Can You Trust Online Vape Shops?

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Shopping for e-liquids or vape gear online can be a bit overwhelming, as there are hundreds of different vape shops. If you’re used to visiting brick-and-mortar vape shops, switching to their online counterparts can be even more challenging. Can you trust them at all?

The short answer is yes, but some sketchy brands may try and scam you, so you need to be extra careful. Let’s go over some essential tips for finding a reliable online vape shop that offers high-quality products and excellent customer service.

How to Find a Trustworthy Vape Shop Online

It can be tough to tell trustworthy vape shops from shady ones just by browsing through various websites casually. You need to know what and where to look for, which is where the following steps come in.

1. Find out what other customers are saying

The best way to learn more about any vape shop is to check what people say about it. If you have friends who vape, you can probably get some quality recommendations, but don’t underestimate the power of online reviews.

There are tons of reviews and customer feedback online, so take the time to go through them. You’ll find out more about best-in-class shops, their product and service quality, shipping, and all the other relevant information.

You’ll also learn which scammers to avoid and which shops don’t provide high-quality products and services.

2. Check for third-party lab testing

Third-party lab testing is the most crucial thing to look for when buying vape juices. If an independent lab tests the particular vape shop’s products for quality and purity, you’ll know that you can trust them. In-house testing may not always be authentic, but third-party lab tests are.

Why are those test results significant? Because they show if a product contains any contaminants, additives, and other potentially harmful substances.

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In the case of CBD vapes, they also show any unextracted chemical residues and if THC levels meet the federal legal limit.

3. Compare the prices

Prices can be great indicators of quality. If you find a vape shop online that offers ridiculously low prices, you might want to dig deeper into all of their products and services.

Although many online stores offer regular deals and sales, it’s usually a red flag when a shop offers too-low prices year-round.

So, find the most popular online vape shops and compare their prices. Some will be more affordable than others, but differences in pricing will be slight. If any of the shops stand out by seeming too good to be true, they probably are.

4. Explore FAQ pages

FAQ pages can tell a lot about any business. Not many vape shops have them, which doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker.
But those that take the time to provide relevant answers to their target market’s questions show that they care about their customers. Comprehensive FAQ pages are a pretty good sign that a vape shop is authoritative and reliable.

Of course, just because there are a few FAQs and helpful answers, it doesn’t mean that you can trust the shop entirely. But that’s why you need to take all these other steps we’ve talked about. Detailed FAQs are just a plus that shows the shop’s commitment.

5. Talk with the staff

One of the most significant disadvantages of online shops is their lack of human touch. There’s no face-to-face assistance to help you pick the right products for your needs. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get in touch with any shop’s staff and learn more about their products and services.

The way they answer your questions will speak volumes about the shop’s customer service.

Dodging your questions, for instance, is a tell-tale sign that something’s off. But if the staff is friendly, communicative, helpful, and shows genuine care, then you can be sure they’re reliable.

6. Learn how to spot shady businesses

There are many advantages to shopping from vape shops online, including a higher level of convenience, a wider product range, and generally lower prices. But, as we mentioned several times, there are still sketchy businesses out to scam people out of their hard-earned money.

All the tips above will help you avoid them, but take it a step further and learn how to spot the red flags. Some of the most important are outdated web design, poor user experience, no displayed licenses, no contact information, and no channels for getting in touch with customer support.

Also, be wary of tons of annoying ads for unrelated products on top of these other red flags, as they may be malicious.

Conclusion

Finding the right vape shop online requires some time, but all your efforts will bear fruit if you follow the steps above.

Most of all, trust your instincts. If your gut tells you that a particular store smells fishy, listen to it and move on with your search.

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