Why buy from China?

[Vapin'Bolt]

There is a lot of stigma around buying products from China and most recently I have been asked by many vaping friends. How I get my products so cheap...simple buy direct. They didn’t quite understand as they thought the products were either fake or 2nd due to the price.

So I’ve been recommending CIGABUY company I’ve used for over a year. I really cannot falter their fast shipping to the UK ranges from 4-7days depending on local delivery etc. Some say but I need coils now! Plan ahead its much cheaper and in the long run it will save you money.

I ordered two sets of coils for £19 and when I went to a local shop they basically wanted £30, but had a back log from thier supplier, 2weeks wait! Im not trying to put custom off the local shops at all just sometimes if you cannot get hold of coils it maybe easier. And most I’ve been too have recommended wholesalers. It wont put them out of business over a couple of sets of coils as I know only 20% of people choose this option. But for the likes of people who cant afford the higher expense its a good option


Hope this helps

See link CigaBuy

And have a good look round for more options happy vaping

 

[Punk In Drublic]

How is buying from CigaBuy, a Chinese e-commerce site, buying direct? Wouldn’t the stigma surrounding buying Chinese products from a Chinese retailer still apply?

 

[bombastinator]

There is very little in the way of manufactured goods that does not come from China these days. It just a question of whether it goes through a reseller first.

I suspect the issue has more to do with eBay and Amazon and there has been concept creep.

Chinadirect has some issues when you buy something there that turns out it’s coming from China.
-It takes a long time. 10 times as long or more is not unusual.
-It uses a trick of mail law that means it’s basically government subsidized shipping.
-it evades several requirements regarding safety regulations so things that couldn’t normally be purchased in the US become purchasable. Things that are poisonous or untruthful about abilities or contents. A real caveat emptor thing.
-Shanzhai and counterfeit goods are easy to sell on places like eBay. The result is there’s a non zero chance that the product may be a complete scam.

the trick I think is the ability to provide assurances that the products being bought are real.

 

[barkfunklerbunk]

I have no problem buying and waiting patiently for some orders, and don't care about stigma. It comes on the slowboat from China, and I see nothing at all wrong with that. I buy authentic, if I can, but hard to find or discontinued items.. "fast"tech it is, when it comes to ordering "filters"

 

[Zaryk]

Most of this stuff comes from China. It doesn't matter if we buy it from there, or our local shop, or the supplier of our local shop. It just makes more sense, financially, to go to the source.

 

[Opinionated]

Most of this stuff comes from China. It doesn't matter if we buy it from there, or our local shop, or the supplier of our local shop. It just makes more sense, financially, to go to the source.

I think when people discuss not buying Chinese it's not because of the local vape shop per se, but rather to support local manufacturing over the purchase of Chinese manufactured goods.

JAC vapour is closer to a local manufacturer for U.K. residents (I'm not sure who manufactures what in G.B. overall) and they have lovely mods..

For U.S. residents its about supporting manufacturers in the U.S. first before throwing money at China.. (Think VAMP, Armageddon MFG, Immortal Mods)

supporting local manufacturing and business is important if one can afford. Local manufacturers will always need small parts and pieces made in China, but in largest part manufacturers make the product in whatever country they are based out of.. and it supports local jobs when you buy from them.

 

[Horselady154]

I think when people discuss not buying Chinese it's not because of the local vape shop per se, but rather to support local manufacturing over the purchase of Chinese manufactured goods.

JAC vapour is closer to a local manufacturer for U.K. residents (I'm not sure who manufactures what in G.B. overall) and they have lovely mods..

For U.S. residents its about supporting manufacturers in the U.S. first before throwing money at China.. (Think VAMP, Armageddon MFG, Immortal Mods)

supporting local manufacturing and business is important if one can afford. Local manufacturers will always need small parts and pieces made in China, but in largest part manufacturers make the product in whatever country they are based out of.. and it supports local jobs when you buy from them.

China makes Jac Vapours too.

 

[puffon]

Armageddon also had their products made in China, but they were advertised as made in US.

 

[Zaryk]

I think when people discuss not buying Chinese it's not because of the local vape shop per se, but rather to support local manufacturing over the purchase of Chinese manufactured goods.

JAC vapour is closer to a local manufacturer for U.K. residents (I'm not sure who manufactures what in G.B. overall) and they have lovely mods..

For U.S. residents its about supporting manufacturers in the U.S. first before throwing money at China.. (Think VAMP, Armageddon MFG, Immortal Mods)

supporting local manufacturing and business is important if one can afford. Local manufacturers will always need small parts and pieces made in China, but in largest part manufacturers make the product in whatever country they are based out of.. and it supports local jobs when you buy from them.

I do buy from quite a few non Chinese companies (even though a lot of companies have their products actually manufactured in China). I have products from companies like Purge, Armageddon, US Modz, Desire Designs, Signature Tips, Vicious Ant, Moddog, PZLD, Anchor Mods, the list goes on. But I was just saying that, on a financial standpoint, it is cheaper to purchase Chinese made products from China. Supporting your local shops is a good idea, but to some like me that isn't a sustainable process. The shops near me carry very little that I am interested in, and the stuff they do carry that I would buy is marked up 100-150%. For example, right now they are asking $129 for an original topside, $40 for a Nudge 22, and a Profile is $50. I don't mind paying a few bucks more to support local businesses, but not double.

 

[bombastinator]

I think when people discuss not buying Chinese it's not because of the local vape shop per se, but rather to support local manufacturing over the purchase of Chinese manufactured goods.

JAC vapour is closer to a local manufacturer for U.K. residents (I'm not sure who manufactures what in G.B. overall) and they have lovely mods..

For U.S. residents its about supporting manufacturers in the U.S. first before throwing money at China.. (Think VAMP, Armageddon MFG, Immortal Mods)

supporting local manufacturing and business is important if one can afford. Local manufacturers will always need small parts and pieces made in China, but in largest part manufacturers make the product in whatever country they are based out of.. and it supports local jobs when you buy from them.

I was under the impression that there were no US made products any more. There are real advantages outside of local support. The manufacturing structures are much tougher for one thing so poor manufacturing quality is drastically reduced.
I would actually be very interested in seeing a list of US manufacturers. It has nothing to do with patriotism, though that is significant. It is because the quality floor is higher.

It’s not that China is not capable of good manufacturing quality, it’s that it’s really really hard to ensure good manufacturing quality. It’s not that the general level is bad, it’s that the production quality floor is so very low. Shanzhai manufacturers do tremendous amounts of damage to the reputation of Chinese products. This is even ignoring systems like wish.com, which is full of outright scams. China has systems, but those systems are not always supported or enforced.

 

[Opinionated]

China makes Jac Vapours too.

good to know, I thought they were actually manufactured in the U.K.

 

[Opinionated]

Armageddon also had their products made in China, but they were advertised as made in US.

I think to advertise that something is made in the U.S. a certain percentage of the work has to be done inside the U.S. by law..

So it's still U.S. jobs...

 

[Opinionated]

I do buy from quite a few non Chinese companies (even though a lot of companies have their products actually manufactured in China). I have products from companies like Purge, Armageddon, US Modz, Desire Designs, Signature Tips, Vicious Ant, Moddog, PZLD, Anchor Mods, the list goes on. But I was just saying that, on a financial standpoint, it is cheaper to purchase Chinese made products from China. Supporting your local shops is a good idea, but to some like me that isn't a sustainable process. The shops near me carry very little that I am interested in, and the stuff they do carry that I would buy is marked up 100-150%. For example, right now they are asking $129 for an original topside, $40 for a Nudge 22, and a Profile is $50. I don't mind paying a few bucks more to support local businesses, but not double.

I agree with that. Most of us don't have any issue dealing with slower shipping and dealing with Fasttech (for instance) on items..

And I don't think there's any particular worry about that.

I've always seen the issue as one that every vaper should support their own countries manufacturing to whatever extent possible..

How many of us haven't owned a Provari or two? for instance (I think we all had at least one...) It's just that kind of support for local jobs that is what people are usually concerned about.

In some respects I regret that deeming caused me to concern myself more with having a volume of decent products on hand, rather than being able to spend the few extra dollars and get more American-made products (which are by nature more expensive) or products made in the E.U. (some of which are to die for)

Sure I think it's great to support your local vape shops, but many of us did that support via ejuice purchases - it's why theres concern in the U.S. about flavors going to the way side because that's what's keeping most of these small mom and pops open.

I doubt they make much off of mod sales even at double the price simply because most people don't collect mods, but rather the not stocking up crowd just buys one periodically as they have need.

 

[Cooperant]

Shanzhai manufacturers do tremendous amounts of damage to the reputation of Chinese products.

Shanzhai simply demonstrates a fundamentally different way of viewing human creative endeavour as a collaborative effort in which reinterpretation is key.

This clashes with our idea of intellectual property, where designing or branding something closely similar to a successful product is considered theft.

In medieval times, this wouldn't have shocked anyone in Western culture. Great works of art were often made anonymously and as copies of earlier works.

Personally I am very happy I can buy improved copies of my favourite products at half the price from China.

I also fear that the Western trademarking system is facing a huge crisis. Protection of a mark or patent is supposed to drive innovation by ensuring that individuals are rewarded for 'their' products. But how valid is that still for large corporations that have long departed from their first product and the promises and guarantees from their first marketing campaigns? And for consumers? Does the Apple trademark for example carry the same meaning as it did ten years ago when picking out a cellphone?

And if you really think about it, does recombining existing technology and ideas into an innovative product or service with the help of skilled labourers and technicians really make anyone the proprietor - intellectual or otherwise - of that innovative product?

 

[mimöschen]

My agenda has always been "buy hardware at the source, liquid and flavor local".
It has saved me thousands of dollars over the years.

 

[Zaryk]

I doubt they make much off of mod sales even at double the price simply because most people don't collect mods, but rather the not stocking up crowd just buys one periodically as they have need.

You are right, most of a vape shops profit comes from the disposables like drop in coils and juices. When compared to vapers as a whole, the minority of us are like me that will buy new hardware multiple times a month.

I want to be one of those guys that supports local businesses, but it just can't happen in my situation.

 

[bombastinator]

Shanzhai simply demonstrates a fundamentally different way of viewing human creative endeavour as a collaborative effort in which reinterpretation is key.

This clashes with our idea of intellectual property, where designing or branding something closely similar to a successful product is considered theft.

In medieval times, this wouldn't have shocked anyone in Western culture. Great works of art were often made anonymously and as copies of earlier works.

Personally I am very happy I can buy improved copies of my favourite products at half the price from China.

I also fear that the Western trademarking system is facing a huge crisis. Protection of a mark or patent is supposed to drive innovation by ensuring that individuals are rewarded for 'their' products. But how valid is that still for large corporations that have long departed from their first product and the promises and guarantees from their first marketing campaigns? And for consumers? Does the Apple trademark for example carry the same meaning as it did ten years ago when picking out a cellphone?

And if you really think about it, does recombining existing technology and ideas into an innovative product or service with the help of skilled labourers and technicians really make anyone the proprietor - intellectual or otherwise - of that innovative product?

A rosy view. Sure, if/when it works that way. Sometimes it does. The problem in practice is that the “improved” product most commonly doesn’t actually function, has such miserable quality control that it has near zero service life, or is dangerous. Frequently a combination of the above.
This concept is not actually new. The whole thing already happened in the West a hundred years ago. Perhaps a better solution than the current system can be found this time. The problem is the same though.

If a developer cannot gain from the creation of an innovation then simply won’t do it. A system of reward has to be developed. If there is no reward there is no development. How big that reward needs to be, and how much development is caused by the reward system is vague though. There has been pressure to increase and redirect reward over a long period of time. It is possible these need to be adjusted.

 

[Horselady154]

good to know, I thought they were actually manufactured in the U.K.

They are designed by engineers in the U.K.

 

[Opinionated]

You are right, most of a vape shops profit comes from the disposables like drop in coils and juices. When compared to vapers as a whole, the minority of us are like me that will buy new hardware multiple times a month.

I want to be one of those guys that supports local businesses, but it just can't happen in my situation.

I don't think it can happen for the majority of average Americans..

This environment such as we face leaves us paying more attention to quantity of decent gear over that one mod which is nice that will last..

For me the regulatory environment has been a double edged sword. On the one hand it got me into rebuildables (albeit kicking and screaming because I would have been happy with factory drop-ins), but on the other it's taken me away from what would have been (eventually) a nice mod maybe two (if a good sale hit) a year of the Provari or Dicodes variety..

Armageddon right now has a regulated mod for 275.00 on sale that I LOVE but which I can't afford because I've spent all my extra money this year stocking up to make it through regulatory winter..

And that's what caused Provape to close instead of sell.. the environment was too volatile for investors to take a chance - heck It's too volatile for most consumers to chance that super nice 300 dollar mod over 6 or 8 potentially good mods from China so I don't blame them anyway..

But most people, even those without much money, can afford fewer, yet higher quality locally made vape gear, especially when they last multiple years..

I mean, we could all "afford" cigarettes after all.

 

[Pigs]

As an Australian vaper I used to buy hardware from Aus retailers but in the last 2 years the range has diminished and the prices have increased. I always bought a percentage of my hardware from China direct (mainly clones and devices not available locally) now it's close to 100 percent.
The Chinese prices - especially at the moment- may not be better than US retailers but the postage from the US to Aus makes it prohibitive fo buy from the States. The exceptions to that for me recently have been Billet Boxes and Reos -higher end American made products.
I buy my juice and DIY supplies from New Zealand.
B and M retailers here are few and overpriced and aren't allowed to sell any nicotine products.