Prodigy - Stuck Again

[Synthnadz]

Ugh.

I just got back my Prodigy switch a few days ago after sending it in for repair. It was stuck 'on' without the button being depressed, and I had to spend a week sucking on SNUS bags like a crackhead.

About 10 minutes ago - after less than a week of having it back in-hand - the same damn thing happened. Not only did I pop a brand new 510 atomizer, but I also burned my thumb so darn bad that I have a huge blister. This utterly sucks.

Anyway, I just sent in a ticket to Casey, but I'm wondering if anyone has any information about why this is actually happening with my switch. I have nothing to vape with (again), and I need to hack a repair of some sort in order to survive over here. I'm totally loosing my patience at this point.

Thanks,

...D

 

[Flitzanu]

are you overtightening the adapter cap? i understand that if that top cap is cranked on too tight it affects the switch to where it can't release properly when depressed.

 

[Synthnadz]

Thanks, Flitzanu - unfortunately my issues appear to run a bit deeper, but I do appreciate your help!

 

[Flitzanu]

Thanks, Flitzanu - unfortunately my issues appear to run a bit deeper, but I do appreciate your help!

good luck then, i hate to see a fallen Prodigy

*knock on wood that mine doesn't fail anytime soon*

 

[Synthnadz]

Update:

After tons of frustration and drama, the new replacement switch for my Prodigy (the plastic, 'new' version) just completely died. It was missing about 1 out of every 5 button pushes since day 1, and now as of about an hour ago it's completely dead.

Of course, my 'old' switch (which was only a month old before sticking in the 'on' position) is now at PS for repair, so I have 2 dead Prodigy switches to contend with, and nothing to vape. This is really lame, to say the least.

So, I now have to send back my entire unit and all of my accessories so that PS can determine that I do, in fact, know what I'm doing, and replace my switch yet again. More hoops to jump through to get something that has never consistently worked since day 1 working again. Well, for at least a few days.

How many more reports of this do we need before someone actually acknowedges that these switches are not properly designed and actually does something about it for paying customers? I'm over $200 deep with PS, and have yet to have a pleasurable, lasting vaping experience. Time to look for another mod - one that I can depend on.

Lame.

 

[CaSHMeRe]

Dan ... Unfortunately, you were unwilling to ship the entire unit back to us to look for a short.

We just received your Prodigy switch yesterday, and it was rubber with ZERO ISSUES. That is correct .... ZERO ISSUES. {Tested Multiple Times with a multimeter. } Seeing as some people seem to have more issues with the rubber over the plastic switch housings, I went ahead and replaced the switch with its Plastic counterpart.

Its very hard for me to believe the switch is at fault Synthnadz ... We replaced the faulty switch (Even though the current switch was still working) and we even went above and beyond and allowed you to replace an adapter for another type of adapter (well outside our return/exchange policy)

We have done everything we can on this end Synth ... I'm starting to think its not the switch or the unit, but the Atomizer and the User.

There have been a multitude of Prodigy switches (both resistored and non-resistored) shipped within the past 7-10 days, and not a single one has failed to this point.

 

[TDM]

How many more reports of this do we need before someone actually acknowedges that these switches are not properly designed and actually does something about it for paying customers? I'm over $200 deep with PS, and have yet to have a pleasurable, lasting vaping experience. Time to look for another mod - one that I can depend on.

Lame.

They are doing something for you. They are repairing the switch under warranty. Considering the number of units they have sold and the number of switches that have been reported bad. IMO that shows the switched ARE properly designed.

 

[Synthnadz]

Dan ... Unfortunately, you were unwilling to ship the entire unit back to us to look for a short.

We just received your Prodigy switch yesterday, and it was rubber with ZERO ISSUES. That is correct .... ZERO ISSUES. {Tested Multiple Times with a multimeter. } Seeing as some people seem to have more issues with the rubber over the plastic switch housings, I went ahead and replaced the switch with its Plastic counterpart.

Its very hard for me to believe the switch is at fault Synthnadz ... We replaced the faulty switch (Even though the current switch was still working) and we even went above and beyond and allowed you to replace an adapter for another type of adapter (well outside our return/exchange policy)

We have done everything we can on this end Synth ... I'm starting to think its not the switch or the unit, but the Atomizer and the User.

There have been a multitude of Prodigy switches (both resistored and non-resistored) shipped within the past 7-10 days, and not a single one has failed to this point.

I'm at a loss here, honestly. I tried to avoid shipping the whole thing back because the variables were covered: I had a new switch and new adapters coming from you.

Regarding the switch you received back from me working perfectly, well that really implies some serious voodoo. I tried that switch with 5 different attys that all tested perfectly with a multimeter, and with 2 different adapters. In any combination, the switch was firing without pressing the button. I have a scar on my thumb from the burn I got and 2 dead atomizers to prove it.

So, now that the new plastic switch isn't firing at all (after working intermittently for the week that I've had it), I'm even more perplexed. I'm using the two new adapters you sent (well, not new. They were both dirty and obviously well used by someone before they got here) along with a brand new switch, and I run into a total fail again. Must be user error. Even if this user knows what the hell he's doing, has tested everything, and is absurdly thorough and meticulous.

Either way, the diagnosis here is 'unreliable hardware'. To assert that I'm somehow missing the boat or ranting without cause is even more maddening. Repairing something every two weeks that has never worked consistently since it was purchased isn't enough to satisfy me. I guess I'm the only one having problems with PS switches, right? ;-)

Exhausted,

...D

 

[Casey@PS]

See answers in red.

I'm at a loss here, honestly. I tried to avoid shipping the whole thing back because the variables were covered: I had a new switch and new adapters coming from you.

This still doesn't cover the issue of us not being able to look at your atomizers to see if they were squished or missing silicone.

Regarding the switch you received back from me working perfectly, well that really implies some serious voodoo. I tried that switch with 5 different attys that all tested perfectly with a multimeter, and with 2 different adapters. In any combination, the switch was firing without pressing the button. I have a scar on my thumb from the burn I got and 2 dead atomizers to prove it.

We tested the switch with multiple adapters, with/without the button, and nothing we did could replicate what you were referring to. Have you tested your switches with your multimeter?

So, now that the new plastic switch isn't firing at all (after working intermittently for the week that I've had it), I'm even more perplexed. I'm using the two new adapters you sent (well, not new. They were both dirty and obviously well used by someone before they got here) along with a brand new switch, and I run into a total fail again. Must be user error. Even if this user knows what the hell he's doing, has tested everything, and is absurdly thorough and meticulous.

There is always a bit of dust and residue from the machining process that can be left on adapters. This does NOT mean that they have been "used". They have been tested by myself or Steve, and that is it.

Repairing something every two weeks that has never worked consistently since it was purchased isn't enough to satisfy me. I guess I'm the only one having problems with PS switches, right? ;-)

This is the one that gets me, Synthnadz. You've said this over and over again- "It never worked to begin with." Well, just to see what you were talking about since in your emails to me (which started October 15th- 1 month after you received the Prodigy) you mentioned that you had "tirelessly leveraged the forums" for answers to your issues instead of just emailing us and giving us the chance to fix the unit for you, I took a look at your posts since receiving the Protege. In post after post, you talk about how perfectly it works and how fantastic it is. Not a single mention of an issue until October 15th. This leads me to believe that you have been unhappy with our need to have you send parts back to us for repair, and have decided to make up problems as we go along.

As Steve and I have said, we've attempted to help and fix this for you, but your endless refusals to send the entire unit back to us have left us with few options to fix the problem. We've made it clear that we need to see the unit and test each piece, and it wasn't until today that you finally agreed to send it back to us. Refusing to send back parts just makes more trips to the post office for yourself.

 

[Synthnadz]

Wow.

1. My atomizers are not the issue. I know all about squashed silicone rings, testing their resistance, etc. If the only way to prove this to you is to send them to you, well - that's absurd. Anyway, I've just sent one to you along with my entire Prodigy.

2. Have you tested my switch in context? Seems to me like you slap it on a multimeter and decide that it's working 'fine'. Ironically, you need my metal tube, first born son, and underwear in order to troubleshoot things, but only use a multimeter on the switch after all of the nonsense?

3. The adapters you sent me did not just have machining dust on them. They were gunked up from top to bottom and scratched to hell. Again, assuming that I'm an ignorant person just whining here for my own sake. The adapters you sent were well-used. You'll see this yourself - they're on their way back to you for all of this thorough testing we're about to initiate.

4. Regarding the forums: I was telling you many exchanges ago that I was frustrated with things not working properly, but avoided bothering you because I was able to resolve these minor issues by reading forum posts. You know, digging around to find out that I needed to clean every contact point, jiggle batteries around, tighten and loosen adapters, and all of the other nonsense I need to do all the time just to keep my Prodigy basically working. All the stuff that should be in your 'user manual' if you were thoughtful enough to cover these things proactively.

I only had to contact you when I ran into a 'show stopper' - my switch staying 'on' without pushing the button. You know, the dangerous situation many of your users have run into on both of your premier devices. So, this happened to me, and I contacted you since I read on the forums that this was the only way I could resolve the issue. Doesn't that make sense?

Since that initial switch failure, I've contacted you about two more issues: the 'fixed' switch dying again a few days after you sent it back to me, and now today - when the new plastic switch refused to fire no matter what I did. This all seems pretty logical to me.

What do you mean by 'making up problems as we go along'? Are you suggesting that I'm faking my switch not working for entertainment? For dramatic effect? For pleasure? I'm hoping that you just made a poor wording choice with that statement.

Bottom line: I want my Prodigy working again so that I can sell it and buy something I can trust, from a vendor who treats me like they appreciate my business. This is absurd!

 

[Casey@PS]

In my last post I told you that we tested the switch pretty much any way you can test a switch- in the tube without the button, with the button, with just an adapter, with an adapter with an atomizer, the list goes on.

We will certainly be taking a look at the adapters when they get in.

As for the making things up as we go along, I was absolutely not referring to your switch issues, but more so that fact that you insist that the device never worked properly from the day you received it, which clearly was not true. You had the thing for a month before any switch failures, and praised it in many posts across the boards and discussed how perfectly it worked.

Bottom line- We offered to repair your equipment, you refused to send us all the necessary pieces, and are now irate that things aren't working when you never allowed us to fully diagnose the issue. The first time you reported an issue with the switch and I said it would need to be sent back, you told me you would be getting the switch back and selling it to someone else. No one is forcing you to keep it.

We've had several customers post that they have never had a single issue with a switch, while others have had some. What are the variables of this equation? Users and atomizers. Simple as that.

 

[Synthnadz]

The only time I mentioned my Prodigy never working right was once, in a support ticket exchange where I was ...... off about my unit failing once and for all, after dealing with its numerous quirks since I received it. So, using my positive initial review as a means of proving some sort of inconsistency on my part is just useless and even more frustrating.

Several customers posting about issues with switches isn't enough reason to question their design? I'm not the first person who has mentioned this. The reported Prodigy issues coupled with the whole 'broken Protege switch backlash' isn't enough to convince you guys to take responsibility for shipping a questionable component? What does it take - an over 50% failure report to actually acknowledge that something is wrong?

No, it must be me. The irate, irrational customer who cannot believe that you guys still have the audacity to claim 'user error' amidst plenty of identical reported issues. I tell you this though - as soon as someone's Prodigy stays on long enough to burn down a living room, I bet you'll change your view on this. Or, you'll just go out of business.

Any company that deserves my respect and continued business would have offered to completely replace my product by now. They would also take full responsibility for their 'known issues' and not continually claim that all is well despite the mounting issues reported from their user base.

Perhaps the 10+ people who I don't even know who have PM'd me saying things like 'hey man, I feel for you. I went through the same crap with them' were just 'bad customers' like me. Perhaps the two who PM'd me saying 'I showed that switch to my friend who works in a shop, and he was baffled by the botched construction' were also jaded. Who knows. I just know that from a customer service standpoint, this is a nightmare.

...D

 

[Stickless]

You sent back a working switch and were given a new working switch because you're sure it's the switch.

The new switch is now shot.
Isn't it possible the problem is a little more complex than a bad switch?

This reminds me of the guy who goes to the doctor complaining that he experiences pain no matter where he touches himself. The doctor looks at him and says "Your finger's broken".

Steve will fix it... just send it in.

 

[ApOsTle51]

We have done everything we can on this end Synth ... I'm starting to think its not the switch or the unit, but the Atomizer and the User.
.

lol Cash , your starting to sound like a certain Greek ...carefull.. haha

edit : btw , always send EVERYTHING back..and always have a backup 901

 

[a2dcovert]

btw , always send EVERYTHING back..and always have a backup 901

I second that. I can't understand why some folks to not have a backup plan incase they lose their primary PV. Don't put all your eggs in the same basket guys. What is that Boy Scout pledge "Be Prepaired".

Kevin

 

[Synthnadz]

Fortunately, I have a VP2 that I was never able to sell that I'm using now in the interim. Of course, with my Prodigy being out of commission for most of the last month, it's now pretty much my main PV. I'd rather this wasn't the case. ;-)

I only wish there was another viable 5 volt alternative out there. It still doesn't exist yet.

 

[Jason365]

That was exciting in a forum rumble kind of way, I'm glad I popped in here. I second having a backup p/v or 2.

Jason

 

[TDM]

The only time I mentioned my Prodigy never working right was once, in a support ticket exchange where I was ...... off about my unit failing once and for all, after dealing with its numerous quirks since I received it. So, using my positive initial review as a means of proving some sort of inconsistency on my part is just useless and even more frustrating.

Several customers posting about issues with switches isn't enough reason to question their design? I'm not the first person who has mentioned this. The reported Prodigy issues coupled with the whole 'broken Protege switch backlash' isn't enough to convince you guys to take responsibility for shipping a questionable component? What does it take - an over 50% failure report to actually acknowledge that something is wrong?

No, it must be me. The irate, irrational customer who cannot believe that you guys still have the audacity to claim 'user error' amidst plenty of identical reported issues. I tell you this though - as soon as someone's Prodigy stays on long enough to burn down a living room, I bet you'll change your view on this. Or, you'll just go out of business.

Any company that deserves my respect and continued business would have offered to completely replace my product by now. They would also take full responsibility for their 'known issues' and not continually claim that all is well despite the mounting issues reported from their user base.

Perhaps the 10+ people who I don't even know who have PM'd me saying things like 'hey man, I feel for you. I went through the same crap with them' were just 'bad customers' like me. Perhaps the two who PM'd me saying 'I showed that switch to my friend who works in a shop, and he was baffled by the botched construction' were also jaded. Who knows. I just know that from a customer service standpoint, this is a nightmare.

...D

You ARE correct in saying from a customer service standpoint, this is a nightmare. I do agree 100%. You were asked to send your entire unit in. You sent the switch. The problem was not the switch. If you want to complain about customer service then you need to do what is asked of you as a customer.

If you buy a computer. You get it home and a month later the dvd player quits working in it do you just send the dvd player back to dell or hp?? NO you send the entire laptop. Same here. If you choose to just ship the switch back then you CHOSE to do that. It was not a problem with the switch.

BTW you also say your atomizers are not the issue they don't have squashed silicone rings. The squashed silicone rings PS is referring to is the rings in the adapter.

Plus considering Steve has sold in excess of 500 prodigys to date (not sure of exact number) 10-20 messed up switches is not even 10% way away from the 50% mark.

 

[a2dcovert]

Woooo. Lets hold it on the Chuck commercials. Not the proper venieu for that.

Kevin

 

[ApOsTle51]

So glad i own a fine piece of plumbing hardware

fixed that for ya