new to ECF + dear newbies: do not buy from V2

[Phyre]

I too wanted an analog look a like when I started vaping. After about 2 weeks I started looking into something larger. I still reach for my smaller KR808 on occasions.
As far as auto vs manual.... I choose both. I prefer the manuals most times, but sometimes I may be doing something (moving furniture, washing the car, typing up my resume, etc...) that the auto battery comes in handy.
You could get either a 510 penstyle or a KR808 style PV.
If you're looking into a KR808, I'd suggest a starter kit from Smokeless Image. Their standard starter kit comes with 2 batteries (you choose what color/size/auto or manual), charger, and 5 pack of cartos for about $45. They also have a 5% discount code.
For a 510 penstyle, I'm not sure. I've never had one, but I do have an ego style battery (has a 510 connection). The good thing with the penstyle is that the parts from these should work on an ego if/when you decide to upgrade to something larger.

For what it's worth, most of the folks here are just trying to help you avoid the problems/issues they had when they started but ultimately it's really up to what feels comfortable for you.

 

[sailorman]

...
If you're looking into a KR808, I'd suggest a starter kit from Smokeless Image. Their standard starter kit comes with 2 batteries (you choose what color/size/auto or manual), charger, and 5 pack of cartos for about $45. They also have a 5% discount code.
...

I agree. If someone is hellbent on a mini-cig, the Volt is one of a very tiny handful that are even worth considering.
But probably the best thing is for the OP to go ahead and use the V2. She has the newbie initiation thing to go through and the quicker she gets through it, the better off she'll be in the long run. No sense prolonging the mini-cig misery by getting a Volt.

The funny thing about e-cigs is that, as a newbie, all you know is what feels comfortable for you to buy. But you don't know what feels comfortable to use, or what will taste good or what will work. That's just the way it is. You don't really know anything significant about what you want, only what you think you want before you've tried anything, and that is dictated largely by big marketing budgets. That's why mini-cig marketers can make the obscene profits they do.

There's an old saying in cynical marketing circles. You don't make any money selling a customer what he needs; the money is in selling him what he wants.

 

[MDO1265]

With all due respect, many smokers would agree that part of the addiction is the physical cigarette itself and the experience of holding it, drawing from it, etc.

I guess it was only a matter of time before someone would tell me what I should want, rather than accept that I want what I want right now, which is a replacement for an analog cigarette.... Perhaps down the line I will want something else, but the important thing for me right now is to stop smoking analog cigarettes, not be a pro-vaper, vaping expert, etc.

With regard to my original problem: if anyone can come up with all of the elements I listed here in the next 2 days, I might very well return the V2, but the final product should be about what I want, not what other people think I should want.

Edit: Oh, and for under $60, all inclusive.

Can we send you this quote when we see you sportin an Ego.... Lavatube... or even a provari in ummmmm... I'll say a 2 months.

Hahahaha... Just kiddin witcha !!! ( kinda sorta in a " you'll thank us later kinda way )

Im sure its been said by now but Im not going thru the whole thread... We all said the exact same thing " I want a CIG replacement, Not something that looks like a (MODERATED) !!! As I sit here typing this post, 3 months into vaping , toking on a Lavatube, looking at my Riva starting to collect a little dust... my Ego VV calling my name.....and eyeballing a PV2 or a used Darwin... hahahaha..... oh the milestones we reach !

Sharpi would be so proud of me !

How old is this thread anyhoo ??... Is she shoppin for a Prodigy yet ?

I kill myself.

 

[Tokumei]

And yet, I'm the one who put "newbies: do not buy" in the thread title....

Thanks to Phyre and morganmeltz for the concrete suggestions on alternatives. I am really looking into it and have 2 days or so to decide.

Sometimes I think people do it backwards.

Use the bigger, high voltage device with LR atty/cartos to get you off cigarettes. Once your cigarette addiction is gone, use a mini.

I use a mini when I go out, or go shopping or want to be inconspicuous. But my addiction isn't even close to what it was before I started vaping.

That's the bottom line. What's going to get you off cigs?

Thanks for making reference to voltage, rather than psychology, as to why the minis might not get me off the analogs.

What's going to get me off cigs? Well, not responding to my own thread might be a start.

 

[DC2]

With all due respect, many smokers would agree that part of the addiction is the physical cigarette itself and the experience of holding it, drawing from it, etc.

Most smokers think they know what they get, want, and need from smoking.
But there are new factors (that a smoker never even has to think about) that smack new vapers right upside the head.


The physical aspect is most definitely a big part of the addiction for many people.
And for some people, it just isn't as big a part of it as they thought it was.

But the idea of needing a cigarette-sized model is something that almost every new vaper thinks is going to be important.

As the following poll suggests, when it comes to getting off cigarettes, such factors usually pale in comparison...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ou-put-down-those-last-couple-cigarettes.html

The biggest factors tend to be things like...
--Finding a flavor that really makes you forget about cigarettes
--Getting more vapor by getting a unit that puts out more power
--Getting a battery that holds a charge for longer periods
--Various other factors having to do with convenience

Of course, you may very well be one of those who really does need that cigarette-sized feeling.
That seems to wind up being pretty important to about 7% of vapers.

The physical aspects of using a larger model are not be exactly the same as a cigarette-sized model.
But then, the physical aspects of using a cigarette-sized model are not the same as smoking a cigarette either.

So while many people do need that whole thing of something to hold in their hand and all that...
Most find out that it doesn't have to be a cigarette-sized model to replicate some or all of that feeling.

Good luck either way!

 

[bushmasterar15]

Welcome to ECF.

 

[Rymarski]

Rule of Thumb: generally, the more it looks like the real thing, the worse the performance.

But good luck, all the same.

QFT

I have tried so many different variants of PV's that look like the real thing, but so much worse in comparison to a VV or even an Ego-T.

 

[elfstone]

I confess, I only read a few posts, but WOW... What is it about the V2 that always raises such a hailstorm of posts?

Dolomite, welcome to the ECF and congratulations on your decision! Love the nick, btw.

All I want to say is that emotionally, I can't say a bad word about V2. I switched from 1 PAD to 0 cigarettes instantly with their kit. Can I really say more? No. Everything else has been said about what you only then discover that you really wanted and all that. Sure thing.

The bottom line is that unlike other "popular", fake-review fed options out there, V2 is a usable product and it works. And apparently everyone has a dingy, irrevocably poor initial choice.

The question is it really a poor choice if you do come off analogs?!!!

Maybe we are just too spoiled these days, take a look:

 

[JerryA]

I'm also new to ECF, happy to know i can connect with my fellow smokers/vapors all over the world! Just wanted to point out that when I was doing some research on the industry I did also hear some bad things about V2 shipping and customer service. But if you paid next day air and it has been over a week that is RIDICULOUS. I would cancel and go with another company, there are other brands out there!

 

[xbassman]

Hey dolomite!

Welcome to the forum....

Actually the V2 kit vapes just fine. I have one.
I believe the bats and cartos are Kangers.

The only issues other than price I have with them, are that the auto batteries aren't sealed.
If you are going to refill your own cartomizers that could become a problem.

Smokeless Image has some sealed auto batteries that resist e-juice getting into the battery.
I have one of those as well as a couple of sealed Kangers. (had to order those from China)
To get you through the day, you'll need a few bats, or 2 bats and a PCC or access to a charger.
That's what got me off of analogs!

that said.....
I am vaping on a KGO now.....

 

[imsoenthused]

The question is it really a poor choice if you do come off analogs?!!!

I agree with this sentiment kinda. If the v2 gets you off cigarettes, then it was a good choice. If the v2 gets to you to cut down on cigarettes, and then the model you upgrade to after it gets you to finally quit them I'm not so sure. My kr808d got me to believe in vaping, but I can't help but feel like it was kind of a waste of money fueled by my desire for a smaller device, since it was the ego style GoGo that I bought after it that really got me to quit. I discourage buying anything smaller than an ego as a first device, but that's not because I think everyone will follow that advice. I think it's good to say because maybe for the ones who ignore me and others and buy a mini device, just maybe, it will stick in their head and when they get that device, if they experience the same thing I did, they'll decide to try another, better PV instead of going back to smoking. Just my 2¢.

 

[Renzuli]

Welcome , but wv2win is right on , when it comes to your choices . Not much tinkering to do on those V2's . A Kgo , or an E-power , or even a Silver Bullet , will serve you a lot , longer , with more satisfaction . And lots of forum approved vendors to purchase from . Good luck . And most of all , know that you are not the only one to have trouble with bad customer service . It's happened to all of us , one time or another .

 

[sj74]

I became a VIP member with v2 after solely ordering from them for almost a year when I quit analogs. I'm still a VIP but will only on occasion order juice from them. They do have from what I have experienced in almost three years of vaping brutal stock outs, a higher doa % per pack, but I have had always had good customer service from them. Don't know what it is but I dig their menthol juice even for the price I will still buy it from time to time

I don't know what I would do if I didn't have an apv with an 18650 in my hand. Sure big mods but it is better than having about 6 of those 280mah batteries flashing away in my pocket. Lol.

 

[Street Trash]

I am going to say that my smokeless image kit kept me off analogues. I have moved into bigger things that don't look like cigarettes now, but would definitely recommend their kits as a good jump off point. I don't care for their juice much now though. I liked it a lot at first, but since trying out other juices I don't particularly care for it now.

 

[IVapus]

I literally researched for 2 months before I bought my first 510 kit 2 years ago. The only thing I knew after 2 weeks is that I didn't know nearly enough to have a clue what to order, and it's only that much trickier today because there are even more options(and more "experts") than there were then, lol. I was quite happy with my regular 510, and then mega 510 batteries for 9 or 10 months before moving on to a Riva, when I was ready to. Do I wish in retrospect I'd just skipped the 510 entirely? No, I don't, not in the least. It was for me a necessary part of my evolution from smoking to vaping. Psychologically, I wasn't keen on the form factor change even though it's not that dramatic. Likewise, at this stage I have zero interest in mods, low resistance, high or variable voltage, massive capacity cartomizers, etc. I just have no need or desire for them nor am I the least bit intrigued, at this time. I may change my mind later and get a VV device, but that will happen if and when it happens.

My point is that we need to meet people where they are, not where we think they should be. We're not all the same. Just because you went from step A to D doesn't mean steps C and D were an unnecessary waste of time and money, so we need to encourage every new vaper to skip them. For some people that's the right approach, for others it's not. We need to do a better job of providing newbies with information about the options available, and the things they may want to consider and why, without coming across as pushy, or worse, patronizing, albeit with only the best of intentions. In the end, the right answer is whatever works.

 

[cyberous]

welcome to ecf.!!

 

[MissCanadianVapr]

Ivapus I have never heard it put so simply. I am on my first month of doing research and have yet to make a purchase though have been seriously thinking of the Riva. I thank you for your honest answers and personal opinions. The vaping world is a little over whelming sometimes. And any and all information is useful and helpful.

 

[elfstone]

I discourage buying anything smaller than an ego as a first device, but that's not because I think everyone will follow that advice. I think it's good to say because maybe for the ones who ignore me and others and buy a mini device, just maybe, it will stick in their head and when they get that device, if they experience the same thing I did, they'll decide to try another, better PV

I agree wholeheartedly!

My point wasn't that V2 or other small PV with ridiculous performance is all anyone needs to quit cigarettes. Sorry about that.

But I am still unsure if I would have really considered something bigger or more powerful when I first started. That's the whole issue... maybe these dingy little batteries serve a purpose - getting people's attention, making them more susceptible to believe vaping might work for them at that point in time - when they are still thinking like a smoker, not like a vaper!

Maybe... and also that some (or most) of the offerings for first time vapers don't even work well enough to allow them to give vaping another shot, while V2, at least, does that. I am sure lots of people get one of those almost-scam products and then toss it in disgust saying "I new these electronic cigarettes were cr@p"... I sincerely think that as a smoker, to some extent, in some self-defeating way, I actually rooted against me being able to switch to vaping, and a lot of smokers have the same ambivalence.

 

[sailorman]

I agree wholeheartedly!

My point wasn't that V2 or other small PV with ridiculous performance is all anyone needs to quit cigarettes. Sorry about that.

But I am still unsure if I would have really considered something bigger or more powerful when I first started. That's the whole issue... maybe these dingy little batteries serve a purpose - getting people's attention, making them more susceptible to believe vaping might work for them at that point in time - when they are still thinking like a smoker, not like a vaper!

Maybe... and also that some (or most) of the offerings for first time vapers don't even work well enough to allow them to give vaping another shot, while V2, at least, does that. I am sure lots of people get one of those almost-scam products and then toss it in disgust saying "I new these electronic cigarettes were cr@p"... I sincerely think that as a smoker, to some extent, in some self-defeating way, I actually rooted against me being able to switch to vaping, and a lot of smokers have the same ambivalence.

I can agree with that to a point. The problem I see with those little e-cigs is that there are only a tiny number of them that have higher odds of encouraging someone that they can quit than discouraging someone and sending them back to analogs with the thought "I tried it and it didn't work".

For every person who comes here with stories of starting with a cheap gas-station e-cig, there are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of people who gave it a shot and concluded that e-cigs are a scam.

If every newbie who wanted something that looked like a stinkie picked up a Volt or Bloog or G6 or maybe even a V2 or Joye 510 as their first e-cig, I'd have far less opposition to them. As it is, I think the whole mini-cig thing probably does more harm, in the long run, than good.

I never advocate going from A to D and skipping B & C. But so many people spend so little time on A, and A is so relatively expensive and raises the risk of failure so high, that it makes sense to take a leap of faith and skip to B. Even with the best mini-cigs, the chance of failure are far higher than with a "B" device, especially if they're not prepared to jump to B immediately, before they buy a pack of smokes. Look how many people, even if they were ultimately successful, report having lapsed back to analogs for months, or even years, because they got tired of swapping batteries, weak vapor, expensive cartos or buying replacement batteries or any number of things. Sometimes they didn't know there were better devices out there. Other times they didn't believe a "B" device could be so significantly better as to be worth the additional expense.

You see posts all the time that start like this. "I'm back! I started a year ago with my mini-cig. It was good for a month or two but I ended up smoking again, and now I want to try it again. This time, I don't care if it looks like a cigarette. I just want something that works." When I see posts like that , I have to wonder how many people didn't come back and are still smoking.

 

[DC2]

I'm not opposed to mini-ecigs, I'm just opposed to the expensive ones that suck.

I agree with the post above that a Volt / Maxxfusion / Halo G6 model should provide enough to keep people on board.
Whether that means they stick with it, or seek out something better.

It's the lesser models at higher costs that may very well do more harm than good.