Smoktech Groove product recall

[matt1988]

Smoketech has confirmed that the GROOVE might have a safety defect due to product design. They have issued an immediate recall.


If you own a GROOVE you must contact the vendor you bought this from as Smoketech is encouraging vendors to issue a 100% refund on these items.

STOP USING THE ITEM IMMEDIATELY!  (Get in touch with your vendor, do not put these in the post)  edit by Karma

If you are having any issues getting a refund or cooperation from the vendors, please raise a ticket with ECCA by clicking this link eccauk.freshdesk.com


This is the official Smoktek announcement

Quote:
From SMOKTECH
Dear All Valued Customers,
Confirmed by laboratory of Smoktech,SMOKTECH GROOVE might have an potential safety hazard due to the design defects.
we deeply apologize for all the panic and inconvenience
After careful deliberation, to be responsible for customer satisfaction of normal use, to keep the brand integrity of SMOKTECH, we’ve made the decisions below:
1) As for the groove that are still at the warehouse of our distributors, pls try to destroy them at the purpose of environment protection and safety
2) as for the groove that are already sold to end users, please do a 100% recall instantly.
3) SMOKTECH distributors can choose any MOD in SMOKTECH current product line and we will send the quantity of equal value.
4) SMOKTECH will pay the shipping from factory to warehouse of our distributors.
5) We are attaching instructions on the best way to destroy the groove.
6) We will stop production of Groove since today.
At last ,thanks a lot for all your support during the past 3years. we appreciate all the advice and comments of the items from all the customers and distributors. SMOKTECH will supply the most updated ,best quality and safest products to the market in future.
Thanks.

Smoktech Marketing Department
June, 09, 2013


The above information was sent out to VENDORS, each vendor is responsible for recalling the product they sold you. Please contact the vendor you bought the item from and NOT SmokTech.

If you have any issues, please let ECCA know immediately so that we may be of assistance. assistance 

[Deleted]

Whoa

[matt1988]

Yes according to a thread on another forum, dropped it 3ft on to a carpet. May be a different unit but I guess the resulting damage will be the same.

So again ECCA will reiterate please contact the retailer that sold you one of these ASAP, and any issues please contact us immediately so we can get it sorted as quickly and as easily as possible.

[Karma]

Please see this thread

Do Not Post These

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/thread/24639/urgent-smok-groove-recall

[matt1988]

Please report ANY Vendor you find that is selling or has sold these and they have not issued a Recall notice on their website so that ECCA can get the ball moving on the vendors to ensure they are keeping your best interests at the forefront of their business.

In regards to this recall, the ECCA Committee are actively seeking out and contacting vendors who have not yet posted up a recall for these items. Please be aware at present, ECCA UK does not recommend sending this product back to the vendor due to the severity of the fault and does not want the consumer or vendor putting a postal service worker in any kind of danger.

Smoktech has been contacted for proper disposal of these products.

We would also like to make you aware, ECCA UK have also notified Trading Standards on this issue.

[matt1988]

Thanks for those edits Karma we had added that to our communications, however didnt have a chance to post it here till now

[VE Jason]

Jun 9, 2013 15:10:49 GMT matt1988 said:

We would also like to make you aware, ECCA UK have also notified Trading Standards on this issue.

Why Matt?

Surely it's only a TS issue if any vendors are found to be not implementing their recall procedure.

A recall procedure is a condition of products liability insurance and is easily implemented.

I just don't see the gain in getting TS involved when nobody has done anything wrong.

[markm]

I doubt TS will take any much interest, unless its followed up by a consumer with a specific complaint.
I am sure they will just file it under the "handy to be kept informed mountain" of stuff that flies their way.


Edit: unless there an @@@@ole there who thinks its an opportunity to make a name (another) for him/her/its self.

[Mev]

I can't see the point in contacting Trading Standards either yet as things are being sorted, it's not the kind of thing to pre empt really.

[matt1988]

The report to trading standards was just as a matter of course as the product is faulty and, in this instance, dangerous. It is just the product recall that has been reported.

It would be remiss of this industry to not be acting in the consumers best interests given the scrutiny we are currently under.

[Perpetua]

Jun 9, 2013 19:38:05 GMT matt1988 said:

It would be remiss of this industry to not be acting in the consumers best interests given the scrutiny we are currently under.

Vendors are already acting in the consumers best interests aren't they, by having recalled the defective product. I don't see how drawing further attention to something that is being dealt with speedily helps us.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[chykensa]

I have to agree with the majority here - surely the vendors are acting responsibly by issuing a product recall. As this has appeared on the forum over a weekend, I'm sure most vendors will be aware of the recall by now, and will issue their customer recalls soon.
Only if there is a specific complaint to TS would there be any need to get them involved. Product recalls happen in all facets of commerce on a daily basis, and TS are not routinely informed.
Whilst I appreciate that you want to ensure the vaping community is seen to be acting responsibly, I'm not sure this notification isn't a knee-jerk reaction which might do more harm than good.
Just my thoughts . . .
Andy

[fiddles]

Jun 10, 2013 5:40:46 GMT Perpetua said:

Jun 9, 2013 19:38:05 GMT matt1988 said:

It would be remiss of this industry to not be acting in the consumers best interests given the scrutiny we are currently under.

Vendors are already acting in the consumers best interests aren't they, by having recalled the defective product. I don't see how drawing further attention to something that is being dealt with speedily helps us.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Me Too Perpetua

I would have thought TS only need involving if for instance a vendor who had sold item was refusing to do recall and issue refunds, or a vendor still selling and ignoring recall but maybe that's just me

[matt1988]

The majority of respected retailers notify Trading Standards directly when, for whatever reason, a product has to be recalled www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-recall-list.cfm

It is important that ECCA keeps the consumers safety as a priority, we felt that TS at least needed to be made aware of a dangerous device with the potential to cause serious harm to consumers. We also felt it was important that the recall notice was seen by as many users of the product as possible. A formal "notification" was not filed, just an email enquiring as to whether or not they had been made aware of the faulty product. We are awaiting their reply.

ECCA would like to add, that distributors and importers, including retailers, have an obligation to file an official report to their local Trading Standards department, unless Trading Standards already have all the information they need or when the product is not dangerous.

[itsmeitis]

i struggle to understand why ECCA chose to escalate their TS aspect unto a bigger than necessary deal, if indeed it was ultimately just par for the course. i understand how it may well signify a positive for ECCA to have inroad with TS, but i also have concern at how this can and might be misused.

i can offer one example which is merely that, an example. imagine an association of traders needed to eliminate a majority of the competition in one foul swoop. Next consider a few crafty reports fed in to trading standards. Voila, e-health e-cigarettes taken off shelves and so paving a way for established vendors to mop up on the advantage brought their way.

So this might seem somewhat far fetched, but it is very much possible to achieve and very much more likely to happen as stakes become higher and ECCA could indeed play an active part in gathering value for money by these ‘donations’ they wish to invite from vendors.

I hope ECCAs intentions are good, but particular manoeuvring does promote suspicion.