Why Vaping Might Fail... (Manufacturers, Distributors please note)

[ElProximo]

So you kept going back to the same store where you knew the owner had no knowledge of the products he was selling and had no interest in helping you make sure you made the right purchase?

That is the only in-store retailer in the city as far as anyone knows. I don't go back there and nobody else does anymore. They can't be bothered having a 'small car' with a 'mechanic' and a 'parts department' for an $80 PV.

I don't sell e-Cigs but if I was him and I had a corner store like that I suppose I would not bother losing money on a specialty hobby requiring research and knowledge bases.
I'd sell 40 bags of potato chips and become knowledgeable of bongs which sell once and rarely require customer follow-up, phone calls to distributors with model numbers etc.
Wouldn't you do the same?

 

[ErebusAurelius]

The gas station cigarette is interchangeable with the 510?

Wow, Thanks! it is actually. Got 20 adapters and never tried it since I equated that junk with the auto-battery. You just helped someone and did your good deed for the day. I now have a "new to me" slightly used atty with less than 50 puffs on her.

Just tested it on my ego. The ego has 510 threads in the small hole. As far as a screwdriver, not interested. From all I have heard my Ali'i is going to do me just fine if I can keep sane during the wait for it to arrive

 

[ElProximo]

Wow, Thanks! it is actually. Got 20 adapters and never tried it since I equated that junk with the auto-battery. You just helped someone and did your good deed for the day. I now have a "new to me" slightly used atty with less than 50 puffs on her.

Just tested it on my ego. The ego has 510 threads in the small hole. As far as a screwdriver, not interested. From all I have heard my Ali'i is going to do me just fine if I can keep sane during the wait for it to arrive

once you get 4 different 'generations' (for you) it will be good if you can keep as many interchangeable as possible. I keep it this way now (as much as possible).

Most people won't do that but those of us who make a point of researching, studying and carefully ordering can keep it mostly working together. At least be able to use some parts of some other kit/supply.

 

[FantWriter]

Once upon a time, having a personal computer meant being able to use a soldering iron and read binary output by mini-bulbs. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of operating systems because everybody had their own idea of what needed to go into one and what they had to do, and they were almost always CPU specific.

Apple made some inroads into an almost non-existent market, and even they were not adventurous to use something other than a black and white television as a monitor.

It was IBM's clout that made having a personal computer not only viable for many, it also removed the social stigma.

It is almost a certainty that PVs will have to go through the same stages, and it won't be until Philip Morris comes out with a PV that's as easy to use as a cigarette will vaping become as widespread as smoking.

 

[leannebug]

(the offer still stands.) Believe me; if you send me what you have, including what works and what doesn't, I WILL return to you a full complete working set that works for you.

I have been doing this a while (only a year) but I like to try everything. I have parts that fit the: 306, 510, 901, 801, 401, blu, ego, vgo, etc. And if it doesn't fit, I have adapters. The ecf group that I belong to- that's what we do. We help each other, so I buy in bulk, and I trade and swap and give often. I can help (and if I can't, I know where and how to find what you need)

But if you don't want something that works, I can't force you. Personally, I wouldn't have gone back to someone that sold me discontinued parts, or that knew less about the product than I did. I go to local stores to either purchase something *I* know I want, or something that I need assistance purchasing. If the store owner/clerk can't help me, I do not return. That would be my mistake.

Now, on your topic; yes it is convuluted. Yes, in order to know what you are doing, you do need to learn.. but as many people have pointed out.. that is not all that unusual. Even when I go shopping for a pair of jeans.. I still need to know the terminology and the various brands! I can't even order a pizza without being asked if I want stuffed crust, thin and crispy, pan, or papa mia. Then they ask if I want flavor on my crust.. well what kind? Cajun, garlic, hot n spicy, herbal, butter cheese or extra special..? What ever happened to plain??
No matter WHAT you buy, no matter where you go.. there are going to be choices. Some of my favorite items get phased out, because there weren't enough people that liked the 'type' I do. Go into any store, and Jergens lotion will have 6 different choices. (at least) and that's just one brand. How about milk? Skim, 1%, 2%, whole, chocolate, etc etc etc. My kid likes Silk Milk, Very Vanilla (not the regular vanilla, mind you) and that is the ONLY kind she likes.

There is no way that the manufactuers will put out only one standardized version. Not going to happen. So it boils down to "what can you do now?" You HAVE to be willing to put out a little effort or you are going to fail or pay more. You have that choice as well.

 

[chrism]

I'm new I didn't read all the posts in this thread (to time consumeing) Any way I find the cartomizers after a few puffs get a burning taste of the cotton stuff they use. But For a cheap intro into e-cig/vapping not costing $100 for a kit try my diy usbVdapter on a cartomizer. I have in the works a new mod that will be simpler than the dripping method or the needle injection methods.
Regards,
chris.m

 

[BoomerFT]

My wife had been wanting to try e-cigs ever since seeing a display at a local mall. Finally got up the nerve; at the suggestion of a local cigar / tobacco store owner, she tried Premium Electronic Cigarettes (premiumecigarette.com). She loves vaping but has had a problem with bad batteries, cartomizers and accessories. Both the cigar store owner and premiumecigarette.com insist she is the only one having these problems! She tried ordering from another site - DFWvapor but didn't like the three-part hardware. She has her box of juices she didn't like plus bags of old cartridges to "recycle" (refill) when she finds a juice. She has had entire boxes of mislabeled carts and carts that simply didn't work. Just last night she opened a new box of vanilla carts from Premium Electronic Cigarettes... these started sizzling as soon as screwed on the battery and toasted two batteries. Many of the batteries ordered simply did not work - couldn't draw vapor at all.

Bottom line... can anyone suggest a more reliable brand?? She has spent a ton of money and P.E.C. says its too bad a cart doesn't work they can't or won't do anything after a pack is opened. My wife's the only customer having these problems??? I don't think so. Please help me find a solution. I keep finding references to a KR8 online.

 

[ardelleg]

BoomerFT Check out KR808 at litecigusa or vapor4life.... good luck to your wife.....

 

[chrism]

Again I'm new and no "expert" by any means. with that said I would again suggest the diy usbvdapter for solving your short battery life problem. (of course thats for home vapping). Also I would recommend just getting juice for drip refilling lastly I would recommend menthol mixed with strawberry if your a menthol smoker and usamix/malboro mixed with chocolate for the regular smokers.
Note on usbvdapter unplug usb when not vapping so you don't accidently complete the circute (touch the wire to the side)

 

[HedonismBot]

BoomerFT - I started just a week or so back by giving in and picking up an Njoy pack at the local 7-11. I had already found ECF and another site with reviews, and knew that the $20 I dropped in 7-11 wasn't going to last forever. I used it in conjunction with analogs for a few days, until I decided, "yeah, I can do this, but I need more flexibility". Then I came here and looked for a more long-term solution.

I chose the ego-T because I liked the tank concept and the massive battery (bought from Cignot with the 1000mah batt). The premiumecigs and the Njoys are a good introduction but (IMO) are designed for low manufacturing cost so they can be successful at retail. Read the reviews on the forum and pick a system that appeals to you and seems reliable and well supported. Once you're sure that vaping isn't just a novelty, make the investment, assuming your wife currently uses analogs the money spent on a good PV kit will be recouped very quickly.

 

[ElProximo]

(the offer still stands.) Believe me; if you send me what you have, including what works and what doesn't, I WILL return to you a full complete working set that works for you.
I have been doing this a while (only a year) but I like to try everything. I have parts that fit the: 306, 510, 901, 801, 401, blu, ego, vgo, etc. And if it doesn't fit, I have adapters.

I do appreciate your offer and I do appreciate the effort you are making for folks and its always good if we can re-use and recycle (and if anyone saves a few $ that is good too!).

Here is my thing - I could find 2 mini batteries online and render my atomizer, charger and mini cartridges useful. The atomizer is almost certainly going to die in a month. When it does the rest of the parts are rendered 'useless' again.
Now.. if it was only this example I wouldn't worry much but when you get 4 or 5 Kits (I called it 'generations') of hardware into the Vaping experience you can get a nice little box of these.

Yes.. a 'swap meet' might be a great solution. It does sort of remind me of the early days of home computers heh!
But then here we get maybe back to the question of consumer patience. How many 'masses' are going to be interested enough to attend swaps, hobby with parcels and post offices?
You do.
I made this my 'hobby' too.
But I think most people already have hobbies, projects, expertise niches and for an $80 'steam device' they simply can't be bothered.

One thing you mentioned and I really want to highlight this: Adapters. For that matter some of the engineers and machinists in here might just consider a possible side business in Adapters? I'm not even sure if such a thing as an 'All-in-One' Battery-Atomizer Adapter is even possible but if someone invents one - they got themselves a sale or two!

Apple made some inroads into an almost non-existent market, and even they were not adventurous to use something other than a black and white television as a monitor.

It was IBM's clout that made having a personal computer not only viable for many, it also removed the social stigma.

It is almost a certainty that PVs will have to go through the same stages, and it won't be until Philip Morris comes out with a PV that's as easy to use as a cigarette will vaping become as widespread as smoking.

Yes heh.. I knew there was an Apple-PC sort of comparison somewhere in this. Yes, PVs right now do feel like that early stage.
I was even thinking of Apple being difficult and then never quite somehow breaking out in mass market,
but,
here comes PC and goes for 'standardization' and compatibility and BLAMMO - It did not take long before EVERYONE had a PC,
and,
the relative price of a home computer became astonishingly affordable, accessories and parts widely available and of course Gates a Kazillionaire.

I think of this:
You don't want a home computer because youre too stupid or lazy to do the research? How hard is it to order a boot floppy?
If you want to use your cd player then you should be willing to dial up and join newsgroups until you find the drivers. Its not rocket science!
I was able to find the correct 'math chip' by simply reviewing motherboard specs for 20 minutes one night!
Well that is all good and well but the facts are that all of us are plenty delighted we can buy a laptop for $500 now and can't remember the last time we ever needed to go to a swap meet to trade memory sticks or hunt down exact sound cards for only your model etc.

So I do wonder when we might get 'Dell' personal vaporizers. I think that might come one of these days.

 

[Secti0n31]

I'm gonna say it again because some times it takes a broken record to get the point across. Find a threading that you like and stick with it!!! For me its 510 510 510 510 and more 510! Started with a blu which is a glorified 306 but when i found out that they fit 510 parts, and the 510 fits 510 parts, and the ego and riva fit 510 parts, Volcano parts, and the box mods, provari, glv, and madvapes big 5v PT's fit 510 parts. I figured I was set, and I AM!!!
The same goes for 808 and 901. If you don't like the 510 and you're an 808 fan, then just get all 808 stuff and you've got no compatability issues!!!
The 510 batteries and parts will probably ALWAYS have something compatible! 20 years from now when someone needs to "bum a cartridge" there's a 50/50 chance it'll be a 510 cart/carto. If you see someone nowadays with an e-cig, there's a good chance its a 510/306. Even if its a blu or a volcano V, the l88b will fit a 510 with no issues.
If someone has a bunch of incompatable or mismatched parts, It's probably their own fault for not researching properly. If you bought something like a greencig, 601 pipe, or 701 cigar, and then they stop making them because of the popularity of the ego or riva that are both cigar sized, that's really your decision because the 808, 901 and 510's will be the connections that aren't likely to "go out of style"

 

[ErikaG]

Amen! To the above poster!

 

[Evie]

The second purchase is incompatible because it is a newer model. So is the third purchase after that. most of the 4th purchase is incompatible because it is a slightly newer but different model.
The only store owner here is pretty much given up on them. He can't become an instructor for something he barely makes any money time spent.
In fact, actually no he cannot be bothered and why would he bother? He takes 2 minutes 'researching potato snacks' and makes far more cash than selling e-cigs which have a lot of returns, questions, requests for small parts etc etc.

So, after knowing the man behind the counter knew nothing about them, you continued to purchase PVs at this store? Did it ever occur to you that the issue here is not the industry? Perhaps this store does not carry the replacement parts because they could easily sell a $90 kit to someone too lazy to go online and find a part for $15. The issue here isn't compatibility (as you have stated in other posts that there are, indeed, products that are compatible with the parts you have). Take responsibility and move on.

 

[swedishfish]

Wow, and I thought the diet board I used to post at was snarky. Pretty understandable there, they were food deprived.

 

[DhanaBay]

I don't know...I didn't have any problem starting out other than buying from the wrong company. But then I found out a friend of mine vaped and he started giving me information and I ended up buying the Joye eGo system which I love. And then I eventually started buying my own juice because he educated me on it. Then just recently I changed from using atomizers and carts to using cartomizers, which I really enjoy. I'm not a technical person. I like to get my throat hit, vapor and especially flavor and thats it. I don't have any desire to build my own MOD or contraption. I do like to experiment with different liquids and combine them to see what kind of flavors I can get. I might want to start my own company some day or maybe work for someone else in the industry. I'm really good at customer service...always have been. I went to my first vaping gathering on March 18th and I loved it. Now there were some people there who had some really complex MODS and gadgets and tool boxes as big as a garage...I couldn't believe it. I felt so inferior with my little Joye eGo, but yet felt at home. I had a good time. Anyhoo, what I'm trying to say is if a person has that much trouble starting out on this journey, then maybe its not for him or her...I don't know...Im just saying. In my opinion, its not all that technical. It just takes some getting use to and usually one will learn from mistakes...by trial and error...as I did.

 

[swedishfish]

I don't know...I didn't have any problem starting out other than buying from the wrong company. But then I found out a friend of mine vaped and he started giving me information and I ended up buying the Joye eGo system which I love. And then I eventually started buying my own juice because he educated me on it. Then just recently I changed from using atomizers and carts to using cartomizers, which I really enjoy. I'm not a technical person. I like to get my throat hit, vapor and especially flavor and thats it. I don't have any desire to build my own MOD or contraption. I do like to experiment with different liquids and combine them to see what kind of flavors I can get. I might want to start my own company some day or maybe work for someone else in the industry. I'm really good at customer service...always have been. I went to my first vaping gathering on March 18th and I loved it. Now there were some people there who had some really complex MODS and gadgets and tool boxes as big as a garage...I couldn't believe it. I felt so inferior with my little Joye eGo, but yet felt at home. I had a good time. Anyhoo, what I'm trying to say is if a person has that much trouble starting out on this journey, then maybe its not for him or her...I don't know...Im just saying. In my opinion, its not all that technical. It just takes some getting use to and usually one will learn from mistakes...by trial and error...as I did.

A vape gathering sounds like fun! I'd look a little funny too going in with my single ego too.

 

[ElProximo]

So, after knowing the man behind the counter knew nothing about them, you continued to purchase PVs at this store?

No, I did not.

Did it ever occur to you that the issue here is not the industry? Perhaps this store does not carry the replacement parts because they could easily sell a $90 kit to someone too lazy to go online and find a part for $15. The issue here isn't compatibility (as you have stated in other posts that there are, indeed, products that are compatible with the parts you have). Take responsibility and move on.

I take responsibility and moved on. Most will be 'too lazy' to go online and try and find compatible $15 dollar parts after doing the research.
They will just give up on e-cigarettes. This might be bad for you.

 

[leannebug]

I do appreciate your offer and I do appreciate the effort you are making for folks and its always good if we can re-use and recycle (and if anyone saves a few $ that is good too!).

Here is my thing - I could find 2 mini batteries online and render my atomizer, charger and mini cartridges useful. The atomizer is almost certainly going to die in a month. When it does the rest of the parts are rendered 'useless' again.
Now.. if it was only this example I wouldn't worry much but when you get 4 or 5 Kits (I called it 'generations') of hardware into the Vaping experience you can get a nice little box of these.

Yes.. a 'swap meet' might be a great solution. It does sort of remind me of the early days of home computers heh!
But then here we get maybe back to the question of consumer patience. How many 'masses' are going to be interested enough to attend swaps, hobby with parcels and post offices?
You do.
I made this my 'hobby' too.
But I think most people already have hobbies, projects, expertise niches and for an $80 'steam device' they simply can't be bothered.

You are correct. This IS a bit like a hobby. I will give you that . But it's certainly one that I enjoy, I think a lot of us do. That's why we hang around here and participate.

I do however, see the whole 'broken battery- useless atty' senario a little differently. To me; these units aren't "kits"... They are individual pieces, that come together to make a whole. I buy batteries from Company A and stock up on attys from Company B. If Company C has a big sale, I may pick up a few of everything. I believe in buying to save and in being prepared. If I need another 901 atty.. I go over to my tool cabinet, open the drawer marked "901 attys" and pull out a fresh one. There is nothing that doesn't get used, recycled, or passed along. I have no parts box. The only thing that even may come close to that, is my DeadnDying cup, and I know several people that will gladly take those to convert into mods.

In simpler form: you can't use a cigarette without a lighter, or vice versa.. But they aren't rendered useless just because you don't have one on hand. You do not need to buy a fresh lighter with every new pack of cigs.

Attys will always need replacing. Some last for months, some only last a few days. Same goes for batteries, cartos, you-name-it! We just need to plan a little further ahead, because not everything is available at the corner store.




Sent from my pod

 

[FantWriter]

I'm gonna say it again because some times it takes a broken record to get the point across. Find a threading that you like and stick with it!!! For me its 510 510 510 510 and more 510!

Amen! I'm 808 instead of 510, but I agree 100% with what he says!

A current problem, noob-consumer-wise, is that many companies don't want you to know that their house-branded super-end-all-and-be-all e-cig is really a 901 with an OEM paint job.