My e-Cigarette Experiences... » shipping

New Company/Products coming?

njw — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:37:58 +0000

I received last week a comment posted on this blog, as I have many times before, but this one seemed to be more interesting than many in the past. In short, most of them are just spam from other people selling some other brand of e-cig, and I figure that there’s more than enough information out there about their products so I just junk the comments and move on. But this one was different…

This time, it is written more like an introduction, and included contact information about a new manufacturer that is selling e-cigs in much the same manner as the company I use mostly right now (e-cig.com). What this means is another site that is offering excellent products and pricing, and ships direct from manufacturing in China rather than through a multi-step (increasing costs) channel into the US first and then trying to get the product into Canada.

Now, I’m not giving any real information at this time, except that I am discussing evaluations or perhaps placing a small order this month to see if they are offering a product that I would use and recommend. As you know if you’ve been following here, I only post about, and link to, companies that I do or would use (if I could as in Blu – I would use them if I could get them into Canada).

The problem in this market right now is that there are new companies popping up online stores like the weeds in my backyard. They come up fast, and some even stay a while. While others just seem to get beat off by the others and vanish. So I don’t get into the retail battles that are going on in this market. Just too many of them. And the other issue I see is that there are maybe a dozen or more product names for some of the same products, and most of those come from the same manufacturing sources that I order from in China. They just get re-packaged and branded when you order enough product.

So I will continue to order my supplies direct, especially now that I see a couple of these manufacturers offering the choice of Vegetable Glycol juice in place of Propylene Glycol, and in light of the variety of models and styles that are offered. Add to that the pricing and the delivery guarantees (VERY important for Canadian shoppers!) and you’ve got a winning combination in my books.

So… hopefully I’ll be writing about a new product soon, and perhaps even recommending another site. But in the meantime, I continue using my E9 kit and loving it.

Stay tuned for news as it comes and of course feel free to read the whole history of my journey into e-cigs from the start. You’ll find some good and useful advice, and learn a little about how I got to where I am with them now.

Cheers and Happy Vaping!

njw

It just keeps getting better…

njw — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:32:22 +0000

e-Cig starter kits are getting cheaper all the time, and the price of supplies makes vaping an even more attractive option than it was just a year ago. And, my latest batteries from e-cig.com are quite a bit better. They don’t seem to cut out as quickly, and they provide a good hit that the older batteries didn’t seem to quite provide. The changes are subtle, and would go completely un-noticed if you weren’t using the old ones and the new ones at the same time, but I can certainly tell there’s some differences. I ended up with white ones this time, but I don’t actually mind it as much as I thought.

Also, it appears that e-cig have a US office now for returns and such, so it’s getting even easier to deal with them when things go wrong. No more needing to ship failed batteries all the way to China. I don’t know if they are shipping from the US office yet, but will certainly let you know as I learn more about them.

Otherwise, not really a lot to report. I still use my E9, and I’m still happy with it. I still vape more than smoke (although I DO still enjoy a small cigar at times) and I don’t really miss the taste, smell, or anything else about the old analog tobacco sticks.

Keep Vaping! Live Well! Save Money! What more could you ask?

And remember to hit one of the links on my right sidebar to order your product. It’s not a lot of money, but it allows me to build the budget up for trying new flavours, products and growing this blog. And I will be growing it quite soon! Stay tuned!

It’s been a while…

njw — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:30:03 +0000

and for that my apologies. Life and photography have been keeping me busy these days, and this blog has been sort of left alone for a while. Add the fact that there’s been really very little to report. My E9 is working, and the order that was returned by Customs is being refunded (slowly – but we’re getting there!), and life is overall pretty good at the moment. I AM running out of supplies soon though, and I’m starting to look at other options for getting product into Canada that is more reliable, and less prone to Customs issues. There are a couple of vendors north of the 49th, but I’ve still got to talk to them to see what possible issues, delays and other concerns may come up. If you have any experience with any of the Canadian vendors, please don’t hesitate to comment or drop me a line. I’d love to know others’ experiences.

Meanwhile, I hope that you are still vaping and not smoking! And that you are ready for the nicer weather that is finally starting to show up… at least in my part of the world. Cheers to my global audience and thanks for the continued support.

It was bound to happen sooner or later…

njw — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:47:55 +0000

I got my dreaded letter from Canada Customs on Friday letting me know that my latest order from my supplier has been rejected for import. You read about it from time to time, and you place each order in the hopes that your small quantity will pass through un-noticed, but still there looms the ever present big-brother watching out for ‘your best interests’ with regards to health and happiness. But the reality of the fact is that I would be MUCH happier if they let me make my own choices with regard to my health. I know that there are needs for some items to be controlled and regulated, and as another blogger had noted a while ago my shipment has guaranteed the need for the agent that processed the shipment – at least for a while – so there is another positive in all of this, but it’s frustrating still that my shipment is not going to arrive. Of course I saw it coming when my latest shipment was handed over to Customs on the 7th and just stayed there.

So now I get to test the suppliers delivery guarantee and see just how well that works. And hopefully, I will find another option and be able to stock up again before I run out of supplies. If you’re in Canada, you too will one day feel the same as I do today, but don’t lose hope. Maybe one day – not too far in the future – we’ll see the e-cig being available right at the corner store. Could happen!?

Vape-On!

More Flavors coming to test…

njw — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:58:07 +0000

I have to say that my E9 has been a whole lot better experience for me than the E8 was – not that the E8 was a BAD experience, but the E9 is just that much better. I’ve been using it for a few months now and find that the short batteries really are the way to go over the long ones. Granted, I have to have 3 batteries in rotation to get a full day of use our of my E9, instead of just 2 of the long batteries, but overall the draw is much easier and you can pretty much get a great hit and great effect from taking a double pull on the short E9 batteries – an almost effortless process once you’re used to it – and get a nice cloud of vapour. The common complaint about the auto shut-off after 2 to 3 seconds is pretty much null, as you can draw continuously through the short battery with little effort and the E9 will just turn on again for a longer hit. So one 4 to 5 second drag will get you the equivalent of the ‘double hit’ that is so often recommended. I find that the long battery just takes too much effort to get the same effect.

My latest order, due sometime this week, contains a mixture of tobacco, apple, cherry, vanilla and peach flavoured cartomizers for my E9. I will be checking these out and reporting my personal favourites to you next week. Currently, I have a stack of both Menthol and Grape. I’m not really that impressed with the grape… not really enough flavour. The Menthol are still my current favourites. But I expect to find some of the other flavours to my liking. Stay tuned for more on that.

And finally… It seems that e-cig.com have upgraded their order processing system somewhat. I was quite impressed with the process, and with the emails that I’ve received – especially the order summary. It’s in a nice format like a real shipping invoice, and carries a far more professional look than before. They are growing up as a retailer as much as they are as a manufacturer. I know I’ll be sticking with them for now. At least until something as good can make the shipments to me here in Canada. Someday perhaps.

Happy Vaping!

Choices are good… and Blu is still a good one.

njw — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:01:15 +0000

It looks like the folks over at Blu have things running more smoothly, and for our American readers only are able to deliver a solid product at a great price. So I’ve returned the Blu links to the right hand column for easy access and of course to make my tiny piece of the action when you place orders. The money raised by this blog is used to test products that I write about, and to help with the cost sharing for the webspace. If there is anything left after that, I am sure I’ll find a good use for it. But so far… I haven’t had to think about that part.

But this evening I did have a funny thing happen. The email announcement from Blu that reminded I was an affiliate still and also told me of their new system was delivered 87 times in a matter of seconds. I don’t know if that was a glitch at their end, or just some karmic advisory that I needed to pay attention. So I am answering the call and have re-activated my link.

So… if you’re looking for option, I still recommend the E9 I use, especially if you live in Canada, and for those of you in the US, check out Blu!

Happy vaping all!

And Season’s Greeting!

At the 36 hour mark with my new E9

njw — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:28:24 +0000

And yes, I’m still loving it. I’m only on my third cartridge so far, but I’m also not a heavy vaper. I tend to take a few puffs at about the same interval that I would light an analog, but I also threw away a LOT of analogs by letting them burn down in ashtrays, or butting out a half smoked cigarette. I’ve already commented before on the wasteful manner in which I smoke, but that is perhaps the largest point of savings for me when using an e-cig. Add to that the cost of the cartridges – about $2 CDN per cartomizer landed – compared to the cost of analogs at around $9.50 per 20 pack, and you have a rather incredible savings even if I do use two cartridges daily.

Battery life is certainly not a great factor in this model, and I do find vapour production reducing sharply after about the equivalent of 6 to 8 cigarettes, but I have three batteries in rotation so I have on in use, one ready to use and one on the charger at any given moment. This way I know I’ll always have the ability to use my e-cig when I want to. In short, if you’re looking for a good model of e-cig that uses the 2 piece cartomizer technology, the E9 is a terrific model at the right price, and most importantly it does ship into Canada with only short delays. I recommend EMS shipping, as they seem to, so far at least, be quick and easy and have had no issues at Customs in Vancouver.

More updates coming soon… stay tuned!

First Impressions – E9 E-Cig Kit from ecig.com

njw — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:34:52 +0000

If you’ve been following me here at all, you know that I was quite impressed with the E8 e-cig kit that I’ve been using, and had some long term successes in avoiding tobacco products while using it. Until I lost it. But through the whole process, I did have thoughts and desires from time to time for an analog smoke, but was generally able to curb that desire. It just took a few hits of my E8 and all was good again. But this time around, when I ordered a whole new kit to replace my lost E8, I opted to move up to the slightly larger E9 model.

It arrived this morning, and I’ve been using it for only a couple of hours, but let me tell you that vaping with the E9 is like taking a puff of a Players Filter after smoking duMaurier extra lights (or whatever they call them now) for a while. This thing KICKS! You feel the hit at the back of the throat, and taste the flavour. You also get a nice solid cloud of vapour to exhale. It’s a whole new world. While larger and heavier than an analog, they offer the closest thing I’ve tried to a real cigarette experience. Easily twice as fulfilling to me as the E8. So yes… I’m hooked on the E9 and will be keeping you posted on my progress as I go forward with this new model of E-Cig.

And of course, if you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, you can get the starter kit E9 from the link in my sidebar. The E9 kit is currently priced at only $53.95 US and includes:

2 Batteries (one long and one short in my shipment)
1 Charger
1 USB Adapter (works in your computer as well as the supplied charger)
5 cartridges of your choice

You can select longer batteries, different LED colours and cartridge flavour and strength options. Some of the options add a few dollars to the cost (I got long batteries with Blue LED for an extra $5) and of course you should also order a selection of cartridges with your starter kit. The larger E9 cartridges come in a 4 pack rather than a 5 pack like the E9 models, but they do carry more juice and are still the cartomizer style with the atomizer built right into the cartridge.

With my starter order, I included 15 packs (60 cartridges) as well, and got the added bonus of free shipping. With all considered, my end order includes close to two full months of vaping product, 4 batteries, 2 chargers, and cost me just over half of what I would spend on analogs in one month.

More reviews and experiences coming soon, so stay tuned!

Vape On!

The Fallen… and one major drawback with e-cigs…

njw — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:59:12 +0000

Well the worst has happened. A few weeks ago I lost my kit. The little e-cig case (old style cigarette case) containing my e8, spare battery and a couple cartridges was left someplace and lost. So I’ve fallen from vaping for a while and have been back on analogs while I hunted, called, and ordered a new kit. Let me tell you this… the negative impact of smoking ALMOST made me not do it. I almost quite. But since I’m vaping at the higher levels of nicotine still, my body craved badly what it was missing, and I tried a couple of alternatives that just didn’t make it for me. Like so many times in the past. So I bought analogs. And I’ve been smoking. I can also tell you that I NOTICED the differences between smoking and vaping in a matter of a few days. The laboured breathing returned. The stink in my car, my clothes and even in my office just from the residual smoke are already noticeable. And the hit on my budget.

The good news is that my new kit arrives today or tomorrow at last, and I will be able to immediately return to the joys of vaping and get back on track to recovering from this most annoying habit. I’ve got 2 chargers, 4 batteries and lots of cartridges coming this time so I’ll have the option of keeping a spare set in at least one alternate location and won’t be carrying my entire kit all in one case. The message of course is to ensure that you keep at least one spare battery and supplies in a separate place so that if you DO lose your e-cig, you can continue to enjoy the pleasures of vaping while your replacements are shipping. It does take a couple weeks to get supplies!

Can’t wait to return to vaping – and will have a review of the slightly larger E9 in a few days.