Cuaba ELs - Mold - Yuck!

[smokem]

Just received a box of Cuaba ELs (not from here). Unfortunately lots of mold.

http://s578.photobucket.com/albums/ss223/smokem1313/

[anacostiakat]

Just received a box of Cuaba ELs (not from here). Unfortunately lots of mold.

http://s578.photobucket.com/albums/ss223/smokem1313/

Well without stating the obvious. Contact vendor and return immediately! Unless you wanna grow shrooms with those things. . .

[Trevor2118]

Just received a box of Cuaba ELs (not from here). Unfortunately lots of mold.

http://s578.photobucket.com/albums/ss223/smokem1313/

I bet the vendor claims it is plume / bloom & tells you you should be so lucky

PS. This is the worst by miles that I have seen

[smokem]

I bet the vendor claims it is plume / bloom & tells you you should be so lucky

PS. This is the worst by miles that I have seen

Give that man a cigar!

You nailed it. This was stated even after I sent the pictures you see.

[crasmith]

I would be sick! I hope that you are dealing with a reputable vendor and that all gets worked out. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[mkz]

Horrible pictures!

I guess we can assume the vendor didnt inspect the box prior to shipping...

[bolivr]

errgh, I feel sick I just checked the price on these. Hope it turns out well in the end for you

[El Presidente]

Give that man a cigar!

You nailed it. This was stated even after I sent the pictures you see.

Your kidding me?

At some point these cigars have been stored very poorly. I have a gut feel I know where it has come from but PM the detail.

Don't let them get away with that. They should be replaced immediately.

Good luck

[rckymtn22]

A quick brush and those babies should be ready to fire up!

That is terrible. Let us know if they don't come good.

[El Presidente]

A quick brush and those babies should be ready to fire up!

That's the sort of mold you ....comb and part.

[Ginseng]

Give that man a cigar!

You nailed it. This was stated even after I sent the pictures you see.

You have got to be kidding me.

That's unconscionable and utterly unacceptable.

That's not just a benign dab of the typical fluffy white stuff. As Rob said, those cigars were abused.

Wilkey

[smokem]

I appreciate all opinions. Sort of a sanity check, Thanks!

The cigars were shipped to me sealed by my request, so no vendor inspection.

The vendor has always done right by me (used them for 3-4 years), although I never had to send anything back nor any complaints (which is a good thing).

The vendor is claiming that its plume even AFTER I sent photos. I have responded that I disagree and want them exchanged or for me to send back for a refund.

Right now I think it would be irresponsible of me to "out" the vendor. It's not that I don't want to share information, but I don't want to directly/indirectly "bad mouth" a vendor at this point

[habanohal]

Storage problem , yes. Butvendors fault...dont know? If not allowed to inspect then their is nothing known that is wrong to them.

[DocRKS]

OMG !!!!!

No way should anything from that box ever come close to your mouth.....

PLUME !!!!

Surely he jests!

[Ginseng]

The cigars were shipped to me sealed by my request, so no vendor inspection.

That is not an uncommon customer request that in no way absolves the vendor of having to deal with defective merchandise, of which this is clearly a case.

The vendor has always done right by me (used them for 3-4 years), although I never had to send anything back nor any complaints (which is a good thing).

All the more reason for them to treat you respectfully.

The vendor is claiming that its plume even AFTER I sent photos. I have responded that I disagree and want them exchanged or for me to send back for a refund.

Unbelievable. I'm totally flabbergasted. There are two plausible explanations. First, the vendor is genuinely ignorant of the fact that this is not bloom. Second, that the vendor is aware of this and is attempting to manipulate you into believing that this travesty is bloom. Either situation is completely unacceptable. The first failing on competency grounds and the second failing on ethical grounds.

Right now I think it would be irresponsible of me to "out" the vendor. It's not that I don't want to share information, but I don't want to directly/indirectly "bad mouth" a vendor at this point

I don't think that you should name the vendor in open forum. However, I would suggest that you answer any direct PM inquiries from your fellow forum members. Take Rob's advice and do as he tells you. The alternative is that you shield this vendor and make it possible for him to do this to others. If it is who I think it is, this is an approach this vendor has been using with relatively higher frequency as of late. You may have the head on to come check with those who are knowledgeable, but others may not. They might actually buy that load of rubbish.

Habanohal,

The cigars getting into this situation may not have been the vendor's fault but in my book, it sure as hell is his responsibility. At the very least, it is a valid customer service issue.

Wilkey

[El Presidente]

I certainly don't want the vendor outed on the forum. In a private PM at most.

From a Vendors perspective I would want to know if a product had deficiencies such as the mold shown. Simply because it may be a bigger problem I have in terms of storage conditions.

From a purchasers perspective....have your cigars checked before shipment. You trust your vendor so box open or box closed should make no difference except if box opened it allows for a better product to be sent.

[Guest rob]

As Prez knows, last year I bought some cigars from another retailer / vendor - and they were shipped, wrapped in a wet cloth! the cloth was still very damp when I opened the package.

When they arrived they were really moldy. He tried to convince me it was plume.

The thing that bothered me most was that this retailer should have known better. I still wonder wtf he was thinking.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that a lot of people (and even those that should) really have no clue.

[Habanos2000]

As Prez knows, last year I bought some cigars from another retailer / vendor - and they were shipped, wrapped in a wet cloth! the cloth was still very damp when I opened the package.

Even my 10 year old son knows not to wrap cigars in a wet cloth. That's just unbelievable!!

[Lanthor]

Good luck, keep on them. Some sollace knowing there is a vendor or two out there who actually take pride in thier business...

[Tampa1257]

Those are the worst looking cigars that I have seen in a very long time, and for them to have just been received is unbelievable. I fail to understand why anyone would instruct a vendor to ship cigars un-inspected, that would have prevented this from happening. I hope you have a honorable solution to this situation.

[KB24]

Can someone pm me the vendor's name as I would like to stay away from them but understand not wanting to out them on the open forum. Thanks.

-Patrick

[FlyFishingDude]

Those definitely aren't right. I've seen bacteria cultures that didn't look that bad. Keep us posted on how the vendor's customer service handles it and whether it is to your satisfaction.

[habanohal]

Habanohal,

The cigars getting into this situation may not have been the vendor's fault but in my book, it sure as hell is his responsibility. At the very least, it is a valid customer service issue.

Wilkey

I understand completely. It is just a reason to need be inspected and you must trust who you are dealing with.

My theory is that people want intact boxes for their is thinking of a switching of cigars maybe. Stories of vendors just swapping out 2 cigars per box and replaceing them with fakes and so on.

But that is why we have Prez here.

[Ginseng]

I understand completely. It is just a reason to need be inspected and you must trust who you are dealing with.

My theory is that people want intact boxes for their is thinking of a switching of cigars maybe. Stories of vendors just swapping out 2 cigars per box and replaceing them with fakes and so on.

But that is why we have Prez here.

Yowza. That's terrible. I'm with you as far as inspection. I prefer the vendor to open, inspect, and add some additional protection as necessary (i.e., a small sheet of bubblewrap or polyfoam) to keep the cigars from getting damaged in transit. I've had the worst luck with figurados with pointy heads. If there is not an additional layer of protection added, head damage is almost an inevitability.

Wilkey

[smokem]

First, thank you all for your responses and opinions. I think I have everything I need.

Clarification and additional points:

The vendor shipped me a sealed box as per my request, therefore obviously the vendor could not inspect the contents and I did not mean to imply any wrong doing on their part in regards to this.

I have received numerous requests on who is the vendor. I will continue to refrain from answering this. Not because I don’t wish to share this information to possibly prevent this from happening to others, but because my several years of experience with this vendor has been good. With this last shipment, I also received a box of Bolivar Inmensas that looked, smelled and most importantly smoked great (I am a ROTT guy, no patience.) Perhaps this is a rare one time occurrence, so I don’t know if it’s appropriate to PM the vendor to potentially influence someone from not using the vendor.

What does concern me (other than the mold) is:

1) The vendor’s original position that the cigars have plume/bloom, after I supplied pictures and stated that this was mold not plume;

2) The vendor’s response also stated “I’m sure when you received the cigars they were pretty moist. Simply brush off the bloom and leave them in your humidor without any humidification for few days if they are too moist.” I don’t know what moist cigars has to do with bloom, but I do know the relationship to mold;

3) The vendor’s response time has been slower than historically. In the past when asking information on a potential purchase, I always receive a response within 24 hours. Right now the response time is more like 48 hours. Not a big deal, and many other unrelated factors could be influencing this, so may just be an observation and not be a real concern.

Plume/Bloom vs. Mold – There is a lot out there on this subject (some of it incorrect). There is also a lot of confusion. I have received a couple responses from individuals after looking at my pictures stating it to be plume/bloom. Maybe the vendor is not knowledgable, maybe I am completely wrong. I have read what I can on the subject and have observed both throughout the years, although limited. I can only remember actually seeing plume with my own eyes a few different times. I’ve also only had cigars with mold maybe a handful of times. Bottom line, from everything I’ve read and seen, I honestly believe it to be mold. If it was only a little white mold, I would just wipe off and keep. But the severity on a couple cigars makes me want a refund or exchange and since 100% satisfaction is guaranteed, keeping the cigars would not give me satisfaction.