Price difference.

jno547

Esmokeireland recently launched their new website and I for one am not a huge fan of the new layout,thought the old site was well laid out and easy to navigate.However,that's not my real annoyance,there appears to be quite a price difference especially on hardware items between ESI and other Irish vendors,example RX200 €80 ESI and €65 Efag, UD Balrog €75 ESI and €59 Cigreen, Istick 100W TC €55 ESI and €46 Efag.
Is there a valid reason for this can anyone enlighten me

Penny Tration

The only thing I could guess at is that when buying from ESI, you're paying for the website to be run, two shops, more staff, rents, electricity etc. whereas with efag, they're an online only business iirc, so much lower outgoings therefore they can offer a cheaper price?

jno547

Penny Tration wrote: »

The only thing I could guess at is that when buying from ESI, you're paying for the website to be run, two shops, more staff, rents, electricity etc. whereas with efag, they're an online only business iirc, so much lower outgoings therefore they can offer a cheaper price?

Perhaps but some of the differences appear high even taken into consideration what you said.
I've never had a bad experience with ESI and they've always provided a consistently good service but these price differences have been bugging me lately especially now that China has it's act together with deliveries to this part of the world and even with the low prices offered by China I'd still prefer to give the business to someone local.

AngryDiMaria

jno547 wrote: »

Esmokeireland recently launched their new website and I for one am not a huge fan of the new layout,thought the old site was well laid out and easy to navigate.However,that's not my real annoyance,there appears to be quite a price difference especially on hardware items between ESI and other Irish vendors,example RX200 €80 ESI and €65 Efag, UD Balrog €75 ESI and €59 Cigreen, Istick 100W TC €55 ESI and €46 Efag.
Is there a valid reason for this can anyone enlighten me

I noticed a few months back that their prices were getting more expensive so I stopped buying from them, their juices and coils are a rip off. I used to recommend them on here alot! Doesn't matter about how many different premises they run, they turned into a bunch of chancers.

Penny Tration

jno547 wrote: »

Perhaps but some of the differences appear high even taken into consideration what you said.
I've never had a bad experience with ESI and they've always provided a consistently good service but these price differences have been bugging me lately especially now that China has it's act together with deliveries to this part of the world and even with the low prices offered by China I'd still prefer to give the business to someone local.

I agree with you tbh, I'm just trying to think of reasons as to why there'd be such a discrepancy in pricing.

Tbh, I'm gonna always go with a trusted vendor, who has what I want at the best price - though I do use only Irish vendors really, never ordered from FT or GB.

But for me, pricing usually ends up best for what I use at republic of vape, and for the things my little sister and boyfriend use, it's a mix of RoV and Ecirette (odd because ecirette are usually more expensive than other vendors).

If sales drop, prices will probably be adjusted.

youdipstick

I'm not a lover of their new site either,the worst site I find is Cigatec,left clicking every bluddy where,The Bestshop is my fav site,so easy to navigate,Ivape & Efag are fairly similar to eachother.
Prices are well up with ESI,I always head for The Bestshop first & then onto Efag,if something is new to the market then Ivape normally has it in.
For unusual items,Cigreen is my choice & their pre-order dates are fairly dead on.These are my fav Irish sites & I'll always buy from FT rather than GB.
I get my French Pipe from e-shop.ie....
DIY....PnMix & Cloud

moleyv

Yeah in the last 6 months or so I only order from ESI if I've little other choice.

They have a higher threshold for free delivery too.

They added on money to the cuboid soon after it emerged as a popular choice.

And their new website is buggy enough when it went live.

gilmour

I've noticed that all the popular Irish vendors have increased their prices over the past few months, IVape was my absolute go to but no longer as they hiked their prices up and seemingly done away with the coupon code that used to get 10% off. Pity because they were fantastic and still the best Irish site for new juices etc on the market.
But now my cash is going to sites in the UK that offer far better prices per juice, greater variety and free shipping on some sites when you spend a certain amount. Takes 2-3 business days delivery. No brainer really.

jambofc

gilmour wrote: »

I've noticed that all the popular Irish vendors have increased their prices over the past few months, IVape was my absolute go to but no longer as they hiked their prices up and seemingly done away with the coupon code that used to get 10% off. Pity because they were fantastic and still the best Irish site for new juices etc on the market.
But now my cash is going to sites in the UK that offer far better prices per juice, greater variety and free shipping on some sites when you spend a certain amount. Takes 2-3 business days delivery. No brainer really.

can you pm me the one,s you use

rob316

Vendors have put up their prices because of the $/€ rate, I know in my case we held tough for as long as possible but there has been no change. Commercial rent rates are climbing again too, so price increases were inevitable.

UK vendors will feel the pinch soon aswell with the £ dropping in value against the $.

ohmplate

I haven't bought anything from an irish shop for a while now. When buying online is 30% to 40% cheaper I can't justify spending it with irish retailers.

I also work in an independent niche retail outlet and I understand the costs involved. It looks to me that there's a lot of cashing in before the whole thing goes bust.

bearclaire

Certain Vendors have got Greedy, when Efag and others cut the price of "other" vendors, the Exchange rate, overheads Import Costs just don't Cut it.
Money Talks and I'm not supporting over Greedy vendors when there's Irish competition way under their Greedy prices

rob316

bearclaire wrote: »

Certain Vendors have got Greedy, when Efag and others cut the price of "other" vendors, the Exchange rate, overheads Import Costs just don't Cut it.
Money Talks and I'm not supporting over Greedy vendors when there's Irish competition way under their Greedy prices

Yes overheads do cut it, if you ever ran a business you would realise this. Esi, ecirette and others also run retail shops, the online prices would not be possible here. They need to keep some parity with their retail prices and online so naturally their online prices will be higher than their competition without retail stores.
If you buy from somewhere like Esi you are paying for the in store service like the advice and time from their staff which doesn't come cheap.

AngryDiMaria

rob316 wrote: »

If you buy from somewhere like Esi you are paying for the in store service like the advice and time from their staff which doesn't come cheap.

Horse ****

BeansBeans

rob316 wrote: »

Yes overheads do cut it, if you ever ran a business you would realise this. Esi, ecirette and others also run retail shops, the online prices would not be possible here. They need to keep some parity with their retail prices and online so naturally their online prices will be higher than their competition without retail stores.
If you buy from somewhere like Esi you are paying for the in store service like the advice and time from their staff which doesn't come cheap.

I was involved with an online and bricks and mortar shop before and that is absolute and utter bollocks.

You dont add a bricks and mortar to a lucrative online business from the goodness of your heart, you are increasing your potential market. You do not put up your online prices to match. An increase in prices in a shop is expected due to the overheads and service, if you are matching your online prices to the b&m you are being greedy and shooting yourself in the foot. People will stop buying on your online shop, rightly so.

Oh and the online prices were possible and lower before they expanded their markets.

ohmplate

Fasttech clones going for more than double the price takes the biscuit though.

bearclaire

rob316 wrote: »

Yes overheads do cut it, if you ever ran a business you would realise this. Esi, ecirette and others also run retail shops, the online prices would not be possible here. They need to keep some parity with their retail prices and online so naturally their online prices will be higher than their competition without retail stores.
If you buy from somewhere like Esi you are paying for the in store service like the advice and time from their staff which doesn't come cheap.

Well I do Own a Business an No they Do Not Cut it with Online Trading.
Online trading should offer a discount as your not getting store and staff Service
And being as you Mentioned them ESI and Ecirette are the Worst offenders for over charging.
In the past I have supported Irish Vendors but when Greed raises its head to the degree they have now my Hard earned cash goes to Efag and uk vendors.
The internet means trading internationally is a viable option, ripping people off will not bring in Repeat Business regardless of B&m or Net Sales.

jno547

Republic of Vape have always been competitive I thought till I checked the prices of their new stock,The Cleito and istick 100w tc in particular,outrageous difference in price compared to other Irish vendors :mad: Maybe there is a good reason for this and I'd love to hear it but like everything else consumers will shop for best value and has been mentioned already online shopping is a huge marketplace and I do believe that some of our well known 'local' vendors should take stock of where these price differences will leave them.:(

Thecageyone

Not sure on the pricing, haven't really directly compared all the usual sites. But the race is on. I've ordered from 3 vendors at the same time, ESI being one. Who manages to get here first might sway me to favouring them in future. Speed might be worth the few extra pennies.

On flavour concentrates ESI do 15ml, instead of the usual 10ml on others. It's €4.10 for 15ml of Flavour apprentice, for example. It's 2.99 for 10ml on P'n'M. That makes ESI better value in that case. But like I say, I haven't compared them on other products. I know their juices can be expensive.

[edit] Well, that was a draw between 2 Irish vendors, lol. Just after I posted both packages arrived together Impressive, as I only ordered yesterday afternoon

mewso

Folks you can discuss prices all you want but to accuse vendors, who can't respond here, of being chancers is simply not on. Unless you have evidence other than imaginative theories that vendors have some evil plot to worm more money out of you it will remain just that. Pure fantasy. Many Irish vendors for example will be paying VAT on imports which will force the price up whether we or the vendor likes it or not. If you want to single out specific vendors then I would ask that you complain directly to them first giving them an opportunity to respond directly to you (a reply which you could then refer to if posting here) before coming on here potentially affecting their business. If you want to say one vendor is more expensive than other vendors then I want to see evidence with links.

jno547

mewso wrote: »

Folks you can discuss prices all you want but to accuse vendors, who can't respond here, of being chancers is simply not on. Unless you have evidence other than imaginative theories that vendors have some evil plot to worm more money out of you it will remain just that. Pure fantasy. Many Irish vendors for example will be paying VAT on imports which will force the price up whether we or the vendor likes it or not. If you want to single out specific vendors then I would ask that you complain directly to them first giving them an opportunity to respond directly to you (a reply which you could then refer to if posting here) before coming on here potentially affecting their business. If you want to say one vendor is more expensive than other vendors then I want to see evidence with links.

http://www.efag.ie/electronic-mods/467-eleaf-istick-temp-control-100w-box-mod-tc.html

http://www.efag.ie/aspire-clearomizers/440-aspire-cleito-sub-ohm-tank-35ml-kit.html

http://www.thebestshop.eu/shop/rebuildable-atomizers/649-ud-goblin-mini-rta.html

https://republicofvape.ie/shop/eleaf-istick-100w-tc-parallel-18650-mod/

https://republicofvape.ie/shop/aspire-cleito/

https://republicofvape.ie/shop/goblin-mini-rta/

These are some of the examples of price difference between Irish vendors which I would have referred to earlier.
My initial hope was that a representative from some of the stores would have been able to answer here as to why there can be such a large discrepancy in the same products.
As an avid consumer of these products,I,like many more I'm sure will always be on the lookout for good value and as a member here we will always highlight deals when they become available to other members,likewise I think it's only fair to inform members of price discrepencies as they appear also.
However,I do accept that naming vendors without giving them the chance to respond is unfair to them and their business and I have emailed the vendors in question and will update with any response that I receive.

Thecageyone

Personally I don't see it as any different than say, discussing price differences between McDonalds and Burger King. Why would vendors be offended in any way about their customers comparing prices?? It's not like they're private. It is a competitive market.

mewso

Vendors are not allowed to defend themselves on boards.ie unfortunately. While I don't have problems with discussion on prices (substantiated with links) it should be possible to do so without calling people chancers. There are many reasons for price differences least likely being that it is some attempt to cheat us.

Thecageyone

Yeah I get ya, I just didn't think there was anything derogatory said here. It's easy to price check across sites either way. And of course we will opt for the better value, no matter what it is we're buying. I look to other factors on side too though, like I mentioned earlier. Delivery speed, how well they package, throwing in the odd freebie ... all nice touches that can make you return, regardless of their prices.

thehomeofDob

When I first started shopping with RoV they were the cheapest around, I did price checks before buying anything and they were always cheaper, that was back in August. I haven't bought any hardware recently, and DIY most of my juice so haven't had to check lately but I can't believe those price differences.
Anything I'm looking at buying lately though will come from China, price differences justify the time it takes to get here.

Thecageyone

Not for me, I want it, I want it NOW!

If it's something I can live without for a while, then, sure. Will find the cheapest I can.

Shinobollo

Mewso makes a reasonable point about slagging off vendors who can't defend themselves here.

But...
There's absolutely nothing to stop us posting any bargains / cheap(er) prices we've come across - anywhere.

No different to the principles behind the boards "Bargain Alerts" forum.

Sellers will soon get the message, when they:

(1) Watch this forum - which they obviously do.

(2) See the drop in sales, where other suppliers are seen to provide better value / service.

RonyPonyBah

Why am i not allowed to defend myself in this thread?

Penny Tration

RonyPonyBah wrote: »

Why am i not allowed to defend myself in this thread?

Basically, boards.ie site rules state that nobody can post in a business capacity unless they've paid for a Rep account

Penny Tration

I've emailed Republic of Vape asking about their pricing, as they're the main vendor I use thanks to their massive selection of juice. I'll report back if I get a response.

jno547

I got a reply from Cian in Republic of Vape explaining in detail how they have to price items and what he says makes a lot of sense,I've asked him is it ok to post his reply here and I'm just waiting on his reply.
Can I just say in the meantime

1. I have no affiliation with any vendor whatsoever other than Dr Bill's vaping emporium.
2. I have no issue with any Irish vendor, they all provide a top class service,just this price difference kinda jumped out at me because of its size.
3. I think it's good that this type of issue can be discussed openly here,it may benefit both vendors and consumers.

Now thats that,I'm off to China.....only joking.