Just came back from North Carolina, and Blus were everywhere

[Tempesta]

I just took a trip to North Carolina. At nearly every gas station and inconvenience store where I stopped, there was a prominent Blu display. One of the clerks told me that she sells a lot of them. A gas station in Virginia had a large Blu poster outside near the pumps--couldn't miss it. While I'm glad that PVs are getting better known, I'm saddened that a not-very-good product is getting all the attention and, perhaps, keeping people from finding a vape that they can stick with and doesn't cost the earth. I mean, $15 for 5 "flavor cartridges"? Really? Big tobacco is getting really aggressive now that they own a piece of the pie.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

There's always going to be a special place in my heart for that black stick with the Blu LED on the end. The flavor and experience I got from my first Blu disposables (and the njoy Kings, too) convinced me that I could quit smoking with them.

To this day, I still keep a bottle of Johnson Creek Red Oak Domestic on hand and it's part of my regular rotation.

And I don't care who owns Blu or any other e-cig maker.

 

[jwat82]

Makes sense. A higher than national average percentage of smokers, means a larger number of people looking for alternatives. I think MadVapes is based out of NC too.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 4

 

[ncargrl]

I'm actually surprised that we have so many choices here in NC to pick from....having said that, I prefer the NJoy full menthol over the Blu simply because the throat hit is better. I keep several as back ups when I go out.

 

[Myrany]

I was intrigued by the new cheaper starter setup recently so I picked one up (I use small cigalikes or egos when driving).

When it worked I liked it well enough. Unfortunately the new charging pack died within a week and now I am trying to get it replaced. There is no way to just buy a charger. I have since heard of 3 others on ECF that had the charging pack die in 2 weeks or less. SO I would have to say the quality isn't there. Not something I want to mess with.

 

[CommaHolly]

well,,,,,,smokers buy their cigs (many of them) at gas stations and convenience stores,,,,,,,,,it's a good place to snag smokers,,,,,,

hopefully they will start googling after they try them for something better,,,,,

that's what I did.

 

[NicoHolic]

Nobody can do marketing and distribution better than Big Tobacco. It's only the "not invented here" mentality of their leaders that's kept them coming out with a string of failed products instead of getting into this market earlier. Surely, Altria and Reynolds American can't be ignoring Lorillard's rapid move into e-cigarettes with Blu. I'd expect Halo and Smokeless Image to be prime acquisition targets for a quick foot in the door.

 

[Recon Number 54]

Cig-alikes are the "gateway device" for many who make the transition from smoking to vaping.

I may not admire the performance/price of them (or the "closed ecosystem" of their business model) especially from the viewpoint of a now educated consumer. I can not deny that they are an attractive and frequently taken transitional step for many smokers.

So, if they help ANYONE quit burning analogs, then I am willing to keep my negative statements about their performance/value/TCO to myself (or only speak about it with other educated consumers).

 

[Abstrusius]

I wonder what kind of chemicals they are putting inside the ecigs. I think this is cause for serious concern, after decades of smoking the crap they mix with tobacco.

 

[ScandaLeX]

well,,,,,,smokers buy their cigs (many of them) at gas stations and convenience stores,,,,,,,,,it's a good place to snag smokers,,,,,,

hopefully they will start googling after they try them for something better,,,,,

that's what I did.

Similar to what I did. Picked up a Blu at my neighborhood sandwich shop.
Lost interest in it rather quickly b/c I didn't feel like it was doing anything for me.
Googled vaping (I already knew this word--had been interested in vaping for a long time) and never looked back.

 

[NicoHolic]

So, if they help ANYONE quit burning analogs, then I am willing to keep my negative statements about their performance/value/TCO to myself (or only speak about it with other educated consumers).

I've never vaped a disposable or a cigalike, but I've not had much success getting friends and family to even look at something more difficult than one of them, even an ego with clearomizers. I came very close to buying a Smokeless Image Volt Pro Starter Kit while they were on sale for about $50 this past weekend, to try going a week with them myself (and I'm a sub-ohmmer) as well as having something to hand to someone to try. I just couldn't pull that trigger though.

 

[cocacola31173]

Well my first experience was with a Krave It E Cig. Really probably the bottom of the barrel but it did peak my interest to start doing research. Now 10 months later I have a Vamo 3 , several Vision Spinners and haven't had a cig since!

 

[mattiem]

I started this journey with a nic-stick brand kit bought from my local smoke shop. If I remember correctly the $30.00 kit came with 1 or it could have been 2 180 mAp batteries, an atomizer and 3 prefilled cartridges. It didn't come with a wallwart but did have the little charger that had a usb on one end and a 510 connection on the other.

The best thing I can say about it is that it showed me that this will work. I did my research and as they say "The rest is History"

 

[Asbestos4004]

I wonder what kind of chemicals they are putting inside the ecigs. I think this is cause for serious concern, after decades of smoking the crap they mix with tobacco.

Seriously????????

 

[Zipslack]

Convenience stores around here are carrying 3-4 brands in addition to Blu. One I was in earlier had V2, Blu, and Seneca. Seneca was only about $5.

 

[sinistergentlemen]

The reason for blu being everywhere is because the owner of blu whom we know personally is from Charlotte, NC and believe it or not he is not from a big tabacco company his bread and butter isn't even remotely related to tabacco.

 

[Anthal69]

I picked up my very first blu at a 7-11. I just got paid and said why not. They still aren't very popular around here (Oregon), but I'm sure glad I got it. I made the usual progression to a mod. If it wasn't at the store when I was ready, I'd still be killing myself on analogs. Let big tobacco sell their mostly inadequate cigalikes, most people who are serious about the switch will end up here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Moedog]

Blus and several similar brands have been advertised heavily on the radio in Charlotte for months. Still, I never see anyone using one....

 

[DebbieNY]

Well my first experience was with a Krave It E Cig. Really probably the bottom of the barrel but it did peak my interest to start doing research. Now 10 months later I have a Vamo 3 , several Vision Spinners and haven't had a cig since!

That's what I started with, too! Not the greatest menthol flavor, but it did the job for me while recovering from knee surgery (couldn't use the stairs to outside and smoke). Their cappuccino flavor disposable was like Heaven to me at the time, though: Coffee *and* a cigarette at the same time? Hell, yes, sign me up!!!

By the time I was able to get around better, I was tired of Krave It's limited cartridge flavor choices and bought an Apollo Extreme Kit, so that I could fill my own cartomizers. Seeing the more advanced options on their site and reading this forum led me to eGos. I'm quite happy with them right now, but I am eye-balling some of those VV/VW APVs for home use. I get the weirdest looks using an eGo already! LOL

 

[Myrany]

Blus and several similar brands have been advertised heavily on the radio in Charlotte for months. Still, I never see anyone using one....

That is what is odd. I KNOW from watching stock disappear off the shelves in Walgreens and convenience stores that SOMEONE must be using the NJoys and Blus but I have yet to see a vaper in the wild. The kids at the wanna be vape shop we have (a counter in the tattoo parlor) don't count. Only place you see them is inside the shop, never in the wild. THey also thing EGO batterys are "ADVANCED" and almost had a cow when I walked in with a REO.