I Got Rooked...

[BahamaTom]

So the family and I are in the CA desert enjoying some time off. If you've never been to the Palm Springs area, you are missing out. There is something about the desert...

Anyway, we are at a local mall-type place, and I decide to roll into a B&M there. It is nicely done, with a nice walk-in. I go in the humidor, and of course, I am immediately followed in by a young kid working there. Good selection of stuff; Stock AF, AVO, Strat, etc... I ask the kid if he has another humi with more "hard to find" stuff, like Anejo, Opus, etc.

The kid says "No, all my good stuff is in here". I says "OK, cool" then look around a bit more. I get my fill of the joint (and the EXTREMELY high prices) and I head for the door. The kid stops me and says, "Oh, I forgot about this drawer"... He opens up a sliding drawer full of: Cubans! HUpp Mag 50's, Monte2's, BoliRC's, VR Don Alejandros, Cohiba Sublimes (yes, Sublimes... :laugh: ) and Maduro 5's, and more. He says " I had to feel you out first... Not many Federal Agents wear a Rolex..." I says "Nice! Where do you get them?" He says "the owner gets them from overseas and brings them back..."

OK, so I am 90% sure these are fake. The bands look good, the triple-cap is present and the tobacco arrangement in the foot looks good, but the kids' story of how they got them turns me off. Part of me wants them to be real, but deep down, I know the story. I ask the kid, "How much for a Maduro 5 Genios?" He says, "$50 bucks". I tell the kid he is out of his mind, and make my way out.

I haven't had a Maduro 5, and am dying to try one... So I roll back in and tell the kid I checked with "a source" overseas and I can get the Maduro 5 Genios for $28 bucks. "Not wanting to take advantage, and considering your overhead and mark-up at the store, I'll pay you $40 for the stick." "OK fine" he says... "I will take the sale".

I take the cigar back to the condo, go out on the patio, and put fire to it. Very bland, with no flavor. About half way through, I cut the fire off the stick, take it inside and take it apart. I find little tiny pieces of tobacco for the filler. 100% fake.

I was furious that night, into the next day; not at myself, because I went into the deal assuming they were fakes... I paid for my education... I was upset at the B&M whom, I assume, knowly sell these fakes as authentic. I wanted to out this place, so anyone who reads this never gives them a penny of their hard-earned money. I believe they have more than 1 store in SoCal...

So? Out 'em or leave it here...

Share your thoughts, and thanks for reading!

Regards,

BT

 

[souldog]

If you would be so kind as to tell me the name of the B&M. I have my parents out there in Coachella, 15 minutes from Palm Springs, and I don't want to get taken!!!

 

[poriggity]

Its always good to know places like that. MAYBE the owner doesn't know that he got taken, but I seriously doubt it...
Scott

 

[br174]

OUT them. Let's hear it.

Brian

 

[LOCAL669]

I have never been in this situation before, but I think I might bring this to the attention of the store owner if possible. There could be the slight chance the man doesn't know and might pull the sale of any furhter product. Give him/her a chance to make the good.

 

[AngryFishH]

I have never been in this situation before, but I think I might bring this to the attention of the store owner if possible. There could be the slight chance the man doesn't know and might pull the sale of any furhter product. Give him/her a chance to make the good.

In general I agree. But talking to the store owner about a cigar that is illegal to buy and illegal to sell that probably was a fake is a difficult conversation. Unless of course the owner had no idea that the clerk was selling them.

Fish

 

[BahamaTom]

I have never been in this situation before, but I think I might bring this to the attention of the store owner if possible. There could be the slight chance the man doesn't know and might pull the sale of any furhter product. Give him/her a chance to make the good.

In general I agree. But talking to the store owner about a cigar that is illegal to buy and illegal to sell that probably was a fake is a difficult conversation. Unless of course the owner had no idea that the clerk was selling them.

Fish

The way this went down, and the arrangement/the way they kept the fakers, I am hard-pressed to believe the owner knows nothing about them. There was literally 15-20 of each vitola, and probably 12-15 different marcas.

The only reason I haven't outted them is the off-chance that the guy believes they are real. In this case, he is doing his customers a service. Then again, a true cigar lover/store owner should know the difference...

I honestly think it is a way for the store to make a fast buck off the tourist that wants to smoke a "cuban"... :angry:

Regards,

BT

 

[H311oLHD]

I have never been in this situation before, but I think I might bring this to the attention of the store owner if possible. There could be the slight chance the man doesn't know and might pull the sale of any furhter product. Give him/her a chance to make the good.

In general I agree. But talking to the store owner about a cigar that is illegal to buy and illegal to sell that probably was a fake is a difficult conversation. Unless of course the owner had no idea that the clerk was selling them.

Fish

The way this went down, and the arrangement/the way they kept the fakers, I am hard-pressed to believe the owner knows nothing about them. There was literally 15-20 of each vitola, and probably 12-15 different marcas.

The only reason I haven't outted them is the off-chance that the guy believes they are real. In this case, he is doing his customers a service. Then again, a true cigar lover/store owner should know the difference...

I honestly think it is a way for the store to make a fast buck off the tourist that wants to smoke a "cuban"... :angry:

Regards,

BT

I'm very sorry you were taken, but I don't see how you could ever trust a random B&M that you just happend to stop into. Always go on the side of caution and assume they are fakes. I have a really hard time believing that a store owner would jeopordize their business by selling authentic cuban cigars to random strangers that walk in.

Learn from your lesson, but I think it does this ENTIRE board a service to talk about it. You may have just saved a fellow CP member from learning the same lesson you just received, so for that, a huge thumbs up. If I had this particular stick you were trying to get, I would send you one. I hope maybe a BOTL can step up and help you out. :thumbs:

Either way, again, I'm very sorry.

 

[JHolmes763]

Are you going to talk to the owner about it?

 

[ironpeddler]

Slippery slope when you think about it. Why would the owner of this shop, who has invested a substantial amount of money in the place, put his livelihood in jeopardy for fake Cuban cigars?

If he's caught, is he less liable for fakes than the real thing? If he was selling the real thing, you'd think he would only sell to regular customers he completely trusted. On the other hand, if he was knowingly selling fakes to vacationers in a rip off scheme, wouldn't he be running the risk that some disgruntled seasoned cigar smoker would turn him in by means of an 'anonymous phone call' ?

That whole thing doesn't make sense on any level. Sounds like a bunch of stupid people at that joint.

He deserves to be outed!...and thanks for taking one for the team :laugh:

 

[BahamaTom]

I have never been in this situation before, but I think I might bring this to the attention of the store owner if possible. There could be the slight chance the man doesn't know and might pull the sale of any furhter product. Give him/her a chance to make the good.

In general I agree. But talking to the store owner about a cigar that is illegal to buy and illegal to sell that probably was a fake is a difficult conversation. Unless of course the owner had no idea that the clerk was selling them.

Fish

The way this went down, and the arrangement/the way they kept the fakers, I am hard-pressed to believe the owner knows nothing about them. There was literally 15-20 of each vitola, and probably 12-15 different marcas.

The only reason I haven't outted them is the off-chance that the guy believes they are real. In this case, he is doing his customers a service. Then again, a true cigar lover/store owner should know the difference...

I honestly think it is a way for the store to make a fast buck off the tourist that wants to smoke a "cuban"... :angry:

Regards,

BT

I'm very sorry you were taken, but I don't see how you could ever trust a random B&M that you just happend to stop into. Always go on the side of caution and assume they are fakes. I have a really hard time believing that a store owner would jeopordize their business by selling authentic cuban cigars to random strangers that walk in.

Learn from your lesson, but I think it does this ENTIRE board a service to talk about it. You may have just saved a fellow CP member from learning the same lesson you just received, so for that, a huge thumbs up. If I had this particular stick you were trying to get, I would send you one. I hope maybe a BOTL can step up and help you out. :thumbs:

Either way, again, I'm very sorry.

No worries H3110LHD... I didn't go in there looking for Cubans, real or fake. I just wanted to look mostly, and maybe grab a HTF legal smoke for poolside... Random B&M's are usually good for this...

The main thing for me was to make sure no one patronizes these establishments, and to look out for this type of thing. I am more of a lurker, but chime-in when necessary, for the good of the brotherhood

I appreciate the thought of you sending one if you had, thank you H3110LHD :thumbs:

Regards,

BT

Are you going to talk to the owner about it?

I don't think so... What good could it do? I am almost 100% certain the owner knows about this.

I don't think I will out them publicly either, but will share the name via PM.

Regards,

BT

 

[BahamaTom]

Slippery slope when you think about it. Why would the owner of this shop, who has invested a substantial amount of money in the place, put his livelihood in jeopardy for fake Cuban cigars?

If he's caught, is he less liable for fakes than the real thing? If he was selling the real thing, you'd think he would only sell to regular customers he completely trusted. On the other hand, if he was knowingly selling fakes to vacationers in a rip off scheme, wouldn't he be running the risk that some disgruntled seasoned cigar smoker would turn him in by means of an 'anonymous phone call' ?

That whole thing doesn't make sense on any level. Sounds like a bunch of stupid people at that joint.

He deserves to be outed!...and thanks for taking one for the team :laugh:

I agree 100%. The whole scenario stinks! I am glad, though, that all it cost is $40 to learn about these morons...

I will out via PM Ironpeddler... I think that's best.

Regards,

BT

 

[rramstad]

I'd never stick my neck out by outing them. On what authority do you know they are fake? That's the first thing he's going to say, regardless if he thinks they are fake or real, and if you indicate you've got a lot of knowledge about contraband, you're just getting into deep water.

Folks, 99.99% of the cigars sold as Cuban in stores are fake, period, end of story. The owners typically know this, and it's a way for them to protect themselves if they ever get raided, as if the cigars are tested they'll come back as non Cuban.

 

[bfreebern]

The owner is obviously trying to rip his customer off anyway, so what makes you think he gives a shit that he's buying fakes?

 

[MiamiCubano]

This post/query reminds me of an episode of Cops I watched.

Some junkie calls the Ft. Worth PD and she complains that she was attempting to buy crack cocaine and the "dealer" took her 20 bucks and then refused to tender the crack.

"I came to her house to buy crack, gave her $20 and now she won't give me the crack!"

Brilliant.

That's kinda the same deal here.

You go into the store, you know what yer gettin' yourself into and then bemoan getting the shaft. Regardless of the issue of some B&M claiming to peddle in contraband, the more pressing issue is that is hardly appropriate for you to cry foul.

 

[CeeMmm]

This post/query reminds me of an episode of Cops I watched.

Some junkie calls the Ft. Worth PD and she complains that she was attempting to buy crack cocaine and the "dealer" took her 20 bucks and then refused to tender the crack.

"I came to her house to buy crack, gave her $20 and now she won't give me the crack!"

Brilliant.

That's kinda the same deal here.

You go into the store, you know what yer gettin' yourself into and then bemoan getting the shaft. Regardless of the issue of some B&M claiming to peddle in contraband, the more pressing issue is that is hardly appropriate for you to cry foul.

That's not how I read it at all...It seemed to me that he guessed before buying that they were fakes, but was just too curious for his own good. Then after deciding that it was a fake, he cut it open to see how bad it was and found short fillers.

More of a joke he played on himself. The topic description says it all "...but I saw it coming..."

Just my $00.02

 

[MiamiCubano]

This post/query reminds me of an episode of Cops I watched.

Some junkie calls the Ft. Worth PD and she complains that she was attempting to buy crack cocaine and the "dealer" took her 20 bucks and then refused to tender the crack.

"I came to her house to buy crack, gave her $20 and now she won't give me the crack!"

Brilliant.

That's kinda the same deal here.

You go into the store, you know what yer gettin' yourself into and then bemoan getting the shaft. Regardless of the issue of some B&M claiming to peddle in contraband, the more pressing issue is that is hardly appropriate for you to cry foul.

That's not how I read it at all...It seemed to me that he guessed before buying that they were fakes, but was just too curious for his own good. Then after deciding that it was a fake, he cut it open to see how bad it was and found short fillers.

More of a joke he played on himself. The topic description says it all "...but I saw it coming..."

Just my $00.02

ISOMS are illegal.
You don't cry foul for having purchased a "fake" illegal product from a US B&M.

 

[CeeMmm]

This post/query reminds me of an episode of Cops I watched.

Some junkie calls the Ft. Worth PD and she complains that she was attempting to buy crack cocaine and the "dealer" took her 20 bucks and then refused to tender the crack.

"I came to her house to buy crack, gave her $20 and now she won't give me the crack!"

Brilliant.

That's kinda the same deal here.

You go into the store, you know what yer gettin' yourself into and then bemoan getting the shaft. Regardless of the issue of some B&M claiming to peddle in contraband, the more pressing issue is that is hardly appropriate for you to cry foul.

That's not how I read it at all...It seemed to me that he guessed before buying that they were fakes, but was just too curious for his own good. Then after deciding that it was a fake, he cut it open to see how bad it was and found short fillers.

More of a joke he played on himself. The topic description says it all "...but I saw it coming..."

Just my $00.02

ISOMS are illegal.
You don't cry foul for having purchased a "fake" illegal product from a US B&M.

Once again, I didn't read it as such...I think he was more concerned with keeping others from getting fleeced (not crying about a bad BM selling him fakes), and was wondering if he should out them publicly. He has decided to out them by PM instead to the people who are interested.

 

[NullSmurf]

Ok guys... (sorry,,,)isn't representing a cigar as contraband also illegal under the same statute? If I sell something I'm representing as an illegal substance, so don't I get charged for selling an illegal substance, even though its fake?

 

[MiamiCubano]

Ok guys... (sorry,,,)isn't representing a cigar as contraband also illegal under the same statute? If I sell something I'm representing as an illegal substance, so don't I get charged for selling an illegal substance, even though its fake?

You do...which might bring up some confusion in the intent of this thread and its (apparent) multiple takes on what it's about.

If you want to bust him for selling contraband (or purported contraband) that's one thing. If the point is to bust him for NOT selling authentic ISOMs, that's another. What's the real beef? That you didn't get an authentic ISOM? Somehow, I sense that if you had gotten the real deal, this thread would have never happened.