Turned off??

[MN_Mike]

I've had to deal with a rather unprofessional "owner" of a company who straight up lied to me about the shipping address while I was looking at it while he was talking to me. Basically treated me like I was lying to him. Told me he would "dig a little deeper" and he has yet to get back to me. Apparently checking an e mail takes days. He asked me what my favorite flavor of his liquid was my favorite, which I've realized it was to shut me up. I've noticed that every shop I've been to has that same mentality. No quality control and they treat people like crap. Oh, and the equipment. Is there any quality control whatsoever? I've bought a couple clearomizers from a company that is going to remain nameless. All three of them were different construction, all three had what appeared to be different wicks, 1 worked, 1 kind of worked and one wouldn't even fire after all the troubleshooting and recommendations people gave me. I'm starting to get pretty turned off about all the crap you have to deal with just so you can "vape" The way it seems, at least the tobacco companies have some kind of quality control. You don't buy a pack of cigs and worry about if half of them will even light. vaping seems like a cool way to not smoke, but the aggravation of finding anything of decent quality or a shop that's not run by some shady guy who's just interested in buying his liquid and passing his business off as an e-cig shop makes it not seem worth the energy. Has anyone else felt this way and changed their mind and what did you have to do to find someone who's not just out for your wallet?

 

[BillyWJ]

Buying in shops, sadly, is hit or miss - a lot of them are in for a fast buck, not building relationships with their customers - and the same for some online vendors, although they tend to be better.

I found one local vendor who's prices are just above online prices, and the rest I order from the larger, well known sites who have great reviews. Honestly, for the higher end stuff, a lot of shops are only good for checking something out, before ordering it online.

And, clearo's are the bottom end of the market, they're cheap to make, and the cheaper they make them, the more profit there is. They're mass produced, and spotty quality is a known issue - you may have to pay a little more to get the quality you want, or ask here for some recommendations from people here and their experiences - a lot of users here use clearo's and can most likely help you avoid the duds.

The vaping world is very much in the Wild West stages - a lot of the online sites are small one person operations, so you're not going to get Amazon level customer service. A lot of the gear is new, and still being developed - maybe in a couple years, they'll have clearo's to the point where they all just work right out of the box, but we're not there, yet. That's where this place, and other forums, and Youtube reviews come in VERY handy. You can also post if you've gotten bad service, to help others going through the same.

PS - some of us are doing this for very important, serious reasons, not just because it's cool, and that's the motivation I have to keep finding what works for me - going back to smoking is not an option.

Hope that helps!

 

[glasseye]

I'm sorry you're having a hard time! They are NOT all like that. I guess I was pretty darn lucky to have an excellent local B&M right off the bat. If your local B&Ms are like that, check out the Forum Suppliers link up there in line with the search bar. Supporting local business is nice but not if they're jerks.
I'll just throw this here in case there is one you haven't checked out by you. Minnesota E-Cigarette Vendors

 

[Papajohns]

Bad customer service can be found anywhere, in all industries. Yes, I have run into a good many B&M shops that had terrible customer service. But guess what? I never go back to those shops. Why would I when there are shops popping up on every corner? This is a growing industry and many shops are going to be competing for customers soon, if they aren't already.

I know in my area, there is literally a vapor store on every block. These shops bend over backwards for me because they don't want me to go elsewhere. Don't deal with shady shops. Find another or, if that is not an option, buy online.

 

[SamNapolitanke]

Buy a Halo triton system. Great company, consistent product and It just rocks IMO.

I did not want to "experiment" with my first setup and I am now 31 days into non smoking.

Will you upgrade in the future? possibly. Does it work perfectly out of the box? YES.

 

[The One Called V]

It is unfortunate that you have been having trouble with certain vendors. I have had just good service all around from the places I shop at. Which has been primarily:

https://www.litecigusa.net
Virgin Vapor | Electronic Cigarette Organic e-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes
Best E Cigarette | Buy Electronic Cigarettes | E Cig Juice - MT Baker Vapor

All that I am currently using for vaping is a

Innokin iTaste MVP V2.0 - 101 Vape

with a kanger protank II head. And I think it works really well.

 

[LPDoll]

I feel your frustration. I love vaping and I am trying to be patient dealing with the same thing at my local vape shop. I am starting to wonder if vaping and the sppliers have the same mentality as "big tabacco." I have been ripped off several times, can't get my money back for broken mods, clearos that don't work, e-juice that had no nicotine in it but I was told that the guy at my local vape shop can adjust the nic level (adjust it by taking the bottle in the back and coming back with the same bottle with no nic in it.) I am also frustrated and have decided only to purchase vaping supplies from well reviewed companies that have been around for a while. I have also found the same wholesale sppliers that a lot of these franchises use to purchase my supplies! Cheaper that way.

 

[BillyWJ]

I feel your frustration. I love vaping and I am trying to be patient dealing with the same thing at my local vape shop. I am starting to wonder if vaping and the sppliers have the same mentality as "big tabacco." I have been ripped off several times, can't get my money back for broken mods, clearos that don't work, e-juice that had no nicotine in it but I was told that the guy at my local vape shop can adjust the nic level (adjust it by taking the bottle in the back and coming back with the same bottle with no nic in it.) I am also frustrated and have decided only to purchase vaping supplies from well reviewed companies that have been around for a while. I have also found the same wholesale sppliers that a lot of these franchises use to purchase my supplies! Cheaper that way.

Forums like this found those vendors a long time ago. Yes, it's much cheaper.

 

[MN_Mike]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess vaping just isn't for me. I don't want to buy some product of dubious quality online. Especially something I've never seen or held in my hand. Call me old fashioned I guess. I don't have the money to shell out for a product that isn't guaranteed to work in the first place. I don't have the cash to shell out for some giant glorified battery just so I can vape. It's just not worth it for me at this point. Maybe someday, but not today.

 

[Papajohns]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess vaping just isn't for me. I don't want to buy some product of dubious quality online. Especially something I've never seen or held in my hand. Call me old fashioned I guess. I don't have the money to shell out for a product that isn't guaranteed to work in the first place. I don't have the cash to shell out for some giant glorified battery just so I can vape. It's just not worth it for me at this point. Maybe someday, but not today.

Don't get me wrong, but it doesn't sound like you've done much research on the products you are buying. Of course you can't rely on the guy selling you stuff to tell you what the best deal is. You have to research it yourself. Getting into vaping requires extensive research and education.

 

[BillyWJ]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess vaping just isn't for me. I don't want to buy some product of dubious quality online. Especially something I've never seen or held in my hand. Call me old fashioned I guess. I don't have the money to shell out for a product that isn't guaranteed to work in the first place. I don't have the cash to shell out for some giant glorified battery just so I can vape. It's just not worth it for me at this point. Maybe someday, but not today.

Sorry to hear that. I would urge you to keep trying, and have a little faith in online ordering, or explore all of your local or not-so-local choices, the health benefits to doing this are by far the most important reason for getting into it. I wish I had a product i could guarantee for you, but like you, I'd have to go by people's reviews here, as I don't use clearo's.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess vaping just isn't for me. I don't want to buy some product of dubious quality online. Especially something I've never seen or held in my hand. Call me old fashioned I guess. I don't have the money to shell out for a product that isn't guaranteed to work in the first place. I don't have the cash to shell out for some giant glorified battery just so I can vape. It's just not worth it for me at this point. Maybe someday, but not today.

Vaping is not the right path for everyone. Specially the way the industry is right now. Things are a whole let better for us than they were when I started in early 2012, but there is still nothing out there that runs for a month with no maintenance required and few products are 100% dependable. There are also not a lot of B & M shops that are good. It's a high risk business to get into and that makes for quick return on investment a reasonable business model.

There are however many good online shops that make the industry the infant success it is today. The cost savings compared to smoking are huge. I've averaged about $35 a month to vape, including hardware. I spent a bit more than that when I stared and I'm spending less than that now. My doctor also likes that I vape now instead of smoking.

But it's not for everyone. Definitely takes more work than smoking does and not everyone is inclined to do that. I had extra motivation in that after smoking for 37 years I really needed to stop but was not able to. I'm also a tinkerer by nature, so playing with wicks, coils and making my own juice is fun for me. That helps because it turns vaping into a hobby.

Good luck

 

[LPDoll]

Don't get me wrong, but it doesn't sound like you've done much research on the products you are buying. Of course you can't rely on the guy selling you stuff to tell you what the best deal is. You have to research it yourself. Getting into vaping requires extensive research and education.

I agree Papajohns, I had to do a lot of research before I felt comfortable with vaping. I would rather vape than smoke to keep myself from dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is hard at first to figure it out, like anything new is, but once you get the whole jist of vaping it's cool.

 

[stowaway]

Customer service is everything! Doesn't matter what your business is you have to keep those customers happy. I've had mostly good and a couple bad exeriences. Good juice + bad service = me buying juice (just as good) from someone else.

 

[MN_Mike]

Well my faith has been restored in the company I buy my juice from. Took him a while to get the situation figured out but I ended up receiving 6 bottles instead of three. The ones he sent to the wrong address and 3 to replace them. They make a killer product too. I also picked up a Kanger Evod tank at the recommendation of a local shop and love it.

 

[Glenn_K]

Glad to hear things worked out for you. Vaping can be a little overwhelming at first, with all the different products and terminology, and things can get frustrating pretty fast. But once we find a good setup and really enjoyable e-liquid, it's all good.
Welcome to the forum btw.

-- Glenn

Well my faith has been restored in the company I buy my juice from. Took him a while to get the situation figured out but I ended up receiving 6 bottles instead of three. The ones he sent to the wrong address and 3 to replace them. They make a killer product too. I also picked up a Kanger Evod tank at the recommendation of a local shop and love it.

 

[Completely Average]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess vaping just isn't for me. I don't want to buy some product of dubious quality online. Especially something I've never seen or held in my hand. Call me old fashioned I guess. I don't have the money to shell out for a product that isn't guaranteed to work in the first place. I don't have the cash to shell out for some giant glorified battery just so I can vape. It's just not worth it for me at this point. Maybe someday, but not today.

I'll be the second to say buy a Halo Triton.

You can go into any shop and try an Ego with a T2 Clearomizer, which is pretty much the same thing as far as appearance and how they work goes. The big difference is Halo is 100% made in the USA and has very, very good quality control. There is a Halo subforum here. Read through it a bit. You'll find almost no complaints in regards to their ecig performance, quality, or durability.

It's not compatible with a bunch of 3rd party stuff, but as you have already found out, most of that 3rd party stuff is garbage that you don't want. Halo also has a good warranty and good customer service if something is wrong.

Need more convincing?

How many ecig companies do you know of that have been rated as "Excellent" by a major electronics magazine?

Halo G6 E-Cigarettes Review & Rating | PCMag.com

That's their G6 review, the Triton is much better than the G6.



As for B&M stores, I've been in many. In my experience about 90% are startups that are owned by investors and are run by a bunch of amateurs who know less about the products they stock than most people here. Out of the 20 or so B&M shops I've walked into there are only two which I am willing to return to.