Mall ecig kiosk fail

[Empress Kitty]

So I'm at the mall and what do I see? "Vapor Corp. Fifty-One ecig"
I walk up and begin a dialog where he offers to let me try it. (it tasted awful but hey taste is subjective) I proceeded to ask him a few questions:

How much?
His Answer: $100+ for their kit (noPCC and he had no idea what a PCC is)

How long does the battery last?
His answer: 6 hours of use (he then elaborated that each drag is a use so 6 hours worth of drags)

I become more and more skeptical as this unit is a auto batt the size of a l88b but I ask another question

Why is there no TH? Do you use all VG or is it a VG/PG mix or is it PG?

His answer: throat feeling only happens in the higher mg of nic and you can stop now because I have no idea what PG or VG are.

I tried to explain but he didn't seem to get it. I also explained that $100+ for that kit is insane it's 2 batts 5 cartos a charging cable and a NON PCC case WTF? I also told him about my ego and how I refill my cartos with juice and his response is" EWW juice in your mouth?!"
These places are overpriced undereducated and the product is crap. Sigh end rant

 

[dormouse]

Yup. Nothing will discourage them though. They will keep ripping off people as long as there are smokers.

 

[SABOTEUR]

Your post brings to mind how I feel about my GPS. When using it locally, it inevitably plans routes that I never use because I'm familiar with my area; I know faster, less congested routes. But the GPS is invaluable to me if I'm traveling somewhere I've never been. On those occasions, I don't particularly care what route it chooses as long as I get where I want to go.

Mall kiosks work pretty much the same way. The majority of people who visit ECF know they can purchase quality equipment and juice at reasonable prices from a variety of vendors online. But for the guy who's never heard of e-cigarettes, mall kiosks...as inferior as they are...provide a useful service in introducing them to the world of vaping. If nothing else, they may peak someone's interest enough to prompt them to investigate further on the internet...

...where they may hopefully avoid low quality, overpriced, ONLINE vendors.

 

[bangnail]

Yep. So i'm at the mall, see a 51 Trio, hundred bucks with one batt, one atty, charger, and six cartridges, and the thing hit wicked harsh like a dried out cartridge will do. (occurs to me now that the cart was probably almost empty, and that the kiosk guy was just pretending to put fresh carts on the demo, so i'll probably wind up with syphilis.) Each cartridge was equal to a pack and a half of analogs according to the guy. Did i rush right home, surf 'till i found ECF, and learn the score? Nope. I bought that 51 (actually it works pretty well with some juice in it). A crooked path maybe, but it lead me to the light.

 

[SABOTEUR]

A crooked path maybe, but it lead me to the light.

(smiling)
My point exactly.

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Saboteur,
That's how I ended up here, bought a No7 kit on line for to much money, reordered some more batteries and carts as I was getting used to not smoking and liking it. Stuff didn't get to me quick enough and I ran out on a weekend. tried one of the 2 analogs I had left, 2 drags and I tossed both of them. Off to the mall to get anything to get me through the weekend and bought a smoking anywhere starter kit and some extras. Way to much money but I didn't smoke an analog and they gave me a lifetime warranty on the batteries.

2 weeks later I'm looking on line for more pieces for the SE kit and don't want to go back to the mall and pay those prices again, started searching the web for information on them and thanks to Dormouse found out they were rn4081, did a quick search and found Aqua Vapor 30 min from my house.

Been happy ever since, still using the 4081 and smoke free for almost 4 months, I like the small ones and keep two batteries on charge all the times. Use a pt at my desk and batteries in the shop.

 

[SABOTEUR]

I purchased my first kit online and stuck with it for 2 years, but the darn thing was so unreliable I quit vaping in frustration.

Two things brought me back:

• 7Eleven stores began selling e-cigs. But I was right back to what prompted me to quit...poor battery performance.

• Then I discover the mall kiosk selling similar, supposedly better kits. Same problem. I find myself with batteries all over the place. Some work, some don't, none of 'em hold a decent charge.

I find myself literally sucking on dead batteries, dreading the possibility of smoking again, so...you guessed it...I go back online. I discover the Joye eGo and take a chance. Exactly what the doctor ordered! One battery holds a consistent charge for a minimum 6-8 hours.

Lovely.

It's 9:20pm on the East Coast as I post. I've been using the same battery since 6am this morning. Been vaping all day long.

My point...if not for 7Eleven and the Smoke Everywhere mall kiosk, I wouldn't have been motivated to give vaping one more try.

I would never have found my eGo.

 

[tearose50]

Well stated Saboteur.

I'm sure we can all say similar about alot of different products -- cheaper on line....and takes some energy and a bunch of research (or referrals) to find the best products and deals.....or that's at least what we are led to believe, tho it is not always true....

 

[Winkos]

You are so right- such a rip-off.

 

[Empress Kitty]

In a case like that where you do more research fine, I'm just worried about the many who won't keep at it and think either "vaping is a scam" "vaping won't work for me" " it too expensive" etc. I think I may order some ECF business cards and hand them out near the kiosk I want ppl to vape but I want them to not be taken advantage of by opportunists either

 

[wv2win]

Your post brings to mind how I feel about my GPS. When using it locally, it inevitably plans routes that I never use because I'm familiar with my area; I know faster, less congested routes. But the GPS is invaluable to me if I'm traveling somewhere I've never been. On those occasions, I don't particularly care what route it chooses as long as I get where I want to go.

Mall kiosks work pretty much the same way. The majority of people who visit ECF know they can purchase quality equipment and juice at reasonable prices from a variety of vendors online. But for the guy who's never heard of e-cigarettes, mall kiosks...as inferior as they are...provide a useful service in introducing them to the world of vaping. If nothing else, they may peak someone's interest enough to prompt them to investigate further on the internet...

...where they may hopefully avoid low quality, overpriced, ONLINE vendors.

I agree to a point. I even understand that they have to charge more to cover their overhead. What I don't like is that they could offer much better devices and still make a profit but choose not to. And for every one interested smoker who sees the possibilities and ends up here and finds much better options, I think there are nine smokers who last less than a week, label vaping a "scam" and go back to smoking.

 

[Empress Kitty]

I agree to a point. I even understand that they have to charge more to cover their overhead. What I don't like is that they could offer much better devices and still make a profit but choose not to. And for every one interested smoker who sees the possibilities and ends up here and finds much better options, I think there are nine smokers who last less than a week, label vaping a "scam" and go back to smoking.

My point exactly! <333 WV2win!

~Kitty

 

[trwww]

as a small business owner... just to show you the other side of the coin, mall kiosks are pretty expensive and if you have an employee tending it you have to pay them too. They probably don't pay much less than we do for the stock, too. Not saying its right, but you do have to factor that in.

 

[Empress Kitty]

this place was/is commission based pay i believe but i get your point Trwww still its a HUGE mark up on a crappy product

 

[SABOTEUR]

What I don't like is that they could offer much better devices and still make a profit but choose not to.

I agree. I'm not disputing that, but you're "preaching to the choir". You're sharing with informed users who are already aware that there are better alternatives.

But it's an alternative nonetheless.

Case in point. My supervisor is aware that I vape and she wanted information on how to obtain an e-cig for an unemployed relative with a vicious smoking habit. The caveat was, she didn't want to purchase online; she wanted an easily accessible way that either she or her relative could make purchases. At the time, that limited her options to...ONE.

The mall kiosk.

Sometimes a crappy alternative is better than none at all.

And for every one interested smoker who sees the possibilities and ends up here and finds much better options, I think there are nine smokers who last less than a week, label vaping a "scam" and go back to smoking.

Heck, "informed" users arrive at the same conclusion. Wouldn't matter WHAT type of equipment they owned or where they purchased it. For whatever reason, vaping does not provide them satisfaction equal to what they derived from smoking. My wife tried vaping; it doesn't appeal to her.

Some smokers have expressed to me they think e-cigs are a novelty. An electronic toy. These people aren't likely to invest time researching online, but a mall kiosk or a convenience store display might catch their eye.

"Hmmm...let me try one of those things..."

Sometimes, a crappy alternative is better than none at all.

 

[SABOTEUR]

Sorry to "beat a dead horse" but I have one other observation. Like it or not, vapers DO tend to be a bit elitist. We think that just because we do our homework, there should be no place for those devices we deem inferior.

But, just like there's a market for expensive smart phones, there's ALSO a market for "disposable" phones.

I own a disposable phone.

Suits my purposes nicely.

 

[amrnation]

Yeah I dunno I tend to actually route for the mall kiosk guys. They seem to be the only ones really getting these massively noticed on a large scale.

even if 1/5 people after they purchase do research and eventually get better batterys and keep vaping = awesome.

I use to be a mall security supervisor when i was 20 in college. Mall estate isnt cheep, I'm sure these kits could be slightly cheeper but with the economy and how much renting a space in the mall costs I sincerly doubt they could stay open long at the price of normal 510 batterys. Things proabbaly could be different between mall kiosk vendors though I dont doubt.

Its not so much the mall kiosks I think we should publically castrate as more of the free offer tv and radio trials. :/

 

[SABOTEUR]

Its not so much the mall kiosks I think we should publically castrate as more of the free offer tv and radio trials. :/

(gritting teeth)

The tv ads with the people who look like they've never smoked a cigarette in their lives?

Guess there's a place for them too.

(forcing back vomit)

*Note to self: Sometimes it's best to keep my elitist opinions to myself.

 

[DonG]

judging by the way kiosk venders answer questions, they themselves probably do not know that there are better product options available which could probably be sold at somewhat less cost, with better profit margin, and provide a better "service" to their customers.

 

[Robby]

I was ripped off by smoke fifty one also, but it did work when the cart wasnt running out. So i researched E cigs and ended up modding it with blue foam and a spring and it held me over till my Joye 510 kit arrived. It IS useable if you buy liquid but otherwise the mall lady said equal to 1 to 2 packs LOL no way. The booklet even says 7 cigs. I can understand how ppl would get frustrated when they think oh this will get me through the day but end up using 4 carts a day and spending alot of money for them. That lady just wanted her commission and wouldve told me lie after lie and thats a shame.