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Scam Alert for Vape Shops, and On Line Retailers

eSMOKA

Silver Contributor
Member For 5 Years
For those that can't follow this guy's mumbling and silly screenshots, the website is

http://capoconsulting.biz

One of the top 5 rules in retail is NEVER try a new supplier just to save a few bucks. If your current suppliers are working for you and you are making your margins, don't ruin your relationship with your current suppliers by trying an under-cutter just because their website looks good.
Anyone with ambition can get an awesome looking company website up in a matter of a few hours these days. Means nothing.

If you want to try a new supplier, investigate them thoroughly and ask them for references to other customers before you even talk business with them.

Greed will destroy any business in a competitive market.

Is this company shady? Yes. But you, a potential customer, are obligated to do some research before you engage in business with anyone.

Caveat Emptor!
 
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eSMOKA

Silver Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Also, why would you make a "big, giant order" (and tie up/risk all that capital in inventory) with a company you never heard of before? I'm not defending this capo company, but one has to be smarter if one is to stay in business.

Capo is guilty of being dishonest, but this guy is guilty if stupidity.

But kudos to him for making a video and getting the word out. Hard to be a crook with that pesky internet around.
 

SMOKIE

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Also, why would you make a "big, giant order" (and tie up/risk all that capital in inventory) with a company you never heard of before? I'm not defending this capo company, but one has to be smarter if one is to stay in business.

Capo is guilty of being dishonest, but this guy is guilty if stupidity.

But kudos to him for making a video and getting the word out. Hard to be a crook with that pesky internet around.
The site seems legit, and remember they talked over the phone which a good salesman can sell you the Brooklyn bridge. He might of felt confident with the Co after there conversation.
 

eSMOKA

Silver Contributor
Member For 5 Years
True.

I guess I take for granted things I have learned in business in my lifetime and that not everyone is privy to these things.

Looking at the website, I can tell you it's not professional and only one page and there are some dead giveaways such as...

--The empty "Like Box" at the bottom (not a huge deal, but far from "professional").

--No phone # or physical location listed (a big deal...this trumps the phone call and is a dead giveaway. There is no way someone who is serious about being a legit business would forget to include that info. I submit that the reason the address is not there is because he is brokering everything and sells and using shady fulfillment houses and does not want you to google his address because it is a home office. This guy is hiding everything he can. The guy in the video should google the return address on his shipment. That could reveal a lot. This guy is a broker and could never get you the prices he claims, which is why he did not send the product ordered. He had the warehouse he works with send lower priced products. Otherwise, there would be no profit for him. What a con artist!).

--Whois info on the domain uses whois privacy so you cannot see their phone # or address. (a big deal). This is OK for websites that are not selling anything or collecting money form visitors, but a no-no for websites that are, especially if you are giving them thousands of dollars for inventory.

But they have some fancy schmancy roll-ins that make people think..."oooooooo, professional". Not the case, though. Very easy to implement with no coding knowledge these days using these drag-n-drop website builders most web hosts provide anymore. This is why, as a business owner looking for a new supplier, you have to be careful and not ditch you current suppliers until you're sure you've found a good substitute.

It's scary how scammers can look legit on the net. But with a little knowledge and due diligence, they are easily filtered out.

Caveat emptor.

Luckily, with the internet, it is easy to spread the word about them but unfortunately this is usually after you've been had.
 
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SMOKIE

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This Co even spoke out on Advocacy, guess they needed to keep selling or scamming that one brand.

 

eSMOKA

Silver Contributor
Member For 5 Years
If he is still a member of SFATA, I hope they hear about this.

This guy is serious about "looking" legit. A true con artist.
 

snake94115

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
To me this seems like a classic (Bait and Switch) con.Luckily the merchant has a written record.(The Order Form).If I were in his shoes I'd be talking to the Feds already.
Google (Wire Fraud)
 

Rickajho

Gold Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
I don't get it

Through years of tested experience, we broker and close large deals between manufacturers and retailers.

Pretty sure most e-cig dealers would know how to broker their own deals. So why was this guy even bothering with this place???
 

snake94115

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I don't get it



Pretty sure most e-cig dealers would know how to broker their own deals. So why was this guy even bothering with this place???
Probably had problems with the closing.

il_570xN.561425215_74oy.jpg
 

Puff

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
This kinda crap is scary.......

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

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