Intro to vaping rip-off challenge

[L33R0Y]

Anyone else with fond memories of starting out? Yes retail has an easy warranty, but does it count if you have a back up or two....
I started with a ice cig, basic auto battery and 1ml tank at $25 Bought 3 of these
Found a magnet ecig also auto 2.5ml and got stung $80
Then Kanger Pro tank Mini II v2 $25, EVOD Twist (copy) $40, 5-pack 2.5ohm coils $20 and wanted $10 for a charger I had already.
All 3 are on par with such a small demand here in Oz from a local shopfront.
Then I found FT and within and week of placing 3 orders plus another juice order I'm in over a grand. But worth every cent
I appreciate good service and knowledge, it's part of the package. And if you need something right away fair enough.
Do you just factor in local prices, think back to after your purchase when you found your set-up for half price online....

 

[Susan~S]

Yea, I remember those days. Back in 2006 the only kits I remember being available were white short batteries with tan cartomizers. 2 batteries, 5 cartridges and a charger was $100.00. All the kits were $100.00 And as new products were added you had to keep track of what type of connection your battery supported -- 510, 801, 805, 901, 910. I don't even remember them all. All I remember was that I had lots of adapters, lots of chargers, and every new kit or devise that came out costed ....................... ding.ding.ding ..... $100.00. Actually, I think I paid close to $150 for a puresmoker. I even remember boiling/soaking in alcohol my cartridges to clean the coils. And I remember sucking in lots of juice. Flooding was a common occurrence. Don't miss those days at all!

Looking back, I'm amazed that I stuck with vaping through all those trials and tribulations.

 

[p7willm]

I have just the opposite. I walked into the vaping store that opened a few blocks from me and found a bunch of friendly helpful people. Answer questions and discouraged me from buying the cool stuff until I had tried and decided to continue. Their starter kit included 2 batteries, a pair of clearos, charger, and USB cable (a nice one that had a coiler built in) $40.

Of course I have since spent hundreds there but still love it.

 

[cbabbman]

Yea, I remember those days. Back in 2006 the only kits I remember being available were white short batteries with tan cartomizers. 2 batteries, 5 cartridges and a charger was $100.00. All the kits were $100.00 And as new products were added you had to keep track of what type of connection your battery supported -- 510, 801, 805, 901, 910. I don't even remember them all. All I remember was that I had lots of adapters, lots of chargers, and every new kit or devise that came out costed ....................... ding.ding.ding ..... $100.00. Actually, I think I paid close to $150 for a puresmoker. I even remember boiling/soaking in alcohol my cartridges to clean the coils. And I remember sucking in lots of juice. Flooding was a common occurrence. Don't miss those days at all!

Looking back, I'm amazed that I stuck with vaping through all those trials and tribulations.

sounds like my experience EXACTLY!

 

[Tomthern]

Yes my first cigalike was $130 and it really wasn't what I wanted. Then I did go to a B&M and got an ego and all the fixings for $60. Got a vamo and spent more and just got an MVP 2. Plus tanks. I know now I could have gotten cheaper online. I will buy my next MVP 2 that way but I need to try before I buy. This has worked and I want to keep it going. I know I am not spending a lot but I like the service and when people spend time explaining everything. That might make me more stone age but its been a few months now. I have bought juices online so I am getting there.

 

[tj99959]

I walked into the only vape shop in town back then (now there are 12), and the guy spent about 2 hours telling me all about a "latest & greatest" eGo-T kit that cost $74.00. Funny, but that was $10 more than I had paid a week before for a carton of smokes, so damn I thought that eGo was expensive. However, what really sticks in my mind was that first bottle of juice. It was called "Red and White", and it tasted just like siphoning a gas tank.

 

[Yohkos]

I know I will pay a little more at a B&M, but it is less risky if the owner is ethical and will work with me if the product goes awry and also answer any questions. But as I have become more knowledgeable, thanks to this forum, I am comfortable buying supplies online at a cheaper price. I bought my sigelei Zmax (my first big mod) at the B&M for twice the online price in my 2nd month of vaping. I was so upset by this, it took me another couple of months before I even took the time to get to know my Zmax, which I now love. Vaping can be very expensive, at least for me and paying more really gives me buyers remorse sometimes. As I have become more experienced and learned to do more research, it is up to me if it is more advantageous to wait or get it from the B&M.

What really irritates me when it comes to B&M personnel, is their lack of knowledge. I use to think they were so smart, but they seem to have become stagnant in their knowledge of vaping supplies. It blows me away that they don't keep up with new products or products that are coming out. If I owned a local B&M or even an online shop, I would get involved with the the forums, youtube videos and novabroasting. It makes no sense to me not to find out everything related to vaping, to bring your customers the very best you can.

Another thing, B&M's should not sell mechanicals and RDAs if they can't show the customer how to do a simple rebuild to use them. I had one B&M manger sit and show me how to rebuild an Octopus, my very first dripper, before he sold it to me. Their prices were a bit higher, but the shop was very clean. I don't know if I can mention the shop, but these types of shops that explain the use of their equipment and explain the differences from vg and pg, ect. are a godsend for newbies and experienced alike, and sometimes worth paying the little extra.

It becomes apparent which vaping stores in the local community are doing it to try to make lots of $ and how many are doing it because they have a real passion for vaping and spreading the word. With so many B&M's popping up in my community, it is only a matter of time that some of these B&M's will be closing their doors. It's obvious which ones will be a success and I will continue to pay a few extra dollars to help keep them here. So, for the B&M's owners and staff who don't bother to learn their product and probably never vaped anything beyond 0 nic, (possibly because they never smoked cigs), don't let the door hit your *&^ on the way out! We need owners online and in B&M who can relate to the challenges of quitting smoking and learning the world of vape. We need owners who are as passionate as we are.

 

[Giraut]

My experience was the opposite: I came into the store, knowing nothing about vaping, and having my mind set on finding a healthier cigarette (which vaping isn't). The helpful store owner gently tried to steer me towards a simple eGo battery with a decent clearo of some kind, but I insisted on buying a cigalike (a hateful eRoll). He obliged and sold it to me of course, but I should have listened to him. It would have saved me 2 or 3 weeks trying to figure out why the damn thing leaked all over the place and was being a constant PITA. I stuck to vaping because I don't give up things I try very easily, but only just.

What I'm saying is, whatever bad experience I may have had with my first vaping kit is entirely my own fault.

 

[txskimo]

I think my local shop is pretty good even though I've only been in there once. No clue what I was really even looking for other than I needed to quit dipping and smoking. The girl was really helpful and showed me several different kits and didn't even try to sell me the highest price one. I felt like such an idiot to be honest but hey if it means breaking old habits so be it. Price wise I spent about 20 bucks more than what I found it online for but that extra money was well spent in customer service I couldn't have received from an online vendor.

 

[gt_1955]

Well, I reckon you guys who have B&M available to you to look and feel before buying have it made. In almost all parts of OZ, we have to rely on word of mouth and internet buying. If you are not a member of a forum, it's even worse.

 

[Mogy]

I bought an ego t kit back in 2011 for $60 or so.. It did not really do for me and went back to stinkies.. The batteries are still working ok even tough i dont use em.

 

[Red Dornack]

I bought my first e-cig in a small tobacco shack across from the mall I use to work at. I was a heavy smoker and asked for the strongest thing they had. I ended up with a cigalike with 4 refills that 'should last you a week each.' It cost me a little over $50. I was done with all the refills by the end of the night.

Went to a real B&M shortly after, got into ego's and never went back to that tobacco shack again. I keep it around still (although it barely has any juice in it) to show my friends the difference between a real e-cig and a gas station cigalike.

Overall it still got me interested in vaping, so I don't regret it at all.