While I didn't have a big interest in the classifieds or co-op forums, I applied...

[MagicMike]

Hello All,

I appreciate that ECF cares enough to have a solid verification process in place! I doubt I will buy anything from the classifieds or participate in the co-op I've enjoyed reading and scanning them nonetheless. It's fun to see how far people are willing to go to save 40 bucks. Wow one of the threads had 17k posts for the purchase of 250 Zmax mods. OMG, co-op's look like a ton of fun to run!

Cheers,
Mike

 

[budynbuick]

It wasn't that difficult. If I can do.......I must say I just purchased my aga & was very confidant of my purchase arriving. purchased from the clssy.

 

[phamilyy]

Just applied to become verified yesterday via Paypal form and I hope I get approved soon! I want to take advantage of the Co-ops!

 

[PLANofMAN]

I gotta say, for a new guy to the site the verified member status is a serious pain in the .... I mean, there was a lot of great research and things I learned, but as a new guy to vaping I really had nothing to contribute but questions that were the typical the "new guy on the forums" type stuff, and being a member on a lot of forums, I hate being that guy. I tried to just start a conversation post in the new guy's section to get to my 20, and got posts deleted and told not to post ..... to get verified.

How else does someone get their post count up when they have no information to contribute to the high-level discussions on the intricacies of ohms for cartos, imr batteries, voltages and VV mods, etc, when you don't know anything? You have to ask typical new-guy questions that anyone who knows how to use the search function can find the answers to, and again, anyone with any forum experience would rather not be that guy.

I'm a 32 year old married tech guy who lives in Dallas. Call the guys at Vaporescence in Richardson, they'll tell you I'm a good guy who buys vape stuff, and I really only wanted to be a member here in the first place so that I can participate in the classifieds and co-ops, and basically, I gave up trying.

I honestly just came here looking for a way to buy a Provari for under $250 for the whole kit, possibly some carto co-ops, and figured it would be less hassle to just Google-fu it after the reactions I got for that sentiment.

I guess my point is that the people who would want to access those sections since Amazon and eBay are ridiculously boycotting all things ecig, are typically going to be new to vaping, and it's relatively difficult to get any traction here as a "trusted" member. I use a garbage Yahoo mail account for things like forums, Facebook, etc, so I'm not deleting 50 spam emails a day. This also makes me "untrustworthy".

I just think the process could be streamlined, for both the sake of new members, and jOker's sanity. Sonicdsl, my mom lives in Irving, you can ask her, I'm a great guy.

I can't help you with the carto co/ops, but I can say that you can buy a Blemished ProVari, (blemished, meaning it is missing a speck of paint, or the logo's lettering is too dark or light) and an extension cap from ProVape for well under $200. The batteries and charger can be bought from Welcome to RTD Vapor for cheaper than ProVape would sell them to you. (identical products, not substitutes). You will end up paying just over or under $200 if you go that route.

As for the carto co/op's (I'm not sure if there are any, not a carto user...), but you can buy in bulk from places like Healthcabin Electronic Cigarettes - Wholesale and Retail or other Chinese websites to save money while you wait to be verified. The verification process is in place to protect the members, not to piss you off or make you jump through hoops.

 

[skoot]

I'm going to take a guess here that the New Member section is moderated heavily and screened for spam, trolls, etc. The mods can easily control all of this if it's in one section, and making new members prove they are real people is the only way to avoid 1) having the rest of the site filled with spammers, or 2) requiring members to pay for site access to support the mod staff that would be required.

Unless you've run a forum or website, you have no idea how much spam you can get.

Regarding the money- again, a guess, but the paltry .001 cents the site gets when someone clicks or views a banner ad is probably not even enough to cover server costs.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I'm going to take a guess here that the New Member section is moderated heavily and screened for spam, trolls, etc. The mods can easily control all of this if it's in one section, and making new members prove they are real people is the only way to avoid 1) having the rest of the site filled with spammers, or 2) requiring members to pay for site access to support the mod staff that would be required.

Unless you've run a forum or website, you have no idea how much spam you can get.

Regarding the money- again, a guess, but the paltry .001 cents the site gets when someone clicks or views a banner ad is probably not even enough to cover server costs.

That about sums it up. You couldn't pay me to be a mod here, and I have a huge amount of respect for those who tirelessly keep this place running smoothly.

 

[TheAngryBovine]

Having read the entire thread, I don't have much to add other than A. Why are people complaining about verification? If you can't get 20 posts logged and spend an hour's work total going through the process plus a few days wait time, maybe you should relax and have yourself a vape. It's not the end of the world. B. I appreciate everything I've gotten out of ECF and am waiting for my tax return to become a supporting member. (Toddler and wife take ALL the disposable cash.)

 

[cags]

..............................
So does it irritate me to see post like this, yeah, somewhat. Wouldn't it bother you if you were doing something free for someone and they came demanding that you do it quicker? Sure I promised to "try" to have it done within 5 days but things change. My livelihood and my family come first, then what free time I have left I do the things I want to do, like Admin on the forum. So if it isn't quick enough for you, paying my salary so I can quit my job would be very much appreciated. PM me and we can discuss the payment schedule

maybe on the page the verification process is described ECF should change the 3-5 days to "we will get you verified as soon as we can". if it was my forum I would add "and if you bug me you will not get verified"

What's "entitled" about wanting to give another member money to buy things they want to sell? Or participate in carto co-ops to help fill minimum orders? You might want to check out Dictionary.com there buddy.

you seem to want to be able to do that without rules. that seems "entitled" to me. ECF did the verification process because they want to try to protect us from the people who were coming in here and NOT paying, or NOT sending the item to the buyer, even though they (ECF) are not responsible. of course, it doesn't guarantee people won't get ripped off, but things are much better since they started verifying.

you know there are other forums and several facebook pages that have classifieds on them. just saying..........

 

[Mariss716]

20 posts is a barrier? I have been on forums since the days of dial-up, and ECF has a true community feel to it. You can actually say hi to your "neighbors," and you can ask questions without getting shot down. The mods have worked hard at building up trust among members, and keeping down the spammers and scammers that reign in the Wild West of the internet. As a comparison, I was directed to this site from Slick Deals, which is notoriously vicious to anyone who violates their norms. N00bs are openly flogged for their transgressions. Here on ECF people give you a hand up. They share information willingly; yes there are barriers to entry but there are no "secrets." We are all here because we are passionate about vaping. And if e-cigs are going to grow in popularity and acceptance (especially at a time when government and corporate interests are trying to push back against the progress), then we must all pay it forward.

If you're new, tell your story. We have all followed different life paths that have crossed here. Search for answers but do ask your questions; they are most certainly on the minds of others, too. Write a review of the juices you've been vaping. My point is that you say does have value here. You will find that in doing your research and gaining vaping "experience" you will have a lot to contribute in no time. Vaping may just become a hobby in a way that cigarettes were a habit! After six months I have come leaps and bounds. I have so much more to learn, but this isn't a contest; it is an opportunity to model others and to improve my vaping experience. And I want to thank the mods for the time they put in here. In the grand scheme of things, getting verified was a minor impedance. Were it not for ECF, I would have given up on my crappy little cigarette-sized e-cig and gone back to smoking now, most certainly. You opened the door for me and I walked through into a whole new world. You have my gratitude, my dedication, and yes you will have my support.

 

[BarrelRoll]

Having read the entire thread, I don't have much to add other than A. Why are people complaining about verification? If you can't get 20 posts logged and spend an hour's work total going through the process plus a few days wait time, maybe you should relax and have yourself a vape. It's not the end of the world. B. I appreciate everything I've gotten out of ECF and am waiting for my tax return to become a supporting member. (Toddler and wife take ALL the disposable cash.)

I was up to 30 posts at one point, and got an infraction because "my posts were not quality enough to be considered posts", and they deleted them all busting me back down to 10. That's really the only reason I brought it up.

Just an update for me, though, I went through the whole NetID verification process, and got a PM from j0ker saying to re-read the link in his sig because I missed one of the 37 steps to register with NetID. Not specifically what I did wrong, no direction in to what I needed to fix, just "Buzz, you got it wrong, try again".

Long story short, if you don't have a Pay-Pal or an email that matches said PayPal, this is a ridiculous process. Especially since there was almost nothing in the NetID process that I couldn't have spoofed in the first place had I been so inclined.

 

[BarrelRoll]

you seem to want to be able to do that without rules. that seems "entitled" to me. ECF did the verification process because they want to try to protect us from the people who were coming in here and NOT paying, or NOT sending the item to the buyer, even though they (ECF) are not responsible. of course, it doesn't guarantee people won't get ripped off, but things are much better since they started verifying.

you know there are other forums and several facebook pages that have classifieds on them. just saying..........

It's funny how I can go to Dallasguns.com and buy something FAR more restrictive and in need of protection for online sales, and close a deal within 20 minutes of making an account. It's weird, I know. Just a group of people with things to sell and people who want to buy them, easy.

It sounds like you guys had some problems with co-ops and put the whole thing on Lock-down.

Either way, doesn't matter, took PLANofMAN's advise and accomplished my goals, so I could really care less at this point whether or not j0ker determines my pile of attempted verifications is accepted or not.

Thanks for the info, sorry for the drama, good luck with all of your future vaping.

 

[corruption42]

It's funny how I can go to Dallasguns.com and buy something FAR more restrictive and in need of protection for online sales, and close a deal within 20 minutes of making an account. It's weird, I know. Just a group of people with things to sell and people who want to buy them, easy.

It sounds like you guys had some problems with co-ops and put the whole thing on Lock-down.

Either way, doesn't matter, took PLANofMAN's advise and accomplished my goals, so I could really care less at this point whether or not j0ker determines my pile of attempted verifications is accepted or not.

Thanks for the info, sorry for the drama, good luck with all of your future vaping.

You still seem to be missing the central point: the gun site you mentioned is a site exclusively dedicated to buying and selling items -- thats their goal. You said it yourself.

This is NOT a sales forum; if it was, you would be able to go and buy with no verification at your hearts content. There's a fairly well known site at the 'core' of the 'vape' scene that handles this -- but its not ECF. ECF is a discussion and informational site; that just happens to offer an area for sales and trades by its users. As such, you're expected to follow a few basic rules if you want to take part in the sales. your aversions to PayPal aside, they offer at least 4 different ways to verify your ID. It really boils down to, "stop complaining about it and do something, or move on" -- its nothing against you, or anyone else that feels the entitlement that they shouldn't have to deal with what everyone else does to get the same access.

If you can't figure out the alternate site from my hint above, PM me.

 

[PLANofMAN]

I was up to 30 posts at one point, and got an infraction because "my posts were not quality enough to be considered posts", and they deleted them all busting me back down to 10. That's really the only reason I brought it up.

Just an update for me, though, I went through the whole NetID verification process, and got a PM from j0ker saying to re-read the link in his sig because I missed one of the 37 steps to register with NetID. Not specifically what I did wrong, no direction in to what I needed to fix, just "Buzz, you got it wrong, try again".

Long story short, if you don't have a Pay-Pal or an email that matches said PayPal, this is a ridiculous process. Especially since there was almost nothing in the NetID process that I couldn't have spoofed in the first place had I been so inclined.

Glad I was able to help you out. As for J0ker's response, dude, the guy already explained that he has to respond to 100's of PM's a day...and process several hundred verifications a week. What do you want him to do, hold your hand? Mocking the verification process isn't going to win you any brownie points here, nor will implying that you could "spoof" the process if you wanted to.

 

[denali_41]

to the OP.if you weren't really interested in co-ops or the classys,W T H did you bother to do it then ??? just to b_t_h about it ??

 

[scabbytattoo]

Ok, so maybe REI would have been a better example. REI is a co-op, and members aren't expected to sweep floors or run a cashier station before they can buy crap from them.

Whatever the case, this conversation's getting me to my 20, so good conversation. I guess just by saying that I could have all of my responses deleted like last time, but like I said, it's just annoying more than anything -- especially since I know a guy on these forums who's known me from another forum for well over 5 years who participates in them all the time who could totally vouch for me, hence me joining the site. Hell, I bought a $1500 shotgun from a guy on that site totally through FFL shipment and paypal.

Well if that's the case if he has another good friend on this forum and they are both verified they can vouch for you and BAM your in the Co ops if you wanna be.

 

[Uncle Willie]

ECF is a commericial endeavor .. based in the UK, I believe .. and there is nothing wrong with that .. what money that is made supports a very worthy site that could even be considered by some a life saver ..

If they have a post count / verification process, the owners have good reason .. and we can abide by that or move along ..

I've been messing with this whole Internet thing since Al Gore invented it .. .. EFC does not bombard every page with ads, it does a good job keeping things "clean" .. which, if any have ever visited other Forums is a miracle within itself ..

I don't always agree with things in all aspects of life .. but I do abide by House Rules .. when in someone elses house ..

Kudos to all the Mods ..

No Shirt / No Shoes / No Service

 

[budynbuick]

Having read the entire thread, I don't have much to add other than A. Why are people complaining about verification? If you can't get 20 posts logged and spend an hour's work total going through the process plus a few days wait time, maybe you should relax and have yourself a vape. It's not the end of the world. B. I appreciate everything I've gotten out of ECF and am waiting for my tax return to become a supporting member. (Toddler and wife take ALL the disposable cash.)

Yes, I too will shortly become a contributing member. Worth every penny.

 

[budynbuick]

I can't help you with the carto co/ops, but I can say that you can buy a Blemished ProVari, (blemished, meaning it is missing a speck of paint, or the logo's lettering is too dark or light) and an extension cap from ProVape for well under $200. The batteries and charger can be bought from Welcome to RTD Vapor for cheaper than ProVape would sell them to you. (identical products, not substitutes). You will end up paying just over or under $200 if you go that route.

As for the carto co/op's (I'm not sure if there are any, not a carto user...), but you can buy in bulk from places like Healthcabin Electronic Cigarettes - Wholesale and Retail or other Chinese websites to save money while you wait to be verified. The verification process is in place to protect the members, not to piss you off or make you jump through hoops.

Also their not needing to know if one is a great guy, but if he's human.

 

[corruption42]

ECF is a commericial endeavor .. based in the UK, I believe .. and there is nothing wrong with that .. what money that is made supports a very worthy site that could even be considered by some a life saver ..

If they have a post count / verification process, the owners have good reason .. and we can abide by that or move along ..

I've been messing with this whole Internet thing since Al Gore invented it .. .. EFC does not bombard every page with ads, it does a good job keeping things "clean" .. which, if any have ever visited other Forums is a miracle within itself ..

I don't always agree with things in all aspects of life .. but I do abide by House Rules .. when in someone elses house ..

Kudos to all the Mods ..

No Shirt / No Shoes / No Service

Agreed, however I'm not sure 'commercial endeavor' is the right term. Its a not-for-profit, free site -- any money that comes in is used to pay for server hosting time. If you've never messed with running a full server on the web (and this site is big enough it likely requires more than a single server) -- they aren't cheap. Not if you want the kind of dedicated power this site will most definitely require. Its what I do for a living, and if it weren't costly I might not make what I do

Edit to add: ...and 'not-for-profit free site' is not to be confused with a non-profit organization -- which ECF is not.

 

[Uncle Willie]

Agreed, however I'm not sure 'commercial endeavor' is the right term. Its a not-for-profit, free site -- any money that comes in is used to pay for server hosting time. If you've never messed with running a full server on the web (and this site is big enough it likely requires more than a single server) -- they aren't cheap. Not if you want the kind of dedicated power this site will most definitely require. Its what I do for a living, and if it weren't costly I might not make what I do

Edit to add: ...and 'not-for-profit free site' is not to be confused with a non-profit organization -- which ECF is not.

I spent 10 years in the biz ..

While yes, it may be not-for-profit .. ( I personally don't know, can't say although I would suspect things are not as altruistic as one might think) .. Commercial would be defined, IMO, as any site that accepts ad revenue and is not setup as a non-profit organization .. and if ECF decides to fully monetize itself at some point, I have no problem with that .. in fact, one of the major sites I have modded in is very much monetized yet offers those with paid membership ad free browsing ..