Poor product quality and pathetic service

I am extremely astonished by the pathetic service and poor product quality I have received at the Vape Shop

I purchased a device (the Ego Aio Eco) a month ago (8 May 2018), but in the following 2 weeks I had experienced many problems with the device:

- device stopped working twice, for an hour or two each time (which resulted in my smoking cigarettes) - within the last 2 weeks I had to change the coil twice - If you still have liquid in the device and your coil needs to be changed, you'd have to throw out the liquid and clean out the tank before replacing the coil or you'd end up with a ton of liquid in your mouth - which has happened to me with this device, in addition this is quite difficult to do when you're out and about

Now being in the service industry (I manage a company that wholesales stock to retailers) I am well aware that there at times, defects with products. And of course the only interactions I have with our clients are about such complaints that have been escalated, so I'm very accustomed to dealing with unhappy clients and was very dissapointed with the service I received at the gateway Vape Shop just 2 weeks later (25 May 2018)

I had walked in to get a new coil for the device (this would be the third one) I had told the shop assistant that I was not happy with the device but I would come back on Monday to exchange or return it, as I was not well and clearly not in any condition to speak about it....and that for now, all I wanted was a coil to last over the weekend. Yet the assistant insisted that I tell him what the problem was (please note that from the moment I mentioned my unhappiness with the product, he seemed annoyed)

I briefly ran through my issues (above) and said that I'd be back on Monday to discuss and repeated that I needed to leave due to my being sick, but he persisted flippantly and with an attitude - at first he enquired about the nicotine content of my liquid and suggested that I had been sold the incorrect nicotine level for the device for the amount of cigarettes I smoked 5 years ago. - then he inferred that I had been using old/expired liquid - then he alluded to my using **** liquid, which he quickly retracted after finding that I've bought my liquid from H2 in Durban North - then he tried to use the device, and said that it worked fine - when I told him that he's tested the device for a whole 2 seconds and assumed that it's fine, while I've had it for 2 weeks, and know that it isn't, he got really irrate and flustered - I told the shop assistant, I wouldn't have minded exchanging the device for liquids or something else, yet he wouldn't hear of it...he then stated that because the product was a consumable and had already been used, there was nothing that could be done - clearly he has no idea what a consumable is or the terms of the NCA - then after listing every possible reason why the device being faulty was actually my fault, he stormed out saying that he was calling head office.

Throughout the conversation he constantly cut me off and spoke over me, I had to eventually ask him to let me speak. This was definitely not troubleshooting, he was insistent that the device was perfect and refused to take accountability.

After his conversation to head office still seemed frustrated and dismissively said that I can bring the device back on Monday for him to check it - this after his very professional 2 second analysis of it and declaring it perfectly fine, I couldnt understand why he was second guessing himself - clearly to passify me and get me out the door or to actually check it properly?! What a joke

Another staff member there (who very politely tried to help me with a new coil - what I walked in there for) said that mixing two 18ml liqua liquids would make the final product stronger and therefore rendering the coil incapable of dealing with stronger liquid.... although I doubt there is any merit to this claim, if it is infact the case, should someone have not advised me that this device could not handle the mixing of liquids.... Or that the filters would last a week... Or any other defects and shortcomings for that matter.... if I was advised accordingly I would not purchased this device.

I had a simple issue that could have been solved with a little customer service and understanding - he could have just said that he would refer this to management or head office (which is what I have my staff do) and we could have avoided this ugly scene but evidently he does not have enough emotional maturity to understand that the problem I initially had was with the device and not him but he was unnecessarily defensive and rude. Yet now it is both the service I've received and the device.

Later that afternoon I received an sms from the Vape Shop, stating the the gateway store was unable to assist me and that I should email my concerns to ********** which I did the following day (26 May 2018 - now 2 weeks ago) and I am still awaiting a response. I did try contacting head office and was only able to get through to the manager of the online store, Stefanie. However polite she may have been, nothing came off that conversation either - she had assured me that she would have the regional manager contact me, yet I am still awaiting a response. I provided Stephanie with my email address and asked if she could have the regional manager email or text me as I am at times unable to answer my phone at times due to the nature of my work, yet I haven't heard from the Vape Shop. I think I have allowed the Vape Shop sufficient time to rectify this issue before publishing this on a public forum, but thus far I have been ignored and they've therefore left me with no other option.

Please note that I have been shopping at the Vape Shop for about 4 or 5 years now and have not had any issues with their products or service up until this problem - and I consider myself to be an extremely fair and reasonable person. It's a shame when one bad experience or a few bad employees undoes all the good work the rest of your staff does and ruins your reputation