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.
VIP E Cig Video Review
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.
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
Anyone familiar with making purchases via the internet will be familiar with the marketing and promotion of sales through discount codes. Happily, you can find a selection of different offers and promotions for VIP e-cigs on the relevant Facebook page.
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 – Green Smoke and Jacvapour spring immediately to mind and, if you choose the right packages, 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.
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.