Steam Monkey Product Updates and Discussion: Join the Troop!

[Lance_Wallen]

Ok... I debated making this post because it's going to look bad but I gotta be transparent and honest.

The Zmax will not be making another appearance on my store. I will not be restocking them. I've had a few failures and at least on major QC issue reported. I would have pulled them before I sold anymore had I known, by the time I had enough to call it an 'issue' I was sold out. On top of that, sigelei's answer to that is "that's just how ecigs are" (in relation to the failure rate) It's not a huge number and the issues are not electrical so I still feel safe saying that the devices are safe to use but the assembly standards are lacking. Some devices are having issues with loose screens and one report of the connector coming apart. This is mostly due to piss poor QC and rushed mass production.

My personal device is solid as a rock but folks have been having issues. sigelei will not send me any replacements unless I make another MOQ order and I'm not going to do that as it'll just create a loop of loss for me that I'm not willing to accept... SO
If you have issues with your Zmax please contact me via PM or through the "Contact us" link on my store and we'll work out a return policy that makes you happy. That could be store credit or a refund, whatever works.

I have a policy that I won't sell something I wouldn't use or recommend to friends and family and I took a leap of faith on the sigelei zmax so that I could have a higher end device on my store at launch. It doesn't meet my standards so I'm removing it and taking whatever losses that causes to make sure you guys are taken care of.

The device 'is' solid when it's assembled properly, I use mine all the time, but the QC is simply not up to my standards and it's not like the aga-t's where I can go in and fix theme myself.

I hope you all understand my stance and will forgive my mistake in stocking and selling an item I hadn't personally evaluated.

 

[killnine]

Ok... I debated making this post because it's going to look bad but I gotta be transparent and honest.

The Zmax will not be making another appearance on my store. I will not be restocking them. I've had a few failures and at least on major QC issue reported. I would have pulled them before I sold anymore had I known, by the time I had enough to call it an 'issue' I was sold out. On top of that, Sigelei's answer to that is "that's just how ecigs are" (in relation to the failure rate) It's not a huge number and the issues are not electrical so I still feel safe saying that the devices are safe to use but the assembly standards are lacking. Some devices are having issues with loose screens and one report of the connector coming apart. This is mostly due to piss poor QC and rushed mass production.

My personal device is solid as a rock but folks have been having issues. Sigelei will not send me any replacements unless I make another MOQ order and I'm not going to do that as it'll just create a loop of loss for me that I'm not willing to accept... SO
If you have issues with your Zmax please contact me via PM or through the "Contact us" link on my store and we'll work out a return policy that makes you happy. That could be store credit or a refund, whatever works.

I have a policy that I won't sell something I wouldn't use or recommend to friends and family and I took a leap of faith on the sigelei zmax so that I could have a higher end device on my store at launch. It doesn't meet my standards so I'm removing it and taking whatever losses that causes to make sure you guys are taken care of.

The device 'is' solid when it's assembled properly, I use mine all the time, but the QC is simply not up to my standards and it's not like the aga-t's where I can go in and fix theme myself.

I hope you all understand my stance and will forgive my mistake in stocking and selling an item I hadn't personally evaluated.

Very respectable. I fear you may be fighting a losing battle though. I'd be willing to bet that with anything not handmade there is a high failure rate. As you mentioned, they expect you to deal with it as COB. Your standards may be too high to sell any devices if you don't work the cost of returns to the provider into the cost. I know you didn't ask for my opinion, but I know you wont bite my head off for it either. Of course, if there is a better way, I'm all for it. Try not to fly out to Shenzhen with a bat. I am still happy with my purchase. It seems solid. I'm still not sure what's up with losing settings, but if that's the worst of it, for the price I am happy. I'd rather be vaping it than sending it back, and that's the whole point of what you are saying. You don't want your customers to have to return these things for any reason. I just don't know if that's possible with something that may not be immediately obviously defective for you to QC on your own. Whatever you do, more power to you. Give em hell at least. It is still sort of a free market.

 

[Lance_Wallen]

Thanks for the response. I'm not recommending people return them unless theres an actual issue, lord knows I don't wanna eat all the costs there

I'm not gonna go beat up any chinese folk just yet but I'm also not going to make another order from them without some serious assurances that failures like those I've had reported aren't going to be an issue.

It's not like I expect perfection but when I have more failures on a 100~ dollar device than on e 20~dollar device... there's an issue. I've had less complaints about my twists than I have about my zmax. That's why I'm shutting it down on the site. It'll just motivate me to get my american made product to market faster.

 

[never_enough_juice]

Im glad I read that about the zmax's cuz I really wanted one but by the time I got the money they were sold out. . .I was so mad until I read that but I feel better about it now. .lol.

 

[Pigskin75]

I'm one of the guys with the screen issue. Very minor and I'll glue it back myself. Other than that I find the device to be solid. I had debated between the Segelei and the Vamo and picked the Segelei on looks and the deal Lance offered, batteries, charger and clearo for just a few bucks more.

The Vamo looks goofy, IMO, but at $60, it's hard to beat for the money. Perhaps the Monkey should look into the Vamo?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[never_enough_juice]

I agree . . .I've been looking at those too

 

[killnine]

somebody should make a brass knuckle attachment for this segelei

 

[Catharlex]

somebody should make a brass knuckle attachment for this segelei

Like a literal set of brass knuckles that attach to the device itself? So when your fist is closed (and you are taking a vape) you have the brass knuckles ready to use?

Yeah, I'd buy the .... out of those for any of my PVs, if only just to say I did.

 

[killnine]

Like a literal set of brass knuckles that attach to the device itself? So when your first is closed (and you are taking a vape) you have the brass knuckles ready to use?

Yeah, I'd buy the .... out of those for any of my PVs, if only just to say I did.

exactly. removable, like with clamps to attach it

 

[Lance_Wallen]

brass monkey knuckles?

 

[Lance_Wallen]

placing some re-stock orders as we speak.

Coming soon:
Re-stock on drip tips plus adding:
Blue long aluminum Drip Tip
A new Stainless "Stubby" drip tip
Knuckle Head rotary drip tips, delrin cups, Black aluminum top, gray aluminum top, white/black swirl acrylic top, white/black swirl acrylic top ad red/black/white swirl acrylic top
Super Stubby Acrylic tips, 12mm total length, Black/white swirl and white/black swirl
Ego Cones, shorty cone, straight adapter, and flared adapter for all your tanks and vivis on those twists you're buyin up
510-Ego adapters to go with....

Kanger T3's. After evaluating these, I decided to make an order. I will also carry
Replacement coils for Kanger T3s

Also restocking Vivi nova, mini vivi nova, and replacement heads for them as well as...

Adding Soshine 18650 Battery chargers and restocking on the panasonic CGR18650CH flat tops.

I'm also working on a new device to take the place of my Zmax listing, it will be designed by me, assembled by me, and sold by me.

 

[Fullknight]

I Can't wait to see the new mod you're going to design and build.I got one of the Zmax from you. I glued my screen cover back in. I really like it. It works great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fullknight]

Hope you get some of the new Kanger MT3 metal tubes with a window.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Aurora-Oblivion]

placing some re-stock orders as we speak.

Coming soon:
Re-stock on drip tips plus adding:
Blue long aluminum Drip Tip
A new Stainless "Stubby" drip tip
Knuckle Head rotary drip tips, delrin cups, Black aluminum top, gray aluminum top, white/black swirl acrylic top, white/black swirl acrylic top ad red/black/white swirl acrylic top
Super Stubby Acrylic tips, 12mm total length, Black/white swirl and white/black swirl
Ego Cones, shorty cone, straight adapter, and flared adapter for all your tanks and vivis on those twists you're buyin up
510-Ego adapters to go with....

Kanger T3's. After evaluating these, I decided to make an order. I will also carry
Replacement coils for Kanger T3s

Also restocking Vivi nova, mini vivi nova, and replacement heads for them as well as...

Adding Soshine 18650 Battery chargers and restocking on the panasonic CGR18650CH flat tops.

I'm also working on a new device to take the place of my Zmax listing, it will be designed by me, assembled by me, and sold by me.

Awesome!

Thanks Lance

 

[Zorgoth]

placing some re-stock orders as we

I'm also working on a new device to take the place of my Zmax listing, it will be designed by me, assembled by me, and sold by me.

is it going to be vv? and your going to call it the L-Monkey? ?


Im totally bummed i missed out on your aga-t. guess ill have to make do with the skinny aga-s until you get the updated ones in.
the aga-s is going to look rediculous on my lavatube 2.0


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk

 

[Lance_Wallen]

New aga-t will be sometime after new years. The changes they're making require re-tooling as well as some parts they've never ordered before. I'm also going to be testing the new revision extensively before offering it for sale.

The device I'm working on for replacing the zmax in my store will have some details spilled out soon. I need to figure out one more design issue before I'm ready to show it off

 

[Njt07]

Honestly if you ordered a bunch of grippers and had someone repurpose them into metal boxes, rounded of course and a new button, so they were more durable I'd pay double for that. The gripper electronics are awesome but the plastic shell and button are terrible. I put mine into an altoids tin and it worked great until the button started to fail.

 

[Zorgoth]

New aga-t will be sometime after new years. The changes they're making require re-tooling as well as some parts they've never ordered before. I'm also going to be testing the new revision extensively before offering it for sale.

The device I'm working on for replacing the zmax in my store will have some details spilled out soon. I need to figure out one more design issue before I'm ready to show it off

I have been stalking the AGA-T scene for a while, waiting for the updated version to come out before I get one.
Also have been checking out all the vendors that offer them, and so far your store looks to be the best.

I Despise ebay with a passion and refuse to shop on there, So i've been hunting for a store that sells mesh AND the rebuildable I want.

+2 for you.

Plus i like monkeys. + 1

 

[Lance_Wallen]

Honestly if you ordered a bunch of grippers and had someone repurpose them into metal boxes, rounded of course and a new button, so they were more durable I'd pay double for that. The gripper electronics are awesome but the plastic shell and button are terrible. I put mine into an altoids tin and it worked great until the button started to fail.

My whole goal from the beginning was to have all american products in every category and I'm developing these products every day. Just for funsies I'll share what I consider to be categories that I'm developing products for.

Premium Device: 150-250 dollar, top end, nice materials, fully featured, form and function.

Feature Device: 75-100 dollar, fully featured, quality build.

Budget Device: 30-50 dollars, has some features of it's bigger brothers but easier to get 'in the door' with. Quality build but not intended to last forever.

Atomizer/Cartomizer: On this front I have 3 categories I'm working on
No fuss: Set OHMs, no rebuilding, cleaning as the only maintenance
Some fuss: 75% permanent parts, some replaceable parts as a 'drop in' (think vivi nova heads or Kanger t3s)
Full RBA: A fully rebuildable device with multiple set up options.

I see the no fuss being more expensive than a standard carto/atomizer but it should last significantly longer before needing to be replaced, but it will fill that roll. The standard, no fiddling carto/atty.

The some fuss is for people who don't want to have to replace the entire top end, it'll be along the same manual of arms as the vivis and kangers of the world but not the same form factor, part of it will be replaceable but it won't be 'rebuildable'

Full on RBA: This is obvious, but I'm making some changes to the current status quo.


As far as developement order: I'm working on all three devices concurrently as well as the full on RBA. The lower end atty/carto designs are in the research phase.

 

[neoexodus]

My whole goal from the beginning was to have all american products in every category and I'm developing these products every day. Just for funsies I'll share what I consider to be categories that I'm developing products for.

Premium Device: 150-250 dollar, top end, nice materials, fully featured, form and function.

Feature Device: 75-100 dollar, fully featured, quality build.

Budget Device: 30-50 dollars, has some features of it's bigger brothers but easier to get 'in the door' with. Quality build but not intended to last forever.

Atomizer/Cartomizer: On this front I have 3 categories I'm working on
No fuss: Set OHMs, no rebuilding, cleaning as the only maintenance
Some fuss: 75% permanent parts, some replaceable parts as a 'drop in' (think vivi nova heads or Kanger t3s)
Full RBA: A fully rebuildable device with multiple set up options.

I see the no fuss being more expensive than a standard carto/atomizer but it should last significantly longer before needing to be replaced, but it will fill that roll. The standard, no fiddling carto/atty.

The some fuss is for people who don't want to have to replace the entire top end, it'll be along the same manual of arms as the vivis and kangers of the world but not the same form factor, part of it will be replaceable but it won't be 'rebuildable'

Full on RBA: This is obvious, but I'm making some changes to the current status quo.


As far as developement order: I'm working on all three devices concurrently as well as the full on RBA. The lower end atty/carto designs are in the research phase.

really awesome ideas you have there Lance. I recently made my first purchase from you and while I am looking forward to my vape mail, I'm more interested in the new goodies you've talked about!