Newbie here from SF bay area (San Jose). Vamo v5 issues and rant about brick and mortar stores

[snackwitch]

Hi guys and gals from ecig forum,


I'm pretty new vaper overall (only been doing this about 2 months). I started on blus and disposables, moved to my first kit with vision spinner battery and mini protank2, then went to a vamo v5 and aspire nautilus. I love the aspire nautilus but I found very soon that my vamo v5 is a flimsy POS.


I have several problems with my vamo v5, the worst being that now it is giving me low load error with all tanks and it is pretty much unusable now. I don't know if I just got a crappy vamo v5 (it was supposed to be authentic straight from KSD the manufacturer) or that vamos just suck in general.

• -The first extension tube that connects to the head with the LCD does not stay connected and keeps sliding off. This part does not have threading at all, just the tubing slides into the tubing of the head. I think I may superglue this to keep it together.
• -the low load issue. I am convinced that this is an issue with the 510 connector pin as at first it started misreading the ohms (always saying that the ohms were lower than they were) and eventually stopped working altogether I was googling this and I noticed people talking about an o-ring that is supposed to be here, but I don't see one here at all, just seem weird paper like material. I did order a danco #60 o-ring to put in here.
• Yesterday I fiddled with the center pin using a flat-head screwdriver and was able to push it up a bit, and that actually got it to work with my nautilus. Unfortuantely when I had to take if off to refill the juice the error returned and I haven't been able to get it work even after fiddling with the center pin

Other point of my post is talk about my experience with B&M shops that sell vaping gear. These can be either headshops that sell vape-stuff or dedicated shops for vaping, both suck! The prices are ridiculous overmarked (meaning 2 to 3 times what you can find them for online), and the customer service is terrible.
The part that irks me the most (besides the price) is that whenever I ask questions about the equipment I have or trying to fix my issues, store clerks always are blatantly trying to push me towards the items they carry. For example, I came in to a shop for coils for my nautilus and the store only carried Kanger stuff, and the guy literally kept trying to sell me an aerotank. I told him that I like my aspire better and dont want kanger, but he kept going on about it.




When I came in for help on my vamo low load error, the guy at first told me that the problem was not the center pin but the fact that the extension tube keeps sliding off. I told him that the error still happened when I held the whole mod tightly and made sure there was no gap in the extension tube. Then he proceeded to tell me that I must have lost some piece in the vamo head and that this issue is not fixable.


On top of this, he starts lecturing me about buying my stuff online, saying that the majority of stuff you get from vendors like fast-tech or other will be junk and that the shipping times are ridiculously long. This is rich, I would bet you that this store got their own vaping stuff from a supplier like this, I guess they want me to spend double or triple the price for the same thing.


Then when I ask him to look at the variable wattage mods that they have, he wouldn't show them to me, telling me that mechanical mods are the way to go for me even though I told him that I want a variable because I want to be able to adjust my wattage. I understand being passionate and enthusiastic about something, but this store just lost my potential business by having this dillhole acting like he knows more about what I need than I know myself.


Sadly I wish this experience was only isolated to headshops, or stores that only sell vape gear on the side, but I also found this problem in shops that exclusively sell vaping gear. Every joe schmoe thinks they are the expert, and whenever you mention the fact that you can get the same stuff online for less than half the price, it seems like most stores dislike that, as if they are relying on customer's lack of knowledge to make their money.


The retail side of vaping has a far way to go, in my opinion. This sort of thing can really turn off people who want to get into vaping. The ridiculous markup in retail stores and the poor customer service.

 

[snackwitch]

Here is a photo of my vamo 510 connector, to be honest it does not look rubber at all but more like paper. Was there supposed to be rubber oring in here? I ordered a danco #60 oring to try putting in here, hopefully it fixes this.

 

[Baditude]

I can assure you that not all vape shops are like this. Don't judge them all by only visiting a couple of them. How many vape shops have you actually visited? It could be that the ones that you have in your neighborhood DO suck. Sorry about that.

There is no "authentic" Vamo. They are made by several different Chinese manufacturers. It is a ~$40~ Chinese-manufactured mod, what did you expect?

Edit: I'm sorry, you're new. The Vamo is nowhere close to be considered an intermediate or high-end mod; you get what you pay for. Many Chinese-made mods' manufacturing quality leave much to be desired. Not all of them are this way; Innokin makes a fine line of regulated mods of better quality, but you are going to have to pay a little more for the better quality.

You can't buy a Fiat and expect BMW/Mercedes quality, right? You get what you pay for.

Having said that, the electronic cigarette industry is in its infancy period. Until the industry has time to mature, we are going to see some hits and misses (mostly misses). Stick around and you'll learn quickly which companies to trust with your hard-earned dollar. I don't mean to drag down Chinese-made mods, but you WILL get better quality from mods made elsewhere with actual customer service should you need it, its a fact.

Chinese mod manufacturer slogan: "We build it cheap, you buy it cheap. If it break, you buy another."

 

[snackwitch]

Here is a pic of the vamo first extension tube and why it is sliding off and there is a separate pic of the head piece and 1st extension tube::

As you can see there is no threading on head and the first extension tube so it just slides on.

 

[obsidian5889]

Here is a pic of the vamo first extension tube and why it is sliding off and there is a separate pic of the head piece and 1st extension tube::

As you can see there is no threading on head and the first extension tube so it just slides on. View attachment 349251

View attachment 349252

That part is not supposed to separate as far as I know that's why it's not threaded. Mine got cocked sideways a little and I just tapped it back together. I would suggest a light application of super glue to hold it together but if it's not the right height your battery may not make a connection. I hope you have better luck and keep trying different stores not all are bad

 

[FogArtist]

I feel for you Snackwich, the mentality at the 2 dedicated vape shops closest to me is very much the same. "Know it all" staff that can talk for days but lack any ability to listen, steer you into whatever they have in stock, yet suddenly have no answers when you need help or you want to know why what you were sold isn't actually what they told you it was when you bought it.

Sigh...

As Baditude said, there are good shops with good product and knowledgeable staff in most major areas. The one I've found is a 40 minute drive each way, but I still make it a point to give them my business when I can. With the knowledge of all of the kind people here and dozens of great online vendors, my days of giving a cent to unethical, greedy B&M shops fully focused on profit margin and entirely disinterested in vaper education and advocacy are mercifully at an end.

 

[snackwitch]

Hey Baditude, I totally understand your point about the fiat and the honda, but you would hope that even a low-end car does not fall apart at the seams within a month right?

Also about the stores, I tried 5-6 different ones (with 3 of them being dedicated vaping stores) so that is why I am getting this perception. If anyone knows a store in sf bay area (especially san jose) with reasonable prices and helpful knowledgeable (and impartial) staff I would love to know.

Now reading about this I may have made a mistake and overtightened my tanks too much causing my 510 pin to get pushed in.

I can try supergluing the extension tube, but any advice on the low load issue?

 

[cjhest1983]

I feel your pain as well. I've been vaping since 2012 and the only shop I had nearby had a couple employees like that as well. I've been back a few times and had stellar service from their other employees, so it may be just luck of the draw.

Another thing I might add is sometimes part of what you're paying for when you see those extra dollars tacked on is for the convenience, expertise (albeit not in your experience, though), and the store has to make money. If you're a returning customer, they might throw you a bone every now and then.

Just my 2¢

 

[Smellofcordite]

Hey snack, pm me which shops you went to and maybe I can steer you in the right direction.

 

[snackwitch]

BTW, I just bought tesla vv/vw and a hana mod dna30 clone from Elev8 Vape. I got an error when trying to post the links, but you can find both on google


What i like about the tesla vw is that just uses 18650 (no extension tube) and has a spring loaded 510 pin, so hopefully no more connector issues with this. It may low frills, but its supposed to be able do 3w to 15w and I think it should do the job as everyday vaper. As for the cana mod dna30 I am really hoping this will be a great mod, I was hearing a lot of good things about, plus the fact that I can do sub-ohms and go up to 30 watts if I want. I just started dabbling with rebuildables (kayfun lite plus clone from fast-tech) so I am looking forward to try out this thing, hopefully the durability is also good.

What do you guys think? I know some people may be against clones, but I really can't justify spending 200+ for individual mods on my budget.

I was also looking at the innokin svd and vtr, but I see that the most current version of the svd does not have the spring-loaded 510 pin and the vtr has a weird ring that limits me to using iClear tanks or smaller diameter tanks (so no rebuildable or Nautilus without the ugly extension tube).

 

[Baditude]

Every mod made has pro's & con's about it. Do your research watching critical & impartial ecig reviewers (PBusardo is my favorite) and reading the mod specific threads here on ECF.

The Vamo is notorious in having 510 top connector thread issues because it uses inferior quality metal. Owners have sort of solved that issue by using a 510 to 510 connector adaptor.

Probably the best bang for the buck and with the least issues is the Innokin iTaste MVP. However, even it has had its own center pin issues, often requiring the center pin to be raised with a micro flathead screwdriver when the pin drops too low into the body.

You can't justify spending $200 on a mod on your budget? I can understand that being on an extremely tight budget myself. However, you should be starting to save some money now by not smoking. What was your previous budget for cigarettes when you were smoking? $150 - 200 a month?

Buy an American made/manufactured Provari with the reputation for quality and durability, and a company which will service their product for life, and you won't have to purchase a new mod every 1 - 2 months.

Why Provari?

 

[snackwitch]

Every mod made has pro's & con's about it. Do your research watching critical & impartial ecig reviewers (PBusardo is my favorite) and reading the mod specific threads here on ECF.

The Vamo is notorious in having 510 top connector thread issues because it uses inferior quality metal. Owners have sort of solved that issue by using a 510 to 510 connector adaptor.

Probably the best bang for the buck and with the least issues is the Innokin iTaste MVP. However, even it has had its own center pin issues, often requiring the center pin to be raised with a micro flathead screwdriver when the pin drops too low into the body.

You can't justify spending $200 on a mod on your budget? I can understand that being on an extremely tight budget myself. However, you should be starting to save some money now by not smoking. What was your previous budget for cigarettes when you were smoking? $150 - 200 a month?

Buy an American made/manufactured Provari with the reputation for quality and durability, and a company which will service their product for life, and you won't have to purchase a new mod every 1 - 2 months.

Oh yeah, I like PBusardo's reviews. His review on the Nautilus (and comparison with other bottom coil tanks) made me decide to get it in the first place.

I did hear a lot of praise about the provari, and I have to admit some of the models do look sexy. The funny thing is I checked craigslist and ebay for used models, and people are selling them really close to original price. Would that be a rip-off or does it really keep it's value?

I am still new to all this stuff so kinda figuring out what I like regarding my vaping. I guess I do want to to get more experience before I invest in something high-end.

 

[happydave]

Other point of my post is talk about my experience with B&M shops that sell vaping gear. These can be either headshops that sell vape-stuff or dedicated shops for vaping, both suck! The prices are ridiculous overmarked (meaning 2 to 3 times what you can find them for online), and the customer service is terrible.
The part that irks me the most (besides the price) is that whenever I ask questions about the equipment I have or trying to fix my issues, store clerks always are blatantly trying to push me towards the items they carry. For example, I came in to a shop for coils for my nautilus and the store only carried Kanger stuff, and the guy literally kept trying to sell me an aerotank. I told him that I like my aspire better and dont want kanger, but he kept going on about it.

stuff is in a B&M store will cost more than the stuff online 99% of the time. the cost of running a website and paying a few people to stock and ship stuff from a warehouse is going to be far cheaper an a retail location with a bunch of "sales" employees. you can rent 20,000 square feet
of warehouse for the same cost as 1200 square feet in a prime retail spot. the staff in the warehouse does not need to know anything about the product just what sku's go in what box, ect... retail employees need to know the product they sell very well and be able to talk to anyone about it, not everyone comes across as confident when talking to complete strangers. having that knowledge and the ability to sell stuff is going to demand a decent salary. i would guess the people that work in strictly e-cig stores in major cities make about $15-$20 an hour. its probably something like $11-$14 per hour plus some commission on every sale.

 

[Buster282]

I've had the same issue with the pin in the 510 connector on my Vamo. I took the silicone washer off the top of a kanger head, trimmed the edges off so it was flat, cut a slit in it and pusher it under the pin with a small screw driver. That did the trick! For the loose tube, I'd take the battery out, get two pieces of wood, turn the Vamo upside down, (keep the top ring and bottom cap on it), with wood on both ends of it, Carefully tap it back together with a hammer. Use some epoxy or J B Weld if you are worried about it coming apart again. Good luck!

 

[amolson]

Oh yeah, I like PBusardo's reviews. His review on the Nautilus (and comparison with other bottom coil tanks) made me decide to get it in the first place.

I did hear a lot of praise about the provari, and I have to admit some of the models do look sexy. The funny thing is I checked craigslist and ebay for used models, and people are selling them really close to original price. Would that be a rip-off or does it really keep it's value?

It really does keep its value from everything I've heard and seen. They just don't wear out. Not to mention the fact that if something happens, even out of warranty, Provape will fix them really cheap and fast. Even if they have to replace the whole board. That's why I bought one as my second mod. If I'd known about them earlier, I might have bought it as my first mod. That's how good what I've heard about them is.

Watch PBusardo's review on it and the tour he does of their facility. If you decide to pull the trigger, they have a whole bunch of them on sale on the blem page right now as well. $130 for the plain models. Can't beat that with a stick. Especially when used ones can sell that high.

 

[edyle]

I've had the same issue with the pin in the 510 connector on my Vamo. I took the silicone washer off the top of a kanger head, trimmed the edges off so it was flat, cut a slit in it and pusher it under the pin with a small screw driver. That did the trick! For the loose tube, I'd take the battery out, get two pieces of wood, turn the Vamo upside down, (keep the top ring and bottom cap on it), with wood on both ends of it, Carefully tap it back together with a hammer. Use some epoxy or J B Weld if you are worried about it coming apart again. Good luck!

I used the rubber grommet from the bottom of the kanger head; had to work the pressfit off the vamo to get the top off; busted the wires in the process; put the grommet in to replace what was there and resoldered with better wire than was there. Center pin was a nice big half inch to 3/4inch thing.

 

[edyle]

to fix the tube part, forget superglue; all yuo need is to distort crimpslightly or otherwise deform the tube so it will squeeze on. You can even just add some solder on one end and then squeeze on the tube

 

[jaxgator]

Oh yeah, I like PBusardo's reviews. His review on the Nautilus (and comparison with other bottom coil tanks) made me decide to get it in the first place.

I did hear a lot of praise about the provari, and I have to admit some of the models do look sexy. The funny thing is I checked craigslist and ebay for used models, and people are selling them really close to original price. Would that be a rip-off or does it really keep it's value?

It really does keep its value from everything I've heard and seen. They just don't wear out. Not to mention the fact that if something happens, even out of warranty, Provape will fix them really cheap and fast. Even if they have to replace the whole board. That's why I bought one as my second mod. If I'd known about them earlier, I might have bought it as my first mod. That's how good what I've heard about them is.

I agree with amolson. ProVaris really hold their value. If you ever buy one, you will see why.

I have a couple of ProVaris but I treat vaping like a hobby and collect different mods. I recently ordered an Innokin SVD and there is no comparison to a ProVari. The threads on the SVD are super sloppy and the mod just feels way inferior to me. Granted, it does perform as it should but I've not used it that much yet. Time will tell if it can stand up in the long run.

 

[Bunnykiller]

I feel ya man...
what I find is the shops ( most of them) sell the really cheap stuff with a substantial markup... they do carry some decient items too but its usually overpriced even for covering overhead of the store and payroll. Example: 1$ a foot for Kanthal and the stores get it for 5$ for 100'. I understand making a profit ( its needed to keep the doors open) but blatantly ripping people off is another thing...

 

[madmartyr72]

Sadly, this is becoming a reoccurring theme nowadays with vape shops. When I first started vaping about four years ago, there were no such thing as a "vape shop" anywhere near my area. The only places that carried PV's (err, I mean cig-a-likes) were your gas stations and discount tobacco stores. Now, there are vape stores all over (the closest to me is in another town 20 miles away). For the most part, their staff is "semi-friendly" and knowledgeable, but their prices on PV's are through the roof! There is a reason for that...

Take into consideration the differences between a small business versus a big business. If your not some huge online corporation with a 500,000 square foot warehouse, you're very limited on space for inventory. Being limited on space means you can't stockpile thousands -if not tens of thousands- of vaping accessories. When you have the money (and inventory space) to place an order for 5,000 MVP 2.0's, Innokin is going to give you a sweet discount per model. Likewise, if you only have inventory space for 24 MVP 2.0's, the deal isn't going to be much of anything. This is why your typical vape shop down on the corner has such high prices, whereas "Super Vapemart" can offer you the same product for half the cost. It sucks, but that's capitalism.

Although I can get the same product online for less, I will still buy from a local vape shop from time to time. For online items like atty's and tanks, by the time you tack on shipping costs and/or tax (not to mention the wait time to receive your purchase), the prices ain't much cheaper than just going down the street and buying them from the vape shop. PV's, however, are another story, and you can usually pick them up online for a significant difference. Besides, buying from a local business helps to stimulate the local economy, and that is a good thing!

In the last few years, I have noticed a considerable increase in popularity with the mechs. Mechs are great, but when a person is just starting out in the world of vaping, they are confused enough without trying to explain all the technical jargon (and safety) associated with doing it correctly to them. A lot of vape shop employees don't realize that their passion is another person's pain, and can easily overwhelm and turn a newbie away from vaping altogether. A knowledgeable person is a person who first learns to listen.