EAR: Where do I go from here?

[El Presidente]

EAR:  Email Assistance Required. 

 

Hey Rob. Congratulations on the wedding and no need to answer this until you settle back. I would like your thoughts however and maybe even the thoughts of those on the forum. 

To cut a long story short, my best friend has been trading cigars with me for ten years and I have only now come to realise that just over half of what he has given me in trades is fake (Sourced Costa Rica and  Caribbean mostly). Mea culpa I know. It wasn't intentional. 

If I was the only person he traded with then I would just shut up and cease the trading. However I am not. He trades with colleagues at work and a few poker buddies.  This will cut him and even put significant financial stress on him if he is forced to make good by others. 

Where do I go from here? 

[E4GNCCI]

I feel like anyone doing large scale trading like this guy is doing has an idea of wether or not the sticks he is giving out are fake. I’d bet he knows. Depending on where he buys, he should do his due diligence and not trade sticks that he buys from places that aren’t guaranteed authentic(LCDH and vetted shops). He should either give back all the sticks that he got in return back to the people he got them from. If he’s smoked them, either give them a cigar that is proven real and if similar value or compensate them with the monetary value of the stick listed by habanos. My $0.02.


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[Hammer Smokin']

Caveat Emptor

buying cuban cigars is always a gamble...including directly from the island from a LCDH. 

if I buy/trade with someone, anyone, I'm taking a gamble. 

[Ford2112]

Its his best friend? Has he talked to him about this? That would be my first order of business.

[MrBirdman]

Safe to say there are no good options here. I think he deserves to be made aware that many of his cigars are fakes. If he keeps trading them, you’ll know how culpable he really is. It might be tough for him to hear but, if he’s a grown up, he’ll eventually get over it. 

[BoliDan]

I'm covering for him if he's my best friend. But I'm from that kind of culture.

He should tell him though, and let him know it probably be wise to stop trading. How did you trade for 10 years and not notice this? Well not important now, I suppose.

[SCgarman]

Rob, if you ever need a new career a psychologist or psychiatrist might be right up your alley. Hell, if I were receiving all these emails with everyone's "drama", I might seek a head shrink myself. 🤣

[El Presidente]

21 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

Rob, if you ever need a new career a psychologist or psychiatrist might be right up your alley. Hell, if I were receiving all these emails with everyone's "drama", I might seek a head shrink myself. 🤣

This type of email is pretty common. 

People find out they have inadvertently traded or sold fakes and don't know whether they should reach out to those they sold/traded too or just sit tight. In many cases they don't have the means of making good. 

[MossybackR]

3 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

Caveat Emptor

Grifters —Common sight these days.

[NSXCIGAR]

He smoked these for 10 years and didn't realize they were fake? 

Anyway, if he has proof they're fake he should go directly to the friend and tell him it's over. If he keeps trading with others expose it. 

[MossybackR]

4 hours ago, El Presidente said:

my best friend has been trading cigars with me for ten years and I have only now come to realise

Oh, wait. What?

 

13 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

if he has proof they're fake

Ten years ago, true provenance was based more subjectively. Unless, maybe you had a friend that …

[MickVanWinkle]

I’d think you have to bring it up.  Depending on how that interaction goes can dictate next steps.  I’d bring it up and then mercilessly break balls for at least a bit.

Also, what notes were they giving to make it 10 years before realizing?

[NSXCIGAR]

22 hours ago, MossybackR said:

Ten years ago, true provenance was based more subjectively. Unless, maybe you had a friend that …

The crux of it is how he knows they're fake. The OP says he "came to realize" but how he came to realize this is important if you're going to tell others and potentially cause the guy "significant financial stress". 

The 10 years where the OP apparently wasn't aware is a bit strange. And it appears the others that received the cigars don't suspect anything either. 

Anyway, if he does have the hard evidence you go straight to the guy and show him and tell him to stop giving those cigars to people or you're going to expose him. That way if he wants to clean up his act and trade legit cigars or keep trading what he's got but call them what they actually are he can do that. 

There is some caveat emptor at work. Again, it does appear that everyone's been happy with the cigars for 10 years. Which is why I think it's just better to give the guy an opportunity to correct the issue. 

[Ford2112]

Smoked them for 10 years I guess the cigars weren't half bad?

[El Presidente]

As a follow up, I received an email this morning thanking you all for your input.