Review UKecigstore

[Mawsley]

"This is a personal review of a vendor/retailer that I have conducted a business transaction with.
The following information reflects a true representation of the transaction between myself and the company identified. The opinions expressed, represent my own and not those of this website, planetofthevapes.co.uk.
By posting this review I agree to abide by the terms and conditions set out by the Planet of the Vapes website."
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I purchased a sale item from UKecigstore. I've been communicating with them over the last 72 hours by phone and email to an unsuccessful conclusion. I have now instituted a Paypal dispute, escalated it to a claim and will be reporting the matter to Trading Standards.

At the outset of this review I have to hold my hands up and say I messed up. The time I went with Stephanie; I knew she was bad for me. I knew she had a reputation and I knew that she was my girlfriend's mate - but sometimes when temptation is put on a plate you act on impulse...ignoring the little voices calling you a moron.

It's fair to say that I'm no fan of UKecigstore, never have been. There's just too many incidences of them delivering appalling customer service, detailed on this forum and others.

But they sell some nice kit...


The Problem

Faced with a special offer I looked at the pictures on the webpage, watched the video, watched Todd's video, watched a video in German, looked at the webpage again and hummed.

Hmmm, I said to myself. Hmmm, I said. Well, if things go tits then the very worst thing that can happen is that I'm thirty quid down on the deal and fighting to get it back from Paypal. The reasoning was sound...and lo, here I am - £30 down and fighting to get it back through Paypal.

Teflon, the man I aspire to be but (alas) will never attain the heights, opened this review section with his negative experience of UKecigstore. I ignored history.

The hybrid was delivered a day later than I've experienced with any other vendor due to them not bothering to process Friday's order on the Saturday. But opening it up, first thing Tuesday it was apparent something was amiss.

1. The glass tank mod came in a thin piece of bubble wrap where most of the bubbles had been popped. Combined with the wafer nature of the envelope, I applaud the delicate handling of the Post Office - it was woefully packaged.

2. No spares kit as shown in the image and on the video.

3. No stainless steel tank as shown in the image and on the video.

4. No coiling tool as shown in the image and on the video.

But, and here's the rub

5. No Allen key as shown in the image and on the video.

It's a hex-head device. No Allen key, no fixing of coils, no use. Regardless of whether or not I may have Allen keys here at home, regardless of me having a pot full of assorted o-rings and the like - if stuff is advertised then deliver that stuff. If items depicted were not to be included in the sale then fine - BUT YOU HAVE TO STIPULATE IT ON THE DAMN PAGE.

*UKecigstore has since removed the image and video from the web page


Communication and "Customer Service"

I phoned customer service. Busy. That doesn't come as a surprise knowing what I know about the company. "Please leave a message in the message box" said the voice. The message box voice told me it was already full. Brilliant.

I phoned again and got an apologetic chap who said they'd "forgotten to send" out the stainless tanks. It's my belief that this fuss is now over nothing more than them not wanting to incur postage costs. The stainless tank is the thing I need because the glass one will break and spares are not available, rendering the mod useless when this happens.

"We'll phone you back by 12 to let you know what's happening."

12:00 - no call
12:40 - stared at the phone for twelve minutes. No call

13:00 - no call, but an email saying they'd not send me anything missing

14:20 - dogs walked, dogs showered, sandwich made and still no call or email

15:00 - laughed at seventeen things OccultScientist has put on Facebook (out of pity)

16:30 - eaten sandwich, felt really hot, looked at lolcats, no call or reply

17:15 - game of Jetpack Joyride played while on toilet. Email arrives saying they're investigating.

*I'm not quite sure what needs to be investigated, personally I blame the glut of detective shows on television.


Wednesday

09:00 - breakfast was poor, no milk. No email either so they've probably eloped together

10:17 - postie brings nothing but clothing no one would be seen dead in that the wife found on ebay

11:30 - left testicle itches, still no email

13:30 - oppressive heat forces me and the dogs to wander around some fields wearing very little

14:50 - return to find no email

17:00 - keyboard has melted in the heat, riots in the streets of Mawsley, no email


Thursday

09:00 - no email

10:00 - time for morning poo

10:03 - postie knocks on the door at a most inopportune time

10:30 - no email arrives as I build the RSM Hybrid

10:40 - send email to RSM about switch

10:48 - RSM reply with offers of free help, this is customer service

10:49 - send email to UKe reminding them that I'm still alive and waiting

11:00 - stare out of window at the carnage left after the heatwave riots

12:00 - read about someone else being blown off by UKe

12:05 - bookmark the relevant sections of the Misrepresentation Act & the Distance Selling Regulations

12:30 - get annoyed with Wimbledon taking over 5Live and hurl radio across room

13:00 - sammich time, but no woman present
13:05 - sick daughter refuses to make sammich. Call her "the UKecigstore of daughters"

13:06 - fetch tissues to mop sick girl's tears

13:07 - still no response from UKecigstore
13:08 - fetch tissues to mop up my tears

13:12 - pull self together and focus on something more productive like cross-stitch

14:56 - EMAIL ARRIVES saying (effectively) go play with yourself on a motorway

15:00 - Paypal dispute opened and reply sent repudiating the contract

15:05 - Paypal dispute escalated to full claim


The Law

Misrepresentation Act 1967 - Which?
Distance Selling Regulations - Which?
Consumer Contracts Regulations - Which?


My claim

As the sale breached the Misrepresentation Act through the use of image and video I am allowed to void the contract.

Of the options available to me I have chosen to go through Paypal as I have little faith in any promise of refund that may otherwise be given, and hasn't been thus far.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations states that it is for UKecigstore to now arrange collection or postage of the hybrid. I've informed them of this and am waiting to see what they do.


Conclusion

Some will say "but it was on offer, you should be grateful for what you got", this is UKecigstore's position on the matter after all. Well, that's a point of view but unfortunately not one shared by me or the United Kingdom's legislators.

It could all be down to an honest mistake - but as they've decided to take the stance they have it's hard to forgive it now.

Am I angry? No. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed that a company apparently constantly creating poor publicity has conspired to do it again. I'm saddened that I'll not be able to share a positive story of a bargain and a positive experience. And I'm incredulous that their only solution was to suggest I visit "a local hardware shop".

This was my first and last purchase from UKecigstore. If you use them and are happy with what you get then fine - but to everyone else my message is simple: don't. Just don't.

 

[Mawsley]

Between 7 and 8pm last night I received two emails from "Emily" stating that they had found the parts - "just for you". No one else, just me. Everyone else can go hang as far as UKe were concerned, they were just going to grease the squeaky wheel.

Great, I thought, I'll share this information with everyone.

This morning Emily phoned me. She said she'd be sending out "the spares".

Thank you, I said, but had the perspicacity to ask what she defined as "the spares".

An Allan key and some o-rings...not the items detailed in the picture or the image. I repeated my repudiation of the contract and asked her if she could arrange collection or return of the repudiated goods as laid down under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for contracts nullified due to misdescription (including image and video) and fitness for purpose.

This was the fun bit. Emily got hysterical. There was a lot of shouting culminating in her slamming the phone down. Emily is in charge of the customer services department. Some might say that Emily has a lot to learn about customer service in addition to the legislation applying to distance selling.

Some might say go do internet searches to discover the level of customer dissatisfaction this company inspires.

Some might say never, ever purchase from UKecigstore.

This was my first order from them in three years of vaping, it's my last.

 

[joe clay]

Mawsley, thats discusting customers service and even worse that the said company (spit spit) could and would act like this... I certainly will NEVER order from them now......

 

[Vape Geek]

What kind of sandwich was it?
i like chicken and beacon with a slice or two from tomato, and a tiny touch of mayo (Low fat)
nom nom nom

 

[MrTeaTime]

Heavens to fucking betsy.....

 

[andipandi]

Wow, that's more than a bit frustrating and someone's hysterical rantings down the phone kinda stick with you for the rest of the day (I find). I've dealt with ukecigstore once, there was a lack of communication about the order being processed/dispatched and it took a few days longer to turn up than I was expecting but when it did everything was as it should be.

It's my belief that this fuss is now over nothing more than them not wanting to incur postage costs.

That will do it mostly every time.


I had a similar problem with 2 defective rta's (I bought 2 of the same) from a well known vendor, things really got a bit hazy. Upshot was I paid return postage myself to at least get some money back. I didn't see why I should have to bear return postage for defective goods but I'd agreed to T & C's which state Returns are to be paid by the customer. We do not cover any postage or courier for returns.

At the end of the day I could've been £38 out of pocket but they did refund it all bar the £3.90 return postage. I would never buy from them again, which is a bit of a bummer because they do have some good prices.

I'm not adverse to paying return postage for wrongly ordered or badly chosen products, I bought a wetsuit from ebay a while back, it was too small, cost me about a tenner to send it back. I'd ordered that size, it was down to me.

 

[Mawsley]

Returns are to be paid by the customer. We do not cover any postage or courier for returns.

Only counts if you change your mind about buying stuff.

Such T&Cs go out the window when the law or regs are breached, then you're into remedies provided under SOGA79.

 

[Mawsley]

I've since received two rude and, although it's easy to read sarcasm into text, sarcastic emails.

I've now told them that if Emily makes further contact with me I'll be reporting her to the police for harassment.

Abysmal customer service at a spectacular level.

 

[powervapes]

I did look at these when someone posted the mech mod sale on the forum. I couldn't bring myself to buy one knowing it was coming from these guys. I hope you get it all sorted but the frustration and stress from stuff like this will stick around for a while.

 

[jimbo5599]

Post it all up for clarity and amusement.