sure as heck made enough noise in my totally gracefull entrance. Nothing. Then...we see him. Fast asleep on a couch in the back corner of the vape lounge.
Once he woke up he was just as useless as when he was asleep. He was totally baked.
Another customer came in and this kid couldn't figure out what he was doing or where he was for the first five minutes the other customer was there. He handed me a whole display unit from inside the counter and told me that he had no idea what a egp/510 adapter was and that what I really needed was in the display box he handed me...drip tips. honestly, if I were a thief it would have been too easy. We could have taken anything and everything we wanted and walked out and this guy wouldn't have noticed.
This guy is the manager!
I'm so disappointed. They went from a really great place with people who could and would actually answer questions to...anyway. I guess I'm getting my husband to drive me in to Raleigh if I have another "I need insert name of whatever part or juice is going to save my lifeNOW" moment. Thank God I can order online.
while i liked the guys at my local shop they just wanted to much for to little. didnt offer what i wanted once i got online and seen what was really out there. the nicest mod they sold was the tesla, and i bought it with iclear30. 25 bucks for 30mls of juice. 5 bucks for a dct carto or a ce4. those last a few days to couple weeks, and where as costly as the juice. so i felt i was being sucked dry. i wish i could support them since they got me started vaping but enough is enough!
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