Issue with many vape shops...

[EIHYPI]

I took a trip to the vape shop that I frequent yesterday evening. I head inside and it seems like there are some young guys there. One of asks his friend if he should I buy another mech"? Immediately I figured there's got to be something wrong there because this person even looked underage. I asked him for how long have he been using a mech. He says, he got my first one two months ago. I asked him if he knows ohms law and battery safety and he says yeah. It wasn't really my problem but I decided to ask him if that he has a battery that is 20A, how many watts can he go up to on it. Now that's a question any person using a regulated mod should know but the guy had no clue. I stressed to him that anyone using a mech mod needs to know ohms law and battery safety fully. He then argued back and said that if he buys a mech all he needed to know is that individual mod, what batteries he's using and to how they fit his needs. That made no sense whatsoever obviously. He said that the only reason why his friends mech blew up is because he attached an atti that uses factory coils. To him that was the only thing that can cause a mod to blow. He showed me his rda. I asked him what build he is on and he said 24G Kanthal 5 wraps and showed it to me. Since he had a regulated mod too, I asked him how many watts he goes up to with that build. He told me he can go up to 200W with it. I explained to him that there's a limit to how much a build can take and 200W is too much and showed him the limit using the app Vape Tool that showed under 100W using the coil calculator. He says that he can go up to 200 because that's what a guy in another vape told him and just wouldn't listen. When I showed him my rda he told me that he has the same build. Meanwhile he didn't bother asking me what build it was but because it looked to same to him so it had to be the same in his head. But mine is 22G 6 wraps. Big difference.

I feel that vape shops are generally looking for the sale first, definitely not the wellbeing on the customer, especially when it comes to the younger crowd. Even though user discretion is advised, that usually applies to people who knows what they are doing and not the young croud with where it's about being "cool". Generally speaking, it someone buys an rda, they knows about them already, or with a newbie they're going do all the research they need to know to have a proper safe build and they understand or will eventually understand what they're doing hopefully. That is because they will seek info on a particular thing they are unsure of. But the younger crowd and some others choose to have the cool thing so that they look good and smart in front of their friends. They don't understand that if someone buys something there is usually a user guide, owners manual etc. but with electronic cigarettes there's more than just click - fire.

Vape shop employees usually or should know their own stuff they are selling and that is usually or hopefully the case. It's their responsibility if they sell their products and they sell it to someone without proper knowledge for example a mech. I don't think this applies only to the younger crowd but it's a big issue going on. I don't know if this issue can be taken care of or if it can then how but it can be fatal especially if a "cool" kid thinks mechs are cool like the example I say yesterday evening.

Sorry for the rambling but I do think I touched on an issue that is very obvious that it's going on in the vaping world, with vape shops being a big culprit. Not "all" shops are like this but there are a great deal that are.

 

[VictorViper]

Most vape shops are utter garbage. Thankfully the bad ones are mostly struggling (at least where I am) due to market oversaturation and the fad element of vaping dying down. I don't give bad shops my money, and that's a hard rule.

Having a good shop available is a huge benefit though, I will say that. My shop of choice is informed, enthusiastic, and above all, consultative. They're also a 4 minute walk away (bonus). I don't think I've ever seen them proactively offer a mech to anyone (they keep a small collection of high end authentics) who didn't inquire first, and I've witnessed first hand how they handle "ooh that's pretty, what's that?" as compared to "wow, I've never seen this in the wild, how much?". Doesn't take much to sniff out a rank novice, and pushing mechanical devices on unprepared consumers is a losing business strategy to begin with.

 

[jfcooley]

Depends where you are I suppose.

I have 2 that I shop. Ones closer and offers more juice, the others much further and better selection (more advanced) of hardware. I've shipped while they've sold and listened. Both shops showed patience, although both sold a new vaper sub ohm kits. Both explained the kits pretty thoroughly though. Neither sell mech, although both owners/managers use mechanical mods. One has offered me mechs for sale but I've passed.

Only one has a younger crowd every now and again. I noticed they were polietand all were using regulated. I'm not an overly personable type until I know you so they kept to themselves.

I agree with what your saying, just haven't witnessed it myself.

 

[EIHYPI]

I was basing a lot in the experience I had with this guy/kid who actually had a mech but knew nothing about it. How did he get it... Where I live its a very populated area so I can safely assume that if he had one, others may be in his situation too. But I'm not just trying to emphasize about mechanicals, rather the misinformation that people have that is utterly rediculous and a lot of that can stem from a shop selling someone something where learning about the is way above their heads. That can be why it's suggested by so many people to start with a Nautilus and a Pico for example. It's hard to go wrong there.

 

[VictorViper]

We need to get past "sub-ohm" as a dirty word. Plenty out there for new vapers to try without having to resort to low builds on mechs. MTL isn't something that works for everyone.

 

[Tonee N]

I'm fortunate to have 2 great stores near me, same owners.
They do not push sales and neither do their employees. The only people that come in to by mech's are the people that already own them(older crowd).
They are really helpful with new vapers, one on one with each customer to make sure they are buying what will work best for them and not pushing what won't.

Sent from the future

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

There's a local Facebook buy/sell/trade group in my area. It's dominated by one vape shop that sells trendy gear, trendy liquids and several clone mechanicals. The shop also sells "high drain batteries" that are purple in color and claim 40A capability at 3000mah.

Y'all can probably guess the battery brand/model.

Those batteries and devices are dangerous together, and I've pointed this out to the group owner/moderator and his reply was a long version of caveat emptor. I wouldn't darken the door of that joint if they had the last cartomizer on the planet.

There's a very good vape shop 18 miles away. I visit often because I go that way a couple of times a week. Great staff. Good stock of gear, both trendy and not. I bought one of my Pico 75's there a few months ago and always buy something when I stop in. There's always several people in the shop (lots of tourists).

There's a third vape shop that's owned by a gal I know in a town across the bay from me. She's super knowledgeable and always helpful, but she's in a high visibility, high rent location and her pricing reflects the overhead. I always buy something there too. When I go in there though... I'm the only person there. I don't think that one's gonna last long. That's painful because she's a great lady.

Three different stores; three different stories. My bet is that my brother--the personal injury plaintiff's attorney--negotiates a hefty settlement with the first one after some clueless newbie dang near blows his fool head clear off.

 

[jfcooley]

We need to get past "sub-ohm" as a dirty word. Plenty out there for new vapers to try without having to resort to low builds on mechs. MTL isn't something that works for everyone.

Honestly I wouldn't have continued to vape if I would have been steered towards an MTL set up.

Nothing wrong with them but I'm a quick(ish) learner and would have struggled.

 

[VictorViper]

My personal experience could be summed up pretty easily:

I made MTL work.
DL works.

It's the vaper's spectrum, man. I like to dip into MTL territory just as some like to dip into DL and we see stalwarts of their own vape preferences and build styles all the time.

The conversation should be: how do we truly disseminate the information to people effectively so they can be informed easily, and expect some degree of understanding for their first (and perhaps even subsequent) purchases? And how do we get the vape industry on board? Because the short answer is that you regulate the ever loving out of it. And well, do you trust the suits?

I love this conversation.

 

[jfcooley]

No, I don't.

Problem is those ships are in a struggle to survive. One I go to completely escapes me as to how they stay in business.

Obviously that conversation could lead to later more substantial and consistent sales. I'm afraid that many shops realize the overhead is about to fall on their heads and make a hard choice. I'd image some sleep well enough with their choices, not seeing the bigger picture. Others probably stay awake at night worrying about bills because they made the right decisions to not push something for the sake of the hobby/NRT aspects/common sense.

That kid in the OP made someone money.

Imagine online sales. How many kids are seeing what Jimmy had and just heading online and purchasing without bothering to research at all. I mean, all they have to do is click "Over 18" and they're in. Doesn't have to be just B&Ms that are responsible.

Hope that makes sense. NyQuil & worn out.

 

[suprtrkr]

I took a trip to the vape shop that I frequent yesterday evening. I head inside and it seems like there are some young guys there. One of asks his friend if he should I buy another mech"? Immediately I figured there's got to be something wrong there because this person even looked underage. I asked him for how long have he been using a mech. He says, he got my first one two months ago. I asked him if he knows ohms law and battery safety and he says yeah. It wasn't really my problem but I decided to ask him if that he has a battery that is 20A, how many watts can he go up to on it. Now that's a question any person using a regulated mod should know but the guy had no clue. I stressed to him that anyone using a mech mod needs to know ohms law and battery safety fully. He then argued back and said that if he buys a mech all he needed to know is that individual mod, what batteries he's using and to how they fit his needs. That made no sense whatsoever obviously. He said that the only reason why his friends mech blew up is because he attached an atti that uses factory coils. To him that was the only thing that can cause a mod to blow. He showed me his rda. I asked him what build he is on and he said 24G Kanthal 5 wraps and showed it to me. Since he had a regulated mod too, I asked him how many watts he goes up to with that build. He told me he can go up to 200W with it. I explained to him that there's a limit to how much a build can take and 200W is too much and showed him the limit using the app Vape Tool that showed under 100W using the coil calculator. He says that he can go up to 200 because that's what a guy in another vape told him and just wouldn't listen. When I showed him my rda he told me that he has the same build. Meanwhile he didn't bother asking me what build it was but because it looked to same to him so it had to be the same in his head. But mine is 22G 6 wraps. Big difference.

I feel that vape shops are generally looking for the sale first, definitely not the wellbeing on the customer, especially when it comes to the younger crowd. Even though user discretion is advised, that usually applies to people who knows what they are doing and not the young croud with where it's about being "cool". Generally speaking, it someone buys an rda, they knows about them already, or with a newbie they're going do all the research they need to know to have a proper safe build and they understand or will eventually understand what they're doing hopefully. That is because they will seek info on a particular thing they are unsure of. But the younger crowd and some others choose to have the cool thing so that they look good and smart in front of their friends. They don't understand that if someone buys something there is usually a user guide, owners manual etc. but with electronic cigarettes there's more than just click - fire.

Vape shop employees usually or should know their own stuff they are selling and that is usually or hopefully the case. It's their responsibility if they sell their products and they sell it to someone without proper knowledge for example a mech. I don't think this applies only to the younger crowd but it's a big issue going on. I don't know if this issue can be taken care of or if it can then how but it can be fatal especially if a "cool" kid thinks mechs are cool like the example I say yesterday evening.

Sorry for the rambling but I do think I touched on an issue that is very obvious that it's going on in the vaping world, with vape shops being a big culprit. Not "all" shops are like this but there are a great deal that are.

I wish I could like this one more than once. (Sigh). You have done all you can. If they won't listen, they won't. I hate it because it gives vaping a bad name, but the small-l libertarian in me understands the only cure for this is Darwin. Just don't go back there. That way you won't have to watch it happen.

 

[suprtrkr]

I wouldn't darken the door of that joint if they had the last cartomizer on the planet.

Smart, dude. Very.

 

[suprtrkr]

The conversation should be: how do we truly disseminate the information to people effectively so they can be informed easily, and expect some degree of understanding for their first (and perhaps even subsequent) purchases? And how do we get the vape industry on board? Because the short answer is that you regulate the ever loving out of it. And well, do you trust the suits?

^^^This^^^

Yes, that is the question, although I like to think we're doing some good here. We can't reach them all, but we get some of them and that is a net benefit no matter how you slice it. And, of course, you're correct. We can't trust the suits at all, or the industry to put people before profit. Therefore, whatever the answer may be, it isn't regulation.

 

[DeAnna2112]

It's all about the money, i was sold a unregulated mod when i first started out and thought my lungs would never heal...went right back the next day to return it..with a attitude. A young guy telling me how it was such a nice setup, that should have been a sign. I had no business, as i learned with time, to have that kind of setup. That was one hard lesson that could have been worse. My lungs were hurting for days it just scorched my lungs. Had no clue as to what i was doing or what i was using and the dangers it involved. Glad to say, i am happy with my provari with a kabuki tank, yes i am a tootle puffer and quite happy with that.

 

[ENAUD]

some people learn things best the hard way, back when I was still sky diving we had a saying, stupid should be painful, often times it is just that...

 

[Tonee N]

When to walk out of a B&M.

Customer- "What does that flavor taste like?"
Clerk- "It smells great!".

Sent from the future

 

[IgnorantCig]

There are a number of vape shops where I live, but I haven't been in one in years!

I just don't see the point or the need. I order my vape hardware online and I order my juice online. The prices aren't just a little bit cheaper, they're a lot cheaper, and the selection is better, as a vape shop will not always have what you are looking for.

I also don't see the point in testing flavors at a vape shop, because it'll be on hardware & coils that you are not using, so it's kind of hard to tell how the juice will be in your own hardware & coils.

 

[Bosco]

That pretty much applies to every online store, though. I have ordered mechs (not in a long time, though), rdas, batteries, etc - no shop has ever reached out to make sure I understand how to use what I'm ordering. There might be some printed guidance in the product box but I assume you get that same thing when buying from a B&M. I imagine a decent percentage of mech users do not really understand battery safety issues.

Luckily .. and don't kill me for saying this, lol . . .it's not THAT dangerous. That's why so many people have them and don't know about battery safety . .it's actually pretty hard to blow up a battery just because your coil is too low resistance. People seem to act like it's install coil, press fire button, immediately blow face off . . but it actually doesn't really happen that way. If it did mech mods would never have become popular.

Personally, I'm more concerned about a fire from a cheap regulated device charging on usb or a car charger or something.

 

[listopencil]

I only buy batteries from vape stores and I check to make sure that they are authentic. I like having a place where I can easily return defective or fake batteries. I bought a Vision Spinner from a place in Sacramento back in 2012. I liked it a lot but i dropped it a billion times, so I bought an Innokin iTazte VV 3.0 a few months later in Chico which was much closer to my home. After looking online I realized that I had been badly ripped off both times. I bought a second VV from My Vapor Store for less than half the price I paid for the first one and I was on my way. Nowadays I only get dragged into vape shops by friends/family to help them find equipment. Usually what happens is that I bash the guy behind the counter (not really fair to a guy working part time at a minimum wage position) because he knows nothing about the gear he's selling. I dig through what the stores have until I get an idea of what they want and then go show them to where to buy the right stuff online. Two instances that stand out as to why I do that:

1) I was looking for a SS tank for my original Nautilus and the guy assured me that they had one...sold me a SS tank for a Nautilus Mini. I handed it back to him explaining the problem and then he swore that there was no such thing as a SS tank for an original Nautilus. I opened my phone and showed it to him in stock on a website and he was flabbergasted. The price plus shipping was still lower than what they were asking. I laughed at him and left.

2) While looking to upgrade my batteries I called the same shop because I was going to be going by them on the way to a party. He said that they had LG HG2's rated for 40 Amp pulse discharge and a 4500 mAh capacity. He insinuated that the 40 Amp pulse was what was important because you "pulse" batteries when you vape them. They were a good price so I waited until I got to the shop to explain to him that he was full of crap, but that I'd be buying the batteries anyway because the actual specs were what I needed and I simply ignored his embellishments.

This store I am talking about is the most successful one in its town and is generally regarded as the best store available in the area.

 

[RainSong]

There are a number of vape shops where I live, but I haven't been in one in years!

I can’t say years yet but I haven’t been in a vape shop in almost a year. I found out I *could* do everything on my own for a fraction of the cost and I was all in. I am not a fan of the push of DL cloud chuckers on newbies, like reading stories on the new member board of people with compromised lung function being sold high wattage/airflow devices. Come on now, granny can barely breathe, wants to quit smoking by trying a new fangled e-cig and you sell her a fog machine and 3mg nic?