How do I report a site that sold vape equipment to a minor?

[Yayagal]

I recently found out that my nephew was buying vape equipment covertly from VapeNW. He's fifteen. I found out because a package from the company arrived at his family's house while I was housesitting. I knew it was his because no one in the family uses tobacco, and I'd heard scuttlebutt a few days before about his mother finding vape equipment in his room. I confronted him, told him I was returning the package, and keep it between us. (He's a good kid and has never gotten into trouble.)

Problem is, I now find I cannot get in touch with VapeNW. I've sent emails with no response. I've left phone messages that aren't returned. I've tried calling during their supposed business hours, to find the phone doesn't connect and all I get is loud music with no message or indication that anyone is answering. They seem to be uninterested in actually communicating with their customers.

Has anyone else had trouble with contacting this company? I'm going to keep trying, but if they continue to stonewall me, I'm going to have to escalate this. Any ideas on how to get through to these people? Should I call law enforcement, or is there some other avenue I should take first?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[puffon]

How did he get a credit card being 15yrs old?

 

[r77r7r]

The people that join the forum to make a single post, or two, have the most interesting news. Why is that?

 

[Marc411]

A couple things:

There is no way for an online business to validate that someone is misrepresenting their age when purchasing products with a credit card. No reasonable person would believe that a 15 year old would have access to a credit card. Make VapeNW aware of the purchase, give them the order number off the receipt and the shipping name/address, they will blacklist it in their system.

Keeping it between you and him in my opinion is a bad move, his parents should know what he has done and hold him accountable. I say this because not only is he going behind their back but the question needs to be asked regarding the use of a credit card.

You want to hold the seller responsible when the parents and the minor are really accountable for his actions.

 

[Letitia]

^ This

 

[Vchick]

Return to sender - mark addressee is underage

 

[stols001]

Well, I've known 15 year olds to have credit cards. Not always their own. It's possible he just used one of his parents cards, and info and etc.

I would NOT keep this from his parents, honestly. It could be their card, or the card of a friend's parents, and etc. This makes no sense to me, I can understand wanting to be a "cool uncle" but that sentiment is ridiculous. You need to inform his parents, give them the package, and let them take care of it.

Given the current vaping climate, well, I'm not totally shocked that an email saying, "You sold a minor vape equipment how do I get it back to you?" would be ignored, honestly given the current vaping climate and the FDA cracking down on minor sales. You also don't know that they KNOWINGLY sold to a minor, if he's up for identity theft.

You are doing NO ONE any favors at ALL by keeping it quiet, and are effectively endorsing his deviant behavior, instead of informing his parents of his actions, and letting them deal with it.

If my son had an "uncle" like this (he doesn't) and I, as a parent, found out later? I would be furious, with the kid for sure but also with YOU. I don't know if you have kids or teens, but letting this go would be a grave mistake.

I'm not trying to rag on you, but you do realize identity theft and minor vaping is a crime. Forget about Vapewild, proceed directly to his PARENTS, and BACK AWAY. It' s not your kid, you have no right to do this (on so many levels, I don't even know how to list them). I'm sure you are well intentioned, your behavior is as bad as your nephews, and you are the ADULT.

Come on now.

Anna

 

[Rossum]

How did he get a credit card being 15yrs old?

A pre-paid card?

A debit card linked to a bank account in his name?

There is no way for an online business to validate that someone is misrepresenting their age when purchasing products with a credit card.

What happened to "Blue Check" and similar services that were around in 2016?

 

[Beamslider]

I just checked out the VapeNW site and they don't seem to make any effort to verify age they don't even seem to tell you that you need to be over 18 or 21 to order. So their bad their. They can't assume that just because the purchase was a credit card it is ok.

But the kid was using someone's credit card. At 15 he can't have one issued in his name without an adult, a card company won't issue credit to him that way.

So the parents should be told by you but unless he used a stolen card, the card is probably his parents and they should be checking the purchases made on it.

Contact info for VapeNW
Phone: (253) 336-3718
• Address: 3828 Civic Center Dr #115 North Las Vegas, NV 89030

 

[Rossum]

You are doing NO ONE any favors at ALL by keeping it quiet, and are effectively endorsing his deviant behavior, instead of informing his parents of his actions, and letting them deal with it.

Delinquent? Maybe. But "deviant"?

I bet more than half the people here were smoking at age 15.

 

[puffon]

A pre-paid card?

A debit card linked to a bank account in his name?


What happened to "Blue Check" and similar services that were around in 2016?

Typically age verification doesn't work with pre-paid cards.
It didn't for me at another site, and had to provide DL.
A debit card in his name should also have been flagged, as your age is on record.
Either their AV failed, or there is more to the story.
Maybe the OP will come back and give some more info.....or not.

 

[Marc411]

What happened to "Blue Check" and similar services that were around in 2016?

I was unaware that this service existed, why aren't more sites using it?

I bet more than half the people here were smoking at age 15.

That's when I start but hell I could just walk into any convenient store or a 7/11 and buy them myself. My grandparents used to send me to pick up their Benson and Hedges

 

[puffon]

I was unaware that this service existed, why aren't more sites using it?

Every site I've used has had some form of AV for a couple years.

 

[Rossum]

I was unaware that this service existed, why aren't more sites using it?

I think in part because a lot of us adults rebelled against it. Send in a photo of my drivers license? Not gonna happen! There was one vendor who I'd dealt with for years that had it in place for a bit. I cancelled my order (which was only for some flavoring concentrates) and sent them an e-mail telling them they were losing my business. They quickly found a way around it for me.

But I think the other reason is that there's been darn little enforcement.

 

[Beamslider]

Indeed a scan of a Driver's license is a no go. Never going to do that. There are other age verify services that just check name, address and age info. Even those are a pain though

 

[AzPlumber]

Do we know if the OP is old enough to post in this forum? Could be his younger brat sister trying to stir up trouble.

 

[Myk]

Considering the age verification I have to go through to buy non-nicotine flavorings and wire the problem is obviously the kid. Punish the kid not the business he scammed.

 

[Beamslider]

I don't know if they do background check or anything else but I buy nicotine and flavoring from Nicotine River all the time. And they only make me check a box that certifies that I am over 21 as required by the state of CA.

That in most cases should be enough verification with a credit card.

 

[puffon]

I'd rather put up with any inconvenience of a AV, than pay the extra costs of signed adult delivery.
Only had to provide DL once. Blocked my photo and DL#, just leaving name, address and age.
Most vendors dumped "Blue Check" because they still wanted DL.
AgeChecker.net is now used, which works in the background, unless there is an issue.
https://agechecker.net/

 

[stols001]

Delinquent? Maybe. But "deviant"?

I'm talking more about the identity theft, honestly. Although if Vape Wild doesn't verify, yeah, I guess he could have saved up for a prepaid card at Walmart or something.

However, it's still deviant, if the moment his parents discovered him vaping, and he immediately found a way to purchase/obtain more. That's.... Well, maybe I will use a different D word, "Determined."

Still think going to the parents is the way to go. IDK, maybe my family was more cohesive or something, but there was not an uncle or aunt EVER who'd have been willing to enable that kind of behavior. Teens are hard ENOUGH.

Anna