matthewgrodi Posted March 16 Posted March 16 Please, any insight help would be appreciated, When I run the numbers on the warranty seal it comes back as a Montecristo Number 5. 25 count box so that coupled with the fact that it has an ROS factory code which is a factory code from 2007 has me concerned. On the same token, I've been buying for 20 years and have never ever had a fake box. I know that running the numbers is not foolproof, that's why I've only used it maybe on one or two occasions, so I know that the fact it didn't come up as the correct box isn't the end all be all, but I'm kind of concerned, coupled with the fact that it has that ROS factory code. Here are some attached pictures. If anyone can shed any lighter give me a helping hand it would be great. I don't personally suspect they are fake, so I'm wondering what other reasons I have received a few boxes over the years with either a warranty seal that was improperly fixed or one time I bought 20-30 boxes of two different Regionals and they were the same size Petit Robusto and when they all came in there was actually one box of Regionals that had the other Regional cigars in it. I ended up finding one or two other people that had the same issue. Everything was legit, it's just that somebody put the wrong cigars in the wrong box or put the wrong box on the wrong cigars. 😉 1
Chibearsv Posted March 16 Posted March 16 Serial number fits in the 2015-2016 realm, so that's another flag. Post up a closeup of the seal on the box lid. Where did you acquire this box? Not specifically, but generally; private sale? LCDH? Online Retailer?, etc. 3 1
gormag38 Posted March 16 Posted March 16 As poster said above, the SN sequence is off by a couple years. That's a huge red flag. The stamp on the bottom looks a little 'funky' too. Coupled with the SN sequence it would have me thinking even harder that these could be fake. I've seen so many issues with legit box stamps before, so that could easily be written off as Cuba being Cuba however. What do the sticks look like? UV? 2 1
matthewgrodi Posted March 18 Author Posted March 18 Sticks look great all else seems 'a' ok. Like I said, I've never in 20 years that I had a fake box of cigars so I couldn't possibly imagine that these are. It would make no sense and why an LCDH, which I'm not 100% that's where it came from, but since I was buying from five or six different ones over the years, the odds that it came from an LCDH and not a gray market vendor is probably 95%. That's what throws me off between the serial numbers being messed up and coming back as a Montecristo No. 5 box and then the ROS code on the stamp date is very bothersome, knowing that I've never had any issues with anything being fake and I've seen some crazy stuff over the years. I want to believe this is just Cuba being Cuba and if it was one of the two things I could easier write it off as that; however, with it being two different things that's what kind of bugs me a little eventually they will get smoked but in the meantime. I figured I'd throw it out there you never know somebody else may have a box of them or two or three with some issues, or maybe the same factory code or maybe the warranty sealed numbers will be wrong or whatever. I figured it doesn't hurt to research or to put it out there, so if anybody else has any input that'd be great.
Cestis4 Posted March 21 Posted March 21 The art work on the box looks off. But, it could be the lack of resolution in your upload, plus the S/N discrepancy. I’ve enclosed a photo of my presumed legit 2018 box for comparison. 1
NYGuido Posted March 21 Posted March 21 On 3/16/2026 at 1:47 PM, Chibearsv said: Serial number fits in the 2015-2016 realm, Is there a place where one can find out the date range for a SN? I have Alex’s book and I don’t even see it in there. Thanks!!
Chibearsv Posted March 21 Posted March 21 4 hours ago, NYGuido said: Is there a place where one can find out the date range for a SN? I have Alex’s book and I don’t even see it in there. Thanks!! I look on bond Roberts to get a general idea of the numbers for that year. I think someone posted a list a while ago. I’ll see if I can find it. 1
nKostyan Posted March 29 Posted March 29 Too many signs of fake... Here are the numbered periods of the warranty seals: 00001ххххххх – until mid-2011 00002ххххххх – since the end of 2013 00003ххххххх – since the beginning of 2016 00004ххххххх – since the end of 2017 00005ххххххх – since the end of 2020 00006ххххххх – since the end of 2023 to the present. 2
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