Hello and advice on shipping woe

[peg-asus]

Greetings all; I'm glad to be here, and hope I can eventually contribute something useful, as I'm sure I'll learn a lot. After 30+ years of smoking, I followed a family member's lead to vaping and I've never looked back. Even after nearly 10 years, having a REAL sense of smell still has exciting moments (granted, exciting doesn't always mean pleasant...).

As someone who never wants to go back to cigarettes, but is absolutely not ready to give up vaping, I'm frustrated by the screws being put to the vaping community, in so many ways. The latest is shipping. I live due south of BFE, which is near a swamp in southeast VA. Buying online has been my lifeline when I can't get into town, which is more often than not. VaporFi just stopped shipping to my zip code, so now I'm on the hunt for other online vendors that can deliver.

I started with V-2 ecigs, and still use my V-2 batteries with MigVapor carts. I'll never forgive V-2 for going abruptly Tango Uniform, because they were great and I miss 'em. ;-P I joined the bluNation and was reasonably content until they pulled their products from all my local retailers and later stopped online sales (brilliant!). I thought I'd found a safe harbour last year with the MigVapor line on VaporFi, but looks like I'm back to scrounging menthol JUULs from gas station kiosks. I actually had a dream the other night that I was smoking Marlboro Reds. It was awful.

Thanks to all who made it through all that!

 

[SupplyDaddy]

I hear ya! I can't help you much in your area, but there are places that are working on local shipping issues. Kinda like having places they can ship to near(ish) to you and having a local delivery.

Sounds like you're using cig-a-likes and simular, low power high ohm devices, which I moved away from almost immediatly after starting over 9 years ago after a 36 year 2 PAD habit. I did try Blu back in 2009 when I left Va for Texas.

If you end up finding someplace that will ship to you, I would suggest you get into DIY. Nicotine might be your biggest hurdle ATM.

 

[peg-asus]

Howdy. My husband's from TX; it's on our short list of Next Destinations.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed VaporFi can finagle something. It's not that I can't get to a retail store or vape shop, but they're not often on my beaten path, and of late when they are, the shelves of what I'm shopping for are bare.

I'll admit, I'm a lazy vaper. It's not a hobby for me; it's a cleaner, less destructive (to my health, my clothing, my upholstery, the list goes on) alternative to cigarettes. I know that's why I immediately gravitated to e-cigs, aka cig-a-likes for the ease of use and convenience. Well, that and e-cigs were a much easier sell to DH, who definitely was all in for me quitting smoking, but not keen on me swapping cigarettes for a large electronic device that produces large, scary clouds of smokey looking vapor. ;-) E-cigs are relatively unobtrusive. I loved the little Blu e-cigs; I could palm them or slip them into a sleeve cuff instantly, lol.

I've never looked into any of the DIY stuff. I'd be willing to try, but I wouldn't know where to start. And heaven help me, I can be accident prone in the most benign situations... I'd be afraid I'd either burn something down or blow something up. =8-0

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

I didn't know Mig Vapor was bought by Turning Point Brands. Learn something new everyday.

Your local convenience stores and smoke shops should have Vuse (RJ Reynolds) vape gear. They got their Vuse Solo cigalike approved for sale by the FDA recently. If they dion't have the Vuse line they will have something else similar.

Another option is to have a friend who lives in a state VaporFi will ship to and then have your friend ship the order to you when they get it.

 

[Daniel Forsyth]

Welcome to ECF

 

[Territoo]

You should look into getting a pod like the Kroma Z or the Innokin Sceptre. These can be purchased from a Chinese website like Sourcemore or Fasttech which still deliver to the USA. They also have refill coils and pods as well. The pod systems are more powerful than the cigalikes that you are currently using but I think you would like them. You can control the amount of vape by controlling the wattage. As far as juice is concerned, you should look into DIY. Get some nicotine now. Here's a list of vendors that sell nicotine.

List of US Retailers Still Shipping 100mg Nicotine Base | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Welcome to ECF, peg-asus.

.. having a REAL sense of smell still has exciting moments (granted, exciting doesn't always mean pleasant...)

I actually had a dream the other night that I was smoking..

I had a few dreams in the past that when I was visiting some old friends in Southern Maryland I was smoking cigarettes instead of vaping, although in reality I had been vaping for nearly 5 years.

 

[Z-Lee]

I've never looked into any of the DIY stuff. I'd be willing to try, but I wouldn't know where to start. And heaven help me, I can be accident prone in the most benign situations... I'd be afraid I'd either burn something down or blow something up. =8-0

Welcome. The whole idea of DIY may seem daunting (I haven't gotten into making juice yet even though I have tons of the materials, but I'm talking more about making your own coils and rebuildable decks), because the community wants people who are going to get into these types of things to proceed with caution, as they should. It doesn't mean it's dangerous per se, assuming you're not a reckless person, but it can be if you're Willy-Nilly'ing stuff. Things like carrying spare batteries loosely in your pocket with your keys, or using a mech mod w/out understanding how Ohms Law works. Like all things DIY, it requires a tad bit of looking into. With the community here however, you can ask just about anything, and the community will respond - hopefully giving you a bit of direction. You just have to be willing to proceed with caution, and the the information is fully available to you.

I've recently gotten into doing reviews, and the last 2 shipments within the last month coming from company sites (Freemax & Innokin) are being delivered via UPS. I honestly don't know how, but I do know that I've read somewhere that either FedEx or UPS has given special leniency to certain vape brands in regards to shipping - likely companies with higher volume where they can track the paperwork easier from a single source, but get enough business to make it worth their while. Anyway, I would suggest getting in contact via e-mail with either Freemax or Innokin to see if UPS is an available shipping option.

Freemax recently released their Onnix 2 which is a JUUL-alike (extremely flavorful and dependable so far/no leaking/amazing coils), and The Innokin MVP Pod set to release very soon (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention the actual date) which is also a JUUL-alike. I have not received the latter product yet, so I cannot attest to what it has to offer however, knowing Innokin, they make a very quality product and is arguably one of the most knowledgeable companies in regards to MTL vaping - the style of vaping that draws like a cigarette; akin to the JUUL.

This is what you're going to see if you purchase from JUUL online. I'm not sure how much they cost at a gas station:

Each JUUL cartridge here costs about $4-5. The coils you purchase from Either Freemax or Innokin will likely cost about $2 each. They look like this, and they're very easy to install:

The coil. (come in packs of 5)

The pod which you insert the coil into.

The refillable juice port.

Where the pod is inserted into the mod.

What the pod looks like with the coil inserted, filled with juice, assembled into the mod.

What the kit looks like fully assembled.

If you choose to buy nic salts, they often come in 30 mL bottles. These pods hold 2 mL, so that's 15 refills. It's not uncommon to see nice salt bottles selling for $15 each, so that's $1 per refill. Freemax and Innokin are both very, very well known for having quality coils. These coils will likely last you at least 2 weeks each under normal use. If I had to guess, I would say 1000+ puffs each. JUUL cartridges contain 0.7 mL of juice. That's 1/3 of the amount juice that's inside each of these pod refills. A single Freemax or Innokin pod refill is equivalent to about 3 JUUL cartridges. The juice equivalency cost is $1 vs. $12-15 omitting the initial cost of the mod kit and the coils.

So, what this all boils down to is, these pods are not very difficult to assemble and use, and you're likely to save quite a bit of money by converting to one. And, hopefully either Freemax or Innokin can UPS these items to you.

 

[Z-Lee]

I also just found this on VaporDNA if they can reach you. With code: extra30, the price for this is about $15 before S&H.
https://vapordna.com/products/innokin-podin-pod-system

There's a review by Mike Vapes who is quite well known for his reviews. He compares this pod kit to the Caliburn which is very well known for it's quality. In the video he also mentions a JUUL adapter, meaning you can use JUUL pods in this pod kit as to not waste them if you are interested in converting. Looking at the description of the product via VaporDNA, I see no mention of a JUUL adapter, but it is apparently available if it doesn't come in the package. The advantages of using non-JUUL cartridges would be personal choices of juice (which may or may not be available for very long), and again - the ability to save money.

Mike Vapes Review:


There are quite a few US shops that you should check to see if there's available shipping to you. Most of these sites have price reduction codes listed somewhere - definitely use them.
https://vapordna.com/
https://myvpro.com/
https://www.eightvape.com/
https://www.ejuiceconnect.com/Vapor-Products-Wholesale-To-The-Public-s/110.htm (great deals - use code: C35 for a 35% mark down from listed prices)
https://breazy.com/collections/pod-mods (not likely to reach you, but worth checking)
Vape and eJuice Wholesale Distributor | Kanger Wholesale USA
https://vaporider.deals/?sscid=b1k5_ayayw
https://www.eliquid.com/collections/on-sale (juices)

I'm sure there are more that I'm missing. It's definitely worth looking around though.

There are also overseas vendors with even lower prices, but those require a bit of patience, being that the ship time is often 2-3 weeks at best. Many of them have been shipping via USPS however, so you may be in luck going that route. Mind you, shipping from these vendors are subject to confiscation at any time by customs if government rulings go south.

Sourcemore.com - E-cigarette, Electronic Cigarette Online (has code: 1111 available - this site rarely has sales codes available)
Buy Cheap Vape And E-cig At Healthcabin
FastTech - Gadgets and Electronics (includes shipping into their prices as long as you spend over $20)
Vape Shop Online E-Cigarette & E-liquid Best For Sale
https://www.everzon.com/collections/pod-kit
https://www.3avape.com/collections/pod-system-kits

 

[BrotherBob]

Greetings all

Welcome and glad you joined.

 

[peg-asus]

THANK YOU, everyone, for the warm welcome and the heaps of great info! I'll be poring over it all and taking notes; I may well have more questions. Thanks in advance for patience with me. ;-)

Interesting little adventure today: I popped into a vape shop I last visited several years ago. They've definitely expanded, have lots of vape gear and a terrific staff. They do not, however, sell "e-ciggy things, because the WaWas and 7-11s around here have contracts with the manufacturers." Interesting.

If I switch up to pods or other devices, I'm going to give this shop my business; I want to support them. I didn't spend any $$ there today, but they've got enough cool goodies, I may circle back for a little Christmas shopping.

WaWa store: No Vuse, but they did have JUUL ecigs and carts, and Blu pod devices. They told me they could only sell three items, whether same brand or mix 'em up. Seriously. So I bought three JUUL 4-cartridge boxes, as I already have JUUL ecigs. I've never bought at a WaWa before. I doubt I will again.

7-1I store: I was on a JUUL hunt now, so I stuck with that. "How many do you want?" I settled for four 4-pack boxes, but I got the impression I could've cleaned them out (which I've stopped.just short of doing in the past, lol).

$15.99 per 4-pack at both locations, so consistent with the prices you shared, Z-Lee. Side note: Both locations also insisted on scanning the barcode on my ID, instead of simply checking the front to confirm it's really Me, and I'm really That Old, which was new to me. The WaWa clerk told me "The register won't ring up vape or tobacco products unless we scan the ID barcode". I didn't ask her if the register worked the same way with a military ID, a Rec center ID card, or anything other than a DMV issued driver's license. ;-P

Thus ended my vaping adventures for the day. Whew!

 

[Miles Himan]

Don't give up (many people here to help you... especially with finding stuff)
I dream about smoking all the time (after months of just vaping) It's a curse... always the same (lost my smokes, searching for someone that has some, maybe even re-rolling butts I found) Don't really crave or want one while awake (love my vape way too much for that) A friend said the same thing... "but I still dream about smoking". You will find a solution... and if you have to resort to overpriced stuff at the corner store for now, it's still better than smoking. Right now it's hard for new vapers (and frustrating for us that want to help) but trust me... there are solutions and we can help you find them

 

[Z-Lee]

Interesting little adventure today: I popped into a vape shop I last visited several years ago. They've definitely expanded, have lots of vape gear and a terrific staff. They do not, however, sell "e-ciggy things, because the WaWas and 7-11s around here have contracts with the manufacturers." Interesting.

Which "e-ciggy things?" Vape pens? Pod Kits? What kind of gear was available?

To me, this is how you know big money and big tobacco are trying to squeeze smaller companies out of business. I bet those WaWa's and 7-11's are selling big tobacco products only, no? Vuse, JUUL, Blu... you aren't going to see Freemax, Innokin, Vaporesso, Lost Vape, Uwell, etc. items being sold there, who are the companies that are truly dedicated to innovating the vaping industry. If you wanna leave it up to big tobacco, and you can guarantee yourself that you'll be vaping the same VUSE 45 years from now.

In fact, how much do you wanna bet that within 45 years, they'll have added additional chemicals to their vape juice once all the FDA attention has been scuttled along with the stupid ... PMTA/mail ban BS we're dealing with right now? How do you think 2000+ nasty chemicals have ended up in cigarettes over the years?

I don't trust big money/tobacco. WaWa and 7-11 have elected to play the pawns in the bigger scope of the game. Buy supporting JUUL, I feel like you're on the wrong side of the fight.

All I'm saying is, there are options available for you to save money, stay off cigs, and ween yourself away from supporting big tobacco. But ultimately, what's most important is up to you.

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Which "e-ciggy things?"

Cigalikes. Like the V2, White Cloud, Smokeless Image Volt, and countless others from way back when. Vapers who started vaping (or at least tried it) before 2014 most likely owned at least one cigalike. They work for some, but not most vapers. I still use them when I crave the cigarette form-factor (not often), but I use clearomizers on them, not cartomizers. They work better that way, although they look funny lol.

Sticking with old gear has almost always proven to be a bad "strategy" in the vape world, unless you had the money and foresight to stock up for life on the gear you like. Having tried to help these old-gear vapers switch to new gear many times in the past 2 years here on ECF (with very little success), I find that the vast majority only do so because they are afraid to try new stuff, figuring they won't like anything else or be able to get used to it, and will fall back on cigarettes. But they underestimate the ability of humans to adapt (and very easily when there are few other options). They also have a false impression of box mod vaping because the vape market abandoned MTL vapers for many years starting at around end of 2015 and pushed cloud-chasing tanks hard, which was exclusively done on box mods. Result: some vapers who haven't kept-up think that box mods are only for cloud chasers. But in actuality, a box mod is merely a box-shaped power source that can be used however you need it to be used.

 

[Z-Lee]

Cigalikes. Like the V2, White Cloud, Smokeless Image Volt, and countless others from way back when. Vapers who started vaping (or at least tried it) before 2014 most likely owned at least one cigalike. They work for some, but not most vapers. I still use them when I crave the cigarette form-factor (not often), but I use clearomizers on them, not cartomizers. They work better that way, although they look funny lol.

Ah yes, I remember owning quite a few Blu's back then. How cool was my blue glowing "ash", lol.

Sticking with old gear has almost always proven to be a bad "strategy" in the vape world, unless you had the money and foresight to stock up for life on the gear you like. Having tried to help these old-gear vapers switch to new gear many times in the past 2 years here on ECF (with very little success), I find that the vast majority only do so because they are afraid to try new stuff, figuring they won't like anything else or be able to get used to it, and will fall back on cigarettes. But they underestimate the ability of humans to adapt (and very easily when there are few other options). They also have a false impression of box mod vaping because the vape market abandoned MTL vapers for many years starting at around end of 2015 and pushed cloud-chasing tanks hard, which was exclusively done on box mods. Result: So some vapers who haven't kept-up think that box mods are only for cloud chasers. But in actuality, a box mod is merely a power source that can be used however you need it to be used.

It's the same age gap difference we see with pre-post internet users. Trying to help my Mom get into a Zoom call is quite the chore. For others, they've learned to adapt and move along with tech. And I agree, I feel like there are negative opinions of what's currently available because of "horror" stories (which is all we see in every facet of our daily lives) people are continuously bombarded with, and what the media portrays. And yes, also the novelty of "clowdzzzzz" has seemed to overtake the only real and legitimate reason to vape, which is to get people off of cigarettes. Rule #1, don't trust the media. Do your own due diligence. I dunno how many times I have to say that to people...

 

[peg-asus]

LOL, I hear you guys, seriously. A girlfriend of mine has a pod device that I really like, and I'm studying different models. Part of my problem, if you will, is a spouse who is all about every vaping horror story he's ever heard. I can vape an "e-ciggy" around my house fairly unobtrusively. A more powerful vape might attract unwanted attention. But yes, it's clear big tobacco is running the show at the convenience stores in my area.

I do have to admit, though, I have a bit of fun with my old white, red-glowing-tip V2. Someone walks by me and gives me a dirty look, or worse does the dramatic "cough" and/or announces loudly how much "cigarettes stink!" and I politely reply "Oh, sorry!" and stuff my "lit cigarette" into my pocket..The reactions vary, but they are always priceless. ;-D

 

[UncLeJunkLe]

Are your ecigs automatic draw or do you have to push a button to vape them?

 

[somdcomputerguy]

..and gives me a dirty look, or worse does the dramatic "cough" and/or announces loudly how much "cigarettes stink!"

Oh the memories that brings back.. Your response is priceless too.

 

[peg-asus]

I use the automatic draw, though I do have a few old push-button V2s that I keep as backups. I suppose part of my preference for the former is a more "cigarette" type experience. In my defense, I'm only 8 years a vaper vs 30+ years a smoker; old patterns are hard to break sometimes.

Of course, the minor added bonus is how the autodraws messes with Mean People. ;-)

I do like the simplicity, too. It's not a fear of or adversity to tech. I worked IT for over 20 years, and loved it, both on the job and off. I still have a small stack of Frankenlaptops that I cobbled together from boxes of spare parts one summer, just for kicks. That being said, I didn't realize how burned out I was until I left it. Nowadays I swear I'd switch to a Jitterbug and run my smartphone over with a tractor, except my phone does have a ROCKIN camera.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

I'm only 8 years a vaper
..
except my phone does have a ROCKIN camera.

Wow, I didn't realize that you've been vaping a while. In fact, you're a year older than me, vapin' wise anyway.. I just got a newer phone, and I'm being constantly impressed by all the features of its' camera, and the quality/resolution that it's capable of.