Sales receipt Cuban cigars?

[Viva Vegas]

Hello all I am in Havana and went to the Nacional and bought most of what I wanted. They wrote out a invoice detailing my purchase along with a cash register receipt. I then went to the shop in the hotel Libre and found a few more boxes but when I was ready to pay I asked for an invoice showing them what the Nacional gave me and they refused only wanting to give receipt from cash register. I then said no and walked out with out buying . Am I correct that I need invoice detailing purchase and cash register receipt? Thanks

[argrovesjd]

I always get factura's (written receipts).  You legally do not need them for up to 50 sealed, boxed cigars, but I just always do.  Libre has acted shady towards me before, so I will not be going back.  You did the right thing IMO.

[jhalischuk]

Yeah, I've had some bad experiences at the Havana Libre as well. Got sold a fake behike and hoyo de Rio Seco singles. Also been told I've had to pay cash and that a proper receipt couldn't be written. Never had any issues at the national. 

Fwiw I've never had any issues with anyone wanting to see receipts when leaving, though. 

[Cigar Surgeon]

No factura, no purchase. Not going to chance having cigars confiscated by the wrong airport agent on the wrong day.

[SenorPerfecto]

5 hours ago, jhalischuk said:

Yeah, I've had some bad experiences at the Havana Libre as well. Got sold a fake behike and hoyo de Rio Seco singles. Also been told I've had to pay cash and that a proper receipt couldn't be written. Never had any issues at the national. 

Fwiw I've never had any issues with anyone wanting to see receipts when leaving, though. 

Fakes at Libre? First I've ever heard of that...

[jhalischuk]

37 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

Fakes at Libre? First I've ever heard of that...

I'm new at this, so I'm still learning

[Nino]

39 minutes ago, SenorPerfecto said:

Fakes at Libre? First I've ever heard of that...

Maybe hard to hear. Not just in one place. Happens.

[Nino]

2 hours ago, mtapia3 said:

Thats Cuba for you. If the clerks are not in the mood to write out a factura they won't. This same thing happened to me at Nacional. When I politely asked the clerks for a factura they refused and insisted that I did not need one, even though I had spent close to $1000 on cigars. During this same transaction, the clerks laughed at and openly made fun of an Asian customer who was trying to find Cohiba Maduros.  

That is commonplace "socialist" customer service... take it or leave it.

1 hour ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

No factura, no purchase. Not going to chance having cigars confiscated by the wrong airport agent on the wrong day.

That is very true. No Factura - no purchase.

[Puros Y Vino]

I haven't experienced these levels of "customer service" where clerks didn't want to write out a Factura. I've had a little reluctance now and then but with a calm demeanor and my butchered Spanish, I managed to convince them that it was very "necessito" for me to have these documents.    Should they have outright refused, I would've have walked away.  The only two places I had to jostle with the clerks was the store in Hotel Sevilla and the RyJ Factory store.  Otherwise, no issues at the other LCDH's.

[Corylax18]

I'm with @bundwallah. I've never been refused a factura, and I think even broken spanish and a smile goes a long way. But, I'll give the same advise I've given in the last 13 threads on this topic. Don't ask. 

When you bring the cigars to the counter, give the clerk your passport(or copy of it) before any money leaves your pocket. Regardless of language barrier, there isn't any other reason you would hand them that. Then pay from the total written on the factura.  

[Cigar Surgeon]

1 hour ago, bundwallah said:

I haven't experienced these levels of "customer service" where clerks didn't want to write out a Factura. I've had a little reluctance now and then but with a calm demeanor and my butchered Spanish, I managed to convince them that it was very "necessito" for me to have these documents.    Should they have outright refused, I would've have walked away.  The only two places I had to jostle with the clerks was the store in Hotel Sevilla and the RyJ Factory store.  Otherwise, no issues at the other LCDH's.

Yeah I can't say I've ever been refused but certainly the enthusiasm was somewhere in the neighborhood of a teenager crossing a busy street.

To this day Sadie calls Jason Mr. Facturo because I ingrained in him no facturo = no purchase. ?

[SOFLO88]

7 hours ago, jhalischuk said:

Yeah, I've had some bad experiences at the Havana Libre as well. Got sold a fake behike and hoyo de Rio Seco singles. Also been told I've had to pay cash and that a proper receipt couldn't be written. Never had any issues at the national. 

Fwiw I've never had any issues with anyone wanting to see receipts when leaving, though. 

I've gotten singles from Hotel Libre in the past. How could you tell they were fake? My friend just brought me a single of the 2018 LE Propios from there last week. 

[La_Tigre]

10 hours ago, SOFLO88 said:

I've gotten singles from Hotel Libre in the past. How could you tell they were fake? My friend just brought me a single of the 2018 LE Propios from there last week. 

This is not the first I’ve heard about shady singles at Libre. Buyer beware; I bought a single Behike for the heck of it.

Also, pay close attention to the natural wood cigar boxes on any rarer or hard to find releases you find; they will have been rifled through. Make sure you inspect before leaving. 

[El Presidente]

16 minutes ago, SOFLO88 said:

I've gotten singles from Hotel Libre in the past. How could you tell they were fake? My friend just brought me a single of the 2018 LE Propios from there last week. 

It can be almost impossible to tell because seconds are used as singles wherever possible. 

 

[Puros Y Vino]

Just now, El Presidente said:

It can be almost impossible to tell because seconds are used as singles wherever possible. 

 

So, "seconds" really are a thing? I always thought the fakes were rebanded farmies.  I recall seeing BHK56's at one shop in March 2017 (forget which one).  No boxes. The BHK's were in a humidor, in wine glasses.    Bands looked right, vitola looked right but there was just something wrong about the whole thing. 

[El Presidente]

10 minutes ago, bundwallah said:

So, "seconds" really are a thing? I always thought the fakes were rebanded farmies.  I recall seeing BHK56's at one shop in March 2017 (forget which one).  No boxes. The BHK's were in a humidor, in wine glasses.    Bands looked right, vitola looked right but there was just something wrong about the whole thing. 

They don't call them seconds 

Singles become seconds as people pass over the crap ones and you end up with a selection of crap. the better managers will also pick for singles those boxes continuously rejected by box buying clients.  As for fakes, it is easy to take 5 singles and replace with 5 fakes. Small increments, easy to move. 

 

[jbosma]

Had one shop in Havana give me a reciept and another refuse, both for sealed boxes.  Was a little nervous as it was my first trip to Cuba but both were authentic and customs didn't ask for the reciept on departure. 

[LLC]

Fake singles are common in the shops in Cuba. Boxes are all in inventory but singles are not so the stores get creative to make some extra money. At least this is what someone more in the know than me explained. If I’m buying cigars to smoke while I’m in Cuba I’ll do customs, three packs or box splits.

Never had an issue getting a factura at Habana Libre or anywhere else. The odd grumble but nothing that can be over come.


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[Habana Mike]

Always get the factura. Frank's suggestion about handing the passport first is spot on.

Alex will write a Caracol receipt for his customs. Haven't seen that anywhere else. Asked at Club Habana for same and Marisol smirked hard.

Alex's receipt was a godsend as the customs girl seemed to be looking to keep my sticks a couple of years ago.

[jhalischuk]

18 hours ago, SOFLO88 said:

I've gotten singles from Hotel Libre in the past. How could you tell they were fake? My friend just brought me a single of the 2018 LE Propios from there last week. 

Really bland, terrible roll on both. Tasted like every fake Cuban someone has brought back for me lol. 

I've usually bought singles there in the past and it's always been fine. Probably ok most of the time. 

[Viva Vegas]

Just got back had cigars in all three bags, one checked that was locked and never opened. One carry on they did not care about but put me in a side room and went over receipt and invoices with a find tooth comb. Everything was in order and after 15 min out the door. Our plane was empty , kinda weird only like 30 people on a 737. Us customs was x breeze asked if I had tabacco or alcohol, I said cigars and rum asked how much rum I told him and was told you are ok to go, welcome home 

[Ritch]

So the moral is dont buy cigars from Cuba?

[Viva Vegas]

I will never go to the Libre again just plain poor service. 

[argrovesjd]

On 9/11/2019 at 4:19 PM, nino said:

That is commonplace "socialist" customer service... take it or leave it.

That is very true. No Factura - no purchase.

Nino, I was just thinking the same thing re: "customer service".  The only bad experiences that I have had were at government enterprises.  The workers at private and joint venture enterprises have all been superb.

[SenorPerfecto]

2 hours ago, Viva Vegas said:

I will never go to the Libre again just plain poor service. 

Agree their service sucks.