Help stop a Rip Off supplier!

[DaMulta]

So he really isn't ripping anyone off after reading this thread; is what I'm taking in cause you do get what your paying for.

It's his business, and he can sell what he wants for as much as he wants. So this guy even has a store? I'm sure that his rent is high, and you don't know if he has anyone working for him.

Not that many people vape, and if you can't make up your payments by selling high volumes vs raising the price to make the difference up.

A lot of sites on ECF are either small 1 person business at home or can sell at high v. to keep the price down for all.


I see no reason for this bash thread in other words.

 

[LowThudd]

So he really isn't ripping anyone off after reading this thread; is what I'm taking in cause you do get what your paying for.

It's his business, and he can sell what he wants for as much as he wants. So this guy even has a store? I'm sure that his rent is high, and you don't know if he has anyone working for him.

Not that many people vape, and if you can't make up your payments by selling high volumes vs raising the price to make the difference up.

A lot of sites on ECF are either small 1 person business at home or can sell at high v. to keep the price down for all.


I see no reason for this bash thread in other words.

Are you really serious? $160 for a one batt eGo kit isn't price gouging? That is complete BS. He claims on his site that he personally researched and developed his e-cigs in order to sell the best. How is that not a fraudulent statement? Wow!

 

[Scottitude]

You're kidding, right? Charging a 300% markup over the established fair market value of a product is indeed ripping people off. Granted, he's not forcing people to buy his over-priced products but many won't know better.

I doubt if any reasoning being would willingly buy any product for three times what they know it to be worth.

 

[spaky]

Wow! I didn't know that businesses no longer could set their own prices. If this company can get people to pay those prices, then that's their own fault for not shopping around.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

So he really isn't ripping anyone off after reading this thread; is what I'm taking in cause you do get what your paying for.

"Ripping off" is hopelessly subjective; it could certainly be successfully argued that exploiting the buyer's ignorance in order to sell him something at several times its actual value qualifies.

It's his business, and he can sell what he wants for as much as he wants. So this guy even has a store? I'm sure that his rent is high, and you don't know if he has anyone working for him.

Not that many people vape, and if you can't make up your payments by selling high volumes vs raising the price to make the difference up.

A lot of sites on ECF are either small 1 person business at home or can sell at high v. to keep the price down for all.

Yes, he's free to sell his merchandise at whatever obscene outrage he thinks he can get away with--and the rest of us have the right to vote with our wallets, i.e., to exert market forces.

There's a lot of suppliers in the vaping biz these days, everything from mom & pop operations to incorporations. None that I've seen come even close to the abomination this one is; somehow they all manage to charge a fraction what this guy does and stay in business, or even thrive.

The way it works is that if you construct a faulty business model, ultimately that business fails.

I see no reason for this bash thread in other words.

The reason is to warn our fellow vapers of the criminals in our midst; that's one of the key reasons that forums of this sort exist.

 

[LowThudd]

"Ripping off" is hopelessly subjective; it could certainly be successfully argued that exploiting the buyer's ignorance in order to sell him something at several times its actual value qualifies.



Yes, he's free to sell his merchandise at whatever obscene outrage he thinks he can get away with--and the rest of us have the right to vote with our wallets, i.e., to exert market forces.

There's a lot of suppliers in the vaping biz these days, everything from mom & pop operations to incorporations. None that I've seen come even close to the abomination this one is; somehow they all manage to charge a fraction what this guy does and stay in business, or even thrive.

The way it works is that if you construct a faulty business model, ultimately that business fails.



The reason is to warn our fellow vapers of the criminals in our midst; that's one of the key reasons that forums of this sort exist.

Well put, and I'd like to add that I have just as much right to inform people of this atrocity as he has to create it. What kind of capitolists would we be if we passively ignored such stupidity and allowed people to be taken advantage of? Ever heard of consumer reports? I assume that you(DaMulta) has a beef w/ consumer reports, as they often criticize overpriced goods.

 

[sbphotog]

I emailed them asking where they got off ripping people off with their prices and this was the response I got.

Shannon,
If you would like, we can send you our bills for the month of NOV and DEC and then you can decide how much you would have to charge for the cigarettes - one kiosk alone charges us $14,000 for the month of NOV and $14,000 for the month of DEC - That's $28,000 and does not count labor.

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

I emailed them asking where they got off ripping people off with their prices and this was the response I got.

Reply to them and mention that their prices are exorbitant, even by kiosk standards.

 

[sbphotog]

Reply to them and mention that their prices are exorbitant, even by kiosk standards.

trust me, I did.

$14,000 a month rent on a mall kiosk? BS! $4000-$5000 I'd believe, but not $14000. That's the most unbelievable excuse for price gouging that I've ever heard.

 

[FreakyStylie]

This is an irrefutable truth as shown by the following example:

In order to match their kit, I picked a random supplier and put the following into my basket:
1 eGo kit 650 mAh batteries (Based on the length of the battery in the picture at their site.)
2 drip tips (Because their kit contains a drip tip.)
2 low (ohm) attomizers * (Because their kit comes with one regular and one low ohm atomizer.)
1 eGo fast charger ** (Because each of their kits contains one.)

Now, I have placed 2 of their complete kits into my cart. The total is $89.00***. Divide that by 2 (since I have two of their kits.)
Total: $49.50 including $5 shipping.
Their price: $159.99 free shipping (Assuming that their shipping is free since the highest listed shipping rate is for cart totals between $45.00 - $98.99)
This is a mark-up of $110.49, or enough to buy 3 of their kits from a random supplier **** with $26.49 left over.

I would consider this to be a rip-off. Sure, they are free to charge what they wish, but their right to do so does not negate the fact that they are ripping people off. Even if they have a kiosk, as mentioned, I still do not believe that instant-gratification is worth $110.49. And I could not find mention of a warranty on their site.

*The site I chose for the example did not have low ohm atomizers, so I used the cost of regular 510 atomizers. ($25 for 3)
**The site I chose for the example did not have eGo chargers with wall adapters, so I used the cost of the usb charger.
***The actual total was $88.66 and was rounded up for easier math.
****Shipping on this dollar amount is free with the chosen site.

 

[LowThudd]

I one time lost all my attys at once(freak thing). I went around to all the smoke shops to see if they had 510 attys, because they don't even know what an atty is. None had them, but one shop had a single 510 carto. he wanted $15 FOR ONE! Sure, he is free to charge what he wants, bet he still tried to rip me off. And I told him so, walked out and bought a pack of Dijarums elsewhere to tide me over. It was a rip off, and I told him where to put it on my way out. $15 for something that at MOST costs $4. Effing rediculous. I have no empathy for people who try to take advantage of others.

 

[FreakyStylie]

I one time lost all my attys at once(freak thing). I went around to all the smoke shops to see if they had 510 attys, because they don't even know what an atty is. None had them, but one shop had a single 510 carto. he wanted $15 FOR ONE! Sure, he is free to charge what he wants, bet he still tried to rip me off. And I told him so, walked out and bought a pack of Dijarums elsewhere to tide me over. It was a rip off, and I told him where to put it on my way out. $15 for something that at MOST costs $4. Effing rediculous. I have no empathy for people who try to take advantage of others.

Just think, no more Djarums anymore either . . . if that were now, it would be just plain old nasty smoke!

 

[StormFinch]

trust me, I did.

$14,000 a month rent on a mall kiosk? BS! $4000-$5000 I'd believe, but not $14000. That's the most unbelievable excuse for price gouging that I've ever heard.

Not protecting the guy, I agree that his prices are unbelievable, but he may well be telling the truth here. He's located in Las Vegas, the whole city is a high traffic area, and kiosk rent is usually based on foot traffic. Additionally, mall kiosk rent for the months of Nov & Dec tend to go up to approximately 5 times the Jan - October base amount. Guess malls are really into all that holiday comfort and joy.

 

[sbphotog]

Not protecting the guy, I agree that his prices are unbelievable, but he may well be telling the truth here. He's located in Las Vegas, the whole city is a high traffic area, and kiosk rent is usually based on foot traffic. Additionally, mall kiosk rent for the months of Nov & Dec tend to go up to approximately 5 times the Jan - October base amount. Guess malls are really into all that holiday comfort and joy.

doesn't matter if he's telling the truth or not. Doesn't give this guy the right to rip people off. He's even more expensive the Smoking Everywhere and they have mall kiosks everywhere too.

 

[Nixsdaddy]

Here is my 2 cents. Is he ripping off people? Yes he is. Is he doing anything illegal by overcharging? No. Every item has a MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) that is only a "suggestion", but it does not have to be followed.

Example. Best Buy has a LCD TV for $1500. Wal-mart has the same tv for $300 less. Is best Buy doing anything wrong by not lowering their prices on the same TV? And here's the kicker.. They tell you they will price match if you bring an ad in or whatever. You think it's the exact same TV, but in reality, the model of the TV is like one number different (which this is done all the time to get out of the price match thing) and doesn't qualify since it's not the same model #. But price matching is neither here or there.

Now if there was a nationwide shortage of a particular item(s) (i.e. gasoline) and prices went to 300% or more because of that shortage, then quite possibly something can be done. But all you can do in this case is to keep the public aware of the extremely high prices. And I know these things how? I have been in the retail business for 15 years in upper management (Manager/District Mgr).

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

Is he doing anything illegal by overcharging? No.

No one is accusing him of illegalities (my "criminals in our midst" comment notwithstanding; I meant that affectionately)

Example. Best Buy has a LCD TV for $1500. Wal-mart has the same tv for $300 less. Is best Buy doing anything wrong by not lowering their prices on the same TV? And here's the kicker.. They tell you they will price match if you bring an ad in or whatever. You think it's the exact same TV, but in reality, the model of the TV is like one number different (which this is done all the time to get out of the price match thing) and doesn't qualify since it's not the same model #. But price matching is neither here or there.

Sounds like a bait-and-switch, in essence. But as you say, neither here-nor-there (i.e., it's irrelevant to the circumstances in question).

Now if there was a nationwide shortage of a particular item(s) (i.e. gasoline) and prices went to 300% or more because of that shortage, then quite possibly something can be done. But all you can do in this case is to keep the public aware of the extremely high prices...

In the event of a national Ejuice shortage, I doubt you could count on anything regulatory being done about price-gouging.

But you're right; all that can be done here is to make people aware--and allow market forces to weed out unscrupulous suppliers of this sort. Information--pure and simple--is this guy's worst enemy.

 

[mudboy]

If mall stands are that expensive why have one. There are obviously other ways to make profits off of e-cigs without killing a newbs pocket.

 

[ImJustAvg]

trust me, I did.

$14,000 a month rent on a mall kiosk? BS! $4000-$5000 I'd believe, but not $14000. That's the most unbelievable excuse for price gouging that I've ever heard.

That would depend on their location and the mall set up. When I checked on kiosk prices for a project I was thinking about, I was shocked. In the biggest and most popular mall here, $7,500 a month for nine months a year and $12,000 a month for October, November, and December. And then to add insult to injury, they wanted 12% of profits and you were required to keep the Kiosk open for ALL mall hours or were assessed a penalty per hour if you weren't. When I figured up the overhead, it made the project unfeasible unless I tripled the retail price I was going to charge.
The other two malls were a lot more reasonable in the $3,000-$5,000 range with a $1,000 increase for the holiday season. And 5% of the profits.
It sounds like the supplier is attempting to keep his kiosk business open by charging the same prices for his internet products which is a very bad business decision! If he would build up the internet business he could get out of the Kiosk end of it, but if he keeps screwing up his reputation for the internet business no one will trust him.

 

[LowThudd]

Just think, no more Djarums anymore either . . . if that were now, it would be just plain old nasty smoke!

You can still get them, but they are called "Cigars". They don't taste quite the same, but they are OK. This was only like 5 months ago.

 

[Nixsdaddy]

No one is accusing him of illegalities (my "criminals in our midst" comment notwithstanding; I meant that affectionately)

I know, just messin. "Let the witch hunt begin!"

But really... When it gets to the point of one person/retailer does something like this and everyone in the world starts condemning the guy including e-mailing him... Has that pushed all sensibility out the window? Normally I see high prices, and I go somewhere else. Doesn't matter what kind of retail store it is.

Another thing comes to mind... "If you don't like the prices here, you're not obligated to shop here."

But keeping the e-cig community aware of this is one thing. Getting to the newbies is another.