VIP Electronic Cigarette Review
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VIP e-cig starter kit
VIP is a UK brand of electronic cigarette and you might well have seen them on sale at an outlet near you. Their standard starter kit costs just £15.98 – so just how do they match up? Lets find out with our hands on VIP review.
In the box
What you’ll find in the box you buy is pretty much exactly what you’d expect:
– 2 cartomisers;
– a battery; and
– a USB charger.
Responsiveness of the battery – how it works
The design of the main part of the e-cig clearly evokes the look of a conventional cigarette, but it’s maybe not so convincing as other electronic cigarettes such as Green Smoke or E-Lite.
Looks apart, however, the battery actually performs very well, giving you a satisfyingly smooth draw when you activate the e-cig.
This relies on the battery switching on just when you need it – and is not activated, therefore, simply because you’ve moved the e-cig suddenly or are using it when it’s windy.
If you are looking at the battery, of course, you’ll want to know how long it’s likely to last between charges. My own experience was not so impressive. For sure, the battery worked well straight out of the box, but drained all too quickly after the first few re-charges.
You might find it desperately frustrating, therefore, to have to wait for the e-cig to be re-charged during your vaping times and might want to invest in a spare battery to overcome this apparent drawback of the VIP e-cig.
Admittedly, of course, the tested starter kit is designed simply to introduce you to the product, but the relatively short battery life might be something that puts you off this product quite early on. For those that don’t mind using a bigger, pen style e cigarette (generally better for heavy smokers) then I would recommend taking a look at our JAC Vapour Series E review. A superb all round product.
Overall – The deficiency is not helped at all, it has to be said, by the fact that VIP are unable to offer a portable charging case (PCC) , as you may find with many other products in order to keep the battery charge topped up when you are out and about.
The battery, its responsiveness and the potential difficulty in keeping it fully charged, therefore, may prove something of an issue is you choose to be a regular user of this particular brand.
Vapour and flavour
Any test of an electronic cigarette, of course, is likely to come down to its flavour and the ability to produce a satisfying volume of vapour.
The problem for any comparison site, however, is that these are ultimately questions of personal taste and preference. So what was my own experience?
In the box I sampled there were two cartomisers – both tobacco flavoured, but at slightly different strengths, with one unit containing 16mg of nicotine and the other 24mg.
Both resulted in a smooth and satisfying vape that hit the throat in just the right way, though I’d have to say that flavours from some other e-cigs seem to have tasted better.
If you are after a truly impressive vapour, however, the VIP e-cig may be the one for you.
It is capable of producing clouds of vapour, though this will obviously reduce how much vaping time you get with each cartomiser – the suppliers reckon about 40 “cigarettes” worth, but if you are in the business of said clouds of vapour then the useful life might be closer to just 20 or 25.
Overall: taste is taste, of course, and is going to vary from one person to another. Smooth and satisfying, with a flavour that hits the throat in just the right way – yet still leaving something to be desired when it comes to the actual taste.
That’s just a personal opinion on taste of course and there is no denying that VIP e-cigs can produce a truly awesome volume of vapour.
Returns/Warranties
This is a slightly difficult one, of course, since you probably want to sample the product before deciding whether to seek a refund or claim against the warranty.
What VIP offers is simply a refund on any product that is returned without being used and in its original state within 14 days.
Customer service
If you are concerned about the manufacturer’s policy on returns, warranties, or indeed any other aspect of the product, then getting in touch with their customer service department is made all the easier by there being both telephone and email access.
This is a plus for VIP e-cigs, since some manufacturers offer a point of contact by email only – and in that instance you might never be entirely certain that your complaint is being dealt with, or has even been read!
Discount Codes
VIP Electronic Cigarettes run regular promotions on their website, check out their special offers page for the latest discounts.
Overall
It’s here at the bottom of the page, of course, that you might have come if you didn’t want to read any of the detailed analysis and impressions we’ve given above!
So what was the overall verdict? Like most things in life, there were pluses and minuses – some impressive features of VIP electronic cigarettes, and some that were less than impressive.
On the plus side, for instance, is the excellent volume of vapour which can be achieved by a VIP e-cig and a taste that is smooth enough to deliver a satisfying hit to the throat. Taste, though, is just that – purely a question of taste.
If you are looking for an economic option, VIP kits are certainly an option to consider, though you might find others that represent even better value for money – The following are excellent options
If you choose the right packages from the brands above they potentially offer a good deal more for your money.
Whether you are a first time vaper or simply looking for greater variety in your vaping experience, therefore, you might want to give VIP more than a second look – and you can do so right here.
Trying to stay loyal to VIP is not always easy!
I’ve been a customer of VIP for approx. 4 years now.
Initially I was on the 2.4 tobacco flavoured carts which I enjoyed.
Then without notification circu 2014/15) they changed supplier and/or ingredients resulting in a flavour change that left me despairing as it was disgusting. Sadly VIP gave no hint that they were going to completely change the flavour which to this day leaves me furious!
Anyway, for the last 12months I have been relatively happy using their Photon thingy however yet again VIP have been busy with lots of changes to all things Photon – and just as before they have not felt inclined to notify loyal customers. BDC Coils have been out of stock for a number of weeks now but customer services persuaded me to purchase BVC coils – big mistake because the pack of 5 that I purchased did NOT work with the Photons therefore were binned.
Same story with Photon atomizers – VIP changed them recently without notifying customers of course) from being 3ml size to a measly 2ml size, also the new design is a joke as the neck has been reduced in width by about half making it just about impossible to receive a satisfying draw.
15% price rises on many of their product lines occurred without warning at the turn of the year and as yet VIP have still not commented on them or offered ANY reason for such massive price hikes although a very weak Sterling rate is likely to be the cause I guess.
Some positives;
There is now a local rate telephone number for VIP customer services which is a big plus, 01614130370) and I can honestly say that ALL of the customer service staff that I have spoken to there recently have genuinely been awesome. Oh, there is also a really good instant chat service too.
DPD continue to deliver orders relatively speedily with 48hrs now being the norm – instead of the previous 24hr but hey 48hrs is still good in my opinion as it remains totally free!
I would like to stay loyal to VIP but it is getting harder…
Purchased some product from https://www.vipelectroniccigarette.co.uk/ couldn’t understand why it tasted strange and was a different colour to normal, on investigation I realised that the best before date was expired 2 weeks before my order date. I contacted customer services as I purchased a large amount and this is there reply “Hi
Thank you for your email, I can confirm that although there is an Expiry Date on the box, the ingredients within the product will not ‘go off’
The information is used for stock information purposes
I can confirm that this information is also available on the website
I hope this helps
Kind Regards
Mr Ashley Thew | Customer Service Manager
VIP Electronic Cigarette | Electronic Cigarette International Group”
Now this is absolute rubbish since I been buying this product in quantities for quite some time and never had stock that was so rank.
I asked VIP to replace my stock and they basically have just ignored me, the customer service is disgraceful and I urge others to stear away from there products because quite clearly if you have an issue it’s tough luck VIP are not interested.
Changed flavour from good to absolute garbage
I used to buy the the tobacco flavoured cartomizers USA & British , the company changed the flavour or supplier with no pre warning . Product went from good to absolutely horrendous . So I’m now looking at other products .
Bough TECC Arc mini 2 months ago. After 1 month started to leakbliquid all over clothes, furniture, hands etc. Total robbish – don’t buy
I dnt understand why the hell they changed golden virginia flavor? it taste like garbage nasty…. i like it before i been doing v.i.p cig since 3 years i didint have no problem with it , now im thinking moving to other service this just waste of money..
I used to the love this product.not anymore.
I have used Vip exclusively for at least 3 years .I spent £1082.00 in the last 12 months alone.When I received my latest order of 50 cartomisers of usa tobacco I tried one and the taste was revolting.I opened 4 more random cartomisers just to check and they all tasted the same. Customer services told me that some people have experienced a subtle difference in taste lately. Believe me the difference is not subtle .I was advised to return the product which I did with a letter expressing my concerns .I received an email advising me that I had been refunded £67.00 (cartomisers cost me £75.00) No reasons for taste difference offered .I emailed back to express how unhappy I was with their response and have received no reply.I feel very let down by this company. Ironic really because I used to recommend them to everyone.
Great Value
I started on the VIPs nearly three years ago when I was given a starter pack as a present, and at the time I was only vaguely aware that e cigs even existed. I was amazed at the kick I got out of them and at how realistically the 24mg cartomisers replicated smoking.
I’m still on them and get 75 cartomisers (fifteen boxes of five) shipped out to me in Australia every six months or so, where I now live and where the sale of e cigs is for some daft reason prohibited.
I was surprised to read all the negative comments about customer service, I’ve never had that myself. I’ve always found it to be good, and orders always arrive here from Ireland within a week or so.
The flavours are good – I use a mix of Menthol, Virginia and British Gold and like all three. They’re subtle flavours and taste something like real cigarettes. I wouldn’t have any interest in fruit flavours or any of that other guff.
My only serious gripe is that battery quality has badly declined since I started using VIP. My first pair of batteries lasted me about a year and a half (I still have them as spares), and I used to knock two full days out of them before having to recharge.
The newer batteries are way inferior, they will just about last a full day between charges and I usually swap them around more frequently than that just to be safe. I also order new ones every six months along with the cartomisers now, as they seem to lose a bit of power after a while.
I mentioned this to the girl on the phone one day when making an order, and she said she’d heard the same from several other customers – someone has also mentioned it in one of the other reviews on here.
The only other issue I’ve had is the occasional dodgy cartomiser which is spent after only a few hours (and not due to heavier-than-usual usage), but those are rare and seem to be one-offs.
I don’t believe I’ve ever had more than a single faulty one in a box.
I’ve never used another e cig aside from taking a few drags from a friend’s blueberry/bubblegum/something flavoured refillable one, and that didn’t appeal to me at all. So I don’t have any real basis for comparison. But I’m happy with VIP and will stick with them.
rubbish
worked at first, batteries kept failing, top kept braking with liquid entering my mouth, charger blew up
At the end of the day, VIP used to be a great company BUT now they are big they are CRAP at looking after the minions that buy there products. if you have a problem it is YOUR fault.
I will never buy from them ever again!!!!!!!!!!
Customer Service
customer service for this company is truly crap, avoid bying anything from them EVER!!!!!!!!
I now pay more for better service!!!!!!!
Awesome Service and support
Fine quality product, never looked back since changing to them
Most of all the service has been exceptional, even when I broke my product they gave me advice on how it had happened and how to avoid it in the future.
The Loyalty point system proves how much they respect their loyal customers
Customer service very poor
Loved the cartomizers but decided to upgrade to a vapourizer. Due to it being faulty & VIP unwilling to replace/refund I have bought one from Tescos at a fraction of the cost and it works perfectly. I would never buy from VIP again & would never recommend them because of their terrible customer service.
Used to be good quality, now very poor!
Battery no longer lasts anywhere near as long as when I first started using VIP 3 years ago. However, far worse is the quality of the batteries I have purchased this year. I have had to change so many faulty batteries as after 2 days to 2 weeks they simply stopped working, I have finally had enough.
I returned to an outlet with yet another faulty battery and the employee there simply did not care in the slightest. it must be the norm for battery returns now. To cut a long story short, my faulty battery went in the bin and I left empty handed, with the echoes for her saying “you are talking to the wrong person here”!! If anyone is wondering, that was the Middleton branch.
The annoying this is that when they worked they were very good, but it would seem the manufacturing of their products has deteriorated this year.
I am going to use this site to find a new product!
Best all round product on the market
This product helped me to quit smoking. I have more enrgy, I don’t have to worry about the liquid leaking like I have done with other products. The taste was as I expected and the vape was smooth. Great all round product, perfect for someone looking to quit smoking.
Good Product (SkystormAM30), Nice Flavours and easy to access.
Great product and easy to access. I got the skystorm AM30 which is the product i reccomend you buy. Do not tighten the atomizer to hard though as it is very hard to undo. But great flavour many flavours to choose from, good service and my broke device was repplaced the next day as it had a battery problem. Very helpfull overall and i am now a ex ciggie smoker so well done. I am quite suprised with the awful reviews i guess they are not doing it right, No problems with me. I reccomend you buy the skystorm AM30.
From the best too probably the Worst e cig company out there
they changed the flavour of the liquids and now they have changed the cartomisers.The original flavour of the USA tobacco liquid was second to none it changed a year ago or so so I complained and fobbed me off by saying it was the same as before so I went on the carts and low and behold they have started very craftily sneeking the odd new flavour cart into the boxs and worst of all they don’t last half them time they used too.So after 4 years as a loyal customer I am moving on too another supplier Gamucci which are very good last long much longer and very good flavour.Not even going to bother complaining to VIP just trust me don’t bother with this company and there produc
Biggest load of crap bought in my entire life!!!
I’m sorry to say that I started out on this product full of confidence that it was going to help me quit smoking but it’s failed miserably due to a faulty product. You have to work so hard to get any kind of a hit from this only to be told by the vip sales person that it’s obviously my fault and that I’m not soaking the coil etc. All a load of crap as I do indeed prime the coil before using a new coil. Iv had problems with batteries breaking and wires showing through and crap clearomizers that sound like your sucking snot through a straw and you end up with a mouth full of liquid which is vile. They fob you off with excuses blaming the customer when the fault is with their product and won’t listen to a single word the customer has to say. And as for a refund! Forget it. All in all VIP are nothing but a bunch of con artists who are quick to take you money and run and theres apparently nothing the customer can do about it. Do yourselves a big favour everyone and buy from a decent company who actually give a dam about their customers and don’t carry ridiculously unfair policies. In my view VIP are an ideal candidate for Watch Dog!
Highly disappointed with customer service.
Email sent to VIP 29/07/2015
So, due to your product being faulty, I have to suffer.
Hardly fair is it.
I have ordered a new battery elsewhere, from a company that doesn’t have ridiculous and unfair policies. I will post this one back to you tomorrow, along with my previous one that is also damaged.
I expect full refund of the product, and the postage made to me on receipt of these products coming back. I will send these tracked and signed for so I will know when they arrive and I will expect the money back in my account the same day.
Myself and my partner will never be purchasing anything from VIP again. I will not be referring you products to anyone. And I will review this product/ site/ customer service as truly appalling and disappointing. Your responses to my emails have not helped, have not taken into consideration that perhaps VIP are in the wrong and the occasional “sorry” has been made with no actual meaning
I expect a customer service to go above and beyond to ensure the satisfaction of their customer, however I feel that you have gone above and beyond to be as useless and unhelpful as possible.
I have never experienced anything like it!
This is unfair and not right.
I await your response.
Response to my email from VIP received 29/07/2015
I am sorry to hear this
Both products will be tested by our Faults Team and should they be deemed as faulty and within the warranty period then a refund can be offered along with any postage charge (receipt required)
I received the same email over and over explaining the same thing.
My main problem being the only a few weeks ago they accidentally sent me and my partner double our order, however only charged us for the 5 we ordered. Being honest people we called VIP and they sent us a postage paid bag to send the product back in.
This time they will not do that because apparently too many products have been sent back as faulty.
Perhaps they should address their faulty product rather than their us or postage paid bags.
Good flavour
Although the e cigs stopped me smoking the battery did break quite a few times. When I went back to shop they kept telling me it was my fault they gave some excuse that I must have sat on it in my pocket, even though I never put it in my pocket, very poor customer service, will try some other shop can’t be any worse than VIP
Good e-cig
I’ve been using the standard e-cig for around 18 months. I’ve tried a variety of flavours and strengths but found golden virginia to be the most realistic flavour with that throat kick. American tobacco is good too. The cartridges are no way upto 40 cigs as they claim them to be, I use two a day but i do use it often. The quality of the cartridges are very hit and miss, sometimes they are absolutely useless. Was told to bang them on the base but this didn;t improve them at all – you can tell by one cartridge out of the box if the whole batch is dud.
I have tried other brands of ecig but none as good as this one. I have not smoked since using the vip e-cig and have had no cravings.
The vip customer discounts have never worked in the 18 months I have been using them.
Would like more information on how to dispose of these properly, it has a no household waste image but no information.
Customer service has always been excellent and delivery is usually DPD, next day. Although have had several issues on DPD’s side.
Appalling customer service, poor quality products, overpriced!
I stopped smoking 2 years ago and switched to vaping. At first I was ordering online and then I switched to VIP to support the local market. I have had nothing but trouble from these products. Every clearomiser I have bought has broken within the month. The first time I returned one they told me there was nothing they could do as I had no receipt, so I bought another one. They told me to come back if I noticed it acting up….that was March 20th. I came back on April 21st (it was acting up for several days but i couldn’t get to the store before that date) with receipt and original packaging and was told they could do nothing as it was over 28 days since the product was purchased DESPITE the fact that the product is supposed to last months! I rang their customer service who told me they would get back to me buy the end of the week, and they never came back to me. I have since found a supplier down the road who really know their product, sold me a clearomiser for 6 instead of 16, and sells eliquid for 3.50……far better service!! I would advise anyone to stay away from VIP and just do a bit of research about other suppliers around there are available. VIP SUCK!!
Customer service = The worst
This company provides the worst customer service ever! I placed an order 2 weeks ago which I have still not received! They took the money out of my account that same day yet have ignored every email I have sent to them and do not answer their phone! They have technically stole my money, which I cannot get back from them! Do NOT order from this company, it will be the biggest mistake you make!
twice bought photon kit, first one lasted a weeh then fell apart snapping the wires, then bought new battery and bdc clearomiser that failed to work after a week returned to outlet in staines and was told I'd overtightened it even though I'd treated it with kid gloves as the last one had'nt lasted five minutes. over tightened it never heard such rubbish ! but I'd thrown 70 pounds away on rubbish.
nothing really good at all but a good vape while it worked
Its Rubbish
chemically tasting, tobacco taste like black coffee with very earthy taste of cigar taste vape ploom very poor .just a money making product with no customer awareness. its all abut the money honey another poor product in a fancy box .
Pile of crap!!
I purchased the Photon PRO Variable Voltage Super Kit, it arrived the next day which was good. I opened the box and charged the battery. I looked at the glassomizer and it was cracked so that wasn’t a good start. After the battery was fully charged i filled the glassomizer with e-liquid and attached it to the battery. All went well for 1 day then my e-cig stopped working. Pile of crap and a waste of £46.
Awful products
Was happy when all
Working now had to buy new vamo all good except new liquid from VIP really disappointed after three mths no warranty
Best avoided unless you like!e being frustrated.
Before the bdc tops came along I was already getting sick of replacing the plastic clearomizers which constantly crack at the bottom making them unusable. With purchasing an expensive and sturdy looking bdc top the problem transfers and the tops break off the batteries exposing the wires and making them useless. I have had this happen to 3 batteries in the last couple of months and another family member has got through 3 in the same time. In short, it looks like premium stuff and you pay a premium price but actually your better off buying the cheap stuff from a petrol station! Very poor quality and a “we don’t care attitude” means VIP will not get any more money from me.
Happy Vaper - Great Service
Very surprised by some of these reviews.
I have never had any issues with my VIP experience.
I did get a battery recently that would not turn on when I received it, emailed VIP who advised to return it to them. I returned it the following day and within 48 hours i had a replacement on its way to me along with an email advising that the Faults Team had my battery and then another email saying it had been replaced for me.
I was kept up to date throughout the process.
Great service from start to end!!!
Very poor customer service.
Ordered some more e liquid (british gold). I was not informed that they had changed their supplier and the flavour has changed ….. has a horrible taste. I informed them that I did not like the product and requested a full refund on return of the items. IT WAS DECLINED.
This is appalling service from a customer who has been buying their products for almost two years.
I will switch to another company who values their customers.
Avoid avoid avoid like the plague!!!!!
Falls apart exposing wiring and battery overheats. Only had this product for 2 weeks and they only give you 28 days warranty. If you can even call it a warranty as nothing is covered under it. Here is my correspondence from them when I reported the faults. I bet they would say the same about all faults and will argue with you until ‘oooops sorry – your warranty has now expired.’ Just for the record as well, I didn’t smoke much before and have only used this on a couple of occasions and am confident it has not been dropped or sat on as they seem to suggest. POOR POOR POOR quality product and service!! Do not buy, so many better ones out there!
Hi
Thank you for your email. I am sorry to hear about this. I can confirm that
our batteries are pressure sealed, and will not break unless they have had
some sort of stress or trauma placed on them. The most common cause for this
that we are aware of is customers sitting down with the full e-cig in their
pocket or being dropped, which can cause a stress point at the place of the
button. Unfortunately, this sort of damage is not covered under the warranty
as it is deemed as user damage.
I would advise to purchase a new battery
Kind Regards
Customer Service Manager
Must Have LTD
VIP Electronic Cigarette
Unit 14 Dale Street Industrial Estate
Radcliffe
Manchester
M26 1AD
Tel: 08448229989
Looking For a better product
Ive used VIP for over a year and time after time the cartomisers let me down, If they arent leaking the mouth piece is loose, they are so frustrating. Im very careful when I refil yet they still sound like Im sucking on a snotty nose and you end up with a mouthful of E liquid…..its just not nice! I recently bought 2 to see my over the christmas and they both didnt last a day…..absolute rubbish! at £5 each its an expensive replacement to smoking cigarettes. Im awaiting a delivery of the new Vype …….hope its better than VIP
clearomizers keep leaking!
not happy! need to find a better product
what can I say and remain polite? awful customer service and many probs with product!!
It started off (about 3 yrs ago) so well then I started smoking again as I was in the early stages of Quitting and I had cartomisers that refused to work or batteries that wouldn’t charge properly or at all!! I lost interest in product and because customer service was terrible and dso unhelpful I started smoking again!! When only last yr I decided to try again, I thought I’d try VIP again thinking that maybe as they’d become more popular, product and service would have progressed somewhat but nope how wrong was I !? On receiving my new kit/cartomisers the USB charger didn’t charge batteries so I rang up and complained and a new one was sent some 5 days later which meant I had to delay my quit start day which as all smokers know,is an integral part of trying to quit! Then I had 2 carts outIif the 5 which didn’t work at all, so complained again but was told “you obviously wasn’t charging battery for long enough”!!? Explained that id just had a replacement usb but it was still MY fault (obviously!) Anyway I couldcarry on but I think you get the general Iidea. ..plus customer service at their stands is dire also… eg..tried e liquid. .it continually leaked was told “you must have knocked or dropped it”…so couldnt give refund or a replacement! !?
Poor Quality .
Very disappointed with the quality of this product. The clearomisers keep leaking after only a couple of days so you lose all your e liquid too. Shame really because I was getting on so well with it and didn’t crave a cigarette once. I will carry on with e-cigs but will try another make in the hope that the quality will be better. I think you need to get to grips with quality control or other people will change brands too.
Terrible product -and even more terrible is the customer service ! AVOID at all costs!!
l was told this product would be amazing and it would help me to stop smoking… the sales assistant allowed me to try different flavours (I opted for the a tobacco flavour and it tasted good. When I got home however, it tasted nothing like the sample… it was awful! I also didn’t get the satisfaction of the hit at back of throat and had to fight for it with every draw. The unit was leaking fluid and I was very disappointed with the product. I went back to the stall in Stockton on Tees a few days later after trying to ‘get used to it and make it work’, but I was back on the cigs as it gave me no satisfaction whatsoever. The sales assistant was extremely cocky – he took two draws on my ecig and said it was working wonderfully well !!! WTF???? He refused to give me a refund due to me not being entirely happy with the product, but took my number and said the Area Manager would contact me within 24 hours. This man would not listen to me at all…. I told him that within a 24 hour period of using the product, about 9 times out of 10 it would work well, but the other 9 times there was absolutely nothing ! Why would I go back to return it if I was happy with it? I walked away from the stall very unhappy that he wasn’t listening to me and my complaint and proceeded to tell other prospective customers not to buy anything from VIP as it was CRAP ! ha ha ha he got very angry and called a security guard to get me out of the vicinity of the stall !
Area manager phoned me within 2 hours and told me that I could not return a used product as it was like me returning a used lipstick… they could never sell it again ! OMG WTF??? It is nothing like that at all ! A used lipstick I would NOT return… UNLESS IT WAS FAULTY of course! I would not return a used lipstick if the colour didn’t suit me… but I WOULD return it if it was faulty in some way !
I went to another stall in Stockton and purchased another starter pack from eciggyuk (www.eciggyuk.co.uk) and it is FANTASTIC !!!
Stay well away from VIP… they are con artists in every way !!!
Oh my god!!! I so agree with your comment in every way!! Thought it was just me tbh, as if theres a faulty something/ anyyhing i usually find it!! load of rubbish isnt it! Sorry for you but glad it wasnt ‘just me!!’ 🙂 another great e cig is Greensmoke!! Customer service is just the best! Standard delivery brill and product fsntastic !! ( I smoke the cartridges and menthol ice) havent toiched real cig for nearly a yr! 🙂 sept 23rd is my anniversary lol happy vaping hun 🙂
Bad customer service puts you off and really expensive compared to others.
I smoked VIP for about a year and had a couple of promised deliverys cancelled at the last minute. The last order was supposed to arrive before we ent on our holiday and once again let down so moved on to Hausa of Vaping which is a better product more smoke and better customer service!
Beyond poor quality
Appalling quality. Literally, the clearomisers break/crack/leak sometimes the FIRST drag you take of the thing, on average lasting about 1-2 days, also, the tips quite often malfunction, lose their screw grip or perish. Malfunctioning clearomisers and tips mean you end up losing LOADS of the liquid… Quite often I come downstairs in the morning and my upright ecig is stood up in a puddle of leaked liquid. In times of emergency when I’ve run out of my many back up clearomisers, I end up having cellotape the thing in a wasted effort to stop it leaking everywhere just so I can get my fix, but it doesn’t work, greasy liquid escapes any crack, no matter what you try. I often spend hours getting mad because I have no means of nicotine because this product has yet again failed on me. This is honestly one of the most frustrating expensive wastes of money I’ve ever encountered. Avoid like the plague.
ok, product. people reporting build problems and leaks
tip.. if you buy clearomizers, make sure you start using both.
I recently had one that was leaking and they refused to replace it because I didn’t contact them within 48 hours of receiving.
no service whatsoever. No replacement possible.
my email to them on 2 faulty ones :
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Correct, I MAY have burnt out the wick. But I handled it like I have
previous ones before it.As for the leaky one, it wasn’t dropped, rubber wasn’t missing. it’s always kept in my shirt breast pocket.
Numerous things could have happened. Maybe me, maybe not.
The point I was trying to make is the attitude – “Probably your fault so no service”
REAL service : “we think it’s your fault. We’ll replace them this time for free, but please beware for these how to prime, how to look after, etc”
THEIR reply
Unfortunately, as previously stated, and mentioned
on the call, the clearomizers only come with a 48 hour dead on arrival warranty. Outside of these timescales we are unable to offer replacement products.
Shitty service in my opinion. Think twice
I’ve gone elsewhere
A great product, I will never to back to real cigarettes
Very surprised at some of the negative comments. I started on vip e cigs on the 01/06/13 and I love them, I don’t smell like a burnt ashtray and more to the point I can now actually run without gasping for air after 20 seconds. I get the point about battery life but in the 13 months that have passed since I started using them, I have only bought 2 replacement batteries, ps I did not throw the old ones out, I simply use these as spares in emergency ie I always take a spare battery with me, the same thing goes true with the cartomisers, I always have at least 1 spare. I have now switched over to the photon ( e liquid ) simply because i want to know how much vaping I have left every day, but even at that, I still plan on taking a spare, very small bottle, everywhere I go. PS I also get the point about some cartomisers not lasting as long as others, hell, I had one that lasted about 4 drags, for me that’s life, it’s not as though I spent thousands on it. PPS if you really want some good customer service, I don’t order through the internet, try the vip stall in the Saint Enoch centre in Glasgow.
A few faults but it does the job
I smoked about 25/30 roll-ups a day,and was getting a bad ‘smokers cough’.I chose VIP because they seem to be the only one that offers a Virginia rolling flavour,which is very realistic and gives a good throat hit.
After 6 weeks I am down to a couple of roll-ups a days and my cough has almost gone.
On the down side, the batteries need constant charging, I usually have one in use and one on charge,and the cartomizers/filters are very erratic, one may last over half a day the next only a couple of hours.
Also,as I used to buy duty-free tobacco e-cigs work out more expensive but seem to be the healthier option.
Sale of goods act - don't be fobbed off by VIP
VIP have sold me batteries and clearomisers that don’t work and refused to give exchanges or refunds (I just wanted to exchange for something that works) I have now wasted around £40 on good that don’t work.
The batteries I tried to return were, in very good physical condition.. not scratched, still had the VIP logo on, looked as new.. still I was refused any action on the faulty, defective goods. I was told that the Manager had told the staff ‘not to accept any more batteries being returned’ so there is clearly a problem that they won’t address.
Take my advice and DONT BUY from VIP
But if you have done and you experience the same problems as other people who have posted on this forum remember the Sale of Goods act 1979:
http://whatconsumer.co.uk/returning-damaged-or-faulty-goods/#axzz34taepNM1
They cannot just fob you off if the goods do not function!
Don't bother, worst customer service ever
I have had two faulty batteries which have just stopped working, one after just one week.. one after about one month, VIP refused to exchange or refund it. I have also had a clearomiser that tasted burnt from the first time I used it. VIP’s thing seems to be blaming customers for goods that (even though they have lovely packaging) are basically substandard.
Take my advice and don’t give them your money, there are better companies that will treat you better
Refuse refunds and refuse to replace!
6 months ago my boyfriends mum bought me a starter kit when I said I wanted to give up smoking. She purchased me a kit and herself and together we both tried to give up.
Within days her battery stopped working and filter snapped. I on the other hand had my battery at least 3 months before purchasing a new one and have been happy with the product…yes the staff on the stalls in the shopping centres are ignorant and lazy whenever you have a problem but generally if an item has broken they have been happy to replace them even without proof of purchase.
This was all fine up until a couple of weeks ago when I ordered a battery, some filters and liquid online. On arrival the battery wouldn’t work. They refused to send me a replacement until there ”faults” team had examined it. I offered to take it to one of their stalls to be replaced but apparently they wouldn’t do that…even thought I they have replaced items before.
I returned the battery recorded delivery and told them that I was a loyal customer and had spent £100’s with them and wanted a new one sent asap they were so rude via email I just gave up and said I didn’t want a replacement just a refund. They confirmed that they would refund me the battery and cost of postage. Roughly £16.
A day or so later a new battery arrived which I didn’t want as by this time I had purchased a kit from another brand…it was also faulty. I emailed them asking why this had happened and where was my refund. They advised that if I sent this battery back recorded delivery they would give me a refund. So due to there fault…twice…I was being asked to pay out another £6.00?
How they can justify this…god knows. But to say the least I am thoroughly annoyed. They are a cowboy brand with an customer service. They have so much competition and yet they refuse to treat customers in the way they should. They take your money but then refuse to refund you! There are lots of other brands out there that have better ethics so don’t waste your money with VIP.
Waste of money
VIP is a total rip off faulty goods. customer service a joke i nearly ended up smoking again because of all the hassle with the company
read the small print there policy is ( DOA dead on arrival) you have 48 hours to return goods
Worst product, worst service and a total rip off!
Worst costumer service I have ever been through. My cigarette started burning on my lip really badly and it was very painfull every time i took a puff. So I contacted the staff and he then told me to send it back to them so that they could replace me with a new one. And so I did, paid 5 pounds for package and posting and off it went. After that another lady came back and asked me where I bought it from and clearly it is a VIP make, turns out that my friend bought it from groupon and now the warranty is not enough, which her collegue couldv’e made clear right from the beginning before I was off spending 5 pounds to get no where. They had no explanation why the ciggarette started to give away burning in your mouth. Not enough that the battery kept dying ALL the time which makes it impossible to even bring it with you outside. The filters kept running out, I spend loads of time and money buying new filters which is way too pricy anyway. Now, all they are doing is sending back my BROKEN and highly dangerous product to me, but they refuse giving courtesy to replace me with a new one even though it’s a high health and safety risk as you can really hurt yourself with this product. I am so dissapointed on how they have treated me who is a regular costumer every other week…..
Overall, product is terrible, gives you massive headache, battery dies super quick and you have to keep buying refills that keeps running out.
Not worth it, don’t even bother. I am now going over to another brand!
Potentially good but falls short in so many areas.
Getting off the cigs is NOT just about the nicotine element, so patches etc never worked for me.
The E-cig concept covers a lot of the aspects – holding something / drawing / inhaling / ‘hit’ on the back of the throat / taste etc.
VIP E-cigs DO address a lot of these issues and def’ played a large part in getting me off the tobacco…….. BUT, quality is very variable and I have a large (20 or so ?) pile of defective batteries here – some useless within days of receiving them.
I’ve also had bad batches of cartomisers – lasted no time at all, but complaints were essentially ‘dismissed’.
Not cheap on a monthly basis – off the tobacco but now ‘hooked’ on these things, so not saving any money……… looking for a better product now.
faulty in a short period it fell apart vip shop in Hyde said you may have over tightened it warranty void without even looking at it very poor customer service
The concept is good but it fell apart after a few weeks I popped into the vip store in Hyde where purchased from and explained my vip cigarette was at home and it fell apart I asked what to do!!! The smug shop assistant said there is no warranty as you could have over tightened it. I said you can say that without looking at it!!! The assistant seemed well versed in a simple short not my problem. Never go to vip premium price flash packaging no backup or customer services try Nicorett brand from tesco different league had faulty charger replaced on the spot.
Dissapointed!
Really disapointed paid for the starter kit which was a tenner cheaper online, then the clearomisers are rubish they dont keep screwed down on the bit which you suck and when u first use them u keep getting mouth fulls of liquid even after doing it step by step like i was told. The only good thing is the taste of the liquid, ive used the triple menthol and the RY4 smooth which are nice but the actual photon and clearomiser i am not impressed with at all!!
An ok ecig
Took a bit of getting used to, but now I am I think it’s no different to the cigarettes and will need to wean myself off soon.
Customer services is great and next day delivery is perfect.
VIP were my first step in vaping. They got me off cigarettes but there are so many better products on the market.
VIP were great when i first wanted to give up smoking. I made the switch and now haven’t had a real cigarette in over 2 years. So i thank them for that. However, i have since moved off of the ‘cigarette-like’ e-cigs and onto the ‘tank systems (sometimes called Shisha pens, eGo’s etc). I cannot tell you how much i prefer these!
When i first bought from VIP i was told a fully charged battery would last over a day. This is complete nonsense. I get half a day out of a new battery if i’m lucky! And after a few charges the battery life gets shorter by the day!
Now the cartomisers! Once again i was told they would last over a day. And to be fair the 2 in my starter kit did! Weirdly though (i have to be careful here!) all the ones i’ve had since have lasted about half that time (It’s almost as though they give you more in your first 2 to entice to back… ). And they certainly are NOT equivalent to 30-40 cigarettes!
They do have decent vapour production, and i actually quite like the taste. They’re easy to charge (if you’re indoors and have a charger handy) and only take about 2 hours.
As i said before, VIP are a great ‘first step’ in vaping, but if these aren’t for you, don’t let that put you off. There are a wide range of better quality products available at not much more than what you end up paying for these.
Very Bad Aftersales Service
Found another supplier and product is fine and have stopped smoking,no thanks to VIP rubish
i first bought this kit over 2 years ago and used it for a bt then went on to more expensive kits, i went back on real cigs and last week decided id go back to not smoking, well my vip still works and seems to work even better than before! the other kit is well and truly dead!
easy to habdle and carry around, cheep as in almost free, long lasting,pleasent ,fulfulling, 100% happy, still want to give up all together but this is a great help
Faulty product - zero support
I bought the VIP Photon Tank Premium Starter Kit. I had a problem where the atomiser came away from its base and all the e-liquid escaped so I had to use a new battery & atomiser. When I set it up as directed in the instructions when I inhaled the liquid failed to vaporise & e-liquid entered my mouth. Also, the e-liquid just leaked through the body of the device even though it was connected properly. This continued so I contacted VIP who’s reply was to say that their products are classed as disposable items & as such no refunds or replacements can be made.
I was also told a similar story when a new mouth piece broke away when I screwed it onto the battery. These products are expensive & should be supported by appropriate customer support.
great ecig
i switched from the minuete I started on the vip feel better on there refills 5 for a tenner they last me 10 days for 10 pound good value cause you want to save monet too really fast delivery
I thinks these are great
I want to completely stop smoking but at the moment I smoke normal cigs at night, I love these ecigs especially the American tobacco and the mixed ones, I have although had a few that havent lasted long, I dont know if I needed a new battery or if it was just a dodgy box, i have cut down my smoking by half and dont even think about a real cigarette during the day because I have the kit I will be sticking with these as it would be too expensive now to change and the delivery is very fast too, hopefully in a few weeks I will not be smoking at all, I just need to put my mind to it. so all in all a great e-cig just wishing the battery lasted longer and the cartomisers all lasted the same length of time, if I have any more dodgy ones I will be sending them back and hopefully get them replaced
starter set and 1st set of cartridges fine but second box of 5 i only got a few puffs from each cartridge before stopping - faulty produce
When products faulty VIP don’t want to do anything except offer “gesture of goodwill” if you order MORE goods from them. Surely they don’t expect me to spend more money with them when I have only had a 60% usage of what I have already purchased from them (4 of 5 cartridges in the second box didn’t work properly). WILL FIND ALTERNATIVE PRODUCT
I used to smoke 10 cigs a day. One cartomiser is supposed to be 20 cigs and I use 1.5 a day. So that means I now smoke 30 cigs a day.
Feels and looks OK. But does not live up to the claims of how many cigs a day it replicates.
defo recommend
i ad a box of 5 filters for just over a week i was very surprised as i smoked 20 a day for 11 years .
i would defo recommend this product its very helpful , with this i dont think i will ever look back .
thanks VIP 🙂
Well priced starter kit that produces a good volume of vapour.
As mentioned, taste is a very personal thing, but I really like the USA Tobacco flavour as it has that slightly roasted hit. Gives just the right amount of vapour and throat hit to simulate a tobacco cigarette. A wider range of flavours is available compared to some other cartridge based brands. VIP also sell liquid based systems for those who prefer them. Battery life could be better, as a 15-20 a day smoker, I charge it every evening. Heavier smokers will quickly need a spare battery, although these are reasonably priced. It would be nice if they added a PCC to the range, although their hard case has room for a spare battery. Overall I am very happy with this product, especially after trying some of the disposable e-cigarettes available.