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What the hell vape shops?!

voicenyerhed

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I love having local vape shops around, but why is it all the ones near me are a rip off? I went to a local place today for the first time. Thought I'd check it out and I'm interested in getting either an RTA or just straight dripper. They wanted $80 + tax for a limitless plus RDTA. that's a 250% mark up from online prices! I don't mind paying a little more for the convenience of instant gratification & the ability of holding something before committing, but that is ridiculous.

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315jessie

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My local vape shop charges 2.99 per ft of Kanthal and 7.00 for a single coil for the baby beast tank

I was hard up and got a 15ml bottle of house blend juice and she said 27.99
Dafuq outta here ... the juice sucks


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AndriaD

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Yep, it's called "retail markup", and is the only possible way for a retail business to make enough to STAY in business; the downside is that more and more people know they can buy the same thing online for 1/4 the price or less, so a whole lot of them do. But apparently there are some (PT Barnum nailed them when he said there's one born every minute) who do buy in vape shops... crazy as that sounds. Only thing I ever buy in vape shops, since I started DIY, is the occasional drip tip. Yeah, it';s $4.25 instead of 99 cents or 1.99, but I can afford $4.25. :D

Andria
 

forza

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We have several in my area that are actually quite reasonable. They understand they are competing with inline vendors but the also know we understand a slight markup. Overhead and all that. If it's ridiculous I just roll my eyes and move on.

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voicenyerhed

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Call Amazon and complain then..... RENT and inventory ain't cheap.



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Maybe I should add that my job is in business. I understand revenue, compensating & wages, inventory, rent, taxes, utilities, retail markup, & net operating income. I also understand that the inventory they get at bulk prices is less than we pay online, so a 300% markup is unquestionably a rip off. I also see plenty of vape shops charging legitimate prices for their products & being successful, they just happen to be quite a drive from here. I do give them my business at times & I understand that I have a choice, I just think it's kinda shitty. End of rant.

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f1r3b1rd

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B&Ms have that much more overhead. Some use different buisness models though.
I remember when I had only 1 local shop that was charging almost a 300% markup. After a period of time 4 other shops opened in the area. It became a game of who was going to out price whom. Most of them now sell at their cost plus 15% plus tax and focus on getting their money out of juice. Many of them will giveaway starter kit hardware for smokers looking to quit and charge the people buying their first starter kit only for juice. They do that knowing they are getting a long term return customer.

BAM crew
 
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skt239

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I've been to plenty with insane mark ups and have found a couple that are pretty reasonable. The closest one to me (in my state if that makes sense) sells hardware for the msrp, which in my opinion isn't terrible. Juice is the same as most places I've been to, 60ml for $25-$30. Doable in a pinch, which I often find myself in.
 

kittyn

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Yup. Local shop sells a single of my husbands preferred coil for the TFV8 for...$11? I think it was $11. Did it for him once then swore never again

And i forgot to order him some, so should probably do that soon. I'm a damned genius :facepalm:
 

AndriaD

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Yup. Local shop sells a single of my husbands preferred coil for the TFV8 for...$11? I think it was $11. Did it for him once then swore never again

And i forgot to order him some, so should probably do that soon. I'm a damned genius :facepalm:

I know that feeling so well, you just wanna

facepalmsohard.jpg

:giggle:
Andria
 

kittyn

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Ah, and my other favorite. The 48pc demon whatever coils? Can buy them for like $6 from China or maybe $15 on eBay? Split apart, $2.50 per coil. That's what, over $100 profit, or.. A ridiculous percentage.
 

BCBuch

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The shop we go to has most of their stuff marked up a lot some is over 100% above msrp. So we decided we could shop there for coils or something if we need something to get by, or maybe buy some juice to try a new flavor. Everything else we will get online. I was able to pick up both of the Smok G150 kits I have coming and 2 five packs of coils for $13 more online than the local wants for one Alien 220 box kit. Their juice runs 50% or more than buying online.

I understand the need to turn a profit to stay in business, but I can't see being able to stay in business for to long once your client base figures out you are putting the screws to them. The only plus I see buying local is the ability to run back to the shop and return or exchange a defective product. Not much of a plus if the shop is over an hour from the house.

At the end of the day it comes down to basic house hold economics. Every penny earned has to go somewhere to keep the budget balanced and life as comfortable as possible. So if you can buy get the same product online from a reputable vendor and save money that is the route to take. The local shops are simply a convenience for the times you didn't plan far enough ahead to have adequate supplies on hand and you run out.
 

AndriaD

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At the end of the day it comes down to basic house hold economics. Every penny earned has to go somewhere to keep the budget balanced and life as comfortable as possible. So if you can buy get the same product online from a reputable vendor and save money that is the route to take. The local shops are simply a convenience for the times you didn't plan far enough ahead to have adequate supplies on hand and you run out.

Or you're clumsy as shit and break your driptips right, left, and center, and need replacements ASAP. :giggle:

But you're right, 100% -- every penny spent one place means it's not spent someplace else, and needs must be balanced. My household budget doesn't run to supporting local businesses when they've priced themselves right out of my reach -- knowing full well that anything I can buy for $100 at a local shop, I can buy for about $40 or less, online. Just because I'm no longer paying exorbitant prices for cigarettes doesn't mean I want to pay exorbitant prices for vape gear -- it means I can buy vape gear at good prices, and spend the rest of the money elsewhere. Local businesses aren't my problem.

Andria
 

voicenyerhed

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I think what bothers me about the whole thing is that I am big on supporting local business. I would much rather pay a little more at a mom & pop grocery than support Walmart. But if local businesses are going to gank us on prices, then I feel there is no choice than to go elsewhere. I understand paying more because of the personal expertise of the people behind the counter at a good vape shop. I also understand that when buying their juice, you are not just paying for their supplies, but the expert crafting of the person that took the time investment to come up with and make that juice. *DISCLAIMER- NOT ALL SHOPS HAVE ACTUAL EXPERTS AND NOT ALL JUICES WERE EVER WORTH MAKING* I just know that a 300% mark up on a product that you did not create, put together, or often times don't actually know much about is not good business. I also understand that many of these shop owners fell into this business with no prior experience, but that is no excuse because the "medicinal h*rb" dispensaries in Washington & Colorado are mostly run by first time business owners, too, and they know the merits of not price gouging. But we do all have choices, and mine will be made according to my needs. I really didn't mean to start an argument about all this, but rather was venting about not having a local shop that I feel is worth supporting. It is what it is and we all have our opinions about what that means for us. Happy vaping... the one thing everyone here can agree on! Cheers!
 

kittyn

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I think what bothers me about the whole thing is that I am big on supporting local business. I would much rather pay a little more at a mom & pop grocery than support Walmart. But if local businesses are going to gank us on prices, then I feel there is no choice than to go elsewhere. I understand paying more because of the personal expertise of the people behind the counter at a good vape shop. I also understand that when buying their juice, you are not just paying for their supplies, but the expert crafting of the person that took the time investment to come up with and make that juice. *DISCLAIMER- NOT ALL SHOPS HAVE ACTUAL EXPERTS AND NOT ALL JUICES WERE EVER WORTH MAKING* I just know that a 300% mark up on a product that you did not create, put together, or often times don't actually know much about is not good business. I also understand that many of these shop owners fell into this business with no prior experience, but that is no excuse because the "medicinal h*rb" dispensaries in Washington & Colorado are mostly run by first time business owners, too, and they know the merits of not price gouging. But we do all have choices, and mine will be made according to my needs. I really didn't mean to start an argument about all this, but rather was venting about not having a local shop that I feel is worth supporting. It is what it is and we all have our opinions about what that means for us. Happy vaping... the one thing everyone here can agree on! Cheers!


I very much understand this. There are many things I 'overpay' for because YAY LOCAL BUISINESS! (Butcher shop, game store, etc). But there's a huge difference between an extra 10-30% for convenience, ambiance, and expertise vs. 100+% for... Well, just convenience, basically, and not that convenient a convenience when you have miniature humans who can't run in with you lol

So local is great! But Jesus, local vape is just ridiculous most of the time, at least in my experience of central Indiana.
 

GKG2017

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Yup. Local shop sells a single of my husbands preferred coil for the TFV8 for...$11? I think it was $11. Did it for him once then swore never again

And i forgot to order him some, so should probably do that soon. I'm a damned genius :facepalm:

Geez. I think I paid $12 dollars plus $2 shipping for TFV8 Baby Beast online about 6 month's ago. That's some serious price gouging $11 dollars for one coil. Hopefully he got 1 good week of use out of it. That's insane. They probably charged tax too.
 

jazzman

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I use to try and support my local vape shop's but it seem's like all they want to do is RIP People off! There are about 70 vape shop's in Vegas and a lot of them don't care about fighting for our vaping right's at all. They don't even bother to mention it or have flyers posted about what the FDA wants to do or what the State is trying to do. All they care about is the money. If all the deeming regulations are implemented and enforced, they don't care, they made their money. The'll just close the doors. Another thing is I don't feel like driving all over town to the different shop's looking for what I want, when I can sit at home and look online to see who has the items that I am looking for. Driving around in 110+ heat and the price of gas is not my idea of fun and enjoyment.
 

BCBuch

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This last year about 60 percent of what we bought for Christmas was purchased online. Some clothing articles were purchased from local stores. Nothing from WalMart. I live in Arkansas and can't hardly abide that damn business and the substandard crap they sell. I will shop elsewhere and pay more for quality vs crap that has to be replaced all the time costing you more over time. Vaping here is very yuppie, college, young, hipster. Not a lot of old fart redneck vapers like me around. I support local restaurants, gas stations where I can get 93 octane no ethanol gas for my Harleys, the local Harley shop, local hardware stores, and a couple of places where I buy clothes and shoes. Other than that I don't feel obligated to support much of anything in the area. To each there own though. This is just me, but after this initial month of getting started vaping, along with the trial and error. My vaping purchases will likely be close to 100 percent online. I live out in the sticks. The nearest city or town with a vape shop is an hours drive away. I have better things to do with my off time than waste it driving to a vape shop to pick up something that can be delivered to my door and wastes none of my time other than what is needed to shop online and place the order.
 

cvcrcr99

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It's because you are educated on the cost/value of these things. How much do you think it costs 7-11 to make that 1.59 slurpee? Probably pennies. It's business as many others have said.
 

BCBuch

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lol no 7-11s or Slurpees in this neck of the woods.

I understand the cost of doing business. When a product is marked up to 50 to 100% above MSRP that's not the cost of doing business that's gouging.

The only good customer is a happy customer. A happy customer will return as repeat business. A happy customer will tell others which create the opportunity for the cycle to repeat. That's just good business.

In today's economic environment a business can't do anything that can be viewed as anything other that providing excellent value and customer satisfaction and expect to stay in business long term.
 

AndriaD

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lol no 7-11s or Slurpees in this neck of the woods.

I understand the cost of doing business. When a product is marked up to 50 to 100% above MSRP that's not the cost of doing business that's gouging.

The only good customer is a happy customer. A happy customer will return as repeat business. A happy customer will tell others which create the opportunity for the cycle to repeat. That's just good business.

In today's economic environment a business can't do anything that can be viewed as anything other that providing excellent value and customer satisfaction and expect to stay in business long term.

At least, in America that's true. An online friend of mine in Portsmouth, England, said that stores will advertise this or that on a sign outside the store... and when you go in and inquire about it, they just smirk as they tell you, oh sorry, we're out of that.... very obviously amused that they got you to stop and come in, only to find they didn't have the item after all. I don't think they truly grasp the crucial importance of the consumer, to their retail business model.

Crap like that is why big box stores are so popular in the US -- even if the thing you want isn't available, hell, they got lots of other stuff. :D And in this town (Lawrenceville, GA -- NE suburb of Atlanta), there are 3-5 Walmarts in easy driving distance, so if one doesn't have the thing, just go to another, they probably will. :giggle:

Andria
 

strigamort

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I call BS about shops not being able to offer competitive prices. Well partly.

My favorite shop is in Santa Cruz about 45 minutes away. That's a drive (especially since there are a million shops here in San Jose), but I don't mind. The prices they sell at are quite reasonable. I bought a TFV12 over a month ago for $35. Not only that, but they tossed in a 120ml bottle of house juice (which was terrible, but that's not the point lol). They made a customer for life because they realize that they can build a huge clientele by offering great prices and great service. I was watching a video the other day from a shop owner who was saying that they were successful for the exact same practices. I paid $120 for my alien kit at a local shop before I realized that I was being bent over. Never again.

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kittyn

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I'm gonna throw in another (non pricing) B&M gripe in here cuz it's been bugging me.

If you wanna be a 'vape lounge' and have cool shit, game systems, pool table, whatever, cool. But keep it far enough away from the counter that I don't feel like I'm interrupting your damned gaming session. About half the shops I walk into have a friggin TV/Couch/console setup in a way that makes me block the TV for whoever is playing when I try to look in a case. I've gotten to the point I just walk the hell back out if there's such a set up in the front half of the store.

I don't like feeling like I'm in the way when I'm trying to spend my money.
 

mikeyboy74

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I might feel different if vape shops would actually let you try out that tank or mod before buying it. Between that and biased YouTube reviews, the time and money wasted might have been preventable.

Yesterday i was in a shop, this kid comes in, looking for a single battery mod for his Cleito. Not saying it couldn't work. The employee said yes sir, and showed what they had. I stayed out of it. If I were the employee, would I have shown a dual battery mod, risking a lost sale or customer?

Maybe if the dual were priced like they are online, the kid would have seen or bought a mod that could get him through the day with a mid-wattage tank.

I buy local when they run sales. But when I see tfv8 tanks for $50 and above, the old ipv5 mod for $90, and the Fuchai 213 for $115-125, it is hard to take them seriously. Maybe they are conceding they have no intention of adapting to the deeming?
 

NGAHaze

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Maybe they are conceding they have no intention of adapting to the deeming?

If the deeming goes in as written, there will be NO vape shops ... all of them will be forced to close because the products that they would be legally able to sell would be too sparse and archaic to be viable.
 

joeyboy

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I've been in a few since I started vaping and most have nothing but rda clones, older mechs and mods i would never use. The tanks are not newer tanks, even something I've seen on VU.

I don't know how they stay in business.
 

CactusFanaticus

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The local vape shop near me is alright, I understand they have overhead and you are paying for a convenience. As others have said I get the majority of my stuff offline, but I do like to patron the shop being a local small businesses. Their prices aren't that bad, I get my wife's fav juice there for 20$/60 ml, they have one I really like for 24$/110 ml. Their mod kits are on average 10-20$ higher than online, really not bad considering you receive it instantly no shipping. They want 5$ for any baby beast coil.

On a side note, was watching YouTube videos yesterday and said "that looks like my local store" and it was lol, the guy has a channel with 100,000+ subs. Pretty chill helpful people.
 

Raymcconn

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I have two local shops I will visit. If I am going and I know I will be buying something I only go when the owners are there. I can usually work out a deal with them. The Employees in most cases are not allowed to do that. Yes I still pay more but the $10 or $20 more I can live with. They have to make a living also. Just what you get if you want it in your hand NOW and cant wait for it.
 

strigamort

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I have found something to be odd, but I don't know if it's an isolated thing.

I bought from an online vendor the other day and the place was also a b&m. On the website it said something about not selling (from the website) in their home state. Then, the day before yesterday, I poked around online for the websites of local shops. Some of them have full e-commerce. Anyway, I wrote down a few things that they had on sale and took it to their store front. They did not honor their online prices.

Is this common? I was fairly irritated that I drove a half hour to be treated like crap. They clearly understood that their store was way over priced.

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Raymcconn

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I bought from an online vendor the other day and the place was also a b&m. On the website it said something about not selling (from the website) in their home state. Then, the day before yesterday, I poked around online for the websites of local shops. Some of them have full e-commerce. Anyway, I wrote down a few things that they had on sale and took it to their store front. They did not honor their online prices.
Sounds like a bait and switch thing going on. They should match the online prices since it is same company.
 

32bitlord

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In the UK many small businesses are struggling due to online retailers selling way below the RRP. The worst part is that people don’t seem to realise this and just think that their local shop is a “rip off” even though they are the ones selling at the correct retail price. This is however a false economy since more and more jobs are lost each day. People however don’t tend to care until their boss tells them that they have lost their job. Sometimes online prices are to good to ignore but it’s important to know the difference between a company who can afford to sell a product with practically no markup and a business that needs to make a specific markup just to cut even. The way things are going small business will be dead in the next 30 years. The biggest contributors to this are Ebay and Amazon who allow people to run a business from their bedroom whilst “forgetting” to declare earnings to the government.


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AndriaD

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I have found something to be odd, but I don't know if it's an isolated thing.

I bought from an online vendor the other day and the place was also a b&m. On the website it said something about not selling (from the website) in their home state. Then, the day before yesterday, I poked around online for the websites of local shops. Some of them have full e-commerce. Anyway, I wrote down a few things that they had on sale and took it to their store front. They did not honor their online prices.

Is this common? I was fairly irritated that I drove a half hour to be treated like crap. They clearly understood that their store was way over priced.

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Even Walmart does this -- the online price for ANY store is less, because it is sent directly from a central location. Anything retail must have retail markup built into the price, to make it worthwhile to stock that item.

Some places may honor their online prices, but most won't, for exactly this reason.

Andria

ETA: some places may allow you to buy online, and pick up in store -- they do this as a way of getting your body and your eyes and your wallet into the store, where you may buy other stuff.
 

BCBuch

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Even Walmart does this -- the online price for ANY store is less, because it is sent directly from a central location. Anything retail must have retail markup built into the price, to make it worthwhile to stock that item.

Some places may honor their online prices, but most won't, for exactly this reason.

Andria

ETA: some places may allow you to buy online, and pick up in store -- they do this as a way of getting your body and your eyes and your wallet into the store, where you may buy other stuff.

I've been messing with computers and tech since 92. If I'm shopping for electronics locally I normally shop at Best Buy because they have decent prices and carry a higher end product by far than Wally World does. When I'm shopping I already know what i'm getting or have it narrowed down to a couple of items that I want to go in to a brick and mortar and get a little hands on with. I have fun with their associates because they try to impress you with their expertise on stuff they don't really know that much about. So I asked them questions they can't answer that I already know the answer to. It's kind of my polite way of telling them to fuck off. I know I can walk into the stores in this area and if it is for sale online and they have it in stock that is the price I'm going to get it for. I had them try the bait and switch a couple of times. I always have my phone or tablet with me and have no problem jumping online, buying something, using the pick up in store option while the associate stands there and watches and then have them go get me my merchandise. I've been known to walk into the store with an item already in the shopping cart on my phone just to expedite the process if I need to. I'm sure when I walk through the doors they're thinking "Oh Shit here comes that Asshole again." Over time other than new associates who don't know me I'm left alone.lol
 

Just Frank

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The one closest to me sells their juice $24 for 30ML or 18$ for 15MLs. Fuck that. Most of the younger people in that town think that shop is the ONLY way to get vape stuff. I talk to people and they rave about the flavors and dont give a shit about the prices.
 

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