According to reports, after the BBC contacted SKE, some SKE-related social media accounts have been closed (including YouTube and TikTok accounts) and are currently pending review.
According to a BBC report on August 26, SKE Crystal Bar held an online giveaway event in July on Discord, an instant messaging platform with a large number of underage users, and promoted it through Instagram.
The report mentioned that according to the latest data from data provider NielsenIQ (Nielsen), SKE is currently the second largest e-cigarette seller in the UK, with sales exceeding 30 million last year. It's important to note that Nielsen's data excludes independent retailers and vape shops. According to reports, SKE's real sales may exceed 100 million.
BBC reporters attended the event. Reporters said they were asked to declare they were over 18, but no further age verification was required. Subsequently, SKE mailed two e-cigarettes for them.
Screenshot from Discord showing BBC reporter winning competition
Screenshot from Discord showing BBC reporter winning the competition｜Source: BBC
The report also stated that after the BBC contacted SKE, some SKE-related social media accounts have been closed (including YouTube and TikTok accounts) and are currently pending review.
Serge Davies, SKE's European communications director, told the BBC: "We plan to reactivate these accounts with a local social media company that has a better understanding of local laws and customs."
SKE's Serge Davis
SKE's Serge Davies says the company is considering reactivating some of its social media accounts
The following is the full translation of the report:
Headline: Vaping giant 'Crystal Bar' shuts down TikTok account after sending giveaway without age verification
The UK's second-largest vaping company has shut down its social media accounts after it sent journalists e-cigarettes in an online giveaway without age verification.
Sales of Crystal Bar disposable e-cigarettes from Chinese government-owned SKE have skyrocketed, but they have been criticized for appealing to children.
In an exclusive interview, SKE marketing director Serge Davies said the accounts were shut down for "censorship".
SKE also apologized for not joining the government recycling scheme.
Crystal Bar disposable e-cigarettes are ubiquitous in UK supermarkets, newsstands and vape shops. Designed to deliver hundreds of nicotine-containing aerosols, which are then discarded, disposable e-cigarettes have seen phenomenal growth in recent years.
Chinese company SKE, which makes the Crystal Bar, is now the UK's second-largest seller of e-cigarettes, selling more than 30 million units in the past year, according to new data from data provider NielsenIQ. Nielsen's figures exclude independent retailers and vape shops - SKE's true sales are thought to be more than 100 million.
Free sample giving has been a key part of its rise — last month the company held an online giveaway on the Discord instant messaging platform and promoted it through its Instagram channel. Discord was originally designed as a platform for gamers, and has a large number of users under the age of 18.
BBC reporters took part in the competition. They were asked to declare they were over 18, but no further verification was required. Then two e-cigarettes were mailed.
It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.
After the BBC contacted SKE, a number of social media accounts were closed pending "censorship", including its YouTube and TikTok channels.
Serge Davies, SKE's European communications director, told the BBC: "We plan to reactivate these accounts with a local social media company that has a better understanding of local laws and customs."
SKE's two biggest competitors, China's ELFBAR and UK-listed BAT (which makes Vuse e-cigarettes), have said they don't post content on TikTok. That's partly because the risk of being on a child's phone is too great.
However, SKE is committed to the platform. "We will be looking to launch an exciting new strategy on TikTok," Mr Davies said. He also pledged to continue the vaping giveaway. "It does seem to generate a lot of interest and passion from brands," he said.
Asked if he could defend a particular video from the SKE TikTok account showing opening a Crystal Bar with a voice saying "I wish I could be like the cool kid", Mr Davies said: "Our No policy is marketed to children. So what we're doing on our social media accounts is trying to build some buzz."
Steve Brine, chairman of the health committee, said: "It is extremely concerning to hear that e-cigarettes could easily fall into the hands of children because proper checks are not carried out.
"Responsible manufacturers should not use giveaway schemes that could lead children to start smoking, what they need is protection from potentially harmful effects."
Recycle
Disposable e-cigarettes contain electronic components, including small batteries, that are difficult and expensive to recycle. Discarded e-cigarettes are a common sight, with local governments calling for them to be banned.
Like all electronics manufacturers, e-cigarette companies are legally obliged to register with takeback schemes, under which manufacturers contribute to the cost of recycling. Until this month, SKE had not signed up for the schemes, or paid a fee estimated to be around £100,000.
Mr Davies said the company apologized for the incident, which he blamed on a "communication issue". "We're delighted that you've highlighted this and we've now registered with the scheme," he said.
SKE set up a company in the UK for the first time this month, with documents from Companies House revealing "significant control" by the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). SASAC conducts investment management on behalf of the Chinese state.
SKE is owned by Shenzhen Yinghe Technology Co Ltd, whose largest shareholder is Shanghai Electric, which in turn is more than 50 percent owned by Chinese state-linked entities, according to its annual report.
In a report to shareholders last year, Yinghe said it missed its e-cigarette sales targets due to the Chinese government's crackdown and was focusing on international expansion to make up the difference. The UK is now its largest market in Europe.
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