What Happened to Vape Royalty: The Rise and Fall of an Online Vape Retailer
For years, Vape Royalty was a trusted name among vaping enthusiasts. Operating out of Carrollton, Texas, the online retailer built a loyal customer base by offering competitive prices on e-liquids, vape kits, and accessories from popular brands. However, as of early 2024, the website vaperoyalty.com went offline, leaving thousands of customers confused and, in many cases, out of pocket. The story behind its closure reveals a perfect storm of regulatory pressure, operational failures, and customer complaints.
Vape Royalty FDA Warning Letters and Regulatory Non-Compliance
Vape Royalty's troubles with federal regulators date back several years. The company received multiple warning letters from the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products for selling electronic nicotine delivery system products without proper marketing authorization. The most recent warning, issued in June 2024, specifically cited products like the Funky Republic Ti7000 and Lost Mary OS5000 disposable vapes, which lacked FDA approval.
Even earlier, in April 2020, the FDA flagged Vape Royalty for selling e-liquid products that appeared to imitate food items appealing to children. These regulatory violations placed the company in a precarious position, as federal law requires all tobacco products introduced after February 15, 2007, to obtain FDA marketing authorization before being sold legally in the United States.
The regulatory landscape for vaping products has become increasingly strict, with authorities cracking down on flavored vapes and products marketed without proper authorization. Vape Royalty's continued sale of unauthorized products made it a target for enforcement action.
The July 2024 Crisis: Orders Unfulfilled and Communication Breakdown With Vape Royalty
While regulatory issues plagued the company for years, the immediate catalyst for its collapse appears to have occurred in mid-2024. Starting in early July 2024, customer complaints flooded review sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau. Hundreds of customers reported identical experiences: orders placed in July remained stuck in "processing" status for weeks, emails went unanswered, and phone calls were never returned.
Many longtime customers who had ordered successfully from Vape Royalty since 2018 or 2019 suddenly found themselves unable to receive their products or get refunds, with some losing over $200. The pattern was striking in its consistency—virtually every complaint from July and August 2024 described the same scenario of charged credit cards, unshipped orders, and complete radio silence from the company.
The Better Business Bureau gave Vape Royalty an "F" rating after the company failed to respond to 21 complaints filed against it. This mass failure to fulfill orders and communicate with customers suggests the company may have been experiencing severe financial or operational difficulties, possibly unable to continue operations while facing regulatory pressure.
Permanent Closure For Vape Royalty
By late 2024, business databases like Crunchbase officially listed Vape Royalty as "permanently closed". The company's website, which had once offered hundreds of products, went completely offline. No formal announcement was made to customers, leaving many to discover the closure only after their orders never arrived.
Lessons for Consumers of Vape Royalty
The Vape Royalty story serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges facing online vape retailers. The convergence of stricter FDA enforcement, the requirement for marketing authorization on tobacco products, and apparent operational collapse created an untenable situation. For the company's former customers, the experience was particularly frustrating—many had been loyal patrons for years, only to lose money when the company imploded without warning.
The vaping industry continues to face intense regulatory scrutiny, with federal and state authorities cracking down on unauthorized products, flavored vapes, and sales to minors. Companies operating in this space must navigate complex compliance requirements, and failure to do so can result in warning letters, legal action, or, as in Vape Royalty's case, closure.
For consumers, the lesson is clear: even established online retailers can disappear overnight when regulatory and operational pressures mount. Using credit cards rather than debit cards can provide some protection through dispute resolution, as many Vape Royalty customers ultimately had to do to recover their money.
