What is with ProVari People...Cult'ish much?
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I have no axe to grind. I'm only telling it as I see it, and I KNOW about foreign competition, and disgruntled customers. I was in the American car business, and still am to a point. You can get away, to some extent, with charging more, but you better have better quality and you better WOW your customers with CS. But as we learned in Detroit, once you Pi$$ off a customer and they opt for cheaper and find similar satisfaction there, at lower prices, they aren't coming back. Not EVER. Patriotism aside, nobody "buys American" unless there is a compelling reason BESIDES "buying American". I understand that the CS person at ProVape didn't notice my order number so when I described my problem, she didn't realize it was a BRAND NEW mini. I didn't realize that SHE didn't realize, so I was really taken aback by the cavalier "Oh well" attitude, and offer to sell me two five cent screws for $7 for my brand new ProV. I wasn't mean, but I wasn't kind in my response to that either.
Once she realized that my problem was with a NEW pro-v, the attitude was better. Besides the screw, they sent me a Nintendo DS case. (?!?) I guess that was to salve my burn. But then, damn. When the screw didn't work because of the missing backing block and I realized I had to send it in, the standard email contains all kinds of warnings about how to fill out the RMA form, and packaging and stuff, and what they'll do to you if you fail to comply exactly. ...? Did we NOT just go through that? You know what, vaping is nicotine, nicotine is an addiction. If you're going to serve that market, UNDERSTAND that. Take my CC number, and SEND ME A NEW ONE. If I don't send the defective back, then charge me! At least it worked, and would get me by to a replacement! I DON'T want to read your self serving legal mumbo jumbo when the money is MINE and the problem is YOURS. It would be different if the money was YOURS and the problem was MINE. I want a reasonable solution! Why do I have to spend MY $12 (Not going to break me, admittedly) to return a defective unit? And where is the language in the email that if it is determined to be defective, I'll be reimbursed? Not there, that's where. I WAITED for a 5% off sale to save a lousy $9, which seemed like a BIG DEAL to them, but expecting me to pony up $12 to send back their problem unit isn't considered?
Truth is, I made a decision and I'm reluctantly willing to stick with it. In hindsight, I wish I'd have bought the Vamo. But the legalese nonsense, and "We'll notify you if the problem isn't covered under warranty, before we do any work and charge you" BS is mind boggling. The wolf is AT THE DOOR. Time to bring your best game, or shut the doors because a few experiences like mine, and reasonable folks will weigh $40 for Chinese tech, or $180 for American originality, and if there are negative stories around, I can tell you , from experience, what they'll choose. And if I don't get exemplary CS, and some resolution to my additional out of pocket, as far as I'm concerned, they can keep the Mini, and I'll give the Vamo a shot. And if it works? Right. Never be back. Do you know why history is an important subject? So we avoid repeating it. Provape is at a crossroads, and needs to choose which way to go wisely here. I'm not talking about my own experience. I'm talking about their whole pricing scheme, CS terms, legalese mumbo jumbo nonsense. We DON'T want to read that crap when we're out $200, and someone is offering newer tech for $40. I'd be happy to get a refund at this point, and take my chances elsewhere and let them rethink, and rewrite, their customer terms of service. But they'd be smart to do it before I expect them to. When your customer start pointing out where you're messing up, you're already behind the curve.
Once she realized that my problem was with a NEW pro-v, the attitude was better. Besides the screw, they sent me a Nintendo DS case. (?!?) I guess that was to salve my burn. But then, damn. When the screw didn't work because of the missing backing block and I realized I had to send it in, the standard email contains all kinds of warnings about how to fill out the RMA form, and packaging and stuff, and what they'll do to you if you fail to comply exactly. ...? Did we NOT just go through that? You know what, vaping is nicotine, nicotine is an addiction. If you're going to serve that market, UNDERSTAND that. Take my CC number, and SEND ME A NEW ONE. If I don't send the defective back, then charge me! At least it worked, and would get me by to a replacement! I DON'T want to read your self serving legal mumbo jumbo when the money is MINE and the problem is YOURS. It would be different if the money was YOURS and the problem was MINE. I want a reasonable solution! Why do I have to spend MY $12 (Not going to break me, admittedly) to return a defective unit? And where is the language in the email that if it is determined to be defective, I'll be reimbursed? Not there, that's where. I WAITED for a 5% off sale to save a lousy $9, which seemed like a BIG DEAL to them, but expecting me to pony up $12 to send back their problem unit isn't considered?
Truth is, I made a decision and I'm reluctantly willing to stick with it. In hindsight, I wish I'd have bought the Vamo. But the legalese nonsense, and "We'll notify you if the problem isn't covered under warranty, before we do any work and charge you" BS is mind boggling. The wolf is AT THE DOOR. Time to bring your best game, or shut the doors because a few experiences like mine, and reasonable folks will weigh $40 for Chinese tech, or $180 for American originality, and if there are negative stories around, I can tell you , from experience, what they'll choose. And if I don't get exemplary CS, and some resolution to my additional out of pocket, as far as I'm concerned, they can keep the Mini, and I'll give the Vamo a shot. And if it works? Right. Never be back. Do you know why history is an important subject? So we avoid repeating it. Provape is at a crossroads, and needs to choose which way to go wisely here. I'm not talking about my own experience. I'm talking about their whole pricing scheme, CS terms, legalese mumbo jumbo nonsense. We DON'T want to read that crap when we're out $200, and someone is offering newer tech for $40. I'd be happy to get a refund at this point, and take my chances elsewhere and let them rethink, and rewrite, their customer terms of service. But they'd be smart to do it before I expect them to. When your customer start pointing out where you're messing up, you're already behind the curve.
Wow, I am really sorry you had that happen to you and you are right, it's acceptable. Unfortunately you can expect that people are going to flame you from now on with this and I am sorry it will happen. In my post I didn't mean to make it sound like you hadn't tried it or that they hadn't screwed you over because it's obviously they did and had very little care. The fact that the person on the phone assumed something just shows a complete lack of care for you in a whole and to sell you a few screws for 7 bucks for a device they have a "lifetime" warranty on is just total BS.
Lol, it took a lot of chugging that " Grouch-o-lot" energy drink to get this way. Figure pretty soon here I'll be sitting in a rocking chair vaping away on my PV and yelling at kids to get off my lawn...Ahh the golden years of wonderment take me away.
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Odd question, I wonder if they ever invented the " Blue Pill" vape...I'm game for that. Maybe even name it Hugh Hefners blood....woot...going back to my doleful job 
Odd question, I wonder if they ever invented the " Blue Pill" vape...I'm game for that. Maybe even name it Hugh Hefners blood....woot...going back to my doleful job
Alright, time to go to bed or at least drink 20 cups of coffee to wake up now. Don't make me get up from my desk, track you down, and drag the coffee pot to you.
I am sorry again about your experience with this, with a new PV you should have not had this experience at all. You are right in that "When your customer start pointing out where you're messing up, you're already behind the curve." that they have been blindly trotting along. I guess it’s time to wake up and smell the roses in a sense for them now with cheaper technology available that offers better features makes an expensive mod obsolete in the world. The VAMO and several others are sought after for two reasons reliably, one is because you can't afford the shiny expensive mods and second reason is they are disposable. If it breaks, you’re out some pocket change in a sense and up and running the next day with a backup of the same model (which cost you less for two then the price of one). I personally fall in to the " I works, so why bother paying more for the same thing...a battery in a tube that fires my atomizer". If it breaks, I frown a little, go grab the back up on the shelf which is the same model and bingo, up and running again. It’s always nice to have your “Dinner out" PV, these are the ones that are expensive, usually show pieces and used for the wow effect. But seriously who is really going to care if it’s a Shiny mod or a box with hot glue holding it together when your just out and about...as long as it vapes and reliable it fits in to my book of golden vaping equipment.
I'm by no means broke; I have nice mods that are reserved for the outings. I tend to take these when needed and the environment requires it such but more often I'm seeing the practicality of the device is far out weighing the ascetics of the mod. With the new technology out there and so many advancements being done quickly you have to either have amazing customer service, amazing technology or amazing prices to keep up in this race. If the averages are that you don’t have two out of those three going for you then you’ll be dragging up the rear to the finish line.
I’m sure that you’ll always have the dedicated shoppers to ________ device. These are the saving grace of any company but how long can you keep them going on cookie crumbs and loose promises when the world changes around you and you’re offered something even better at a lower price. I don’t disagree with paying for quality; I myself am looking at a box mod that cost more than the ProVari does. This is due to the quality of the device manufacturing and the parts in it, the build is amazing and it fits me simply put. I can and do spend money but only when there is value behind the product I’m purchasing, if it’s not worth it then why spend the money. Also this to me is a daily use device, it’s going to get scratched, dented, hit and bounced around, jostled and tossed about. I like things to be kept nice and would cringe if I spent that much money on a mod and it ended up being blemished. Sometimes you have to weigh in how much of an ouch factor can you take when it comes to that.
The issues are will ProVari survive, I don’t know. This race is coming up to a head and the winners will be designated at the end. I will read about the functionality and reliability in the history books I’m sure of this if they don’t drastically change their outlook on what is currently in the market and keeping up with the changes of the time.
This is nothing new and is not about Provape. There were fanboys (and girls) flaming each other over 808's and 510's in early 2009 when I came here.
Anyone who comes to this forum and is told to buy a $200 item or "don't bother because everything else is crap." and gives up on the concept because they don't have $200 then does no further research and continues spending $1800 a year on cowboy killers 5 bucks at a time, probably wasn't going to do very well with that super cheap mini they found anyway. This is nothing new. This concept isn't even exclusive to devices. I see people swearing about how great all sorts of clearomizer types are. I have yet to try one that I like. Doesn't make them wrong. Doesn't make me wrong. No one is wrong. Personal preference creates bias. That's just part of human culture.
Swearing by the iphone and calling the droid garbage. Doesn't make you a cult member. It makes you a fanboy. Real cults have rituals and get to wear hoods and stuff.
ETA: Provape can't talk shop in this sub forum. So if you want to be fair about things and have a gripe about them do it in the negative review section so they are at least able to tell their side of the story. It's only fair.
Anyone who comes to this forum and is told to buy a $200 item or "don't bother because everything else is crap." and gives up on the concept because they don't have $200 then does no further research and continues spending $1800 a year on cowboy killers 5 bucks at a time, probably wasn't going to do very well with that super cheap mini they found anyway. This is nothing new. This concept isn't even exclusive to devices. I see people swearing about how great all sorts of clearomizer types are. I have yet to try one that I like. Doesn't make them wrong. Doesn't make me wrong. No one is wrong. Personal preference creates bias. That's just part of human culture.
Swearing by the iphone and calling the droid garbage. Doesn't make you a cult member. It makes you a fanboy. Real cults have rituals and get to wear hoods and stuff.
ETA: Provape can't talk shop in this sub forum. So if you want to be fair about things and have a gripe about them do it in the negative review section so they are at least able to tell their side of the story. It's only fair.
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It isn't a gripe, it's a commentary and opinion on what I see coming down the road for them. The market is changing very quickly, and a company is nimble and adapts and survives, or it doesn't. Opinions are free to share anywhere on this site. I'm not telling provari what to do, I'm not telling anyone looking to buy one what to do. I'm saying, based on my experience, what I wish I had done. I'm saying what I think provari COULD do to help stave off some fierce competition. Why is it that every provari lover can post that love anywhere on ECF, but if you have criticism, you're told to take it to a specific subforum? Do you really think that is healthy for newer members who are making important decisions about the equipment they'll choose? Should they not be entitled to read about other experiences? You really think that THAT is fair?
wow ,,that is the first bad experience i've heard about provape ,,there may be others? but still the first i've heard !!
wonder if that was with the new girl they had hired to deal with CS after the sales ??
when i sent mine back for the V2 upgrade it was rather simple,,print off what i wanted done and a return address,somehow the upgrade got missed , yea i was upset,,i contacted them and they sent me a pre-paid label to re-send it back,,
when they sent it back it ,they sent it back as a complete kit,,well over 200 bucks value ,,,
and another thought,,why is it that this exact type of thread has to pop every dam week ??
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I'm getting my Wife a pink Provari with the green LED for Christmas, being that she suffers from Dropitis. She has broken quite a few devices since day 1. I dropped my Provari for the first time off the table onto our tile floor, and accidentally kicked it. Not a scratch or dent. That assures me that I won't have to be spending 60-80 bucks a month on a new mod every time that one hits the floor.
Lol, good reason to get one. I hope you can also keep her from carrying around any baby relatives. Or Iphones- Ipads, etc.
I own a ProVari Mini. It is my daily mod. I don't care for it that much. It does what it does and it does it great. I would go as far as saying the ProVari is the BMW of the vaping world. Why?
- Higher priced, but nothing expensive like the crafted mods.
- Does what it does well.
- Will attract the "mainstream" and douchey people, blame mass production for that.
- Has all the bells and whistles you would ever really need.
I could go on...
With me comparing it to BMW, I don't act like my ProVari is all that great. Because if I owned a BMW, i'd be one sad person. Ugliest designed cars ever built (minus the Late E30s). Worst people ever.
Bottom line is, is it a great mod? Yes. Is it the best? No. It's just a bang for the buck mod that is step up from an eGo. No more, no less.
Don't get me started on the reactions I get from other ProVari owners when I say things along the lines of, "It's just a Provari.", "I want to get rid of my Provari..." "I want a mod with more soul, this Provari is failing me."
- Higher priced, but nothing expensive like the crafted mods.
- Does what it does well.
- Will attract the "mainstream" and douchey people, blame mass production for that.
- Has all the bells and whistles you would ever really need.
I could go on...
With me comparing it to BMW, I don't act like my ProVari is all that great. Because if I owned a BMW, i'd be one sad person. Ugliest designed cars ever built (minus the Late E30s). Worst people ever.
Bottom line is, is it a great mod? Yes. Is it the best? No. It's just a bang for the buck mod that is step up from an eGo. No more, no less.
Don't get me started on the reactions I get from other ProVari owners when I say things along the lines of, "It's just a Provari.", "I want to get rid of my Provari..." "I want a mod with more soul, this Provari is failing me."
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I've seen so many threads like this over the years. When I first came here, the eGo was all the rage and there were people upset because all the eGo people were telling the newbies "just get an eGo" with all the eGo enthusiasts talking about them, I got an eGo. And loved it. Then when I kept hearing all the hype about the provari, the great reviews, the cult-like following... I figured that all those people couldn't be wrong. So I bite the bullet and bought one. (and so glad I did!)
But there was a year between my starting vaping and my finally getting a provari. The learning curve can be very expensive but for some of us, necessary. Had I not had that year of going up the ladder, I would not have known what to do with it.. I would not have been able to appreciate it as much as do now. I too get irritated when someone disregards a posters wants and needs and suggests a Provari. Yes, I could have saved a lot of money if I had bought one in the beginning, but (for myself) I feel that money I spent on the other devices I had was well worth it. But there are also many instances where suggesting the Provari is appropriate. I'm not a big fan of how it takes 9 clicks (and then waiting to click it off) to turn it off but it is what it is and something I put up with.
Is it the best device out there? For me it is, but I'm sure that's it's not for others. As much as I love my provari's... I love my madvapes VV boxmod just as much.. it's over a year old, I use it daily and never once had a misfire.
I'm sure Provape loves these kinds of threads.. they do nothing but sell their product.
But there was a year between my starting vaping and my finally getting a provari. The learning curve can be very expensive but for some of us, necessary. Had I not had that year of going up the ladder, I would not have known what to do with it.. I would not have been able to appreciate it as much as do now. I too get irritated when someone disregards a posters wants and needs and suggests a Provari. Yes, I could have saved a lot of money if I had bought one in the beginning, but (for myself) I feel that money I spent on the other devices I had was well worth it. But there are also many instances where suggesting the Provari is appropriate. I'm not a big fan of how it takes 9 clicks (and then waiting to click it off) to turn it off but it is what it is and something I put up with.
Is it the best device out there? For me it is, but I'm sure that's it's not for others. As much as I love my provari's... I love my madvapes VV boxmod just as much.. it's over a year old, I use it daily and never once had a misfire.
I'm sure Provape loves these kinds of threads.. they do nothing but sell their product.
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This goes so much further back than that! There were the 510/808 wars. Then the Chuck came out and you had no idea what you were missing, then the Silver bullet, then the Omega, then the.................
I agree with the post above, the Provari is great, it does what it's supposed to, does it well, but it certainly hasn't changed my life any. I thought the menu was a bit difficult, then I read about the menu on the Evic! WOW, now that is complicated! I wish the switch had more "feel" to it, like a click to it? The battery cap is a bit hard to grasp to unscrew if it's really tight (not a huge deal at all), and it is a bit heavy.
I'm not going to complain about the weight for what I want, it's what I need! I have yet to drop it, but I wont cringe when I do, this thing will just bounce off the floor! The battery life, so far, has been a lot better than I expected, around 6 hours with the 18350's for me. All in all, I really think I made the right choice for me with this. But I can see for sure this isn't for everyone!
I agree with the post above, the Provari is great, it does what it's supposed to, does it well, but it certainly hasn't changed my life any. I thought the menu was a bit difficult, then I read about the menu on the Evic! WOW, now that is complicated! I wish the switch had more "feel" to it, like a click to it? The battery cap is a bit hard to grasp to unscrew if it's really tight (not a huge deal at all), and it is a bit heavy.
I'm not going to complain about the weight for what I want, it's what I need! I have yet to drop it, but I wont cringe when I do, this thing will just bounce off the floor! The battery life, so far, has been a lot better than I expected, around 6 hours with the 18350's for me. All in all, I really think I made the right choice for me with this. But I can see for sure this isn't for everyone!
Hahaha! True-I have never worn a hood when I was vaping!
This is nothing new and is not about Provape. There were fanboys (and girls) flaming each other over 808's and 510's in early 2009 when I came here.
Anyone who comes to this forum and is told to buy a $200 item or "don't bother because everything else is crap." and gives up on the concept because they don't have $200 then does no further research and continues spending $1800 a year on cowboy killers 5 bucks at a time, probably wasn't going to do very well with that super cheap mini they found anyway. This is nothing new. This concept isn't even exclusive to devices. I see people swearing about how great all sorts of clearomizer types are. I have yet to try one that I like. Doesn't make them wrong. Doesn't make me wrong. No one is wrong. Personal preference creates bias. That's just part of human culture.
Swearing by the iphone and calling the droid garbage. Doesn't make you a cult member. It makes you a fanboy. Real cults have rituals and get to wear hoods and stuff.
ETA: Provape can't talk shop in this sub forum. So if you want to be fair about things and have a gripe about them do it in the negative review section so they are at least able to tell their side of the story. It's only fair.
I think she is entitled to express and discuss her experiences, views and disappointments of a product openly. No one really reads or comments in the 'negative reviews' section (except for The vendor) AFAIK.
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