For me, there is a nagging problem with the the exclusive focus on price in the first post.
I like a low price as well as anyone, but I don't just exchange money for product; I seek
value for what I spend.
In this
vaping world, to which I am a newcommer, value has a few obvious facets:
1) Product qualityFor the intended purpose, is the item going to give me the functions I want and need? Will it last? Will it perform without problems?
2) Vendor serviceWill my order be fulfilled properly? Will it arrive in a reasonable timeframe? Will I be treated with courtesy if there is a problem with order fulfillment or a defective product? Will the vendor strive to satisfy my requests if they are reasonable, and overcome any unreasonable expectations I may have with information and patience? Will items be properly packaged to avoid damage in transit?
3) PriceWill the cost to the customer be competitive with the same or equivalent items available elsewhere, on similar terms?
Buying a battery or clearomizer or a bottle of juice is not just about finding the cheapest price, at least for me. The value of the transaction, including ease of doing business with a seller, matters very much to me.
Speaking of cheap prices, I was intrigued to learn about fasttech on these forums. The prices sure looked good. I placed an order.
Three weeks later, it is still sitting in a Hong Kong postal facility. I have no idea if or when it will arrive. This is not the vendor's fault; the local postal service is the cause, but my overall experience doesn't exactly have me bursting with enthusiasm to place another order with that company.
This morning I decided to add to my collection of vaping hardware. I bought some Kanger Protank IIs recently, and am very happy with them (and with SmokTek, the seller who provided me with them at a good price, with fine service). I wanted a lighter weight, lower capacity version. I learned here that the "Mini" shares many of the same good product attributes.
Browsing for something else, I noticed that Sweet Vapes was offering them at what seemed like a good price. I compared that with a few other well-known vendors. Their price looked good by comparison. I checked the Fasttech price, just as a reference point. It was, to my surprise, 15% or 20%
higher! They are also out of stock on the item. Next I checked here and on a couple of other vaping forums for customer comments about the vendor's service. Everything seems good.
I placed an order.
Yes, price certainly matters to me, but not by itself. I can buy cheap clones that work badly from a seller that will give me heartburn. I can buy inexpensive clones that perform very nicely from a vendor I trust to treat me well. I can buy quality products at a fair cost from a good vendor. If cheap is all I'm after, I can have it readily, and suffer the consequences.
End of rant.
sent from my steam-powered armadillo
