Smoking Everywhere Scam

[diddy]

I too got myself signed up with this lot..daft,or what! Ended up cancelling my bank card 'just in case'..But not before getting the month's supply, then having the battery die!! Have phoned them and returned the batt. but ,of course, they have not yet replaced it(will they, I wonder..the girl on the phone said they would!) ..have been unable to contact them by email. Maybe I have the wrong email address?

 

[suhrim21]

how did you guys do that when i bought my se set I had to pay just the 100 dollars for it there wasnt even an option for a trial.

 

[Reboot]

I haven't read anywhere in this thread that anyone has conclusively gotten scammed by Smoking Everywhere?

I don't have any love for this company, but I'm also not sure about saying they are scammers and deserve to be reported to the better business bureau etc etc.

I signed up for the free trial but unlike most of you, I did read the fine print and knew full well what I was getting into with the cartridge replacement program and the T&A of it all. It seemed ok to me, mainly because I didn't at the time know what other (better/ cheaper) alternatives there were.

My ONLY gripe about the process (so far) was that they call you after you order the free trial to try to upsell you additional products and they don't ship the trial pack out until they speak to you on the phone. This caveat was nowhere I saw in the T&A or in the order confirmation email I received.

I just phoned them to cancel my trial and will be shipping the product back to them tomorrow. I will get insurance on the package and hopefully some kind of receipt of delivery proof to make sure they have received it back. They say as long as it is postmarked within the trial period there will be no further charges.

I'll be sure to let you all know if things don't go as they say it is supposed to, but so far they have been fair and true to their advertising.

I have had very little trouble getting through to their customer service department (and I have contacted them a few times). Once I send the product back, I plan to call them again and make sure that I am not still enrolled in the monthly cartridge program.

For me this has been a great introduction to e-cigs and vaping and now that I am armed with a little more info, I plan on purchasing a better product for less money

 

[mrtomdabomb40]

get ready to get a WHOLE bunch of phone calls from other "scam" companies. i got phoned and scammed by some magazine company thing that said i won a diamond watch and a chance for 25,000...i stupidly agreed and gave them my credit card number...anyways, most people that try to cancel get told that "company policy" is that they can't cancel...when it clearly states on their letter that you can cancel ANYTIME. they gave me a hard time about it saying over and over that i could not cancel, until i brought up the attorney general and BBB...at that point, the girl who was very rude btw, said okay, hold on. The manager came on the phone and basically begged me not to report them...i will still, people should not get scammed by them. he gave me a confirmation number and told me that he did cancel and he said he wil send me a free years worth of magazines if i do not report them to the BBB. i made it CLEAR that i would NOT be renewing and that this should stop after the 1st year and he said of course...gave me a confrimation number and once again asked to not involve the BBB or general attorney. trust me guys, these scammers get scared when u bring up the BBB and AG

 

[jerrydon10]

I'm not shipping crap back to them. This company is the biggest rip-off company I have ever dealt with in my life.

My first encounter with them was in the mall where I bought my first ecig and the guy tells me that a cartridge is equivalent to a full pack of analogs and that when the charger blinked it was a computer in there analyzing my smoking habits.....lol

So then I see an ad for a free ecig on the Web and click on it. OK, when I get in there it says free with $9.95 shipping. I give them a credit card and it is billed $109.00 + $9.95 shipping.

They'll get their stuff back if they send me the postage and I have notified my CC company that if this charge is not removed and further charges from them denied, we are all going to court.

And we will. I don't take this crap from scam artists.

 

[mrtomdabomb40]

I'm not shipping crap back to them. This company is the biggest rip-off company I have ever dealt with in my life.

My first encounter with them was in the mall where I bought my first ecig and the guy tells me that a cartridge is equivalent to a full pack of analogs and that when the charger blinked it was a computer in there analyzing my smoking habits.....lol

So then I see an ad for a free ecig on the Web and click on it. OK, when I get in there it says free with $9.95 shipping. I give them a credit card and it is billed $109.00 + $9.95 shipping.

They'll get their stuff back if they send me the postage and I have notified my CC company that if this charge is not removed and further charges from them denied, we are all going to court.

And we will. I don't take this crap from scam artists.

the easiest way to get out of this is get their number and threaten them with the attorney general and BBB...they will HAPPILY refund your money and cancel your membership or whatever. actually dont just threaten them, threaten AND report them. these scammers deserve to get put out. a former employee of one of these scam companies got fired for being a good employee (helping people actually cancel and telling them that it was indeed a scam) and she was the one that said anytime you bring up the BBB or AG, that these scammers will piss their pants and do anything you ask.

 

[JimStanmore]

I almost bought from SE after hearing their ad repeatedly on XM. Luckily I read their fine print, googled and found ECF. I would just like to mention to anyone who wants to report SE before they have a chance to correct the problem in a reasonable time that SE is one of the two litigants "defending" the e-cig in court. I do not support their business practices, but our immediate ability to purchase and use e-cigs freely in the USA is tied to their success in court (http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...erywhere-v-fda-daily-docket-sheet-update.html.) I cannot imagine that a tarnished business reputation will help them in any way.

I hope THEY (SE) realize and remember that themselves, and fix the way they conduct business and treat customers. I am so glad that I did not start with their system because I am comfortable with refilling and dripping. I know that many people are perfectly happy with the "convenience" of the product from SE, but they just haven't found our great ECF suppliers like Good Prophets, Innovapor, Vermont Vaper, Vapor Country, Vapor Options and Totally Wicked. (I just bought 5 complete 901's from Totally Wicked for about $80.)

I wish all of you wrestling with the renewals and free trial trap good luck and I hope SE wises up and stops abusing the very people that could support them in the US. You might also consider getting involved in one of the associations to help keep this from happening in the future (CASAA - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat.)

Jim S.

 

[Danipop]

Freecig.com / Trendycig.co.uk both operate through April Marketing
April Marketing is the same company as Sphere Marketing
Sphere Marketing may now also be known as Nice Day Marketing (Sounds dodgy eh?)

All link to a man named Graeme Ross, a millionaire CONMAN from Kirkham, Lancs

A quick search of 'Graeme Ross' or 'Sphere Marketing' on google will tell you all you need to know

Apparently people like this set up a business, con people out of money and then close the business and set up something else under a different name

How people get away with this I don't know but I guess there are loopholes that enable them to do it..

Shoppertainment, the people who decide which businesses go into shopping centres are looking into this. All the stalls have been taken out of the centres and the staff questioned. Apparently they were just interviewed for the job, given the job and handed over the paperwork to someone at the end of the day. They know nothing about the company.

Unfortunately doesn't look like we'll be getting any money back from this company and it definately gives E cigarettes a bad name.

 

[erik16]

Make sure you get a cancellation number and the reps name at least so you have everything documented to support your case. Document everything including dates of emails and who you spoke to.

 

[Archer74]

Well, I got a $99.02 bomb charged to my account. Thats AFTER I canceled and NEVER received their product. Now I got to go to my bank and do damage control. I HATE THEM!!!

 

[awf40]

Well like all u others I found out about e-cig about a month ago & went on line to check it out. Well first one I see is SE & checked it out. Not knowing much about it, I thought it sounded good at the time. So there I go give them my cc for a free trial which will cost 9.95. Ok so just after that I thought well lets check around a bit. So found this great site & loads of info.. Well after getting some info & cost I was real quick to go back & cancell my order. So I do that & next day I get an email saying I cancelled it. Now this was a month ago... So thinking everything is okay I get a call a couple weeks ago asking about my address. I tell them again I cancelled right away & so she goes to check & says yes I guess you did.. So I get my cc statement in for last month what do I see but a charge from them for 9.95.. Than I get up this morning & get this email from them telling me that my package is shipped & paid for... So I try & call them can't get through & leave message with phone # to call me. Go to there web site contact them with message. Still nothing.. Still trying to get them on phone, nothing.. Email them again nothing.. Well by this time my blood is boiling, my face is red & I am needing a real cig fast but did not touch one... So I go check my cc activity on line & what do I see but them with a charge of 99.02... from yesterday.. So now there is steam coming from me & I pick up phone call my cc company.. I have the cc company taking off that 99.02 witch will take 24 to 48 hours to do & not to let them EVER put anything on my card again.. So when this happens lets see if they get in touch with me about what they shipped.. Cause I am going to still try & get my 9.95 back before I send them this package back... Sorry for the long post just had to vent off my steam.. ok feel a little better now........

 

[Think Tink]

If you can't get it cancelled by calling them or emailing them then going through your credit card company is the right thing to do. Having the credit card company reverse the charge is called a charge-back, it costs the seller about $30 plus a percentage of the transaction usually 2-3%.

Unless the seller deals with a very disreputable mechant account company a high number of charge-backs will raise a flag on their account, if it continues the merchant account company will probably withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars (depending on their volume of transactions) from the company as insurance to make sure that they aren't going to have to pay back large sums in chargebacks to consumers after the company has withdrawn the money.

Just remember to log all communication with them when you are attempting to cancel, keep all emails you've sent and keep track of phone call attempts made. They can attempt to fight a chargeback, diputes like that rarely ever go in the seller's favor though, even a single email showing that you cancelled in the required time period will be enough.

Hope this helps.

 

[MaDPimP]

my gf's dad tried to get one from SE in the UK despite their shipments being stopped at customs they sold it to him anyway and then were going to take his $500 to set him up as a US dealer.... NOT a public friendly company....

 

[whistlrr]

Well, I got a $99.02 bomb charged to my account. Thats AFTER I canceled and NEVER received their product. Now I got to go to my bank and do damage control. I HATE THEM!!!

The exact same thing has happened to me.

I had email communication with them that I wanted to cancel the very same day I had subscribed, after a lot of emails and a telephone call (and I am speech impaired so the emails constantly telling me to just 'call' them where a bit cruel and accessibility defying but I managed). that was on September 8th (I have all the emails).. they kept my $9.95, I figured since the thing said the $9.95 was 'non refundable' that was just a loss but it was over..

well I see that now on October 10th a charge was put through and then completed on my card on October 13th.. for.. you guessed it.. 99.02.. for something I never got

I found this out this past Thursday,
I emailed a bunch of times, tried to ring them a bunch more starting 9am EST (when they're supposed to be open) they kept letting me get to the top of the queue then dumping me.. I tried straight until just before noon I actually got a response... got the guys name and employee ID, he put me on hold for an age, claimed to be looking up all those other emails and my canceled account, aploogizsed profusely, said the 99.02 would be put back on my card and it might take 72 hours for me to see it, promised me it would not be charged from them again.

I'm waiting the 72 hours I guess (unless some of you come back and tell me any reason why that's a bad idea) and if its not put back then I'm contacting my credit card, which is with Chase (I hope that's safe to say).they are a big well known credit card company and if Chase doesn't already know about these guys they are gonna once I am done.

I've never had a problem before, never had to call a credit card with a problem, I'm very good with using it and paying stuff, use it pretty responsibly, I like to be a quiet customer that does not cause problems or get noticed, this really angers me that I have to do this now.

Either way, wither "Hugo or "Huzo" (he really mumbled it and his id number and was NOT eager to give them or repeat them for me) gets it put back or not, I am going to ask for a different card to be sure.

With them doing this to this many people there is no way this is just a 'mistake'

 

[Pyrate]

I

My first encounter with them was in the mall where I bought my first ecig and the guy tells me that a cartridge is equivalent to a full pack of analogs and that when the charger blinked it was a computer in there analyzing my smoking habits.....lol

My first experience with e-cigs was also with the SE kiosk at the mall.
I fell for their BS (1 cart= 1 pack, 1 pack of carts= 1 carton, etc)and purchased the Gold Edition for $180.
I thought it was a great deal to get off analogs.
That was until I got it home and burned through 1 pack of carts in 1 day 8-o
In the next pack of carts 2 had 0 juice in them (completely dry) and in another the "filler holder" came out of the cart and got jammed on the atty
I went back to the kiosk the next day and asked for a refund on their inferior product. They said 'We dont give refunds". I said "Ok, Ill just do a charge back on my CC then" which I did.

I was totally turned off on e-cigs after that believing they were a scam.

That was until about 2 months later when a co-worker, who is a vaper, gave me some REAL info and links to a few web sites.
Since then I have purchased a 510 kit, a bunch of extra attys/batts and 2 passthroughs (1 for comp, 1 for car) as well as enough E-Juice and LorAnn flavors to last me months.

All in all I spent the same for all that as I did for the SE Gold kit.

IMO, Smoking Everywhere IS a total rip-off and a scam.
I would love the see them put out of business

 

[whistlrr]

UPDATE

Today being 72 hours and nothing returned to my card as promized, I called my card adn did my best to explain, used the term "reverse the charges' over and over too but I am very speech impaired (I rely on a typing commuication device to speek) and so the guy at Chase was just think as hell and my good-for-nothing buddy John standing here just would NOT open his mouth to help me out more

so apparently the guy at chase told me its 'being put into dispute' and that I should see the 99.02 returned to my card but neither John or I were clear on just when that was supposed to happen, I also got a yes and an agreement to my repeated pleas for a promise that smokinganywhere would be blocked from further transactions, and chase guy said yes, repeatedly 'no they won't be able to charge you any more" but I ALSO wanted to get a completly new card to be sure but the chase guy said "no that won't be necessary and pretty much would NOT Let me get a new card(!)

THEN I find my laxadacial buddy John saw there was a package in the mail on Saturday but took him all this time to show up with it and guess what it is.....

a package from SMoking everywhere for thier "Gold One"

IF they think I'm sending this back at my expense or they're getting a number dime out of me they are crazy

I cancelled, cancelled, cancelled and oh yeah, I cancelled again, back in September I don't nkwo how many damned emails AND phonecalls it too to get them to stop playing stupid and jsut CANCEL me


but here we are.. the first $9.95 stole back then... all this obvoiusly being cancelled and a promise just this pastg thursday fro m"Hugo" who gave me an ID for him and an extension (as if, how the hell are you even supposed to get through to an 'extension' on thier scewball system that won't even answer its calls most of the time)

so... I was cancelled a month ago, have all email exchanges to proviee it.. was spontanoiusly charged 99 this month for something I never recieved and did not WANT to receive, made phone call to SE.. live promise my money would be put back on my card in 72.. .no 72 money return... I call and do my best to clap them shut at my card's end.. and meanwhile the idios suddenly decided to send me a "Gpold One" E-Cig???

The invoice on this reads:




Terms Rep Ship Via F.O.B.
Net 14 (blank) 10/14/2009 USPS 9/5/2009


Quantity Item Code Description Price each Amount
1 Gold ONE KIT (blank) 99.02 99.02
1 Shipping USPS Tracking Number [#] 9.95 9.95


TI was thursday the 15th I talked to the SE guy and go the sorry and promise the 99 would go back in my bank in 72 hours and that'd be the end of it, promises of no more billings or anything to do with SE.. and this thing says it was shipped out th eday before, on the 14th? Now since there was no return and I got my card to agree to put the money back and not let them charge me more...


I made AND CANCELLED BOTH this whole thing on September 5th, it took them until September 8th to ackowldege it in an email to me but they sure did and I sure do have that email

so wtf

what do you guys make of this?

I have taken the "Gold One" out of its packing box (but have kept its packing box)

I'll be damned if I'm going to send it back to them at my expense, in fact I'm seriously considering not sending the damned thing back at all, but just until I see what happens I'm keeping it in its packing syran wrap and its dleivery box nd going to see what the hell anybody (card or SE) does next.

what do the rest of you make of this, what do you think it means, what do you think I should do?

 

[Snarkyone]

If there is ANY DOUBT at all in your mind with the charges being canceled contact your CC company and you can IMMEDIATELY stop the charge and it will be refunded to your account by 10 business days in most cases. When I have issues in the past with unscrupulous online business merchants I have went so far as to cancel that card and have them send me a new one. As a last resort you could report the card stolen and not be held liable but I would not advocate that since then your stepping on the line of fraud.

 

[whistlrr]

I called the card.

The first ting I wanted them to do ws "revergse the charges" -- I ended up calling my credit card TWICE with this intent and either they just weren't listing to my communicator/digital voice or were just refusing or I dont know.. they just kept replying saying "we can put it into dispute' -- they never would acknowledge or respond in anyway directly to my direct request to 'reverse the charges' they said they want to 'investigate' and they even asked me if I had any proof of its being cancelled.. this from my disability UNfriendly credit card company who 'we dont do chat and we don't do email' -- well my proof that my account was cancelled on Septmber 8th -- is a freaking EMAIL from SmokesEverywhere... so what am I supposed to do?

Anyway finally finally and after being passed to 4 or 5 people (and my dopy half human half pet rock buddy happened to knock and come in while this was ongoing.. due to my challenges I always have to use the phone in speakerphone mode)

John got in there and helped just a very little bit

and my card has been canceled ASAP to be replaced by a new one in about 10 business days they said.. it was unclear as to whethre the 99 was coming off this picosecond or if it too is going to hve to way something like 10 days to get rid of too (mind you I'm very likely paying interest for this stupid 99.02 the whole time)

but at leaset SE wont be able to nail me again

and I do have this "Gold One Kit" with an invoice that inexplicably claims it was sent the day BEFORE I spoke with "Hugo" (sure as hell wish I could have found that information while I was online with my credit card.. I was at least able to give them my SE cancelled account number -- not really sure how meaniingfull that number could possibly be to my credit card but they happily accepted it with an 'okay' that almost sounded like it had a hidden 'now we're getting somewhere" hidden inside thta 'okay')


I'm still not unwrapping the plastic from around the very "Gold Kit One" just in case this quick dodgey doubeblack dating on in inventory and sending it to me is a way to try to get me introuble or excuse themselves for keeping the 99 -- and/ior trying to force me ton with thier 'subscription'

(maybe SE knows credit cards 'don't do email' so they can say whatever the ***** they want, promise you anything there?)

I do know from a bona fide bar passed working attorney that emails ARE legal documents.

Not sure right now what good knowing that'll get me.. got a feeling I'd hve to be in court tofind out.. and the lawyer I nkow would not be too happy with me if that lawyer has to go to court with me for soemthing so ......ed as SmokingAnywhere (there's enough to do in life, plenty enough reasons to keep a lawyer busy without adding THIS one)

 

[diddy]

It was Freecig.com that got me! Never did get the replacement batt. and can't get hold of them! That's life, I suppose. Got a 901 after reading comments on this great forum. Very happy at the moment. Thanks for all the good advice, video links etc!!

 

[optsmk]

Well like all u others I found out about e-cig about a month ago & went on line to check it out. Well first one I see is SE & checked it out. Not knowing much about it, I thought it sounded good at the time. So there I go give them my cc for a free trial which will cost 9.95. Ok so just after that I thought well lets check around a bit. So found this great site & loads of info.. Well after getting some info & cost I was real quick to go back & cancell my order. So I do that & next day I get an email saying I cancelled it. Now this was a month ago... So thinking everything is okay I get a call a couple weeks ago asking about my address. I tell them again I cancelled right away & so she goes to check & says yes I guess you did.. So I get my cc statement in for last month what do I see but a charge from them for 9.95.. Than I get up this morning & get this email from them telling me that my package is shipped & paid for... So I try & call them can't get through & leave message with phone # to call me. Go to there web site contact them with message. Still nothing.. Still trying to get them on phone, nothing.. Email them again nothing.. Well by this time my blood is boiling, my face is red & I am needing a real cig fast but did not touch one... So I go check my cc activity on line & what do I see but them with a charge of 99.02... from yesterday.. So now there is steam coming from me & I pick up phone call my cc company.. I have the cc company taking off that 99.02 witch will take 24 to 48 hours to do & not to let them EVER put anything on my card again.. So when this happens lets see if they get in touch with me about what they shipped.. Cause I am going to still try & get my 9.95 back before I send them this package back... Sorry for the long post just had to vent off my steam.. ok feel a little better now........

Since you got the 99 dollar charged reversed, why dont you just let them keep the 10 bucks they still have of yours and keep the SE e-cig. After all the 4081 is a pretty good e-cig. I have one that I got at the mall. I payed way too much for it, but I still like it.

If you only pay 10 bucks for it, then you got a pretty good deal. Parts for the 4081 are everywhere and so is juice. Be happy and vape away!