Attorney General TJ Donovan announced May 26 that his office has reached settlements with nine different online sellers of electronic cigarettes for violations of Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban and Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act.
Under the settlements, the companies resolved claims that they sold electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco paraphernalia to individual consumers. As of July 1, 2019, it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related “vaping” products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers.
In total, the companies will pay $157,500 in civil penalties to the state. These settlements come on the heels of a $150,000 settlement announced in December against TPB International, LLC, which unlawfully sold electronic cigarettes through its website vaporfi.com.
“Online sales of electronic cigarettes, or any tobacco products, to individual Vermont consumers are illegal,” said Attorney General Donovan. “I am pleased that these websites will no longer be shipping products to Vermont.”
Since 2008, Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban law has prohibited cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, little cigars or snuff, ordered or purchased by telephone, mail order, or through the internet, to be shipped to anyone in Vermont other than a licensed wholesaler dealer or retailer.
This law was expanded in 2019 to include tobacco substitutes (including electronic cigarettes), substances containing nicotine or otherwise intended for use with a tobacco substitute, and tobacco paraphernalia.
The Vermont Dept. of Liquor and Lottery conducts compliance checks of online retailers to determine compliance with this law.
Under the terms of the settlement agreements, in addition to paying civil penalties, the companies are required to notify Vermont consumers that they do not ship to individual consumers in Vermont.
To make an enforcement-related complaint to the Attorney General’s Office, you may email your concerns to ago.tobaccoenforcement@vermont.gov.
Settlement agreements and penalty amounts are:
- Puff E-cig ($90,500)
- SV3, LLC ($35,000)
- Atlantic Intertech, LLC ($22,500)
- Westside Vapor, LLC ($5,000)
- EcigCharleston, LLC ($1,000)
- Planet Vapor, Inc. ($1,000)
- Vapin by the Beach ($1,000)
- Vape Vibe, LLC ($1,000)
- A Perfect Vape, Inc. ($500)
