Rant: irresponsible b&m

[mamabear15]

Reason for posting: maybe even one person will read and realize they need to keep reading some of the awesome safety info here on ECF and other places like candlepowerforum...

Warning, though: I'm ...... and gonna vent here (no pun intended)

I was hanging with some friends today and one mentioned being at a local vape store when a newbie came in, saying she was tired of her ego's and wanted to "blow clouds"

Secondhand story, but here goes: shop employee sold her a mech, a dripper, a charger and two 5 amp Panasonic piece of crap batteries...

...then, when asked to show her how to set up the dripper, proceeded to build her a 0.12ohm setup

Guys, I'm ....... Like, I heard this story hours ago, and it's still on my mind. Idk if the shop employee didn't give a rat's whisker, or if the store owner had failed to train on something so basic, or what... My first thought when I heard it was "dude are you sure you didn't misread the ohm meter?" He said no, he actually walked over and proceeded to set them both straight and actually bought the woman a decent battery...

I'm sure this happens more regularly than we want to think. I mostly just came on 2nite because I had to get this off my chest, but once written, I almost deleted it unposted because of how angry I sound...and it isn't like ECF has any shortage of warnings on battery safety & the NECESSITY of understanding ohm's law et al when using a mech, especially with sub-ohm builds...but it makes me feel a small bit better to know I'm "telling someone" lol. Sorry for the rant. Thanks for listening.

 

[mamabear15]

I know no salesperson can be expected to be responsible for what a customer might do upon leaving the store...and I'm not advocating the "Spanish inquisition method" of quizzing customers before taking their purchase, either, although I do think a friendly conversation-starter like "have you used a mechanical before?" might do a lot of good...but dagnabbit, this one is just so extreme, it's wrong. Partly because why carry batts that worthless...and mostly because hello the guy built her that setup knowing the battery he was selling her?! That crosses the line for me...

 

[Baditude]

Unfortunately, we read of instances like you told at least once a month here on ECF. Thankfully, many of those unfortunate customers come here and learn the truth, and are led down the safe track by our veteran members.

Glad to hear that your friend took initiative and bought that customer a safe battery to use.

It's some vape shops or vape shop employees which will bring over-strict government regulations or outright bans to all of us vapers. Where I once worked we had a shop-wide ban on employees building anything under 1.0 ohm for customers. I was one of the so-called "battery experts" at the shop, and was frequently asked what batteries or coils were compatible with each other.

 

[sanguinesolitude]

Not quite that extreme, but when i was first looking into vaping, a salesperson at a shop i stopped in recommended i get a cherry bomber clone and an rda as my first setup because it "made huge clouds bro." Luckily i went with an ego setup since i had zero idea what i was doing. I can only hope i would have been educated by said employee on proper mechmod safety, but given the recommendation, that seems fairly unlikely.

 

[sanguinesolitude]

Partly because why carry batts that worthless

^^ this
why on earth would you even carry 5amp batteries if you have any idea about ohms law. I mean seriously, even a .8 ohm coil is taxing for that setup.

 

[mrrobhog08]

Last week i walked in a B&M to a sales person explaining ohm law to a customer that was buying an atlantis. They did a good job explaining why he needed a better battery then his 5 amp pos that he currently had. Awesome, great job informing the customer, he should be safe....but then I had to stop them when they processed to screw on the atlantis to a smpl mod.... im just glad i never actually take advice from some one selling me something. Be it a tv, computer, apv, rda, ect. I do my own research

 

[DaveSignal]

I was at Home Depot today and witnessed an older woman purchasing a chain saw. Nobody even asked her if she knew to use it or went over proper safety precautions.

I think this is common in nearly all industries.

But, in the case of the vape shop, it would have been nice if the employee would have been more educated and gave the customer some bonus info about battery safety and mechanical mods in general.

 

[mrrobhog08]

I suppose this is true but a chain saw will come with said warnings and if someone attemted to start a chain saw in the store holding it backwards with the teeth in her hands i sure hope the employee would stop her

 

[mamabear15]

More accurate comparison, if an employee loaded a gasoline-powered chainsaw full of nitroglycerin and handed her a match.
Remember he built her the setup. Not just a "failed to ask", but built for her. THAT ain't smooth-talk-able, hon.

 

[Jugband]

I loved this post. Being I was from the town time forgot. Until recently we had zero vape shops. Lately we got not one, but two. Excitedly I went to visit one. I was disappointed to say the least I have nothing to add to battery safety. Had I stayed I'm sure I would have. But I went and and asked if they carried premium juice. I was told, "We don't buy juice we make it!" So do I He asked what I like, I mentioned Boba's Bounty by Alien Visions and Castle Reserve by Five Pawns. Never herd of either ???? They began to plow me with horrible homebrew, flavors such as Butter, Yellow Cake, Bavirian Cream, etc. where I come from these are ingredients, not flavors. They did have a decent Sweedish Fish. I bought 30 mls. They asked after they brought it out, what ratio do you like? I said 70/30. He said we can make anything! As he wrote 70/30 on a sticker label and stuck it on. After I got it home I realized it was 100% VG. I thought this is why the FDA is breathing down our necks! If every yahoo is pouring whatever in a bottle and sending you off, who knows what's in it? I feared to vape it no longer trusting the nicotine mg. I hate to think of his ideas of battery safety!

 

[gofishtx]

Wow, not just the battery he was selling her but selling a newbie a mech mod. These young guys get so enthused with whatever they are using, they don't think about what is good for other people. I would of put her in something the next step up like an Istick or Subox or IPV. Then explain sub ohming and VG/PG ratios before putting her in a mech mod at all.

 

[VNeil]

This is truly an industry with a death wish. And unlike the chainsaw analogy, this is a very new technology that the average person does not understand.

On the bright side, you would think there would be far more exploding mod sensationalist news stories, considering how many uneducated people are running around with these incendiary devices.

 

[satchvai]

I think the B&M's who offer educational classes, and we have a few of those here in Richmond, VA, are the ones that are ultimately going to survive. I cringe whenever I read stories like the OP's because I think at this time in the evolution of vaping, we need shop owners who are going to take due diligence in offering a professional experience. You can make analogies all day long about other dangerous products that we can buy at Home Depot or whatever, but those industries have had a far longer time to establish the trust of the consumer. They also went through significant growing pains and regulations to be able to be sold off the shelves of a Home Depot. We don't have that luxury with vaping equipment. One death or injury gives the anti-vaping crowd more than enough ammo to lobby for years.
Selling a mech mod to a beginner, if I were the store owner, would end in immediate termination of the clerk who sold it.

 

[LuNar]

That is a awful thing to do. Does he WANT this new vapor to friggin be walking around with a pipe bomb ready to blow up at any puff she takes?? That is wildy irresponsible and unacceptable.

That's not right.

I used to go to this b and m and the owner sold me a mvp 2.0 for $80 and told me it was brand new(This is like a month after the mpv 2.0's came out.) Got home and opened it up and there were scratches all over it and it was fully charged. I took it back to her and she told me she doesn't do refunds unless the product is malfunctioning. This is why I don't ever go to brick and mortars anymore. I just order all my stuff online and read up on how to use them ect ect.

 

[93gc40]

The CUSTOMER is ALWAYS correct....... You friend made a stupid purchase.. The BM CLERK just sold their customer what the customer asked for. They would be BAD business people if they did any different. Your friend wanted clouds, NOT a safe vape. They got what they asked for.

Only an IDIOT assumes or expects the clerk in any store, to have your safety in mind or any knowledge of safety or even vaping for that matter. Heck I went into my local BM shop to get stainless mesh for my Geni tank.. The shop sold me 1 of the tanks. Yet they didn't even know that stainless mesh was used for making the wicks. They also have a wall with about 1000 different flavors of juice........ Yet never even heard of NET juices.

 

[supertrunker]

caveat emptor.

T

 

[ElConquistador]

My local B&M sold me a standard ego/clearomizer setup when I wandered in knowing absolutely nothing about vaping, and I'll always thank them for it. I got my feet wet and stopped smoking with it as I read everything I could here. I upgraded my mods and tanks, but it was over a year before I felt I was ready to tackle a mechanical mod.

 

[Racehorse]

Remember he built her the setup. Not just a "failed to ask", but built for her. THAT ain't smooth-talk-able, hon.

Yes, a salient point.

 

[gofishtx]

I have one B&M near me that carries a good variety of product and has experienced personnel. I sometimes pick up spare coils or batteries and I always see the guys there dealing with new vapors and recommending appropriate equipment as well as how to use it. Recently a new shop opened up right down the road from me and I went to check out their stock a couple of times. The 1st time, I was in a hurry and just needed an extra coil head. The 2nd time, I wanted to check out the shop and see what all they carried. The owner was present as well as the clerk from my previous visit, the shop was virtually fog free, no hint of anyone vaping what so ever. I asked a few questions about some of their products and while they were friendly I was under the impression neither one vaped or knew that much about it. Their prices were also 3 or 4 times higher than what I pay online for most of the products. Looks like someone just jumping on the bandwagon for a business venture. Hopefully they won't do any serious damage to new vapors. I direct everyone I know to the 1st shop with experienced vapors. I believe If I had witnessed someone selling inappropriate equipment I would of spoken up, or at least sent a letter of complaint to the owner or manager of the business.