email: is poor flavour a legitimate reason to return a box of cigars?

[williamthewolf]

There are legitimate reasons to contact a vendor regarding a problem with a box. Taste is not one of them. And like others have said, we occasionally get a crap box, or crap sticks in an otherwise good box. Sit on the D4's or trade the D4's or try another randomly selected stick.  I have a tupperdore of boxes that I just don't like. It's a gamble. And even if you can try a sample cigar from the box, that doesn't mean the whole box will be good. For all you know the ones you did try are the bad ones and the rest are smokeable. 

[PigFish]

Here is my message for the person that wrote the email.

If you know enough about cigars to email one of the world’s immanent retailers to ask for advice about another retailer, presumably not the one that sold you the duds… you should know better than to ask the question.

For the record, I have made quality complaints about dud cigars and gotten credit in return. It was a different time and place and back then I was a different kind of cigar buyer than I am today.

A savvy consumer understands the market and makes the best of it, or stays out of it.

My 2cts

-the Pig

[El Presidente]

7 minutes ago, PigFish said:

For the record, I have made quality complaints about dud cigars and gotten credit in return.

 

I can attest. Ray writes some of the best complaint emails I have ever read.  Quality emails ..... each and every one. 

 

[PigFish]

3 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

 

I can attest. Ray writes some of the best complaint emails I have ever read.  Quality emails ..... each and every one. 

 

Damn straight!

Listen Bwana… I do have a complaint, now that you mention it. You need to find me a few boxes of the Colorado Ayala Lanceros, or I will be forced to mooch some form some generous forum members that actually appear to care about me!!! 

How dare you sell them out without notifying me!!! If I knew that was going to happen, I would have panned them for reasons of self-interest.

-R

 

[Islandboy]

There’s also a flip side to this. I’ve certainly been the recipient of a box on many occasions that completely exceeded my expectations. An El Laguito box without requesting it, a box that blows you away with its aroma or wrapper shade. Being surprised, both pleasantly and not so much every once in a while, is one of the things I really like about this current mode of CC purchasing. A poor tasting cigar makes a good one taste great. 

[Islandboy]

22 minutes ago, PigFish said:

Damn straight!

Listen Bwana… I do have a complaint, now that you mention it. You need to find me a few boxes of the Colorado Ayala Lanceros, or I will be forced to mooch some form some generous forum members that actually appear to care about me!!! 

How dare you sell them out without notifying me!!! If I knew that was going to happen, I would have panned them for reasons of self-interest.

-R

 

I see what Rob is talking about. I’m with Ray, can mine come in a box too please? 😁😁

[PigFish]

18 minutes ago, Islandboy said:

I see what Rob is talking about. I’m with Ray, can mine come in a box too please? 😁😁

… I have been drinking… and smoking one of the ‘19 versions. Am I going to say anything glowing about it… Hell no!

-the Pig

[SmokyFontaine]

Hell no.

[Islandboy]

6 minutes ago, PigFish said:

… I have been drinking… and smoking one of the ‘19 versions. Am I going to say anything glowing about it… Hell no!

-the Pig

Gotcha😄 I’m drinking too, but you’re 2 hrs ahead of me 😜

[PigFish]

5 minutes ago, Islandboy said:

Gotcha😄 I’m drinking too, but you’re 2 hrs ahead of me 😜

… I will see your 2 hours and raise you 2 more!

[AndrewNR]

I think it's important to be mindful when we spend money on trivial pursuits or entertainment.

I'm not a wealthy man, I've scarcely done well paid work but I'm first to offer my vices. 

I like to remind myself ultimately I was going to literally burn it or piss it against the lemon tree anyway. 

Something isn't as I expected but within its description that's on me. 

That said.. I offloaded allot of my stuff before covid, have shifted towards other interests in recent times.. someone smoked 3 of a full Monte 520 and asked for a refund..  needless to say I told them to get burnt and piss off to the lemon tree. 

 

Further to this.. I gave away allot of monte 2s. Weren't to my taste so I gifted them. 

In my eyes.. that money was already burnt. Why not try put it in hands where it could be enjoyed?

[LordAnubis]

So in islam there is a concept of "risk has to be shared". So i propose a new business model. I'll sell you cigars at price X. If you get it and it smoked great, you pay me an extra 40%. If it smokes shit you can refund the remaining cigars. Login at http://habanosguaranteeenterprise.com/ 😂

I think that's what irks me about returning product. A retailer doesnt make the product, they do the best they can do, but cant guarantee anything. When there's a problem people are happy to send the rubish back for the retailer to take the hit. But when things are above expectations no one returns it or whatever to help the retailer. If youre a loyal customer then cop it on the chin, place another order and move on. putting in erspective, if you've ordered 20 boxes and theyve been great, why complain about the 1 that was a dud?

[cnov]

9 hours ago, el_papacito said:

Prior to finding this forum, I bought a box of RASS. They arrived and looked awfully dry. I waited a month and smoked one - retched bitter flavor. I waited another 3 months and tried again, same result and on it went for 6 months. I decided to send them a note stating my experience and that perhaps they check their storage conditions but asked for nothing in recompense, simply feedback. 

To my chagrin, they instituted a substantial credit on my account towards another purchase. With that, I subsequently bought a handful of Cohiba Esplendidos, far outreaching the paltry credit, in comparison, and thereby spending as much again as I had on the box. 

 

Good way to handle things I thought LOL

That's the way to do it in my opinion.

Poor experiences happen in all business', rarely intentional but how they are dealt with is really an opportunity to show off how good you can be. A small gesture can go a long way.

John Lewis (UK) are the masters of this, we've had a couple of problems and they've always ended up resolving the issue. One time was a struggle with a child seat that didn't fit our car properly, had to visit the store 3 times before they accepted that there was an issue and that they had also made a mistake in the way they dealt with it. I was pissed that I had wasted a lot of time but they gave us a full refund and an alternative car seat free of charge.

We're all human and misatkes happen, I see complaints as an opportunity to really engage with a customer.

 

 

[Puros Y Vino]

Interesting situation.  Like others, I'm on the "luck of the draw" side.  The only boxes I regret are RAE's 2011 RE.  Before I bought some boxes, I went through a couple of fivers from other people. The results were 50/50 in terms of enjoyability.  I took a chance and grabbed a few boxes and after making it halfway over the years through 1 box, I sold the full and partial.  IMO they were never going to get better.  The buyers of those boxes seemed to enjoy the cigars, so there's that. FWIW though. I am able to return a bottle of corked wine to our local gov't liquor monopoly as long as there is still liquid in the neck. 

[BrightonCorgi]

The consumer should put his cigars into the back of the cabinet and revisit in 5 years.  Cigars will be worth so much by then, he'll be able to sell that crappy box for a mint and send a thank you note to the vendor for not taking them back....

[Fuzz]

31 minutes ago, Puros Y Vino said:

 FWIW though. I am able to return a bottle of corked wine to our local gov't liquor monopoly as long as there is still liquid in the neck. 

Your neck or the bottle's?

[Puros Y Vino]

16 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

The consumer should put his cigars into the back of the cabinet and revisit in 5 years.  Cigars will be worth so much by then, he'll be able to sell that crappy box for a mint and send a thank you note to the vendor for not taking them back....

Exactly.  I've bought a lot of boxes blind and haven't really been burned by doing so, because in my mind, if I really don't like a box, I can sell them at a profit down the road.

[BrightonCorgi]

9 minutes ago, Puros Y Vino said:

Exactly.  I've bought a lot of boxes blind and haven't really been burned by doing so, because in my mind, if I really don't like a box, I can sell them at a profit down the road.

Several times the cigars end up being something you want too.  I had a box of '00 Partagas 898 Unvarnished that were awful when I bought them.  Totally forgot about them and wasn't sure what to do with them.  First two were tent pegs and figured it was money lost.  Decade or so later; each one smoked great and was a favorite box.

[dominattorney]

13 hours ago, Bijan said:

 

 

 

You beat me to it. 

Remember what happens to him. He gets banned from the fruit store. 

If it were brick and mortar, I'd think you could get away with stopping in and asking to trade for something else. Online, fugeddaboutit.

 

On another note. They could easily taste amazing in 6 months. 

[Puros Y Vino]

16 minutes ago, dominattorney said:

 

On another note. They could easily taste amazing in 6 months. 

The cigars or the peaches? 

 

[JohnnyO]

Sounds like a sick period to me. Put them away, visit them in a couple of years. John

[Vortigan]

So if you've been smoking for at least 10 years, you're presumably familiar enough with the vagaries of Cuban cigars and have reconciled yourself to them. If you are a repeat client of this merchant, you've presumably been satisfied far more often than not. So if, as stated, these D4 look fine, have no construction issues and there are no doubts over their authenticity, I'd say that you've rolled the dice in the normal way and just unluckily struck out on this occasion. If it was me, I'd let it go and move on, bury the box for a couple of  years and see what happens. I certainly wouldn't feel that I had any reasonable grounds on which to ask the vendor to wear it.

[dominattorney]

Gotta also say, I've not complained about cigars received in the mail unless I either didn't receive them or they were badly damaged upon reciept. I feel as if anything else is luck of the draw. If you cannot spend the coin on cigars, you shouldn't buy boxes under circumstances that are uncertain. It took me a while to dip my foot into CC for that very reason. I was content to purchase NC at a discount in 5 packs from a local vendor before I felt financially secure enough to buy whole boxes. That was a big step for me, as I'm sure it was for all but the most financially blessed among us. There is no shame in not being able to afford luxury goods. There is no shame in financial modesty or even poverty if that is your condition. What is difficult is recognizing your condition and the limitations it imposes upon you at the current time. 

[Hammer Smokin']

15 hours ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

I bought a loaf of bread the other day. I made a couple of sandwiches but they just didn’t seem quite right. I’m gonna take that loaf of bread back to the grocery store and ask them for a new loaf.  I know it’s not the grocery stores fault but I’m going to make them eat the cost anyway.

your grocer will take it back, no questions asked. 

[SigmundChurchill]

23 hours ago, el_papacito said:

Prior to finding this forum, I bought a box of RASS. They arrived and looked awfully dry. I waited a month and smoked one - retched bitter flavor. I waited another 3 months and tried again, same result and on it went for 6 months. I decided to send them a note stating my experience and that perhaps they check their storage conditions but asked for nothing in recompense, simply feedback. 

To my chagrin, they instituted a substantial credit on my account towards another purchase. With that, I subsequently bought a handful of Cohiba Esplendidos, far outreaching the paltry credit, in comparison, and thereby spending as much again as I had on the box. 

 

Good way to handle things I thought LOL

The refund wasn't warranted.  That is what RASS are supposed to taste like.