Electronics Price Increases Effective 9/1/10

[LynGBH]

Oh, crap. I just bought a bunch of 501 kits to give to friends.
I'm crossing my fingers for a malfunction rate of less than 30%.

Other than that, if selling the electronic stuff is a constant annoyance, why bother?

Make juice, be happy! ​

Hugs,
Lyn

 

[Strigoi]

i just put in an order for juice plus some cheap parts a few minutes ago. i've been using the cheap battery and atomizers constantly with no issues for a couple of weeks now. i like having access to cheap hardware when ordering juice and am ok with some possibly being DOA.

it's nice being able to put together a cheap 510 for $10 too. i'm sure once my Chuck gets here i'll quit using these and only have them for a back up.

i will say that i love my $6 manual battery way, way more than the other auto ones i have. i hate having to use them.

i have no desire to go anywhere else for juice though. good prices, great customer service and fast shipping make me a happy camper.

 

[5cardstud]

Garbage in garbage out. I would stick with the juice you are famous for and if people want to buy the other stuff put it in an "as is" section and let the buyer take their chances if they want to.

 

[suddenly]

Garbage in garbage out. I would stick with the juice you are famous for and if people want to buy the other stuff put it in an "as is" section and let the buyer take their chances if they want to.

Thats a good suggestion 5card. I hope Geoff sees this.
Your a smart guy

 

[Sethari]

Thank you for giving it a try! I'm still pretty new to vaping and my budget doesn't have a lot of room for experimenting with various PV models. Thanks to you guys I was able to try a 510. I think what you tried to do, offering products at legitimately good prices, was admirable especially in a market where we see people selling similar knock-offs for outlandish markups. I'm sorry it didn't work out, but the attempt was just one more example of TV being a company worthy of patronage and respect.

 

[blackwalk]

Given your low pricing on hardware, I am assuming that it isn't much of a profit center. However, your low prices encourage bulk hardware only sales which I'm sure eat into valuable time/resources that are better spent mixing juices.

If so, then I would recommend switching to carrying a small and limited stock of high quality hardware at regular prices that your customers could add to their order as a convenience rather than because it's a super cheap deal.

 

[markimar]

Yeah you don't need a bunch of loud mouths ruining your superb Juice line over some cheap Chinese manufactured electronics, that you have no control over. Smart move to get out of it.

 

[CaptJay]

I agree with everyone else - if its a huge pain and is interferring with you doing what you LOVE to do then dump it. Life's too short lol

 

[portguy]

I think I've actually heard enough. Ignore the price hike. Once we're out of our electronics.....We're DONE.

Back to making the best damned liquids on the planet. We need to concentrate on beefing up our menu anyway.

We love you guys too, this is why we can't continue to represent our company's interest by offering this chinese crap that 30% of, just doesn't work. That's not representative of Tasty Vapor.

We're tired of answering for the malfunction of crap we didn't manufacture. We're happy as hell fixing problems concerning liquid because that's what we do, that's what we do best. Our problems would be cut by 2/3 if we just STOPPED dealing with the electronics.

So...no more. Once they're gone, Buh-Bye!

Clap! Clap! Clap!

 

[Ay Dee Jay]

I'm a little disappointed but I see where you're coming from. There's a Jim Collins book called "Good to Great" that profiles "great" companies vs. "good" companies and the simplest principle of attaining "greatness" is to stick to your core business, what you do best, and stay away from ancillary revenue streams that dilute your brand and your ability to focus on your core strengths.

I've never had a problem with a $4 atomizer, $6 510 battery, or the eGo kits though I've been refraining from using the USB quick charger after reading horror stories about them. I've never deliberately sought out Joyetech atomizers but I have some LR 510s from TotallyWicked and I seem to prefer your $4 atties overall.

It's a shame that customers can't simply accept "there is no warranty, that's why this stuff is cheap." But no matter what you say, right-up-front, their complaints can dilute your brand and overall perception of the company.

The prices were in a sense "too good" and I'm sure a lot of people bought from you with the intent to re-sell. I think your desire to provide a "one stop shop" was admirable and it helped me considerably; I was hemming and hawing about which vendor to buy from and your combination of cutthroat electronic prices and renowned US-made liquids sold me.

The one thing I didn't like was having no idea who manufactured these. I've heard of other manufactures like SLB and Bauway but had no idea where your parts came from. I didn't dig much and you were always up-front that they were "knockoffs" and we even had a phone conversation where you did a great job of disclaiming these while still making it clear that they're decent parts -- just not the greatest, and no warranty.

But, the parts have been working fine for me and I'm a little wistful to see the electronics go.

I think I've actually heard enough. Ignore the price hike. Once we're out of our electronics.....We're DONE.

Back to making the best damned liquids on the planet. We need to concentrate on beefing up our menu anyway.

We love you guys too, this is why we can't continue to represent our company's interest by offering this chinese crap that 30% of, just doesn't work. That's not representative of Tasty Vapor.

We're tired of answering for the malfunction of crap we didn't manufacture. We're happy as hell fixing problems concerning liquid because that's what we do, that's what we do best. Our problems would be cut by 2/3 if we just STOPPED dealing with the electronics.

So...no more. Once they're gone, Buh-Bye!

 

[Juantwizzle]

I understand why you are doing what you are doing but I must say. those ego batteries will be missed. If it wasn't for the logo and the led, I wouldn't be able to tell it apart from my joye bats. They are just as good, imo. I've managed to nab three and that will last me a while, so I'm good.

Keep making that wonderful juice! Can't wait to try the new Tin Mint Box! Sounds delish!

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

Yeah, but consider there are quite a few who will miss the batteries as much as there are a few who won't miss the batteries, there HAVE been problems.

You see, the business risk here is the fact that we're buying the electronics from a vendor in China. We make our LIQUIDS here in the US and stand by them 100%, but we have NO control over the electronics, as such:

1. The Chinese manufacturers get our money. While a good percentage of the equipment is malfunctioning.

2. The Chinese manufacturers handles ZERO % of the phone calls WE get regarding their malfunctioning materials. Tasty Vapor gets ALL of these phone calls.

3. While the manufacturer doesn't have a problem with replacing what we return to them, Tasty Vapor is left with the reputation for this faulty equipment. Our brand name is on the equipment.

4. While we offer no guarantee on this equipment and have expressed this, people are STILL calling expecting some sort of guarantee on this equipment. 70% of the people buying electronics really want to believe they are the exception to OUR RULES.

Basically, we have dealt with a truckload of headaches that the manufacturer is relieved of during this whole process and our company bears the reputation for their faulty equipment. This is UNACCEPTABLE! All of the employees here have dealth with a large amount of frustration that has been generated as the result of ELECTRONICS.

The product that we boast about proudly, is our liquids. We have what we believe to be THE BEST for the effort we put into this product, per order, made by hand and the price we ask for our product.

None of our product was farted out of the .... of a machine. EVERYTHING is hand made, right here in the U.S.

This is what we do. This is what we do best. This is what we will continue to do and we won't let the reputation of our company suffer because the freakin' Chinese care more about dumping cheap crap on our country to answer a market demand.

We don't mind suffering longer hours dumping HIGH QUALITY product on the US market trying to improve the quality of life of people, just like myself who use this product.

So yeah, this is why China can keep their cheap electronic crap. We'll keep doing what we do best! We do liquids. We tried the electronics and it more of a headache than it's worth.

 

[Upinthehills]

4. While we offer no guarantee on this equipment and have expressed this, people are STILL calling expecting some sort of guarantee on this equipment. 70% of the people buying electronics really want to believe they are the exception to OUR RULES.

This is from the thread where you introduced the kits:

Again, to offer our products at these prices, we DO NOT offer any warranty, however, if you encounter any problems with the electronics, CONTACT US!!!

I did have a battery that didn't work and contacted Ramilya via Live Chat. She offered to replace the battery. I wasn't trying to be an exception to your rules, I was doing what you'd said to do in the thread introducing the kits. I apologize if it seemed as though I were trying to get around something.

I told Ramilya not to send the battery then, that I would return the one that didn't work and you could send the replacement with my next order. You are currently mixing an order for me and it has a note about the battery on it. Please don't send a replacement. I really don't want to believe I am an exception to YOUR RULES.

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

Upinthehills, I was generalizing and not focusing on you. If I'm frustrated with you, I'll talk to you directly. I'm frustrated about electronics and that is the focus of my beef.

My beef is not with my customers.

 

[chainvapor]

Hey there Geoff! I understand your frustration with the current electronics you are selling. I was actually surprised that you were selling the knock-off products instead of the Joye products anyway. I truly believe you could have saved yourself (and your employees) a great deal of headaches if you had just gone with the Joye products in the first place. But that is the past. I still think you have the best juice on earth and if you stop selling electronics it will not stop me from visiting often to order more juice!!

CV

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

This is good, because whether we sold electronics or not, doesn't affect our juice on damned bit.

 

[Juantwizzle]

Your juice is the bees knees.

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

Rokken, thanks. And it's not just me. All of my crew here is TIRED of doling out apologies for items that honestly, the manufacturer should be doling out. Which kind of puts us in the "Disgruntled Customer Service Employee" chair. You know, the customer service job where they pay you to sit there and dole out apologies, discounts, compensations and excuses for the company's actions? The premise really is the same there.

I'm an honest guy and if there is one thing that disgusts me, it's an empty apology. It's worthless. It's dishonest, it's not felt, it's not meant. We're apologizing for something that's out of our control.

Our liquids on the other hand...WE make that stuff. The small staff here has direct involvement with all of these orders. When WE screw up, we all know there was a screw up and we make it right.

So, I know for a lot of people it's going to be an inconvenience as they likely got used to the idea of us being a One Stop shop, but if the other part of "the deal" compromises everything we're about...Hell, that makes us just like everybody else. And that just doesn't sit well with me. Not at all.

So we need to lay the Kmart electronics to rest and get back to the Ferrari end of things, if you know what I mean.

 

[Juantwizzle]

Just from lurking around the many vendor forums here, it looks like it would be a complete nightmare to have to do the customer service end of all these electronics. Not only do even the best of the products have the chance to fail but you have a lot of people out there that simply don't understand how to use them. I can't count the number of posts I've seen where someone thinks they have a dead atomizer when they have simply burnt it dry without juice or flooded it. Simple little things like that. I've also seen people abuse return policies with companies that try to have rock solid customer service.I would in no way want to deal with any of that. It seems like there are too many variables.

It was nice while it lasted and I'm sure many of us have a nice little stockpile of TV batteries and attys like I do. I thank you for that. If my Ego dies out tomorrow, I have 3 TV Ego bats and a handful of your 510s to fall back on. I'm set for the year!

Here is hoping that the time you save troubleshooting will lead to new and exciting juice flavors. Just don't go too fast on the new flavors. I'm still trying to sample the best of all the old ones!

My new obsession-Tobacco/menthol. The menthol flavors I've tried everywhere else don't even begin to compare.

 

[Poeia]

When the nut job who got sent juice with no flavor was ranting that night, he also singled out one supplier who was "trying to push smaller guys out" of business by charging retail customers more than wholesalers charge. (Or marking it up too much or something.)

When the owner of that "big guy" two-person business responded, he listed all the hidden costs. A lot of them (shipping costs, credit card fees, ink, packaging, etc.) Tasty Vapor is already familiar with. These are the ones associated with carrying items made in China:
-Be prepared for items to get stuck in customs/destroyed.
-Be prepared to pay 2-17% tariff tax.
-Failure Rate, get used to it.
-Trying to get a DoA Item warrantied by the mfg. FORGETABOUTIT, just chalk it up to a loss
- Returned Items/Reshipping DoA Items, the shipping doesn't get magically applied again, it's a loss, as well as the ink, paper, labels.

And this is a supplier who is carrying electronics made by the big manufacturers (DSE, etc.) that have actually heard of quality control.

This has been a learning experience for all of us. We now know why $7-$9 is a very good price for atomizers. ;-)