Was Demanded to Leave a B&M Yesterday

[edyle]

A simple shiny metal tube can call a higher $profit$.
I mean it just *looks* expensive!

So there's a financial incentive to sell mechs; but it's bad for business when the seller isn't knowledgeable of the safety issues.

Putting a clearo on it doesn't help either because prefab coil heads do get shorts.

Of course if he threw in a kick or a fuse with it, that might be different.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

The BBB is nothing more than "consumer reports" for businesses. They have no "say" in how businesses are run. If they receive a complaint about a business they will contact said business and attempt to "mediate" a resolution. The business is under no obligation to participate in the mediation and will face no negative actions if it doesn't.
The BBB is an independent business rating service. Nothing more. How many times do people research the BBB ratings before dealing with a company?

Sorry, not trying to rain on anyones parade but I work at a business where I hear the threat of BBB reports regularly. Honestly the threats are meaningless as the BBB has no power to affect anything related to a business except their BBB rating.

 

[Strings]

I prefer word of mouth. Works WONDERS on a business when everyone stops going in

 

[wheelie]

I have seen good and bad shops. Lucky we just had one open in our small town that carries nice stuff for everyone. Nice people to. Went to one in another town from me, I walked out the door and will never go back or recommend them to anyone. Was buying Menthol juice for a buddy, and asked the sales guy if his Menthol was a tank cracker. He said oh yes it is a 70pg and 30vg and PG always cracks tanks. Told me if I did not want a tank cracker I have to pick a 50/50 mix. I just laughed as I walked out the door.

 

[elfy]

Word of mouth will win versus shops like that

 

[mcclintock]

I actually tend to suspect any business that loudly proclaims its BBB membership. They can get thrown out of the BBB, settle complaints, and then start fleecing a new wave of customers to pay for it. I had a case settled after they had use of my money for 3 years. It's by business, for business.

I'd say vape retailers have come a long way since charging my friend over $100 for a 2-cigalike set with mismatched parts that couldn't ever work, but business is tough and people aren't perfect. Also shops may be difficult about returns because their distributors may not support them -- I know tobacco shop distributors don't.

One thing I have noticed about those that go straight to high-end gear (ANY hobby/activity) tend to not be knowledgeable about the low end.

 

[jonny45378]

After hearing your bad trip to your b&m I'm glad the ones around my area are well trained and never start out new comers with mechs and anything sub ohm. The staff will talk to the customer as long as they needed and answer any questions they had about vaping. Hearing stories like yours makes me sad because some b&ms are purely in it for the money and don't care about safety.

 

[ShariR]

Good for you. If you want, you can talk to the owner and see if he will train his staff. But then again, he may be encouraging it. I have been to vape shops that are geared towards new vapers and ones for the college age mech and rda crowd. Also the smoke shop places. They all seem to be different beasts. For a new vaper, it can be like a crap shoot. And they do not know any better.

You have some good karma coming. And a couple of ex-smokers, hopefully vaping a more appropriate device.

 

[Rotowoman]

I think you did the right thing. To this day I am still grateful to the B & M that I stepped into when I first decided I wanted to use vaping to stop smoking. The owner was there, and I told her I didn't know squat about vaping. She asked me how much I smoked and what kind I smoked and made suggestions with the beginner stuff. I walked out with a beginner eGo kit, which at the time was just what I needed to get started. Had she tried to sell me a high end of anything, I'd have probably gotten frustrated and gone back to smoking.

 

[cocacola31173]

I see a lot of recommendations on here to new people to go for the rebuildables and the mechs. I think part of the reason is that a lot of use went through the whole line of batteries...cigalikes to Ego's to bigger type mods and know the best is at the top of the line.

But you have to learn how to crawl before you walk! I did go through the whole line. I started out with a V2 cigalike and now I am very happy with my Provari's and my Kayfuns after 2 years of vaping. But during this time I would constantly research.

I don't use Mechs and probably never will. I like the regulation of the Provari's and not having to worry too much about my battery.

 

[DaveP]

Very true! Especially if you have an M-tank, and can use one of the Kayfun rings as a "beauty ring" in place of the "flat top" (which isn't!).

Although nowadays, since I have that crappy clone of a Kayfun, I can use the rings from it and still have a standard-configured kayfun on top -- the rings from that crappy kayfun are worth more than the head!

Andria

I only have one Kayfun and it's an EHPro Kayfun 3.1. The only time I have to do anything other than recoil or re-wick is when the top o-ring where the chimney goes through begins to leak vacuum. Then, I get leaks and flooding. I just replace the tank and top o-ring and it's like new.

I'd like to see a smaller, lighter Kayfun that doesn't flip over and go Thwack! on the table top.

 

[SteelerFan]

Pretty much what everyone else said and yep, its practice and people like that and those you encountered that give more ammo to the people that want to condemn vaping... I live in a small"ish" town in Wisc. and there are 3 "vape shops". One is a vape slash smoke shop that seen a "fad/trend" and quickly made room in their smoke shop for vaping supplies. The staff at this particular shop knows about as much as the cashier at the gas station that sells Blu pens when it comes to vaping, and even worse, they'll sell anything to anyone, no matter the experience of the customer nor the age. The second shop is strictly in it for the profit and ran by a very shady dude. He has never smoked, never vaped, and he runs a vape shop, go figure. Makes his own little vials of juices too. Just a very very shady operation. Third shop is actually ran and owned by a pure vape geek. This guy knows his stuff and is actually quite pleasant. My only complaint is that too many of his budds just hang around clouding up the tiny store. Reminds me of a certain Latino fella and his hippie buddy riding with the windows up. I'd like to spend some bucks in the b&m's and help those that are helping, but man, when it comes down to ethics and your hard earned bucks being saved, online is the way to go for me...

 

[DaveP]

Pretty much what everyone else said and yep, its practice and people like that and those you encountered that give more ammo to the people that want to condemn vaping... I live in a small"ish" town in Wisc. and there are 3 "vape shops". One is a vape slash smoke shop that seen a "fad/trend" and quickly made room in their smoke shop for vaping supplies. The staff at this particular shop knows about as much as the cashier at the gas station that sells Blu pens when it comes to vaping, and even worse, they'll sell anything to anyone, no matter the experience of the customer nor the age. The second shop is strictly in it for the profit and ran by a very shady dude. He has never smoked, never vaped, and he runs a vape shop, go figure. Makes his own little vials of juices too. Just a very very shady operation. Third shop is actually ran and owned by a pure vape geek. This guy knows his stuff and is actually quite pleasant. My only complaint is that too many of his budds just hang around clouding up the tiny store. Reminds me of a certain Latino fella and his hippie buddy riding with the windows up. I'd like to spend some bucks in the b&m's and help those that are helping, but man, when it comes down to ethics and your hard earned bucks being saved, online is the way to go for me...

Everyone in vape shops these days seem to be sporting drippers. They sell a lot of what people see them using.

 

[Strings]

SteelerFan: where in WI?

I've kinda seen what you describe in many shops around the state...

 

[Core618]

We had no shops in my area for a long time... in the past couple of years they started popping up over in the St Louis area, and then a couple in my little semi-rural area in the Illinois side... the B&M closest to me opened early last year I think... and opened another a couple of towns over late last year.. the owner is great, and takes the time to determine what new folks need and starts them off right...
Almost all of his staff operate the same way, there are always a few who try to sell the more advanced things to new folks, because it's 'what I use' ... but that doesn't happen often, and I have seen other staffers correct those folks, no intervention needed from customers...

It's coming up on 5 years for me of vaping... I own one mech, and never use it... it's a great paperweight! Bought it, tried it, built my first coil on a Doge, and that's the only build it's had on it since... gonna sell it one of these days, I doubt I'll ever bother.

Other shops around here, well, let's just say I never recommend them to anyone... a lot of the comments I've seen in this thread apply to them... hipster wannabe's, un-knowledgeable about their products, out for the buck instead of trying to be helpful... etc...

Good on the OP for calling the counter guy out it was a good thing, and IMHO necessary. I've done the same in a couple of shops I have been in, and never thought twice about it.

 

[Dixie1954]

I only order online usually because of no transportation. I have only been in 1 B&M and the owner and his staff were very nice and answered all my questions. At that time if they hadn't I would have just left - I was such a newbie then. But now that I have read tons of info online and been in chats with other vapers I would probably feel able to share what I have learned. Way to go OP - helping others is ALWAYs a good thing

 

[AndriaD]

I only have one Kayfun and it's an EHPro Kayfun 3.1. The only time I have to do anything other than recoil or re-wick is when the top o-ring where the chimney goes through begins to leak vacuum. Then, I get leaks and flooding. I just replace the tank and top o-ring and it's like new.

I'd like to see a smaller, lighter Kayfun that doesn't flip over and go Thwack! on the table top.

I've never seen that o-ring problem, with my Tobecos. Sweet-vapes has their EHpro KFL+'s for like $25, so I'm considering one of those to extend my collection, so I'll know what to watch for, with an EHpro. I know EHpro makes great stuff; my "Fallen Angel" is made by them, and it's a work of art; solid quality top to bottom.

A lighter Kayfun would definitely be a good thing though; even with an M-tank instead of all that steel, it's still fairly heavy. But if wonder if the solid mass of the steel in the head and the top ring don't contribute something to its greatness... would it still be a champ if those parts were made of anodized aluminum?

Andria

 

[GinnyTx]

Good for you MAD I wish you'd been there for my first set up...same deal some guy running a vape store out of his closed in garage, started me on a Nemi and Russian I think it was around $200 too when we got out of there..I was sick seeing what they really cost.

but I was in NO way ready for all of that..it's a safety issue too.

Our local B&M is great about that..they keep lots of eGo style and iSticks, MVP,'s etc plus clearomizers in stock for newbs.

you did the right thing...

 

[wonkeypickle]

hats off to you op, it's my guess you knew how the situation was going to play out, but decided to do the right thing and help out the customers anyways.


i am lucky to have some nice b&m's around me that get enough business to not have to do such things....

 

[catilley1092]

Some merchants are simply jerks, all they care about is the number of sales & the bottom line.

These type could care less about one's safety, which is #1 around here.

Cat