The sales guy there has never said anything like that to me. He must have been joking. He has been nothing but nice and complimented all my selections. One time I actually let him pick one for me, and after a few minutes of telling him what I was looking for he was able to recommend something that was perfect. He seems genuinely into the cigar world, unlike other shops I have gone to.
Also, the prices are obviously inflated. I mean, seriously inflated, like you said. It's in the heart of Irvine at a freakin mall for godsakes. But when you work less than a mile from there, and you go to Yardhouse, D&B, Wahoo's, etc all the time for lunch, it's hard not to pop in and grab a smoke for later.