I'm gonna give these guys 3 stars because they've got the market cornered in this one horse town. Also because their prices are quite reasonable, and their little "tasting bar" or whatever where you can try out the flavors of e-juice is pretty rad.
However, I've got some big complaints about them. Wrote a review about 'em! Wanna hear it? Here it goes:
The staff expects you to know what they're talking about, without taking the slightest opportunity to explain anything. "Vaping" (ugh I hate that term) and the cult of vape is a pretty new phenomenon, relatively, so if you're new to it, don't expect a guided tour from these cats.
For example, being new to vaping, I didn't know about coils. If you know what I'm talking about while reading this, you're already ahead of me when I first started patronizing this store. So, not knowing that coils have to be changed every so often, I was going in there and buying a completely new tank every couple of weeks when my juice started tasting funky and gross and the whole thing just wasn't hitting right or what have you. I also went in there several times like "Hey, I bought this juice about 2 weeks ago and all of the sudden it tastes like $hit. Does it expire?? Eh?? Please bear in mind, this is a very small town, and I am pretty recognizable, and the staff there is small. It is usually one of two dudes that waits on me. I find it pretty hard to believe they didn't recognize me, but hey, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Anyway, finally, I was pretty well determined that my battery had crapped out and I went in there to ask them what I should do about it, and if necessary, buy a new battery, and a new tank to go with it. Derp derp derp. Well what do you know, it happened to be a NEW employee this time and he asks me if I've been changing the coils. Nope, I haven't. He then advised I need to do that every couple weeks, and that they sell the coils in packs, and gets me a new one, and boom, everything works fine and dandy again!
Do you see my problem here? If I'd been told about the coil thing in the first place, I would have BOUGHT THEM, rather than wasting my money on tank after tank all the time. This ticked me off.
Then, they discontinued my favorite flavor of juice. Ffffuuuuuu. Not their fault, I understand supply and demand, but still, now I gotta make due with substitutes and most of them are repulsive, truth to tell. This is the price you pay with vaping.
Anyway, after being advised about changing the coils on my own decide I wanted a new tank anyway. This was 2, count them, TWO days after I was in there discussing this. I just didn't like the large tank I was using because it was unwieldy fitting the whole shebang into my purse, etc. So I go in and get a different style of tank. And a bottle of juice- in a non-preferred flavor. I sat in the shop and filled it in front of the employees, while chatting with them. (This is important) I am waited on by the same guy that told me about changing the coils.
I get the new tank home and THAT NIGHT, within hours, I'm getting juice leaking down into my battery, and coming up in my mouth, and bubbling like a bong when I try to take a hit. Dude had just informed me that this happens when the coils are burned out! WTF! So I take that tank in the next day like seriously dude, the coils burn out within hours on this mother scratcher? What is going on. A different employee, who I believe is the owner or manager, as he's always in there, tells me that the dark colors of juice (like coffee flavored, chocolate ones, things like that) burn the coils out quicker. I'm like "QUICKER AS IN WITHIN HOURS?!" He says that would be unusual and I must have done something wrong. DUDE! I FILLED THE THING IN FRONT OF YOUR STAFF! LAST NIGHT! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! AND IF I DID, MAYBE SOMEONE COULD HAVE TOLD ME *AS THEY WATCHED ME DO IT?* In any event this tank that I had bought is screwed and his answer is pretty much like "Shrug! It happens!" Uh, no, that's shoddy merchandise, give me my money back, or replace it! What is your DEAL, guy? He's just like no. So I'm like ok fine. I'll just change the coil on it when I get home and see if that makes a difference. He then informs me that this tank TAKES A DIFFERENT KIND OF COILS TO THE ONES I JUST PURCHASED 2 DAYS BEFORE! AND THEY'RE TWICE AS EXPENSIVE! AND EVIDENTLY THEY BURN OUT WITHIN HOURS! LOL! Not that you could have told me that when I bought it! GAAAAAAAAAAAAWD. I was ready to scream, but I just left.
As I have managed to quit smoking with these stupid, pain in the ass electronic cigarettes, and have not smoked since March, I can't say that I won't be back. I will. HOWEVER, I just saw another vape shop opened in downtown South Bend and I'm gonna check that out before I do. Maybe they won't be so culty so as to expect you to read their minds, or god forbid, expect the staff to educate you about their products. read more