The FastTech Thread For All FastTech Posts

[Crocky]

Have you guys found that if you don't order batteries or a built in battery mod that you still get your stuff to the US within 14 days? Are you guys finding the USPS vis China free option the best thus far. My last order was before all the shipping fiasco so now I am a little hesitant. But from what I am understanding is if you don't include any batteries or built in batteries it should be fine.

 

[searcher]

Have you guys found that if you don't order batteries or a built in battery mod that you still get your stuff to the US within 14 days? Are you guys finding the USPS vis China free option the best thus far. My last order was before all the shipping fiasco so now I am a little hesitant. But from what I am understanding is if you don't include any batteries or built in batteries it should be fine.

Pretty much so. I got my last order in less than 2 weeks. My post earlier was not my last order.

 

[puchox]

Can't keep up with the pace of the "Fasttech Thread for all Shipping Posts"

It's nice to see they added another KF, but with a 15 days lead time i won't touch it until they get more stock. I'll probably jump on the aqua on day one when they get it, the KF tobeco clones are great.

 

[soupy1970]

Have you guys found that if you don't order batteries or a built in battery mod that you still get your stuff to the US within 14 days? Are you guys finding the USPS vis China free option the best thus far. My last order was before all the shipping fiasco so now I am a little hesitant. But from what I am understanding is if you don't include any batteries or built in batteries it should be fine.

I placed 2 orders 14 days ago today and FT said they shipped 13 days ago. No Batteries or Liquid of any kind. One says Despatched to LA, USA on 12/5 and the other on 12/6. There has been no further tracking updates since. So unless it appears at my door tomorrow then the answer would be NO to your question.

EDIT: Chose USPS Free option for shipping method.

 

[SimianSteam]

Can't keep up with the pace of the "Fasttech Thread for all Shipping Posts"

It's nice to see they added another KF, but with a 15 days lead time i won't touch it until they get more stock. I'll probably jump on the aqua on day one when they get it, the KF tobeco clones are great.

Agreed. It'd be nice to split off a separate thread just for shipping issues.

 

[EvilJunkee]

My recent order was placed 12/1 and won't ship until 12/16.... ...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jayvaps]

Have you guys found that if you don't order batteries or a built in battery mod that you still get your stuff to the US within 14 days? Are you guys finding the USPS vis China free option the best thus far. My last order was before all the shipping fiasco so now I am a little hesitant. But from what I am understanding is if you don't include any batteries or built in batteries it should be fine.

I have never ordered loose batteries or liquid from FT.

I had ordered built in batteries before, but not on any recent orders.

My latest order, ordered on the 17th, shipped out on the 22nd via SP which is still not in the US, had exactly 1 mechanical mod and a kick clone in the order.

I have not personally tried the China epacket service, as before this last order, I had no reason to try something else. But have been reading that it is much quicker than the current free usps shipping option most normally select(which is currently going out via singapore post and had previously gone out using hong kong post)

 

[CommaHolly]

I placed 2 orders 14 days ago today and FT said they shipped 13 days ago. No Batteries or Liquid of any kind. One says Despatched to LA, USA on 12/5 and the other on 12/6. There has been no further tracking updates since. So unless it appears at my door tomorrow then the answer would be NO to your question.

EDIT: Chose USPS Free option for shipping method.

did you try tracking it now with the USPS site, since its now in the US??

 

[tonyorion]

I keep asking myself why Fasttech is transshipping through Singapore which is some 1,600 hundred miles away. I have ordered other stuff from China, and none of it has come from such a circuitous route, especially since the only way to get there from Hong Kong is by sea or air, and air is excluded for battery transport.

Even with custom's free zones, you are adding additional handling, paperwork, and time. Even with fast transports, you have 3 days transit plus the time to transship-loading, unloading, transport to post or carrier, etc. That is not a fun way to do things.

I have ordered other stuff from China, and there have never been any issues. It always came directly.

Being China, my only conclusion is that they did not bribe the right officials and someone from the competition did. No insult intended to the Chinese readers, but it is the way business is done in Asia (many other parts of the world as well) in general. It happens here in the US as well. But we have been at capitalism a long time, so we have learned to conceal it better

The logistics are too screwed up for this to be caused by batteries.

 

[Maggiemw]

Agreed. It'd be nice to split off a separate thread just for shipping issues.

That would be a great solution, and there are already whole threads dedicated to shipping down in the FT social group section.

But I'm afraid we're crying in the wilderness...the funny thing is, once people get their packages, they don't always come back and tell everyone about their experiences with what was in them

I don't think I've put down the VTR for more than 10 minutes all day May the coming week bring lots of satisfying packages to everyone.

 

[Sucker_dad]

Can't keep up with the pace of the "Fasttech Thread for all Shipping Posts"

It's nice to see they added another KF, but with a 15 days lead time i won't touch it until they get more stock. I'll probably jump on the aqua on day one when they get it, the KF tobeco clones are great.

Agreed, and I understand the desire to get your stuff. What I don't understand is why the long ship times are such a mystery. The issues with long shipping times has been beat to death and still every day there are 25 or more posts "why is it taking so long to get my stuff?" This is a company that ships thousands of items every day and they had to make a major change, on the fly, while still shipping thousands of items every day, during the holiday rush. Your stuff will get here, you just have to be patient or get it stateside and pay more for it. I know their site says shipping times are better than they are but this thread has shown their times to be blatantly false at times. As far as the, ships in ____days anyone should know that is an estimate of when they could ship if the product arrives. That is something they have no control over. Personally, I think they need to just mark items as out of stock and not allow orders for it. I am betting it would reduce the number of tickets submitted that ask "why has my order not shipped?". The biggest issue we Americans have is we are really a narcissistic bunch and we want it all NOW. The Chinese have a completely different mindset and no amount of complaining is going to change that. They are not going to speed it up because Jo Blow wants his Russian 91% knock off. We (AMericans) are so used to the concept of the customer is always right (they aren't) and having companies bend over backwards that it is a shock when a company doesn't. If I owned a large mail order company like FT. I don't think I would try to do it any other way. They seem to be doing it right IMO. Would I LIKE for shipping to be faster and better organized? Of course I would and I think they will get it better. If they don't get slower I will continue to use them when I want something and don't have to have it right away. I will say though I am very anxiously awaiting my Nemesis Cone and two other orders. I HOPE they arrive before Xmas, but if they don't then I will get them when I get them.

On a side note the only reason I specified Americans twice is that I have never lived anywhere else and I would not presume that other societies are like ours. They may be and they may not. I have no idea really.

 

[alisa1970]

Agreed, and I understand the desire to get your stuff. What I don't understand is why the long ship times are such a mystery. The issues with long shipping times has been beat to death and still every day there are 25 or more posts "why is it taking so long to get my stuff?" This is a company that ships thousands of items every day and they had to make a major change, on the fly, while still shipping thousands of items every day, during the holiday rush. Your stuff will get here, you just have to be patient or get it stateside and pay more for it. I know their site says shipping times are better than they are but this thread has shown their times to be blatantly false at times. As far as the, ships in ____days anyone should know that is an estimate of when they could ship if the product arrives. That is something they have no control over. Personally, I think they need to just mark items as out of stock and not allow orders for it. I am betting it would reduce the number of tickets submitted that ask "why has my order not shipped?". The biggest issue we Americans have is we are really a narcissistic bunch and we want it all NOW. The Chinese have a completely different mindset and no amount of complaining is going to change that. They are not going to speed it up because Jo Blow wants his Russian 91% knock off. We (AMericans) are so used to the concept of the customer is always right (they aren't) and having companies bend over backwards that it is a shock when a company doesn't. If I owned a large mail order company like FT. I don't think I would try to do it any other way. They seem to be doing it right IMO. Would I LIKE for shipping to be faster and better organized? Of course I would and I think they will get it better. If they don't get slower I will continue to use them when I want something and don't have to have it right away. I will say though I am very anxiously awaiting my Nemesis Cone and two other orders. I HOPE they arrive before Xmas, but if they don't then I will get them when I get them.

On a side note the only reason I specified Americans twice is that I have never lived anywhere else and I would not presume that other societies are like ours. They may be and they may not. I have no idea really.

Haven't read the whole thread (entirely too long!) but I agree with you. I ordered an iTaste VV V3 that was in stock, shipped the next day, almost a month ago. It still hasn't arrived and I knew that I would have to wait so I knew what I was getting in to. I haven't sent an email yet for tracking but I may soon--it would be nice to know if I get it before Christmas but I'm not having a hissy fit over it. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I ordered, and if it never shows up then I will be sending in a ticket. Otherwise, I continue to wait and vape on what I have happily.

 

[Ref Minor]

Agreed, and I understand the desire to get your stuff. What I don't understand is why the long ship times are such a mystery. The issues with long shipping times has been beat to death and still every day there are 25 or more posts "why is it taking so long to get my stuff?" This is a company that ships thousands of items every day and they had to make a major change, on the fly, while still shipping thousands of items every day, during the holiday rush. Your stuff will get here, you just have to be patient or get it stateside and pay more for it. I know their site says shipping times are better than they are but this thread has shown their times to be blatantly false at times. As far as the, ships in ____days anyone should know that is an estimate of when they could ship if the product arrives. That is something they have no control over. Personally, I think they need to just mark items as out of stock and not allow orders for it. I am betting it would reduce the number of tickets submitted that ask "why has my order not shipped?". The biggest issue we Americans have is we are really a narcissistic bunch and we want it all NOW. The Chinese have a completely different mindset and no amount of complaining is going to change that. They are not going to speed it up because Jo Blow wants his Russian 91% knock off. We (AMericans) are so used to the concept of the customer is always right (they aren't) and having companies bend over backwards that it is a shock when a company doesn't. If I owned a large mail order company like FT. I don't think I would try to do it any other way. They seem to be doing it right IMO. Would I LIKE for shipping to be faster and better organized? Of course I would and I think they will get it better. If they don't get slower I will continue to use them when I want something and don't have to have it right away. I will say though I am very anxiously awaiting my Nemesis Cone and two other orders. I HOPE they arrive before Xmas, but if they don't then I will get them when I get them.

On a side note the only reason I specified Americans twice is that I have never lived anywhere else and I would not presume that other societies are like ours. They may be and they may not. I have no idea really.

To be fair to Americans the FT page on the UK vaping site AAEC is much the same.

 

[Sucker_dad]

Haven't read the whole thread (entirely too long!) but I agree with you. I ordered an iTaste VV V3 that was in stock, shipped the next day, almost a month ago. It still hasn't arrived and I knew that I would have to wait so I knew what I was getting in to. I haven't sent an email yet for tracking but I may soon--it would be nice to know if I get it before Christmas but I'm not having a hissy fit over it. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I ordered, and if it never shows up then I will be sending in a ticket. Otherwise, I continue to wait and vape on what I have happily.

IF you recieved a shipping notice there is a link at the top that you can find the tracking number for it. Go to this site: Track Shipment(s) and it will show the most up to date info if it was shipped through Singpost The tracking number will end with a SG.

 

[alisa1970]

IF you recieved a shipping notice there is a link at the top that you can find the tracking number for it. Go to this site: Track Shipment(s) and it will show the most up to date info if it was shipped through Singpost The tracking number will end with a SG.

I just figured that out...USPS is showing as of the 6th, it's in Singapore (shipped 11/23). Anyone know how long it will stay there?

 

[boomerdude]

So, if I split a $100 order into 4x $25 orders, with the items costing the same and free shipping, where does the extra shipping cost of three of those parcels go? It's not by weight because there's a minimum for each parcel. The price of each item is the same. Therefore it cost FT more to ship four parcels rather than one.

Uh, I hate to break this to you, but you do pay for postage. It is included in the price of the item, just like any other seller offering 'free' postage when you hit a given order total. So it isn't costing FT more to ship multiple packages to you.

And before the conspiracy theorists arrive in outraged shock, this is pretty normal business practice...

 

[aikanae1]

Shippers use e-packet. What would cost me $80 to ship from USA to Hong Kong (or China), will cost them $3.00 USD (CN20) to ship from there to the US. I think it only goes one way. They get a cut rate to export to the US.

That's my understanding of e-packet. I'm hoping I'm wrong on this.

​

 

[soupy1970]

did you try tracking it now with the USPS site, since its now in the US??

Yes. USPS says, 12/6 "Processed Through Sort Facility" under Status, AND under Location it says "SINGAPORE S?5, SINGAPORE".

 

[boomerdude]

Be prepared to wait 6-8 weeks for any resolution and then they'll process a refund. That was my experience until the third time it happened and I put in a dispute with Paypal. The whole thing moved a lot faster and I was able to cancel the dispute.

I hate to chime in with another shipping woe. I was thinking of getting a purple k100 for awhile. So I made an order with a bunch of empty plastic bottles, drip tips and without remembering the battery thing I ordered a couple sony batts. I ordered on 11\9. Its been sitting since 11\13. I put in a ticket 2 weeks ago. Ft says oh some orders appear stuck but it will arrive. I dont have much faith now.... they said they will refund if they find proof it was returned. I dont want a refund I want my stuff now!

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

8 batteries read 4.16 volts and 4 batteries read 4.14 volts.

Those are good to go then..if they still have that much charge left on them

Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

Over-discharging Lithium-ion

Li-ion should never be discharged too low, and there are several safeguards to prevent this from happening. The equipment cuts off when the battery discharges to about 3.0V/cell, stopping the current flow. If the discharge continues to about 2.70V/cell or lower, the battery’s protection circuit puts the battery into a sleep mode. This renders the pack unserviceable and a recharge with most chargers is not possible. To prevent a battery from falling asleep, apply a partial charge before a long storage period.

Battery manufacturers ship batteries with a 40 percent charge. The low charge state reduces aging-related stress while allowing some self-discharge during storage. To minimize the current flow for the protection circuit before the battery is sold, advanced Li-ion packs feature a sleep mode that disables the protection circuit until activated by a brief charge or discharge. Once engaged, the battery remains operational and the on state can no longer be switched back to the standby mode.

Do not recharge lithium-ion if a cell has stayed at or below 1.5V for more than a week. Copper shunts may have formed inside the cells that can lead to a partial or total electrical short. If recharged, the cells might become unstable, causing excessive heat or showing other anomalies. Li-ion packs that have been under stress are more sensitive to mechanical abuse, such as vibration, dropping and exposure to heat.