I'm writing this post in response to a blog post by the owner of a large, ECF approved vendor that openly referred to the SmokeStik product as "chinese crap...just like Blu, njoy and all the other cig-a-likes"
In the electronics industry there is a grading system. Chinese is not synonymous with "crap". CHEAP is synonymous with crap. When any company chooses the products they will carry, rather they are off the shelf or rebranded with their own logo, they make a choice as to the quality or grade of the components used. Each grade has an expected failure rate. Grade A being the lowest failure rate....and it goes down from A to B to C. When a company like SmokeStik chooses the components that will be used to build their products the same thing applies....you want to buy wire for atty coils? You can pick from any number of different materials as well as grades of purity and quality of the metal. Certain metals (the more expensive ones of course) have a better conductivity than others. So you can make for instance a cartomizer that looks to the naked eye exactly like a SmokeStik cartomizer but will NOT perform like one. "Big box", direct from China companies know this all too well.....that is how they are able to offer you such "great deals" on falsely advertised clones.
SmokeStik is a small, family type business that has built a reputation for stellar customer service. We do not make outrageous claims about what our product will do. We have never engaged in marketing gimmicks like free trials, free samples, or auto ship programs. We HAVE been copied by other companies who have engaged in all manner of unethical practices. Fortunately the worst offender has since gone out of business. However there are still several others out there who have very similar names that are far from the quality and service that SmokeStik provides. And oddly enough, if you take the time to look...WE are the only company not pimping off the celebrities. Anything SmokeStik prints about a celebrity is in the public domain OR has been specifically approved by that celebrity. If a celeb asks us to keep their patronage private...we do. Contrary to what that same vendor said in his blog..we do NOT and never have paid Katherine Heigl to endorse our product. We do not pay any celebrities to endorse our product.
So next time a newbie comes to the new users forum and says they bought a SmokeStik...instead of wolf packing them about how stupid they are to have bought such a product, why don't you do a little research first and find out about SmokeStik? You "veterans" that love to slam SmokeStik any time our name is mentioned...why don't you write to me for a kit to review? Or better yet buy one and find out for yourself how you get treated if you have questions or problems with the product?
Cig-a-likes are not inherently bad products. Rather ECF wants to admit it or not there is a huge market for our product and the people that use and enjoy it are not stupid, and in fact DO know what they are missing. They are simply not interested in a new hobby, new obsession, fiddle farting around constantly to get something to work. They are perfectly normal, intelligent people who want a realistic, simple replacement for their cigarettes. And they know the difference between a good value and cheap. Ultimately a good value will save you money. SmokeStiks warranty is unmatched in this industry. I know what other companies claim...but they are lying plain and simple. If you doubt me just try using it. Here is what they will tell you........."lifetime warranty means that we will replace any item that fails during the EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE PRODUCT". The SmokeStik warranty is very different...it covers your batteries and chargers for YOUR lifetime. How does that work? Simple....you keep buying cartomizers and we will replace your stuff when it wears out. No BS....no send it back first and give us 6 weeks to test it.
SmokeStik was one of the founding members of ECF and has been in business since 2008. We have had our ups and downs like all companies but one thing that has never changed is our honest and integrity. We are not anything like those other companies. WE tell our customers the truth and if myself or another service agent does not think our product will work for someone we send them to another trusted, ECF approved vendor. I bet you didn't know that, did you? I personally buy from any number of ECF vendors as well as some little "mom and pop" vendors just to support them. I PROMOTE those vendors in my own subforum and never speak badly about any other vendor by name. All I ask for from the ECF community is the same respect and kindness that my company and myself shows to you.
In the electronics industry there is a grading system. Chinese is not synonymous with "crap". CHEAP is synonymous with crap. When any company chooses the products they will carry, rather they are off the shelf or rebranded with their own logo, they make a choice as to the quality or grade of the components used. Each grade has an expected failure rate. Grade A being the lowest failure rate....and it goes down from A to B to C. When a company like SmokeStik chooses the components that will be used to build their products the same thing applies....you want to buy wire for atty coils? You can pick from any number of different materials as well as grades of purity and quality of the metal. Certain metals (the more expensive ones of course) have a better conductivity than others. So you can make for instance a cartomizer that looks to the naked eye exactly like a SmokeStik cartomizer but will NOT perform like one. "Big box", direct from China companies know this all too well.....that is how they are able to offer you such "great deals" on falsely advertised clones.
SmokeStik is a small, family type business that has built a reputation for stellar customer service. We do not make outrageous claims about what our product will do. We have never engaged in marketing gimmicks like free trials, free samples, or auto ship programs. We HAVE been copied by other companies who have engaged in all manner of unethical practices. Fortunately the worst offender has since gone out of business. However there are still several others out there who have very similar names that are far from the quality and service that SmokeStik provides. And oddly enough, if you take the time to look...WE are the only company not pimping off the celebrities. Anything SmokeStik prints about a celebrity is in the public domain OR has been specifically approved by that celebrity. If a celeb asks us to keep their patronage private...we do. Contrary to what that same vendor said in his blog..we do NOT and never have paid Katherine Heigl to endorse our product. We do not pay any celebrities to endorse our product.
So next time a newbie comes to the new users forum and says they bought a SmokeStik...instead of wolf packing them about how stupid they are to have bought such a product, why don't you do a little research first and find out about SmokeStik? You "veterans" that love to slam SmokeStik any time our name is mentioned...why don't you write to me for a kit to review? Or better yet buy one and find out for yourself how you get treated if you have questions or problems with the product?
Cig-a-likes are not inherently bad products. Rather ECF wants to admit it or not there is a huge market for our product and the people that use and enjoy it are not stupid, and in fact DO know what they are missing. They are simply not interested in a new hobby, new obsession, fiddle farting around constantly to get something to work. They are perfectly normal, intelligent people who want a realistic, simple replacement for their cigarettes. And they know the difference between a good value and cheap. Ultimately a good value will save you money. SmokeStiks warranty is unmatched in this industry. I know what other companies claim...but they are lying plain and simple. If you doubt me just try using it. Here is what they will tell you........."lifetime warranty means that we will replace any item that fails during the EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE PRODUCT". The SmokeStik warranty is very different...it covers your batteries and chargers for YOUR lifetime. How does that work? Simple....you keep buying cartomizers and we will replace your stuff when it wears out. No BS....no send it back first and give us 6 weeks to test it.
SmokeStik was one of the founding members of ECF and has been in business since 2008. We have had our ups and downs like all companies but one thing that has never changed is our honest and integrity. We are not anything like those other companies. WE tell our customers the truth and if myself or another service agent does not think our product will work for someone we send them to another trusted, ECF approved vendor. I bet you didn't know that, did you? I personally buy from any number of ECF vendors as well as some little "mom and pop" vendors just to support them. I PROMOTE those vendors in my own subforum and never speak badly about any other vendor by name. All I ask for from the ECF community is the same respect and kindness that my company and myself shows to you.
