Launch box shopping question (or two or three)

[basil]

Forgive me if my questions cover ground already covered; I'm new both to this site and to vaping (neither of which are valid excuses, of course) but if youse all could give me the benefit of your collective experiences, that'd be great. I did actually try the search function, but as you can imagine using either "launch" or "magic" generates about a skjillion hits, and life is short, so here goes.

1) Is there any down side if I buy from someone other than the manufacturer? The manufacturer's web site (if I remember correctly) priced the MFLB at around $119, but I've seen it advertised on other sites in the $70's and $80's. I've used Amazon perhaps twice and ebay never, so I don't know if the old rule of "if it seems to good to be true, it is" applies here.

2) What is your experience if you need to use the warranty....does it matter where you buy it? There was one guy on Amazon who really ripped MF a new one over the experience of returning his.

Thanks again for you patience.

Bas

 

[jeffp]

I see that Amazon has it for $78 which is a great deal also with free shipping. I wouldn't worry about returning it - it's so simple that it's incredibly unlikely that something will be wrong with it. Regardless Amazon has been very easy to deal with regarding returns. The hitch here of course is that the order is sold by an outside vendor and fulfilled by Amazon. Not exactly sure how that works in terms of returns but I still wouldn't concern myself.

By the way since you're new to vaping you need to know that you'll need a decent grinder to make this work. The little ones that they sell as an accessory are OK. Personally I like my small two piece Space Case much better for the Launch Box. Others disagree with me and prefer the little Launch Box grinders. It has to be a very fine grind and the bud has to be dried before you can vape it. In other words, what you'll need to do is leave a bud out in the open or on top of a free heat (warm) source such as a refrigerator, cable box, etc. Leave it overnight. Then.... grind it aggressively so it's almost powder.

It's only my opinion but as much as I like the Launch Box it's not my favorite vaporizer and there's more of a learning curve involved in using it correctly than others. That said, I've gotten nicely impacted from using it. Are you looking specifically for portability or is price your main concern? If you are focused mostly on price, if it were me, I would pick up a used Silver Surfer, or Da Buddha, or Ceramic RockZap or Purple Days --- Silver Surfer or Da Buddha being my first choice as a recommendation for a beginner.

 

[basil]

wow, thanks for the quick reply!
well, right now portability is my main concern and I'd like to avoid an open flame as well as I expect to get impacted in the restroom of a train (commuter and/or inter-city) and don't know if the flame of a butane powered vape will attract attention.
That said, saving $40 or so wouldn't ruin my day.

 

[jeffp]

In that case I would, unless you're advised otherwise by another poster here, buy the Launch Box, but definitely spend some time reading through the dedicated Launch Box thread and look at youtube videos for tips and tricks as well. The inhalation technique is more of a "sipping" - very slow and easy.

 

[pakalolo]

The Launch Box warranty applies no matter where you buy it provided that it is a genuine LB with a legitimate serial number.

I've just looked at the 1-star reviews on Amazon and they are all either people who had no clue what they were doing, or people who bought either counterfeit LBs or returned LBs that should not have been resold.

Unless you buy from an authorized dealer, you are risking getting a Box that either will not work, or will not have a legitimate warranty because that serial number has already been used for a claim but the Box was not properly returned--if it even has a serial number. An authorized dealer should not sell you a Box for less than the manufacturer's retail price. I would not try to save a few dollars on Amazon or eBay, the chances you are getting hosed are quite high. Yes, I realize that there quite a few 5-star reviews for the reduced price units. Still not worth the chance in my opinion.

The comments regarding poor customer service from Magic-Flight are puzzling. This company has the best service record I know of, and I am far from alone in holding this opinion. Yes, there are legitimate slip-ups, but those are usually corrected as soon as the company learns about them.

If you do take the chance, get in touch with Magic-Flight as soon as you receive your LB and have them check that you got a valid serial number. If it turns out to be invalid, you do have Amazon to fall back on. Amazon, in my experience, is terrific with returns and dealing with complaints.