Smoke Everywhere Rip Off
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It often bugs me when people say "this is a rip-off" or "that is a rip-off". If you didn't pay for the item, you didn't get ripped off, and thus a savvy shopper. If you did pay for the item without due diligence, you are at fault if you end up with buyer's remorse. Too many people want instant gratification. Minus the food, nearly all items sold at the mall can be had for way cheaper if you shop around online.
Now, buying an item that breaks, and the company refusing to make good on their warranty is a rip-off.
Now, buying an item that breaks, and the company refusing to make good on their warranty is a rip-off.
Don't forget the kiosks have higher overhead than the online stores do. They have to pay for a piece of real estate for one, and in that price is the cost of having security, lights, running water (regardless of whether or not they use it), etc. While I'm not saying the price isn't high, I can understand why it is. It's basic business principles really. To top it off , they may not even be making as much of a profit as the online retailers do. It would be interesting to hear the point of view from someone who owns one of these kiosks.
So a generalization that SE itself is a ripoff, based solely on the kiosk prices, is a bit off. Anything you find for sale in any mall will most likely be cheaper form an online only retailer.
So a generalization that SE itself is a ripoff, based solely on the kiosk prices, is a bit off. Anything you find for sale in any mall will most likely be cheaper form an online only retailer.
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How can you say it is not a ripoff. If you take advantage of people who do not know better then yes you are riping them off. I understand there has to be a mark up. They have overhead. But come on. $40 for a batt.
Along with rent, (which can go as to $10,000.00+ in the winter months), add in:
Employee salaries - avg 80 hours per week, 360 hours per month (kiosks must remain open during all mall hours or be fined)
Workers comp for employees
Payroll company fees
Insurance for the kiosk (monthly bill)
Retail displays, signs, banners, brochures, other printing fees
Lighting
Gift bags
Inventory management system
Retail POS system hardware(1 system to process all purchases)
Retail POS software
Printing paper for receipts
Many more I probably forgot about,
And the kicker... is called BP (Break Point) - this is when the mall has decided you've made enough money for the month, and charge upwards of 25% of all revenue from that point forward on top of rent for that month.
Yes you have to report every penny earned, every month to mall management.
Then add in the rest of the fees for a legitimate company - Legal, bookkeeping, bank fees, merchant processing fees, permits fees, there is a fee for everything, trust me
Operating a kiosk requires all the same skills, costs, and fees as operating any other business, just on a smaller scale.
Anyway not here to justify anyone's price or costs, or to determine what $ for an ecig equals a "ripoff". Just thought I'd share a bit about what actually goes in to running a kiosk.
Cheers
It's called Capitalism. Again, I'm not disagreeing that they are overpriced. I believe Satyr said it best "If you didn't pay for the item, you didn't get ripped off, and thus a savvy shopper. If you did pay for the item without due diligence, you are at fault if you end up with buyer's remorse."
Just because an uninformed consumer paid for the overpriced item doesn't make it a rip off. What's the difference between a Ford, a Mercury, and a Lincoln? Price. Same product. And yes, I realize that's a very simplistic example.
Along with rent, (which can go as to $10,000.00+ in the winter months), add in:
Employee salaries - avg 80 hours per week, 360 hours per month (kiosks must remain open during all mall hours or be fined)
Workers comp for employees
Payroll company fees
Insurance for the kiosk (monthly bill)
Retail displays, signs, banners, brochures, other printing fees
Lighting
Gift bags
Inventory management system
Retail POS system hardware(1 system to process all purchases)
Retail POS software
Printing paper for receipts
Many more I probably forgot about,
And the kicker... is called BP (Break Point) - this is when the mall has decided you've made enough money for the month, and charge upwards of 25% of all revenue from that point forward on top of rent for that month.
Yes you have to report every penny earned, every month to mall management.
Then add in the rest of the fees for a legitimate company - Legal, bookkeeping, bank fees, merchant processing fees, permits fees, there is a fee for everything, trust me
Operating a kiosk requires all the same skills, costs, and fees as operating any other business, just on a smaller scale.
Anyway not here to justify anyone's price or costs, or to determine what $ for an ecig equals a "ripoff". Just thought I'd share a bit about what actually goes in to running a kiosk.
Cheers
Wow, they nickle and dime you (the general you) more than I thought! If you've never actually run a business of your own you couldn't possibly understand all the intricacies. Every single penny you pay out has to be carefully scrutinized and, in some way, made up for. Nobody wants to give the product away and end up strving on the streets.
Internet companies have a great deal of overhead also. Maybe not as much as a store in the mall. But they keep there prices competitive because they know that if someone is on the internet they will check other sites for pricing. These Kiosks are there to make a quick buck off people who do not know better. Once the public gets better informed they will have to lower there prices or get out. Im not saying all kiosks are a ripoff. But if I can buy a better product then you can offer for 4 times less. Then yes I feel you are being ripoff (or rip-off) is a bad deal. Usually it refers to an incident in which a person pays too much for something. A ripoff is distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as fraud; a ripoff, on the other hand, is in the eye of the beholder. ...
This is only my opinion and I understand and respect what you are saying. But on the other hand can anyone who has bought an e-cig from a kiosk here say they don't feel they were take advantage of.
This is only my opinion and I understand and respect what you are saying. But on the other hand can anyone who has bought an e-cig from a kiosk here say they don't feel they were take advantage of.
Part of the issue I think is the negative connotation associated with the term rip-off. For many people it's almost hand in hand with scam. I do agree that they are way overpriced, but there is a reason, beyond making a quick buck, behind it.
This, as well, is simply my opinion and I too respect your view, and that of other posters.
Now get off my lawn!!
I agree with you. I don't mean to sound like I am talking bad about it. I can't be mad at anyone trying to make a living. Its hard enough now days. I think I was just upset because I stoped by one of these stands and they could not answer any questions I had for them. The people working it were clueless. E-cigs have changed my whole life. I feel better from it. I just want everyone to have the experiences that I have had.
Last week I was going to be in Spokane and looked to see if they had an e-cig place at the mall. They did have one called Smart Smoke. I was thinking about stopping by to just take a look around. Thought I might pick up a small bottle of juice if the price wasn't obscene. Looked up their website and found these prices. 
15ml juice $41.95
Spare 901 or 801 battery 42.95 each
801 kit 1 battery 1 atomizer 5 carts $106.95
901 kit 2 batteries 2 atomizers 2 carts 1 15ml juice $176.95
15ml juice $41.95
Spare 901 or 801 battery 42.95 each
801 kit 1 battery 1 atomizer 5 carts $106.95
901 kit 2 batteries 2 atomizers 2 carts 1 15ml juice $176.95
SE is terrible retail, their products are old, overpriced, most of their kiosk reps dont know anything about ecigs and havnt a clue how old their models are, just hired goons. that been said, they're the only ones directly facing FDA so... yeah... just dont buy their overpriced stuff but we can at least support their fight against FDA =P
Don't even ask SE how much an Atty is they told me the manager would give me a deal for $45. And he tried to sell me a used pipe for 250. with teeth marks on the mouth piece.
I agree that a retail location has to charge more due to the additional overhead. But a markup of 800% is just plain obscene. And the least they could do is provide a "Cadallic" PV for that price but instead they provide a "Yugo".
The very first time I ever heard of electronic cigarettes was when I happened upon an SE kiosk at a local mall.. Without even shopping around, I knew their stuff was way over-priced ($150 for a 2 battery starter kit!), but I expect that at a mall... I wasn't too impressed with their product either, but since I buy everything but food and clothes on-line, I knew if I did some digging around, I could find something better, and cheaper on the web. And thus began my journey into the wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) world of vaping. So I at least have SE to thank for that.
The way I see it, if you paid too much for something that doesn't work so good, then you have no one to blame but yourself.
Caveat emptor...
I do so much research before I buy anything, sometimes I wonder if the money I save is worth the time I put into it... But at least I know when I buy something, I'm getting the best product for the best possible price. If I make an impulse purchase, and find out later that I paid too much, or could have gotten something better, it's my own ... I'll be kicking... Not the person, or business that sold me the item.
What cvapure said about mall over-head is absolutely true too... About 20 years ago, I decided that I wanted to set up a kiosk at a local mall and sell airbrushed T-shirts... When I found out how much it cost for just the rent, it made my head spin! And back then, malls weren't the megalithic corporate behemoths they are today.
Having said all that; Smoking Everywhere isn't really a rip-off... But it is kind of a gyp-joint.
The way I see it, if you paid too much for something that doesn't work so good, then you have no one to blame but yourself.
Caveat emptor...
I do so much research before I buy anything, sometimes I wonder if the money I save is worth the time I put into it... But at least I know when I buy something, I'm getting the best product for the best possible price. If I make an impulse purchase, and find out later that I paid too much, or could have gotten something better, it's my own ... I'll be kicking... Not the person, or business that sold me the item.
What cvapure said about mall over-head is absolutely true too... About 20 years ago, I decided that I wanted to set up a kiosk at a local mall and sell airbrushed T-shirts... When I found out how much it cost for just the rent, it made my head spin! And back then, malls weren't the megalithic corporate behemoths they are today.
Having said all that; Smoking Everywhere isn't really a rip-off... But it is kind of a gyp-joint.
Let's see: drastically inflated prices for kits, parts, and cartridges, even more drastically inflated claims about the equivalence of carts to cigarettes... seems awful close to "ripoff" and "scam" to me.
The only good that came from my purchase there is that it introduced me to e-cigs, and I followed that up with research and found these forums and more legitimate suppliers. Many won't do that, and will think SE products and prices are representative of all e-cigs. That's the real ripoff.
The only good that came from my purchase there is that it introduced me to e-cigs, and I followed that up with research and found these forums and more legitimate suppliers. Many won't do that, and will think SE products and prices are representative of all e-cigs. That's the real ripoff.
Visiting an SE kiosk in a mall got me interested in e-cigs. If I had not seen them there I probably would not be smoke free now. I didn't buy from them just found out that a revolution had started. From there I got on the internet and found these forums. My first purchase was a 510 kit from Innovapor. Couldn't be happier.
So yes they are a rip off as far as pricing is concerned. They should be able to get great prices buying in volume and should try to pass some of that on to the consumer. No way can they offer prices of an internet only supplier if wholesale prices are the same. I just don't believe the wholesale prices are the same.
I see posts from so many people who found e-cigs from seeing a SE kiosk in a mall. Best advertising ever for the revolution.
Vivia la revolution!!! (or something like that)
Yosam
So yes they are a rip off as far as pricing is concerned. They should be able to get great prices buying in volume and should try to pass some of that on to the consumer. No way can they offer prices of an internet only supplier if wholesale prices are the same. I just don't believe the wholesale prices are the same.
I see posts from so many people who found e-cigs from seeing a SE kiosk in a mall. Best advertising ever for the revolution.
Vivia la revolution!!! (or something like that)
Yosam
I saw and started researching about them online, but had to take a drive over to the mall by me to actually see one in person before I took the plunge and ordered. Luckily I had done my due diligence first and was not lulled into buying an overpriced retail SE.
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