Have to vent about my local E cig store

[superstardj]

So I have to vent for a second.

I have to say I am very fortunate to have an actual store about 30 minutes from my house that carries really really good liquid - It's all VG based and they usually carry 30 or so different flavors.

I originally bought a pen style 510 kit from them and was fairly happy with it - however I ended up getting a Provari as I really liked vaping and wanted to invest in something better than the pen style ones.

When my Provari was on its way I went by to pick up some liquid and mentioned I had ordered one. He started dissing it bringing up the story about the guy in FL who had a mod explode. He also said he had at least 3 people in the past 2 weeks trade their Provari in on his product (generic ego style I think, not pen style) because they weren't happy with it (which I don't believe, if they had traded them in wouldn't he have them out for sale?)

He should do some research before he goes dissing other peoples mods (not just Provari but other mods that have built in safety features) as it just makes him look uneducated trying to push his products.

So sure enough I went again yesterday to pick up some liquid and was looking at some attachments they had. I was seeing if the tanks they carried would fit mine and when I pulled it out the employee there said "Oh, you better be really careful with that thing, those are bad for exploding"

They obviously don't know anything about the Provari or they think I don't know about the safety features built in.

Sorry to vent, it's fair enough they want to sell their product but they could go about it in a different way. I would like to go in and talk to them about my mods, their mods, etc.

Anyone else run into this at their local stores?

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Holly .... dude. Your local vendor must be related to mine.


I took a 45 minute trip to a new e-cig store that just opened a couple weeks ago. He carries 808 style batts from V2, Ego style batteries and Lavatubes. I pulled out my Provari and he asked to hold it. I handed it too him and he said......"Yea, this company asked if I wanted to carry there product but I didn't like them. They are way too heavy."

First off...I knew he was bull....ting because Provape wouldn't have asked this toolbox to carry their products. I told him how much it costs and he asked me why someone would spend $200 for the full Provari kit when they could purchase a full Lavatube kit from him for $100. At this point, his arrogance ...... me the F off so I started dissing on him so hard. I started naming all of the reasons why my Provari was better than his Lavatubes. (no offense to those who like the Lavatube but you already know that it's not on the same level as a Provari). I told him that my mod was hand made in the USA and not on some assembly lien in China. I told him that mine was made of stainless steal while his was made of cheap aluminum. I told him that mine has a much better track record with lasting longer. I told him that I didn't have to bump of the voltage as my battery started to die and that the voltage remains consistent over the life of the battery. Finally, I told him he couldn't vape a LR Dual Coil Carto over 3.6 volts. He didn't believe me so I told him to pull up the Grimm Green review. After he watched it, he was so bitter.

Mind you, this is also the same tool box who sells Pink Spot e-Juice and states he designed most of their flavors. Oh, he also asked me when I was going to graduate to a Stardust tank rather than the one I was using. Mind you, I was using my Glass Phiniac tank. I just had to laugh at him.

Needless to say. He won't be in business long. He has no idea what e's talking about and he's cocky.

By the way, it's all jealousy man. People become jealous when you have something that is better than theirs.

 

[bnrkwest]

Amazing these vendors don't know about the higher end products. If they are ecig salesmen they better brush up on high end VV's and glass tanks 101 ha ha bnrk

 

[superstardj]

Funny the place here said Provari approached them about selling them too but they didn't want to because what he carried was better in every aspect. He's full of it - I told him that the Provari allowed you to change the voltage and he showed me some product he carries in which he proceeded to twist and make the cheap light on it change colors...didn't really pay attention to exactly what is was but I am assuming its some sort of vv mod that he carries.

Oh well - I guess I will continue to buy liquid from them for a little while although i don't know how long they will be in business. They had a really nice storefront at the mall now they are on the other side of town in the middle of nowhere in the lower level of an office building.

 

[iamtumus]

this is like a chevy dealer telling you his product is far superior to a bmw.
both are quality products but ultimately you get what you pay for

 

[luceblueboy]

hour away from me is a store. A decently big vendor on the internet too. I've been there twice for terrible customer service. I asked where the liquid was made, they had no idea. I asked for a new atomizer for my ego T. they have a knockoff and had no idea it was the same thing. These are the same guys that make youtube videos on how to use the ecigs and liquid. The second time I went in I noticed all their pictures of customers. Everyone looked like a tool or D-bag. After the second time I called out the vendor on their thread here on ecf. Of course he was extremely sorry. I really don't care anymore. I'm never setting foot in that store again. They hired those employees so it's their fault too.

 

[zachofalltrades]

Ha! Reminds me of car audio back in the day. I researched about bought most of my stuff online...when I had to visit the local shops for a few things, they all wanted to bad-mouth the stuff I got that was either better -or- similar for a much lower price. At least most vapers are supportive of each other no matter what gear we have. The car audio kids always have to believe that theirs is the best and think that the best way to prove it is to talk about it!

My local shop didn't try to bad-mouth the stuff I got online, but did point out the similar stuff they had. Hope you guys can find someone close with better attitudes.

 

[superstardj]

That's funny about the car audio...I worked in sales and installation for about 3 years back in the day but I was never like that, if someone came in with their own equipment or wanting something we didn't carry i would do my best to get the part ordered, install what they had or make a recommendation the best I can.

I guess it boils down to the type of person you are - I would never diss someone just because they dont use a provari and I would never be jealous if someone had something better than me.

 

[TravTech]

Sounds to me like a bunch of shysters wanting to just string you along from overpriced low end device to overpriced low end device. Meting out just enough technology each time to keep you coming back whenever your curiosity or dissatisfaction peaked.

By jumping straight up to high end, you cut him out of his huge mark up profits. How will he pay for that boat of his now?

 

[OnnaB]

I'd be at their web sites making it clear how bad their customer service is...and why you won't be visiting them again. I hope, when I have some time, that I don't find my "local" (an hour away) vendor to be that way.

 

[WCSR]

You run into this in a lot of niche markets. Walk into a guitar store with Fender guitar, and they'll tell you how much better their Gibsons are. Walk into a car audio store with Kicker gear for them to install, and they'll tell you that you should have bought Precision Power gear from them. So on and so forth. The people who do that, usually aren't in business for long.

 

[zachofalltrades]

That's funny about the car audio...I worked in sales and installation for about 3 years back in the day but I was never like that, if someone came in with their own equipment or wanting something we didn't carry i would do my best to get the part ordered, install what they had or make a recommendation the best I can.

I guess it boils down to the type of person you are - I would never diss someone just because they dont use a provari and I would never be jealous if someone had something better than me.

Yeah, of course I generalized, but that's pretty much how it was in my town at the time. Basically the only car audio specialty shops carried stuff that was out of my budget along with some cheaper JL stuff. I don't know if it's your experience, but most JL people I've met/talked to make rabid Provari fans look tame. Sorry, your W0s and W3s are okay at a cheaper price, but I'd rather have the Atomic Thunder Shocker IIs or DDs I got online.

I can't say that I wouldn't be jealous of someone having better equipment than me....curse that 'Pictures of your setup' thread in New Members! But I'd be more likely to go on and on about the features of it and how great it is than to bad-mouth it. A 'salesman' would think that's a bad way to go about it, but I find that I'm more likely to buy more and more often from a person that I can share my interest with and talk to than someone who can just 'sell me' on the features of their products.

 

[Butters78]

When I showed my provari my provari they said they didnt like VV lol. They were using silver bullets but weren't selling them yet. Right now I'm going to order a new one to use with a kick. I asked how much they are charging they said 150.00!!! I said thanks and hung up. I know it is a brick and mortar and they have expenses. But that much of a mark up forget about it.

 

[WCSR]

When I showed my provari my provari they said they didnt like VV lol. They were using silver bullets but weren't selling them yet. Right now I'm going to order a new one to use with a kick. I asked how much they are charging they said 150.00!!! I said thanks and hung up. I know it is a brick and mortar and they have expenses. But that much of a mark up forget about it.

This is why I think B&M stores are way too early to the game. Not enough of a buyers market for them to survive on shear volume, so to make bills, they have to mark up 80% and hope people will be a sucker for it.

 

[Theken]

Wow, that guy is insane. You would be hard pressed to find a PV that is even in the same league as a Provari. I would send a complaint to that store owner, unless of course he was the store owner in which case... I would start ordering. I have found some pretty amazing juice spots on the internet, some have amazingly quick shipping. (Pink Spot and Mister-E-Liquid are great!)

 

[Via!]

I visited my local B&M of an ECF vendor...there is a tattoo shop next door, and mid day, the tat artists stand outside the doors smoking up a storm...and a customer must fight thru a soup of smoke to get into the shop...a young college student was sitting at the desk,doing homework, vaping on a stacked batt aluminum setup that they don't sell...the shoppe offered 4 liquids: 3 tobacco and 1 menthol...and 1 PV, an ego pen style knock off and smoktech 3.5 and 6.0 tanks in three colors...

I REALLY needed a replacement DCCarto...he canabalized one of the tanks he had on the counter, and charged me $7 for it...so I asked what he charged for the complete tank...$25!!!

When I pulled out my ProVari, he admitted he had never heard of ProVari, but complained about how heavy it was...without knowing a darned thing about ProVari, he went on to try to convince me how superior his unbranded mod was...and then tried to sell me the knockoff ego that they sell...$125 for 2 batts, a wall wart, and a few cartos...also tried to sell me some juice: they carried 0, 12 and 24 mg in 30 ml plastic bottles for $37...and told me (a little old lady) that the juice was "Sick, man!". I'm assuming that is good...

So I paid the seven bucks for the replacement carto, he didn't know what they were rated, just that they worked, and produced some "crazy sick" vapor...I left the shop, gagged my way thru the analog smoke in front of the tat shop and decided I needed to remember to order my supplies online in advance of my needs...

I wrote the owner of the shoppe, and received an apology...but recently tried to go to their website and it's been down for maintenance...I haven't called the B&M to see if they are still open...wouldn't be surprised if they weren't...

A word to the wise: when hiring an employee, spend the extra 50 cents per hour to get an employee who knows what he's talking about...when paying minimum wage, you get what you pay for...it could make the difference in keeping the shop open, or going out of business....

 

[Spazmelda]

So Via!- was the vapor from the DCC 'sick'? I just have to know. LOL!

 

[AuBadge]

this is like a chevy dealer telling you his product is far superior to a bmw.
both are quality products but ultimately you get what you pay for

This is the kind of thought which ran through my mind when I read the OP. It seems that regardless of the type of product, many sellers invariably put down anything that they don't sell. Just write it off as ignorance, and find someplace else to spend your hard-earned money.

 

[MickeyRat]

Really why get upset about this? Every person in sales will tell you that their product is the best. Why does that bother you so much. Someone didn't pay homage to your Provari. So what?

 

[Jason McRoy]

Yes, anyone that sells their own branded product HAS to feel their product is superior and they should stand behind that. The difference IMO is how their customer service is if you do own one of their products and you have a problem with it.

The owner of the local vendor shop in my area is like that about his equipment. He believes in his product. He sells a re-branded ego style kit. However, he does also sell Provari and a mini Lavatube kit. They are always adding new items to their stock and their prices, while not as cheap as online, aren't too outrageous on equipment. The juice is a little high for my taste, but they have a lot flavors, they make it in house and it tastes really good. They also let you sample their flavors before buying.

Another big difference between them and another B&M I have visited is everyone there is a vaper and they know what they are talking about to a large degree. If there is something I mention that I have learned online about something, they listen and learn as well.

The other local vendor is not as knowledgeable but very friendly and customer oriented. He also is willing to listen when you tell him something about other products.

Sorry you had a bad experience with your local shop. It's nice to have somewhere to go in a pinch if something happens with your equipment and you can't wait to order it online.

-Jason