Reputable Online Cigar Retailers

[Marito]

I've been perusing through the sites of the companies listed on this board as reputable online cigar retailers. I have some experience in dealing with a few and have no complaints. I also note the text at the top of the page of online retailers and have no doubt that our board is "extremely selective" when placing a company on that page.
My question: how is it possible for such dramatic price swings among those listed on that page?
Examples:
Low price Cohiba Robustos $281.70 shipped
High price Cohiba Robustos $578.76

Low price Bolivar Royal Coronas $175.31 shipped
High price Bolivar Royal Coronas $391.11

Low price PSD4s $209.00 shipped
High price PSD4s $404.00

Does one have to worry abouyt the authenticity of cigars coming from any of the sites listed or do you believe this is simply a case of shopping around for the best price.

Thanks for your thoughts and experiences.

 

[alexgtp]

All boils down to TRUST your VENDOR.

 

[emodx]

Yes, but sometimes you kinda go out on a limb when you are a newb. People don't always help the newbs.

 

[cvmfour]

The fluxuating prices come from a duty-free shop vs. a high-tax country like Canada and the UK. They're normally 2 times higher then other vendors from different countries.

 

[alexgtp]

Yes, but sometimes you kinda go out on a limb when you are a newb. People don't always help the newbs.

[snapback]201850[/snapback]​

good point.. I remember onte time being a newb..and no one wanted to sahre sources.. but there were some great BOTL's who hooked a brother out..
Thanks to you guys!

 

[Wombat]

Interesting thread. I am a major newb when it comes to ISOM's. Would really like to buy a box, might just have to risk it and pull the trigger.

 

[BGarv3]

The best way to get started is to keep an eye in the buy/sell forum. Look for a box split, I was lucky enough to get broughtinto one and then unlucky enough to be forced to back out due to a family emergency.

There are also some of the Fogs that occasionally post a sampler pack or even 5'ers now and then. You only have to watch out for things like the cheap cubans guy but normally the fogs pounce on those guys with little hold time to protect the board and the newbs in the process.....

 

[AztecKing]

I'm a newbie also and just lately I was in Orlando and went to Corona Cigar Co. store and they were very helpful and took all the time I needed to help me out. They shipped a couple of boxes home for me and since then I've ordered on the phone and online and have had excellent service. Their store stocks 1.5 million cigars and from the size of the place I don't doubt it. The place was cigar heaven. Hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[indyrob]

The fluxuating prices come from a duty-free shop vs. a high-tax country like Canada and the UK. They're normally 2 times higher then other vendors from different countries.

[snapback]201851[/snapback]​

it seems that all the prices are quite stable...it's just the exchange rate bites.
for example, Bolivar RC's might be 175 sterling, and then be
175 dollars elsewhere.

just my $.02

 

[indyrob]

I'm a newbie also and just lately I was in Orlando and went to Corona Cigar Co. store and they were very helpful and took all the time I needed to help me out.  They shipped a couple of boxes home for me and since then I've ordered on the phone and online and have had excellent service.  Their store stocks 1.5 million cigars and from the size of the place I don't doubt it.  The place was cigar heaven.  Hope this helps.

Jeff

[snapback]202373[/snapback]​

Plug? hmm...I thought naming names was on the D/L yo'

you know i'm kidding right? :laugh:

 

[ricmac25]

I'm a newbie also and just lately I was in Orlando and went to Corona Cigar Co. store and they were very helpful and took all the time I needed to help me out. They shipped a couple of boxes home for me and since then I've ordered on the phone and online and have had excellent service. Their store stocks 1.5 million cigars and from the size of the place I don't doubt it. The place was cigar heaven. Hope this helps.

Jeff

[snapback]202373[/snapback]​

I think some Cubans LIVE in Orlando, but I'm pretty sure they don't SELL Cubans in Orlando.

 

[Ironworker]

This is how I approached the whole thing
I went to every cigar board on the web, I read hundreds of posts and even posted a few times when I had a question or two before finding home (Cigar pass)

Before I choose who to buy from I read a lot of posts about Habanas. I choose one that everyone seemed to like and was relatively in expensive. My first choice was the San Cristobal EL Principal. The average price on a box of these is about $130.
I pulled the trigger and ordered them up.
Without any resources of my own I ordered from a retailer from the list here at CP. The box came 13 days later with the seal broken (don't worry, it seems most all the retailers do this to make sure of the cigar quality before shipping) and the cigars were in excellent shape.

After that I went to a different retailer in the list and was extremely happy with the product and especially the service.

Since then I have broadened out my sources (not much), I have never had a problem. If you’re looking for a box of cigars that cost $500.00 or more I would definitely ask a long time member of the board before making that purchase.
Like someone else said the price difference comes when other countries having to pay for for a more expensive tabacco tax than a duty free area which pays none.
If you look at the retalers list its not hard to figure out.
Last but certainly not least keep posting! Let people get to know you. You can learn a lot about people just by what they say in a forum. (Trust me I met my wife online :thumbs: )
Update your personal profile.

There are many online scammers; members have lost not only cigars but there hard earned cash too!. So don't get uptight if someone is reluctant to help you because it comes with the territory.

Good luck

Richard

 

[emodx]

Do your research on what you want. Check the threads where retailers post their wares. If they have been posting here for a over a year, and no one has called them out as fakes, well then silence may be taken with a grain of salt. Also, duty free is the way to go if possible.

Emo

 

[indyrob]

When I started off buying, I bought M/M's...thinking who would counterfit those? Also, it was a cheap way to actually buy into the whole idea that ISOM's are better than Dom's...

I'm still into a "perfecto is harder to fake" mode, but I do business with only 2-3 E-tailers that I have become confident in.

Caveat Emptor....right?