Vapor Flask V3 DNA40 Clone thread

[Tpat591]

How do you know so much about 3F customer service? How many products have you returned?

(Also, love these names! Kate, Gina, Monica, and probably Barry, Alan and James. I'm going to email them back as Wang Yong.)

I know Gina & Monica from my dealings with them trying to get them to carry the Waidea Flask in the first place starting in early February. Had only one dealing with Kate and she was not as skilled at customer service as Gina or the boss Monica.

Never had a return but I put them through their paces about stocking the flask.

 

[TheBloke]

3FVape's Return policy on their website:

Incorrect/Damaged Goods

We try very hard to ensure that you receive your order in pristine condition. If you do not receive the products ordered, please CONTACT US. In the unlikely event that the product arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us immediately. Provided that you have contacted us first, 3FVape covers for all shipping charges for returning damaged and incorrectly shipped items.

Yeah, I know they'll reimburse - though I do think having to pay and be refunded is extra annoying.

My major concern is that I have to spend no more than $15 (which it turns out is impossible), and that in doing so it's impossible to get proper tracking.

If my package does not reach them, or reaches them in a bad condition, then they won't refund anything. In that scenario I'm out very nearly $100 - and by then will have waited some 4 weeks total, to lose $100. Even if that doesn't happen, I'll wait 7 weeks total, and I won't ever be fully reimbursed for the shipping because at the very least I'll lose on currency conversion and Paypal fees, and possibly also lose another $3 if they'll only cover up to $15.

The whole thing is a mess.

I know Gina & Monica from my dealings with them trying to get them to carry the Waidea Flask in the first place starting in early February. Had only one dealing with Kate and she was not as skilled at customer service as Gina or the boss Monica.

Never had a return but I put them through their paces about stocking the flask.

Ah, good job on that then! Well, on behalf of everyone but me anyway

 

[TheBloke]

Sorry this is completely OT but Oh Emm Gee has anyone seen this.. this.. THING? 3F just started stocking it. (click pic to go to product page.)



Two 18650 batteries with two 510s and two included RBAs and a topcap that funnels the two RBAs into a single mouthpiece. I'm glad it's called Hell's Gate. That's just.. I don't even know what that is. It'll certainly blow some clouds

(I might actually have bought that - or an eventual clone of it anyway - if it had buttons to fire them independently. Then I'd put two different tanks on it and use it for quick tests of different flavours via a single device. It's annoying that they didn't go the extra mile and have three buttons - so you could have both dual, or either on its own.)

 

[TheBloke]

Oh and re the Kate/Gina/Monica thing, my emails are just to the generic service@ - so I'm guessing the others can see the communication and step in (or be called in) if they want to. I'm not going to email the others direct, as I just want to be a normal customer and not someone with inside knowledge (they might take that as a further sign that I'm trying to get a free one out of them.)

Actually I'm guessing Monica is already involved - Kate's first message was that she had to "talk to my supervisor."

It is good to know the details though, thanks.

 

[Tpat591]

Got an email about Hells Gate about 2.5 weeks ago from the supplier hawking them. Just remember shaking my head!

 

[Tpat591]

If they give you any crap add Attn Monica to thie subject line but be nice if you want to get anywhere. Just let them know it will cost them $100 for you to ship with tracking (Which is the only way you will ship it back because you need it for Paypal) at their expense, they can ship you an RMA Label or they can just ship you a new one allowing you to keep the original.

Then they have a decision to make.

 

[TheBloke]

I just saw on 3F's Facebook page that after they get each shipment of VFs they spend up to 3 days QCing them. I guess that's another reason why they're handling returns more cautiously, if they've tested them all and released them as fine. Presuming they do in fact test every single one, and not just a sample %.

Scrolling through the FB posts as far back as January, I don't see them talking about QC on any of their other products, so maybe they introduced this after the period of faulty Kangxins.

Obviously it's good that they test them and therefore presumably the number of faulty ones shipped should be very low. But clearly not none.

 

[Tpat591]

They started it with the problems they had with the Vapor Shark Clones because they knew there were a certain number of faulty chips from the supplier at the factory wen they visited and they weren't going to take any chances. Then the Kangxin problems happened & now they do it for everything.

 

[AnsonJames]

Fck this all to hell.

Sorry to hear that mate - that's a real pain in the ....

 

[Tpat591]

(I might actually have bought that - or an eventual clone of it anyway - if it had buttons to fire them independently. Then I'd put two different tanks on it and use it for quick tests of different flavours via a single device. It's annoying that they didn't go the extra mile and have three buttons - so you could have both dual, or either on its own.)

Wouldn't be able to shut off airflow through the other atomizer to fire only one so don't think that would work very well.

 

[AnsonJames]

This is everything I own, solder-wise. The iron is a 48W device, it has a screwdriver-type head on at the moment but also comes with a standard pointy one. The little rolls of solder came free with it, they're 1.0mm and 1.5mm. The larger roll I bought the other day is 1.0mm. All three have Rosin flux inside, but I also have the separate Flux that you see.

Ditch the Aldi/Lidl soldering iron and get something like an Antex XS25 - they're much better and only cost about £20.
Those Lidl irons are pretty bad.

 

[TheBloke]

Ditch the Aldi/Lidl soldering iron and get something like an Antex XS25 - they're much better and only cost about £20.
Those Lidl irons are pretty bad.

Ah OK, even though that's half the watts of mine?

What would be the symptoms/effects of a bad iron? I mean isn't it just a heated stick?

Not disagreeing with you, just don't know much about these things so good to understand the differences!

 

[TheBloke]

How would this one compare?

Antex 30W Soldering Iron - Includes stand | Maplin

It's Antec and higher watts but lower price - £10 cheaper than the Maplin price of the XS25 you mentioned.

I guess it doesn't have all the "near perfect insulation" and "low leakage current" and whatnot that I'm reading about on the XS25 pages on eBay..

Maplin do have the one you mentioned, for £25. Again just interested in what that extra £10 buys, given it's (slightly) lower watts as well.

 

[AnsonJames]

You don't want insane wattage when it comes to soldering near or on electronic parts - 20 to 25 watts is good.
Those Lidl things take an age to heat up and then don't seem to retain the heat very well, I think it's because of the way the tips fit on to the element.

The Antex irons are made in Britain too - and they work very well.

 

[TheBloke]

The Lidl iron does have a temp control so I can set anywhere from 100 to 400 degrees I think it is (edit: centigrade )

But yeah I see your point - just really don't want to splash out yet another £25! I already bought a whole extra set of 18650s trying to get the VF to work. Sure I'll probably use them eventually in other mods, and can use them on my VF (if/when I ever get one) to keep using it permanently without ever waiting for charge. But it was still more unplanned money spent. Ditto I bought a fancy 4 slot charger from a B+M vape store, at well over the price online. I shouldn't have really, but I wanted to be sure I knew the voltages of the batteries in the flask.

Now it's the soldering iron. And maybe shipping. And maybe another flask if 3F do insist on return and I decide to try and fix it instead, and fail.

Bleurgh to all this

But yeah, if the right iron could mean the difference between succeeding and failing at repairing, obviously it's a good thing to have. I've barely ever done soldering before so I need the best chance I can get.

 

[AnsonJames]

3FVape's Return policy on their website:

Incorrect/Damaged Goods

We try very hard to ensure that you receive your order in pristine condition. If you do not receive the products ordered, please CONTACT US. In the unlikely event that the product arrives damaged or faulty, please contact us immediately. Provided that you have contacted us first, 3FVape covers for all shipping charges for returning damaged and incorrectly shipped items.

All shipping costs eh?

I think Bloke needs to point this out as I think all is a bit more than $15

 

[dwcraig1]

I received my 6 watt battery operated soldering iron yesterday (Thursday) works amazingly well considering it's only 6 watts.
HAKKO | Soldering iron | HAKKO FX-901

 

[AnsonJames]

The Lidl iron does have a temp control so I can set anywhere from 100 to 400 degrees I think it is.

But yeah I see your point - just really don't want to splash out yet another £20! I already bought a whole extra set of 18650s trying to get the VF to work. Sure I'll probably use them eventually in other mods, and can use them on my VF (if/when I ever get one) to keep using it permenanetly without ever waiting for charge. But it was still more money spent. Now it's the soldering iron. And maybe shipping. And maybe another flask if 3F do insist on return and I decide to try and fix it instead, and fail.

Bleurgh to all this

But yeah, if the right flask could mean the difference between succeeding and failing at repairing, obviously it's a good thing to have. I've barely ever done soldering before so I need the best chance I can get.

I get what you're saying mate.

If you fancy getting a semi decent/reasonably priced soldering iron in the future then I recommend the Antex anyway - I've been using them for DNA 40's and they're perfect for me.

 

[AnsonJames]

I received my 6 watt battery operated soldering iron yesterday (Thursday) works amazingly well considering it's only 6 watts.
HAKKO | Soldering iron | HAKKO FX-901

Hakko's are a good brand - and by the way - happy birthday to ya Mr Craig.

 

[TheBloke]

Wow, yeah that's impressive that it's useful at only 6W

Out of interest, why not a portable gas one? I suppose batteries is cheaper in the long run if you use it a lot and keep going through cylinders.