VaporShark rDNA

[KTMRider]

I have had nothing but trouble with these guys and their products. They are very nice people, but not really cut out for operating a business. It sucks, because the products have potential. When I was dealing with them I always had this feeling that a bear balancing on a giant ball was going to come rolling through my living room at any moment. Looks like Hana has upped their warranty to a year, nice.

When I was trying to find some reviews on the rDNA 40, I came across the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai4JEs76pBo&spfreload=10

I don't get it. The guy got the wrong package. They didn't ask for it back and they shipped out the right one. So he had to wait a few extra days. He got a free bottle of juice and $20 credit. Yeah, Oscar could've done better and sent out the tracking # and maybe even call back but everything was handled in a week.

Boo-f-in-hoo.

 

[peraspera]

I picked the $3.50 1st class option and they sent mine Priority so I don't know what the 1st class means.

 

[shawnthor]

I don't get it. The guy got the wrong package. They didn't ask for it back and they shipped out the right one. So he had to wait a few extra days. He got a free bottle of juice and $20 credit. Yeah, Oscar could've done better and sent out the tracking # and maybe even call back but everything was handled in a week.

Boo-f-in-hoo.

Its rather simple. They shipped the wrong item to the wrong person. Then that customer had to call up multiple times to track down the person who said would handle the mistake that the company had made. Not sure why I am repeating what was just illustrated in the Youtube video.. I work for a major clothing manufacture and if something like that happened at my company someone would be losing their job. Thats how a company loses customers, because not all of us have time to chase around customer service reps, because they can't fix a mistake that shouldn't have happened in the first place.... I have ordered hundreds of items online and have never had anything like that happen.

 

[KTMRider]

Its rather simple. They shipped the wrong item to the wrong person. Then that customer had to call up multiple times to track down the person who said would handle the mistake that the company had made. I work for a major clothing manufacture and if something like that happened at my company someone would be losing their job. Thats how a company loses customers, because not all of us have time to chase around customer service reps, because they can't fix a mistake that shouldn't have happened in the first place....

S.... happens and people make mistakes. If you don't like how they handled it, don't buy from them. Simple. To keep .....ing about it sounds like sour grapes.

 

[KGie]

I don't get it. The guy got the wrong package. They didn't ask for it back and they shipped out the right one. So he had to wait a few extra days. He got a free bottle of juice and $20 credit. Yeah, Oscar could've done better and sent out the tracking # and maybe even call back but everything was handled in a week.

Boo-f-in-hoo.

I watched the video. His first service rep, Oscar, screwed up, and yet every time the customer called back he asked for Oscar. Made no sense. And whoever he did end up talking to, each time he kept asking them to ask Oscar to fix the problem, to ask Oscar to send him the tracking number, etc. Why didn't he just ask who he was talking to at that point to fix the problem, and ask them to send the tracking number and get Oscar out of the loop? If he'd gotten the tracking number from someone else early on, he'd have known there was still a problem and could have dealt with it much faster and get, I would guess, quicker satisfaction.

No, he shouldn't have had to go through that, I agree. Yes, VS needs to do something about the HR department and needs to vet their hires better. Yes, they're clearly not the best business people in the world, to put it nicely. But they stayed nice throughout, and I do get that they are trying to do things right, they're just a little incompetent in the business and CS departments. Better to deliver bad CS and good products than the other way around.

They also are pushing to fill a quantity of orders large enough that it is probably pushing all of their resources to the limit. With any luck they'll realize they need to do something about their customer service, and they'll have enough money to hire someone who actually knows how to do run CS. In the meantime, I'm starting to get that they're trying, just not always succeeding. Again, better that than the other way around. Attitude counts for a lot, and from what I have seen *so far,* they seem to be scoring OK on the attitude metric.

That's just my take on the situation, yours may vary. For that matter, as I alluded to, as I hear other experiences, depending on the details, it might change my current reading of the situation.

------------------------------

(I have no relationship whatsoever to VS. I had a pre-order that was delayed, and between that, the fact that I was uncomfortable being charged for a pre-order before a definite ship date was even known, let alone before the actual ship date itself, plus all of the bad stories I'd heard about their CS, I canceled the order. So far, looking deeper into a sampling of those stories, at this point and unless someone tells me a story about a bad *attitude* or something else totally unacceptable coming from VS, I would feel at least OK ordering from them -- as long as I wasn't in a rush.)

 

[shawnthor]

S.... happens and people make mistakes. If you don't like how they handled it, don't buy from them. Simple. To keep .....ing about it sounds like sour grapes.

That they do, but the question was about experiences with their customer service. A member of the forum asked for input and he will get both sides. Why not instead of saying that someone should "deal with" their bad customer service experiences, why don't you just tell them how your experience was good? You defend the company like you work for them.

 

[TheKiwi]

In an attempt to diffuse the situation, allow me to tell a classic story.

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs.....

K nvm I'm out.


Burping out loud using Tapatalk

 

[shawnthor]

I watched the video. His first service rep, Oscar, screwed up, and yet every time the customer called back he asked for Oscar. Made no sense. And whoever he did end up talking to, each time he kept asking them to ask Oscar to fix the problem, to ask Oscar to send him the tracking number, etc. Why didn't he just ask who he was talking to at that point to fix the problem, and ask them to send the tracking number and get Oscar out of the loop? If he'd gotten the tracking number from someone else early on, he'd have known there was still a problem and could have dealt with it much faster and get, I would guess, quicker satisfaction.

No, he shouldn't have had to go through that, I agree. Yes, VS needs to do something about the HR department and needs to vet their hires better. Yes, they're clearly not the best business people in the world, to put it nicely. But they stayed nice throughout, and I do get that they are trying to do things right, they're just a little incompetent in the business and CS departments. Better to deliver bad CS and good products than the other way around.

They also are pushing to fill a quantity of orders large enough that it is probably pushing all of their resources to the limit. With any luck they'll realize they need to do something about their customer service, and they'll have enough money to hire someone who actually knows how to do run CS. In the meantime, I'm starting to get that they're trying, just not always succeeding. Again, better that than the other way around. Attitude counts for a lot, and from what I have seen *so far,* they seem to be scoring OK on the attitude metric.

That's just my take on the situation, yours may vary. For that matter, as I alluded to, as I hear other experiences, depending on the details, it might change my current reading of the situation.

------------------------------

(I have no relationship whatsoever to VS. I had a pre-order that was delayed, and between that, the fact that I was uncomfortable being charged for a pre-order before a definite ship date was even known, let alone before the actual ship date itself, plus all of the bad stories I'd heard about their CS, I canceled the order. So far, looking deeper into a sampling of those stories, at this point and unless someone tells me a story about a bad *attitude* coming from VS, I would feel comfortable ordering from them -- as long as I wasn't in a rush.)

That is very true for most, but I received bad customer service coupled with a device that had issues. That is my personal experience, but I have seen this a good bit on here and other places around the net. I have watched them delete posts off their Facebook page from people talking about the safety of the Panasonics that they shipped their rDNA30s out with. etc..The funny thing is that they are spending money by being diamond sponsors of vape events (lots of money) and hiring big DJs to host a halloween event. The money is there, but they are not spending it in the right place.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=790320971015869&set=vb.183804708334168&type=2&theater

Below is a response to another member a few weeks ago:

“Sorry to take so long to reply. My DNA 30 came without issue, but I had them check it before it shipped, because the devices I saw in an authorized reseller all had issues with the placement of the DNA screen and one was resetting itself over 20 watts. I called the store to go have a look at the rDNA 30 prior to purchasing from VS, but I was told they no longer carry their products.

My rDNA 30 showed up with a paint issue on the side. It wasn't that bad, but looked like someone had hit one area on the side again with the paint discoloring the area. Again, not that big of a deal, but I would assume they would check these things like Provari does (my only exposure to expensive mods prior to my VS purchases), so that is what I have to gauge quality of these products. The other issue is that the screen was not centered. The screen was placed diagonal and the lead from the board is exposed. I have been communicating with customer service for almost a month and got a call back from the manager a couple days ago and will be contacting him in an attempt to resolve this issue. Mind you communication on these issues have been going on for some time with emails back and forth. The initial response was to have me send it back in and have it dealt with like a warranty issue, which I am not happy about, because the device came like this, but we will see how it goes.

The other issue that I had with the company was not a quality control issue, but a customer service issue. They had a Sony VTC4 listed at the time that I purchased the device. They wanted me to pay for shipping to have the Panasonic back to them to send out the Sony VTC4. This to me was unacceptable, because I purchased the device with a Sony VTC4 and the Panasonic's safety was coming into question on this forum. Finally after three weeks and speaking to three people they sent me one out, but the experience was a pain and time consuming. Things like this worry me when dealing with companies.

On the bright side, the device has fired every time I hit the button (although the paint on the button has almost been rubbed away from just hitting the button to fire it) and the size of the device is nice. The staff at VS are very nice people. For me, if this device came with the battery listed on their site and the other issues were not present, I would be a happy customer, but it didn't. I do still really like my DNA 30. We will see how the rest of my experience pans out, but I am not expecting much at this point..."

 

[KGie]

Wait a minute, let me make sure I've got this right: they advertised it on their site with one battery, but sent you a different one? Then wanted to make you pay for shipping the wrong battery to them? That *is* unacceptable in my book, and while I might excuse the first low-level CS's misguided attempt to get you to pay for it, his superior should have gotten it right straight-away.

Maybe I'm glad I canceled my order after all. I dunno, it does seem like after everyone complains about the service, they then go on to say how much they like the product. lol

Maybe the bottom line: would you order from them again if they had something new you wanted?

That is very true for most, but I received bad customer service coupled with a device that had issues.This is not the first time that I have seen this besides myself. That is my personal experience. The funny thing is that they are spending money by being diamond sponsors of vape events (lots of money) and hiring big DJs to host a halloween event. The money is there, but they are not spending it in the right place.

Below is a response to another member a few weeks ago:

“Sorry to take so long to reply. My DNA 30 came without issue, but I had them check it before it shipped, because the devices I saw in an authorized reseller all had issues with the placement of the DNA screen and one was resetting itself over 20 watts. I called the store to go have a look at the rDNA 30 prior to purchasing from VS, but I was told they no longer carry their products.

My rDNA 30 showed up with a paint issue on the side. It wasn't that bad, but looked like someone had hit one area on the side again with the paint discoloring the area. Again, not that big of a deal, but I would assume they would check these things like Provari does (my only exposure to expensive mods prior to my VS purchases), so that is what I have to gauge quality of these products. The other issue is that the screen was not centered. The screen was placed diagonal and the lead from the board is exposed. I have been communicating with customer service for almost a month and got a call back from the manager a couple days ago and will be contacting him in an attempt to resolve this issue. Mind you communication on these issues have been going on for some time with emails back and forth. The initial response was to have me send it back in and have it dealt with like a warranty issue, which I am not happy about, because the device came like this, but we will see how it goes.

The other issue that I had with the company was not a quality control issue, but a customer service issue. They had a Sony VTC4 listed at the time that I purchased the device. They wanted me to pay for shipping to have the Panasonic back to them to send out the Sony VTC4. This to me was unacceptable, because I purchased the device with a Sony VTC4 and the Panasonic's safety was coming into question on this forum. Finally after three weeks and speaking to three people they sent me one out, but the experience was a pain and time consuming. Things like this worry me when dealing with companies.

On the bright side, the device has fired every time I hit the button (although the paint on the button has almost been rubbed away from just hitting the button to fire it) and the size of the device is nice. The staff at VS are very nice people. For me, if this device came with the battery listed on their site and the other issues were not present, I would be a happy customer, but it didn't. I do still really like my DNA 30. We will see how the rest of my experience pans out, but I am not expecting much at this point..."

 

[shawnthor]

Wait a minute, let me make sure I've got this right: they advertised it on their site with one battery, but sent you a different one? Then wanted to make you pay for shipping the wrong battery to them? That *is* unacceptable in my book, and while I might excuse the first low-level CS's misguided attempt to get you to pay for it, his superior should have gotten it right straight-away.

Maybe I'm glad I canceled my order after all. I dunno, it does seem like after everyone complains about the service, they then go on to say how much they like the product. lol

Maybe the bottom line: would you order from them again if they had something new you wanted?

Yeah, kind of crazy. Never had an experience like that before. Well the customer service rep put me on hold to talk to his superior (CEO of the company) who made that decision. Funny thing is that I had given up on them, but was contacted by the director of franchising (because I had been inquiring about their franchise system) as a follow up and we got into a discussion about the problems. He is the one that finally shipped the battery out. The director of franchising had to ship the battery out... It wasn't the battery that was really the issue, it was the fact of the matter.

I have both the rDNA 30 and the DNA 30 and they work without issue, so far. I have seen a good deal of others that have had issues with the devices. Mine still has a slanted screen and paint issues on the body and button, but I have not returned his call. I have seen videos where a device came back worse then it went off to them so that has me hesitate and I am rather busy. One member of this forum had his fire button stick on him. The member shipped it to them and it came back with the same issue... I might contact him in the future, but to tell you the truth I will most likely just take my business elsewhere. Once someone mimics their form factor they will lose their competitive advantage and their customer service issues will damage the company most likely irreparably. Although I am still kind of ticked off, I hope they are able to turn the issues around, but since its coming from the top, I highly doubt it.

 

[KGie]

Yeah, kind of crazy. Never had an experience like that before. Well the customer service rep put me on hold to talk to his superior (CEO of the company) who made that decision. Funny thing is that I had given up on them, but was contacted by the director of franchising (because I had been inquiring about their franchise system) as a follow up and we got into a discussion about the problems. He is the one that finally shipped the battery out. The director of franchising had to ship the battery out... It wasn't the battery that was really the issue, it was the fact of the matter.

I have both the rDNA 30 and the DNA 30 and they work without issue, so far. I have seen a good deal of others that have had issues with the devices. Mine still has a slanted screen and paint issues on the body and button, but I have not returned his call. I have seen videos where a device came back worse then it went off to them so that has me hesitate and I am rather busy. One member of this forum had his fire button stick on him. The member shipped it to them and it came back with the same issue... I might contact him in the future, but to tell you the truth I will most likely just take my business elsewhere. Once someone mimics their form factor they will lose their competitive advantage and their customer service issues will damage the company most likely irreparably. Although I am still kind of ticked off, I hope they are able to turn the issues around, but since its coming from the top, I highly doubt it.

Well if the CS really did talk to the CEO and that was what the CEO really said (which he probably did and it probably is), I am reminded of a saying which applies here: "The fish stinks at the head."

I guess in retrospect I'm not surprised. Looks like my first intuition was right after all: find somewhere else to buy. Or as I have decided, for the time being, DIY.

Thanks for filling in those all-important details. That's a pretty sad story.

 

[massbass22]

 

[massbass22]

Sorry lol!! Was testing....bright side is the pic worked.

 

[KTMRider]

That they do, but the question was about experiences with their customer service. A member of the forum asked for input and he will get both sides. Why not instead of saying that someone should "deal with" their bad customer service experiences, why don't you just tell them how your experience was good? You defend the company like you work for them.

I don't work for the company. I'm not even a customer yet. From all the .....ing I've seen about VS, most of it sounds like a bunch of whiny princesses. I don't disagree that their CS leaves a lot to be desired but it seems they are trying. The guy in the video was offered a free bottle of juice and they still screwed up. The next call got him $20 credit. Their version of "expedited shipping" might've meant something else and the guy ASSumed something else (priority mail? overnight?). They might mean expedited as in internal expedite to ship out (1st class). I don't disagree with this either, they should've at least sent it priority mail. Either way, he got a free bottle of juice and $20 credit for his troubles and the device he ordered within a week. And then he makes a video about his 1st world problems. Again, boo-f-n-hoo.


Here's my limited experience with VS so far...

I've been looking for a DNA 40 and decided on the rDNA. When I decided, it was at least a week past the initial pre-order so I thought I wouldn't get it any time soon so I didn't pre-order. Instead, I called my semi-local VS shop in NJ to see when they're getting them in and reserved one when she asked. They didn't ask for a deposit, just my name and number. I called on the 28th when they were supposed to ship and I spoke to her husband (mom & pop owned I guess). He was also very nice and knew who I was (1st on the list at their store). He didn't know the status but his wife did and she was out so he said he'd call me back with the info in 30 mins. He called back in 30 mins and said that it was delayed but will call me when they come in. I didn't speak to them for 2 weeks but after reading about everyone getting their rDNA's, I decided to call them a couple of days ago. I spoke with the husband again and he remembered me and said he still didn't know but he'd call me "the hour it comes in." At no point was he short with me or even sounded annoyed. He knew I was really looking forward to picking one up so he threw in calling me the hour it comes in as sort of a joke but I think he was serious about it because he knew I was driving over an hour to get there.

The fact is, they have have a device like no other on the market right now and it checks off a lot of what I want in a mod. I'm actually thinking of picking up a DNA 30 as well since they're fairly cheap now. Even reading about all the "horror stories" of their CS, I'm still buying one or two DNA's from them.

 

[massbass22]

I completely agree with anyone who complains about their lack of communication. In some instances it even seemed like purposed misinformation on VS part. Whether it was the sharkskin fitting, when they would start shipping, why the delay etc... However, anyone complaining about the delay really needs to understand how a preorder works. I ordered the first day (the first 200 orders) and just received mine Monday. I absolutely had no problem waiting especially if the magnetic door was really a last second decision. I love the device and was fine with the wait. I think VS could have avoided all the backlash and negativity simply by communicating more and communicating in better ways...ie, not Facebook!

 

[KGie]

.
.
Here's my limited experience with VS so far...

I've been looking for a DNA 40 and decided on the rDNA. When I decided, it was at least a week past the initial pre-order so I thought I wouldn't get it any time soon so I didn't pre-order. Instead, I called my semi-local VS shop in NJ to see when they're getting them in and reserved one when she asked. They didn't ask for a deposit, just my name and number. I called on the 28th when they were supposed to ship and I spoke to her husband (mom & pop owned I guess). He was also very nice and knew who I was (1st on the list at their store). He didn't know the status but his wife did and she was out so he said he'd call me back with the info in 30 mins. He called back in 30 mins and said that it was delayed but will call me when they come in. I didn't speak to them for 2 weeks but after reading about everyone getting their rDNA's, I decided to call them a couple of days ago. I spoke with the husband again and he remembered me and said he still didn't know but he'd call me "the hour it comes in." At no point was he short with me or even sounded annoyed. .
.
.

Maybe I'm missing something, but the linkage here isn't clear to me -- could you explain what the level of customer service you're receiving from a store not owned or operated by Vapor Shark has to do with Vapor Shark's level of customer service? I don't see any relationship.

 

[scotiwis]

Can anybody show an image of what the Kanger Aerotank Mega and Aerotank Giant look like on the rDNA (40 or 30). Considering one of these tanks to go with the rDNA 40 when I get it. Thanks!

 

[freedogg]

Scoti...you may want to look at the Aspire Nautilus (regular or mini) as well. Aspire's new BVC coils are getting really good reviews. Check out Grimm Green's review for one.

I actually have 2 Nautilus Mini's and a VS DNA (the little one) "out for delivery" now. I like the 40 so much I ordered the DNA just because!!

Aspire has announced that they will be making DNA40 temp protect coil heads soon. I'm sure Kanger will follow suit.

Can anybody show an image of what the Kanger Aerotank Mega and Aerotank Giant look like on the rDNA (40 or 30). Considering one of these tanks to go with the rDNA 40 when I get it. Thanks!

 

[Spirometry]

I don't work for the company. I'm not even a customer yet. From all the .....ing I've seen about VS, most of it sounds like a bunch of whiny princesses. I don't disagree that their CS leaves a lot to be desired but it seems they are trying. The guy in the video was offered a free bottle of juice and they still screwed up. The next call got him $20 credit. Their version of "expedited shipping" might've meant something else and the guy ASSumed something else (priority mail? overnight?). They might mean expedited as in internal expedite to ship out (1st class). I don't disagree with this either, they should've at least sent it priority mail. Either way, he got a free bottle of juice and $20 credit for his troubles and the device he ordered within a week. And then he makes a video about his 1st world problems. Again, boo-f-n-hoo.

They need to send them ALL out USPS Priority Mail, considering that is what it says under the terms and conditions.

2.) We provide free USPS Priority shipping on all domestic orders with a minimum Grand Total of $30 USD.

 

[scotiwis]

Scoti...you may want to look at the Aspire Nautilus (regular or mini) as well. Aspire's new BVC coils are getting really good reviews. Check out Grimm Green's review for one.

I actually have 2 Nautilus Mini's and a VS DNA (the little one) "out for delivery" now. I like the 40 so much I ordered the DNA just because!!

Aspire has announced that they will be making DNA40 temp protect coil heads soon. I'm sure Kanger will follow suit.

Hey freedogg, yeah I have the nautilus regular - like it a lot - but it's long, am looking for something short and fat with good capacity for when I get my rDNA 40. Nautilus mini doesn't quite hold enough juice for me - I vape so much I like to not have to fill up often! So looking at around 4ml or above capacity for the rDNA 40, but short so it keeps the overall length to a minimum to make it more portable. The Aerotank Giant looks good, but I wonder how if it sits well on the rDNA - ie sticks right out the side / and/or looks a bit nuts