Hi guys - I recently got a gallon from LNW - it's not even remotely clear. Closest I can describe would be apple juice or piss colored. It looks to be VERY oxidized. Stored in a cool room and never opened until I went to decant into amber bottles.
Has anyone had any experience with their customer service as they've flat out told me that they refuse to refund based on oxidation despite it being that way directly from the bottle. I have around 6 years of mixing experience so I'm not new to proper storage.
Could someone suggest an alternative? (I KNOW this gets asked a lot) I'm very likely to call my card company and initiate a chargeback based on tainted chemicals.
I know you guys are probably sick to death of hearing about this or explaining it so I apologise in advance.
THANKS!
To clarify - it was purchased in August and opened last night.
What is it with all the complaints about the color of nicotine lately? Except for synthetic nicotine, nicotine is extracted from tobacco leaves and may vary in color from slightly pinkish to honey-gold. As long as it's not dark like used motor oil, color shouldn't be a concern.
Open the bottle and sniff it. If it smells slightly earthy, like a pile of decaying fall leaves, that is normal. If it smells like stale black pepper, that is a sign of oxidation.
Because when for years something is clear as a bell then all of a sudden it looks like horse piss I err on the safe side of caution with a tertiary strip and question the legitimacy of the product.
When you questioned them about the change, what did they say?
I’ll copy paste their response when I get to work but I got a non apology and basically got told to fuck off.
I don’t need that kind of non service when I have so many options. Thing is - I’ve used GALLONS of their stuff before without any discoloration. Shoot. I made a 120 personal last night from a bottle of nic that’s GOTTA be 9 months old, clear as hell. Barely even any yellow tint.
All the nic I have gotten from them has been a little darker, I think that's just how it is. Its clear if I draw it up in a syringe, and have never had a problem using it. Make a batch and see how it comes out. Unfortunately they are one of the few places that will even ship nic to where I live, so I don't have much of a choice but to use it.
Yeah man, being pidgeonholed like that sucks. Their boxes are DEFNITELY sketch. No warning labels - nothing. I was thinking that it would suck to be the mailman if one leaked. Guess it prob speaks to the way they do business. Is what it is.
Did your order not come in an anti-static zip bag? I’ve been ordering liters from them from the beginning and they’ve all been sealed up in heavy duty bags.
Killer handle btw.
I ordered a gallon of 70/30 nic from them a month ago. It never arrived and I had to email them multiple times. I finally got a little plastic baggy delivered the other day. All that was left of it was the label from the box so they delivered it with an "oops, sorry". Now I had to make a claim. Still don't have the nic. Not the greatest experience.
This is the Nic I got from them in August. Same here, put it in the freezer and went to split it into smaller bottles last night and this is the color.Haven't made a test batch yet, but I've never bought nic that was this color right from the manufacturer.
Does this look unuseable or may be fine just a little yellowed?
It looks fine to me. But for reference it's the same color as one of my working 30ml bottles that's was shipped to Vegas in july by River (read stupid hot weather) and has been sitting on my desk at around 75 degrees. I get nothing off with it still vaping off it. Just watched it go from a normal yellow to that color in the 3 months or so it's been out. My cnt from lb I got in November and has been in a plastic bottle since January that I got shipped out from home, also in July, looks better.
I had 8oz of nic (in a unicorn bottle) in my garage all last summer and into the fall as an experiment. It ended up a little darker than this, couldn't really tell a difference.
I’ve always had very good luck with their customer service; it’s surprising to me that it’s even oxidized to this point. I bought 120ml of nicotine in like January, definitely not stored property and it’s been totally fine.
Amber color is not an indication of oxidation. Use your nose, not your eyes, to evaluate nicotine. Oxidized nic has an unmistakable pungent smell, like stale black pepper.
Sorry, but I feel like it's pretty bogus (even worse if you chargeback) of a customer to demand a refund now if they didn't check it within a few days to even a week or so of receiving it. Unfortunately that part is on the customer. It's almost a month & a half later (possibly almost 2 months, depending on when you ordered/ received). They would've been much more likely to help you out then as opposed to now. They probably think you've been using it for a month & want another free gallon, as there's no reason in their mind for someone to be complaining 1-2 months later. Not to mention, they care when it TASTES oxidized, never when it just looks oxidized. Did you taste or test the nic at all before contacting them? Sorry I'm not trying to be rude to you, I'm just trying to explain the situation from an uninvolved perspective that may help you receive better customer service in the future.
TONS of vape websites won't refund or replace items that arrive dead on arrival unless you notify them within 72 hours of shipment (bc unfortunately ppl lie or are shady & will use or break a device then try to get their $ back claiming DOA), so this situation doesn't surprise me at all. They have no idea if you've already used half of it up & are trying to complain to get another free gallon, nor do they know if you left the nic in the backseat of your car in the summer heat for the last month or two. I believe you completely but they gotta take stuff like that into account bc sadly, a lot of ppl are lame like that lol. I am sorry you are frustrated! I hope you tested the nic to make sure it's actually bad before charging back a refund. I've seen tons of various shades of nic that still tastes just fine. Color does not always indicate oxidation, unfortunately. Esp in the summertime heat.
It’s sealed and in a freezer. I have previously purchased from them many times. Never had this issue. They actually refunded as store credit so issue is resolved but while I see where you’re coming from - would you decant 3 gallons of nic or leave them sealed? I’m not mixing for the masses, this was for pmta prep.
Totally get what you’re saying but do you think there’s a reason card services typically offer 90-120 days to file a dispute? Idc about the money, I care about their response to my email. If they don’t want to take responsibility for possible mishandling during shipping there’s foam or dry ice to sustain ideal temps. This came with none of that, nor a warning label.
Keep my money - idc. Treat me like an asshole after I’ve spent thousands with your company? I’ll mosey on.
anytime I buy nic I immediately check them just bc Nude Nicotine (first place I ever bought from) literally has a policy that they won't guarantee your nic if you don't check the forecast/ ensure it's under like 90 degrees for the shipping. & they also require any complaints to be made within a certain time frame from delivery (about 72hrs from touchdown IIRC). So I guess that kinda conditioned me to immediately ensure my product was good at touchdown bc of their douchey strict policies :p
believe me I get your situation & that's awesome you got a credit! I was just offering a devil's advocate type view (spent years as a customer service manager I can't help it). I can imagine they've been getting utterly bombarded with complaints, refunds, resends lately due to the extreme heat (at least on the west coast- heatwave for the past ~2 mo so crazy). Plus there's always the scammer/ liar customers trying to cheap businesses out of anything they can (not you AT ALL but in general). I'm sorry they didn't treat you properly the first time tho, that's something I'll never try to offer up a new perspective on, ever. Esp after being such a long time customer, that should always be appreciated. I hope your next experience wherever you choose to get nic goes perfectly smooth & your nic is nice n clear with no off smells :)
I ordered a gallon from them (250mg/ml), middle of summer. Fedex screwed the label up or something so it sat in Arizona for a weekend. It was warm to the touch when it got to me, and looked pretty dark when I examined it. It had no odor, and it's relatively clear when I drew it up in a syringe. I've been vaping it, it isn't harsh at all. All but ~4oz was decanted to amber, topped the bottles off with argon and put in the freezer. I realize I haven't really had it that long, considering that I plan to have it for 50+ years and I've only had it a few months, and I haven't had to pull any out of the freezer yet, but so far so good. My working jar got slightly darker, but still odorless.
Make of this what you will though, I'm still new to this.