Generally I try to stay out of these discussions. I am posting this time to hopefully calm the storm before this further escalates as these types of discussions often do. akfo7, I respect your position and concerns. It appears you may be new to vaping (your join date), those of us who've been at this for a while know that such inconveniences are all part of vaping. There are certain realities:
1) there are really no mass-produced advanced products (Cheep China imitations and/or attempts to "copy" true advanced vaping tech excepted). The Cheep China devices do NOT have the same tech, do NOT perform anywhere near as well and they are essentially ripping off both the consumer and the true product designers. But economics being what they are, not all can afford or may be willing to spend for this level of gear. When I advise new vapers, I encourage them to use the cheaper gear for at least six months until they learn they way around vaping and what to realistically expect/understand may happen with lesser quantity production but stellar customer service. Try contacting a Chinese manufacturer for customer service and/or warranty issues.
2) Advanced vaping devices, pretty much all models, run into technical problems at some point (not every unit but every model has had its issues and costumer rants - especially in the first year or so of production.
3) What sets quality device manufacturers and vendors apart is the customer service. Evolv and Opus are both top notch - as you are learning for yourself.
4) Chargers, pretty much all of them, are mass produced in China and cheap - no point in discussing it or complaining: it is what it is and all the pissin and moanin aint gonna change China production quality. I rarely, if ever, use any charger that comes with my device(s). Many now just come with USB to Mini (or micro) USB and that's it (eliminates the issue altogether).
Personally, I use these:
Dynex Dual USB Universal Wall Charger DX-UAC22 - Best Buy They work great (have 3 and not a prob with any of them), each has two USB ports so you can charge two devices on a single wall plug and there is a charge red/green light for each port so you KNOW when the device stops drawing power.
While I am no shill for Evolv, I am a BIG (both physically and product enthusiast) supporter! Just check my sig line below. I pretty much use ONLY Evolv gear as I find it to be the best quality, most consistent power regulation and just provides a quality of vape experience I have not been able to duplicate on other devices - and I've tried MANY!
In electronics, components come in huge quantities and many of the components (like the teeny tiny parts that get installed on circuit boards) often have some duds in the mix. No real way to tell if one may quickly fail - all a manufacturer can do is try to purchase quality components, assemble (and Evovl's product design and assembly may be of the highest quality in the industry and has been improving consistently since the company launched - yes, I have 5 Darwins - NONE in black - and some are still original), and then test - if it test functions correctly there is nothing else they can do other than provide customer support. Here again, both Evolv and Opus have well respected and well earned reputations of taking very good care of their customers (sometimes even too good - to the points where sometimes their generosity gets taken advantage of by unrealistic and/or less than ethical product consumers).
I'd encourage you to stick with your Opus for six months and see how you feel. All I can tell you is that every electronic advanced vaping device model on the market has suffered from issues to some extent. While each may have its own fan groups, none are beyond such occurrences/issues. We can post all we want about what we expect, demand and/or criticize but the industry is not yet producing at the mass produced consumer electronics level, these are smaller manufacturers that do not have the facilities and/or resources of Samsung, HTS, Sony, etc have. Even with cell phones, when the warranty runs out - you're on your own and even if you buy the extra protection, you usually have a deductible.
Ok, I'm traveling again in about 12 hours and won't be around to continue this discussion. Just hoping to be helpful to you and your situation. Getting upset about it really only effects you and your internal "space", many think posting rants in forums, on FB and other social media, etc. will make a difference - reality is: it only causes other thread followers to receive thread update emails from each and every post. Many of us like to follow threads but 5, 10, etc posts from one person complaining over and over (and getting so many emails from such posts) is actually frustrating for the rest of us. Those posting the continuous rants often quickly get reputations for doing this and helpful types just stop responding.
Those of us with longer vaping experience have seen this over and over and over and over and over - vapers can be a very demanding and self-perceving "entitled" bunch. Most more experienced vapers get tired of these discussions and then along comes another new enthusiastic vaper who reads a rant or two, thinking such on-going posts accomplish something and the process starts all over again. The best you can really do, for yourself and the others following, is post your concern, request feedback and/or suggestions and then take it up with customer service. The companies that provide good C.S. (like Evolv and Opus and Nhaler) have good reputations for a reason.
There are a few of us die-hard(erer) types who seem to enjoy the process of trying to help others (and often get slammed in the threads in the form of angry replies from the very people we try to help). After a few such occurrences, many just stop trying to help others and the entire community loses the benefits of feedback and/or assistance from yet another knowledgeable and experienced vaper willing to share what they have learned.
Whether or not you agree and/or like what I've posted herein, I took this time to post (and I am very short on time now as I leave so soon on travel) because I do like to help others - especially vapers. Maybe I was a masochist in a former life - certainly not this one (just still willing to occasionally stick my neck out in the hopes of trying to save a fellow vaper some self-inflicted angina and/or agita - and hope someone does not try to bite my head off for doing so). Either way, I won't be around to continue this discussion - hope you find this post helpful.
Happy Holidays and New Year to one and all - and I miss all the blue tarps and oil banter, katastrophy and her clan must be slippin.
So stick that in your atty and vape it!
ya.
