Shipping Nightmares from Oklahoma

[Simply Red]

I was introduced to a company at a vaping convention back in February called VP-Wholesales (VP-W). Thought I'd try them out.


On Friday, 02/28, I ordered Kanger coils and Aspire coils and VP-W sent me an email telling me it shipped that day with a tracking#. According to USPS, "Electronic Shipping Info Received" on Monday, 03/03. Throughout Saturday and Monday, VP-W and I emailed back and forth to find out what was going on with the shipment. Finally, a real up date from USPS, "Tuesday, 3/04, 9:26pm, Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility". From "We had the wrong information on our website. Kanger doesn't make 2.1ohm coils. What did you order?" to "We had 5" of snow and the roads were impassable.". I got, what I felt, was a lot of run around and excuses. Long story short, multiple apologies and 10 days after I placed my order, it arrived on Monday, 3/10. Yeah, weather was a factor but not snow, ice. Just tell me that. I can handle the truth.


So, thought I'd do an experiment. Yesterday, I placed 2 orders, within 15 minutes of each other, around 9:30am. One with Mt. Baker Vapor, located in Washington state (2 - Aspire ETS, black and stainless and Blueberry liquid). The second with VP-W, located in Oklahoma (1 - Aspire ETS, red). I live in Florida.


MBV, by the end of the day had my products on the road and is scheduled for delivery on Monday, 3/17. I think that's just outstanding!! Even if it's the 18th, I'm good with that. Washington, after all, is a ways away from Florida.


VP-W status...3/14, "Electronic Shipping Info Received". In my mind, and maybe factual, it hasn't even been picked up by USPS at VP-W. I emailed one of their managers to find out if USPS picked up the shipment from them and got, "Must be the carrier, let me know when it gets there. We need to start ordering on Mondays to guarantee three days. =)".


Has anyone else received shipments any better from VP-W? I'm simply just not impressed, at all.

 

[Btsmokincat]

Never heard of them and I can't seem to find them on the interwebs either...

Got a link?

 

[ImperfectFuture]

I was introduced to a company at a vaping convention back in February called VP-Wholesales (VP-W). Thought I'd try them out.


On Friday, 02/28, I ordered Kanger coils and Aspire coils and VP-W sent me an email telling me it shipped that day with a tracking#. According to USPS, "Electronic Shipping Info Received" on Monday, 03/03. Throughout Saturday and Monday, VP-W and I emailed back and forth to find out what was going on with the shipment. Finally, a real up date from USPS, "Tuesday, 3/04, 9:26pm, Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility". From "We had the wrong information on our website. Kanger doesn't make 2.1ohm coils. What did you order?" to "We had 5" of snow and the roads were impassable.". I got, what I felt, was a lot of run around and excuses. Long story short, multiple apologies and 10 days after I placed my order, it arrived on Monday, 3/10. Yeah, weather was a factor but not snow, ice. Just tell me that. I can handle the truth.

They are Asian, and don't understand a lot of things via email. I usually call them. I use them only for hardware, and their shipping is via first class postage. They do usually run a day behind (one business day) getting it out. But they are much, much cheaper, and the shipping is always free. OTOH, when I need something in a rush, if it's juice and ego/510 equipment, I order from mt baker, with first class postage. If its halo stuff, priority or first class (with them, they are air freighted to WA, so the speed for both services is nearly identical). Halo can also take an extra day to ship out.


So, thought I'd do an experiment. Yesterday, I placed 2 orders, within 15 minutes of each other, around 9:30am. One with Mt. Baker Vapor, located in Washington state (2 - Aspire ETS, black and stainless and Blueberry liquid). The second with VP-W, located in Oklahoma (1 - Aspire ETS, red). I live in Florida.


MBV, by the end of the day had my products on the road and is scheduled for delivery on Monday, 3/17. I think that's just outstanding!! Even if it's the 18th, I'm good with that. Washington, after all, is a ways away from Florida.


VP-W status...3/14, "Electronic Shipping Info Received". In my mind, and maybe factual, it hasn't even been picked up by USPS at VP-W. I emailed one of their managers to find out if USPS picked up the shipment from them and got, "Must be the carrier, let me know when it gets there. We need to start ordering on Mondays to guarantee three days. =)".


Has anyone else received shipments any better from VP-W? I'm simply just not impressed, at all.

My experience with Oklahoma, and first class postage, they don't always scan, and it forever sits at electronic info received. Ingot my MVP 2 from them, and they sent sig confirmation, the Oklahoma sort facility was STILL slow (and sig conf is w hassle, so I request first class instead). If you have spoken with them over the phone, you would realize they initially set themselves up as a wholesale company. When i first contacted them about the MVP 2, (41.99 at the time, with free priority shipping), I asked why so cheap. They are the US side of fasttech (which is why there inventory isn't bigger). They asked me if I was buying for retail.

When ordering wholesale (having discussed inventory issues with some local b&m s), it is typical NOT to get shipping same day. Yes, mt. Baker is faster, but they are more expensive, and charge freight. Vapor products wholesale inc (their official name), is slower, but fine for what I use them for (sometimes, they are even cheaper than fasttech).

 

[ImperfectFuture]

Never heard of them and I can't seem to find them on the interwebs either...

Got a link?

My first purchase (they are out stock).

Innokin iTaste MVP V2.0 Iclear 30 V2 VV/VW

 

[Simply Red]

Never heard of them and I can't seem to find them on the interwebs either...

Got a link?

Here ya go.

Vapor Products Inc.

 

[Simply Red]

My experience with Oklahoma, and first class postage, they don't always scan, and it forever sits at electronic info received. Ingot my MVP 2 from them, and they sent sig confirmation, the Oklahoma sort facility was STILL slow (and sig conf is w hassle, so I request first class instead). If you have spoken with them over the phone, you would realize they initially set themselves up as a wholesale company. When i first contacted them about the MVP 2, (41.99 at the time, with free priority shipping), I asked why so cheap. They are the US side of fasttech (which is why there inventory isn't bigger). They asked me if I was buying for retail.

When ordering wholesale (having discussed inventory issues with some local b&m s), it is typical NOT to get shipping same day. Yes, mt. Baker is faster, but they are more expensive, and charge freight. Vapor products wholesale inc (their official name), is slower, but fine for what I use them for (sometimes, they are even cheaper than fasttech).

Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Simply Red]

My experience with Oklahoma, and first class postage, they don't always scan, and it forever sits at electronic info received. Ingot my MVP 2 from them, and they sent sig confirmation, the Oklahoma sort facility was STILL slow (and sig conf is w hassle, so I request first class instead). If you have spoken with them over the phone, you would realize they initially set themselves up as a wholesale company. When i first contacted them about the MVP 2, (41.99 at the time, with free priority shipping), I asked why so cheap. They are the US side of fasttech (which is why there inventory isn't bigger). They asked me if I was buying for retail.

When ordering wholesale (having discussed inventory issues with some local b&m s), it is typical NOT to get shipping same day. Yes, mt. Baker is faster, but they are more expensive, and charge freight. Vapor products wholesale inc (their official name), is slower, but fine for what I use them for (sometimes, they are even cheaper than fasttech).

Now that I think about it, when I first visited their web site, they didn't have Kanger coils. They said they were getting them in a few days and if I was buying wholesale and sent me their wholesale price list. Thought that strange.

 

[Buggainok]

My experience with Oklahoma, and first class postage, they don't always scan, and it forever sits at electronic info received. Ingot my MVP 2 from them, and they sent sig confirmation, the Oklahoma sort facility was STILL slow (and sig conf is w hassle, so I request first class instead). If you have spoken with them over the phone, you would realize they initially set themselves up as a wholesale company. When i first contacted them about the MVP 2, (41.99 at the time, with free priority shipping), I asked why so cheap. They are the US side of fasttech (which is why there inventory isn't bigger). They asked me if I was buying for retail.

When ordering wholesale (having discussed inventory issues with some local b&m s), it is typical NOT to get shipping same day. Yes, mt. Baker is faster, but they are more expensive, and charge freight. Vapor products wholesale inc (their official name), is slower, but fine for what I use them for (sometimes, they are even cheaper than fasttech).

I live in Oklahoma City, and I will totally agree with our postal service in Oklahoma being slower than average. I live in a housing addition with curbside mailboxes, and my daily mail frequently is not in my box until after 5 p.m.

Also as to snow and bad weather affecting the post office here - we seem to be able to deal with tornados, but not heavy snow and ice. In years past, we typically have a few snow storms, which are not heavy, and then the sun comes out and the snow is gone in a day or two. This year we got heavy snow and ice several times, and the temperatures were near zero for over ten days at one point. I think our city is not set up to deal with that kind of extended snow and ice, and it causes all kinds of problems. Schools closed for several days a couple of times this year, which is not the common thing.

People who live where snow comes and stays all winter long don't understand that Oklahoma just doesn't know how to do snow! Nobody knows how to drive in it. No one has snow tires or chains.

And about the company in question - I ordered online from them, and then discovered they are located here in my city. So I called and went to the warehouse and picked up my MVP. It is indeed a warehouse, although a very nice one, and has lots of glass cabinets and displays inside, I guess for vendors to look at the merchandise. The people I met were young and very nice and enthusiastic. I can understand that if they are used to dealing with the wholesale end of marketing and sales, that having a bunch of individual orders on a hot item like the MVP might not move as quickly as people would like.

P.S. I just checked their website, which is out of stock on the MVP. When I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago, they had over 70 in stock.

 

[ENAUD]

My first purchase (they are out stock).

Innokin iTaste MVP V2.0 Iclear 30 V2 VV/VW

That was my first purchase as well, about two weeks back maybe, someone posted this link, I clicked through and ordered it, and had it in my hand in two days (itaste mvp2). I do remember that the tracking info was a bit off till the item scanned through locally, but it did come priority mail with the expected travel time.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

"We had 5" of snow and the roads were impassable.".

Heh. Around here we frolic buck nekkid in 5 inches of snow and have pool parties.

I really think most problems with shipping lie with the local USPS officials. They might pick up the packages from the vendor and are therefore flagged as "processed" but god knows how long they sit "somewhere" before they actually move.

 

[Simply Red]

Heh. Around here we frolic buck nekkid in 5 inches of snow and have pool parties.

I really think most problems with shipping lie with the local USPS officials. They might pick up the packages from the vendor and are therefore flagged as "processed" but god knows how long they sit "somewhere" before they actually move.

I reckon y'all were right. USPS now showing the order as "Depart USPS Sort Facility-Oklahoma City, OK" this morning. Expected delivery date - 3/18 which would be the "3 business days". Well, that's quicker than the last time. Guess I'm just too impatient. I'll let VP-W know when it gets here as requested and maybe a little apology for my expecting immediate action. I'm kinda OCD that way.

 

[Simply Red]

"So, thought I'd do an experiment. Yesterday, I placed 2 orders, within 15 minutes of each other, around 9:30am. One with Mt. Baker Vapor, located in Washington state (2 - Aspire ETS, black and stainless and Blueberry liquid). The second with VP-W, located in Oklahoma (1 - Aspire ETS, red). I live in Florida.

MBV, by the end of the day had my products on the road and is scheduled for delivery on Monday, 3/17. I think that's just outstanding!! Even if it's the 18th, I'm good with that. Washington, after all, is a ways away from Florida.

VP-W status...3/14, "Electronic Shipping Info Received". In my mind, and maybe factual, it hasn't even been picked up by USPS at VP-W. I emailed one of their managers to find out if USPS picked up the shipment from them and got, "Must be the carrier, let me know when it gets there. We need to start ordering on Mondays to guarantee three days. =)".

Has anyone else received shipments any better from VP-W? I'm simply just not impressed, at all."

Up date: Got my order from MBV on Monday as they said. VP-Wholesales? Just got it today. Guess that settles that. 'Nuff said.

 

[Oliversilk]

From a pricing and availability standpoint. How does VP-Wholesales compare to buying directly from China.

 

[leong jenny]

Yes, MBV may be much faster but more expensive. I would like to wait longer than pay more. lol. I usually purchase my equipment from Chinese vendors, not all website ship the products slowly, last time it just takes 4 days I received my orders.

 

[Simply Red]

Yes, MBV may be much faster but more expensive.

Let me throw customer service in the mix:
MBV - Outstanding!
VP-Wholesales - What customer service?? Lots of emails with, imo, excusses. New company, snow, ice, rain, USPS (yeah, they're slow sometimes, but not always) blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. I'm just over them.

Out of all the vendors I've used from all over the USA, VP-W was/is the worse. Maybe y'all have had better luck but not me. The quickest was 5 days. MBV took 2 and they're caddy corner across the country from me. I'm ok with that.

 

[Harlen]

What they do is print a label from USPS but it can be a week or more before it really gets shipped