The APV buying and selling loophole. Hear me out for a bit.

[Algernon]

I've noticed something that I am rather ashamed of and I can't help but feel that others have probably done this as well.

PV companies and manufacturers, I will normally buy your PV and use it, and love it... but I don't see a reason to come back for anything else.

I ordered my GLV2 from GLV almost a year and a half ago and that was my last order. It isn't because I don't like the GLV2, I love the GLV2 and I like GLV, they're a nice company... but other stores carry their batteries and chargers cheaper. I don't have any reason to come back.

While this is a good thing to people buying PV's,... I don't really see it as a good thing for manufacturers. What happens when everyone and their grandmother owns a Silver Bullet? I just bought one. Will I buy a second one? For my other mouth? No... I don't really see a reason to, and other stores have cartomizers and batteries cheaper, and I already have a charger.

In the world of manufacturing, there is a term called "planned obsolescence". This is when a product is released with an internal fail that can happen whenever they "plan" for the product to go bad, or an expiration date for the internal parts. This is normally why you buy another television after your first television breaks, rather than going to Best-Buy and having them fix your television, because they can't and won't.

What if GLV decided not to fix GLV2's anymore? That wouldn't be good. I don't think many people would be apt to buy them. It would show bad customer support and I certainly wouldn't buy another one... not that I am, because the one I already have works fine. Sorry, you made it too good.

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On the other side of the spectrum is the lavatube family of PV's. They cost around $60-$80 depending on the model you receive and are fairly affordable and feature-worthy. Most of the retailers cannot repair, actually, none of the retailers can repair your lavatube but must either send you a working one or offer a refund if its within the warranty of the retailer.

...But if my Varitube X broke, at this point... I would just buy another one. It isn't really so much of an investment as other devices and I do understand that it is Chinese made and that no store is offering to fix the device due to the stores not being the manufacturers, as they are with most other devices.

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In the best interest of PV makers, I find that if this business practice is to continue, the making, fixing and selling of the same device, it is eventually bound to fail unless the number of people coming into the community also matches up cleanly with the number of people buying your device for the first time. Or they reccomend it to someone else or want a backup device.

So, continue being innovative? That's what GLV has done, making many different models and flavors of the GLV2. Apparently there are many people who have bought several different models of that PV for all of the different features they provide as separate devices. I would call that a good business practice... I just don't consider paying $130 again for a regulated device to be cost-effective, myself.

Will planned obsolescence ever dip into the realm of PV's? I sure hope not. Granted, it would be nice on the manufacturer's end if people just bought another of what they had once it goes bad or dies... but it doesn't seem like something this community would do. It seems to be a selling point that a device is reliable, sturdy and will serve you for years and years. That seems like something that a lot of people are looking for in devices. It's something that I'm looking for.

...I'm just sorry, though. I mean, your devices are just too good! I don't know why I would buy a second one when the one I have now works fine and I can get accessories cheaper elsewhere.

-Happy GLV and Silver Bullet owner

 

[Uncle Willie]

The rapid evolution of the PV makes it such that whether or not obsolescence is planned, new and improved products will continue to replace old and outmoded models, thus compelling many users to upgrade even when they have fully functioning hardware ..

As to buying accessories from vendors other that the original PV source .. that is dependant on your loyalty and support of that original vendor .. paying a bit more to buy from them helps insure they will stay in business ..

 

[bnrkwest]

I think the GLV's are great and made to last, so that is a plus for new sales. I do have 2 of them. But I have other PV's as well. With this new growing market I think there is going to be alot of new customers for all PV types & vendors and knowing most vapers they need to try out alot of different types, me included! LOL bnrk

 

[Algernon]

The rapid evolution of the PV makes it such that whether or not obsolescence is planned, new and improved products will continue to replace old and outmoded models, thus compelling many users to upgrade even when they have fully functioning hardware ..

As to buying accessories from vendors other that the original PV source .. that is dependant on your loyalty and support of that original vendor .. paying a bit more to buy from them helps insure they will stay in business ..

I think a lot of these vendors and manufacturers aren't having much profit within the business, making hardly anything off of their efforts and a lot of it is just a hobby for the sake of the community. Phil Busardo's interview with Zen proved that in his business with the Z-Atty and Zenesis. He said he had not made hardly anything in profit and had spent way more in R&D than he has or probably will ever make back selling them.

So I do see it as more of a kind-hearted gesture for some of these makers rather than actually running a full-time business.

 

[Sick HP]

"...I'm just sorry, though. I mean, your devices are just too good! I don't know why I would buy a second one when the one I have now works fine and I can get accessories cheaper elsewhere.

-Happy GLV and Silver Bullet owner "

It's called PV love I have 3 provari's one in each finish. I bought my first one in standard silver, loved it, sold my other VV PV and bought a black one, and I have a chrome coming I also will have more than one of Zen's PV's I have a zen standard now a z-atty pro on order and I will no doubt buy more of Zens stuff.... PV love man PV love!

Oh and if you think I'm bad check out the GG people I seen some of these guys with 10 + GG's if you love'em you buy'em

I also think for some of us we just like the vaping paraphernalia, I know I do

 

[hmlessalky]

But as far as evolution goes....Many of the highly sought and highly priced APV's tend to be mechanical mods. When you design a bullet-proof mechanical mod, it is what it is. Other than visual changes, there is no real innovation or advancement to be made. Sure, you could throw a VV or VW component in them, but the majority of people who are spending big bucks for a quality mod that will last forever are not going to even care. You spent $200 dollars on a model because you found a voltage that you like. Unless someone can bend the laws of physics, I can totally see where the OP has made a great point.

 

[Algernon]

But as far as evolution goes....Many of the highly sought and highly priced APV's tend to be mechanical mods. When you design a bullet-proof mechanical mod, it is what it is. Other than visual changes, there is no real innovation or advancement to be made. Sure, you could throw a VV or VW component in them, but the majority of people who are spending big bucks for a quality mod that will last forever are not going to even care. You spent $200 dollars on a model because you found a voltage that you like. Unless someone can bend the laws of physics, I can totally see where the OP has made a great point.

lol yeah. I get that. "If it an't broke, don't fix it." is a big concept of mods like the Silver Bullet. It isn't broke so I see no reason why they should fix it. It's extremely durable and well made. I'm a pretty big believer that if you don't own a Silver Bullet at some point in your vaping journey, you're missing out. Not on performance or having the best vape, per se but more on the reliability side of things.

I know I'll always be able to have a vape in any certain sense because I own a Silver Bullet, that no matter what happens, end of the world, tornado hits my house, every other mod I own gets destroyed, that the Bullet will somehow survive and all I would have to do is pick it up and vape it.

On the subject of backups, I find it to be the absolute ultimate standby. I would even condone someone buying it to keep it as a backup mod just in case their other mods decide to crap out on them. "Well, we know this thing is never going to break."

I believe Altsmoke has done good on new vapers who see the SB as a mod that most people have owned and used. I've known some new vapers who have picked up SB's and are currently using them as their main mod despite the new advances in VV technology and Wattage-control. Hell, I don't use a kick and I use my SB more than most of my other mods, mostly because I can carry it out with confidence that it isn't going to stop working unless the chances of it breaking happens to match up with the chances that I'll get struck by lighting.

For devices that completely and totally rely on the quality of their construction and the components within-them. I think durability and reliability are #1 in choosing a PV. Have you ever lit a cigarette that didn't work? I didn't think so. I think it would be a bit of a large letdown if a new e-cig user happened to buy a cheaper product and it crapped out on them within a week. I think a lot of that goes into the popularity of mechanical and simpler mods that seem to be made to the same specifications as nuclear power cores.