What am I not getting here ?

[FarmerCam]

Duh.

batteries are the most important part of your setup. It doesn't pay to skimp on cheap batteries, as you have found out repeatedly. Try to purchase name brand batteries from reputable suppliers; you'll save money in the long run.

Ciga-likes (cigarette-size batteries like the Bloog) are getting harder and harder to find.

Well... duh. If you couldn’t tell from my post, I gave up cig-a-likes years ago- that I ONLY purchased directly from Bloog.

Once I discovered myJets, and demand was crazy, I could often ONLY find supplies on eBay. An added plus on eBay was far shorter delivery times. Sort of fell into a bad habit I suppose. But the very reason for my post were my suspicions that I was being played because I wasn’t familiar with how the vendors got their merchandise to sell more cheaply.

 

[FarmerCam]

check to see if the contacts are wet on the second one you bought at the shop. could be juice is between the contact points preventing the electrical connection.

They were dry and free of any residue, but thank you.

 

[Mordacai]

Hello @FarmerCam, like everything made on a production line nowadays it's a lottery.

And don't know if you're aware of the Joytech Eroll Mac? Don't know much about them myself, apart from it's a pod mod crossed with a cigalike.
https://www.joyetech.com/product/eroll-mac/

May well be worth looking for reviews on them.