Buying from online retailers...

B

bama

ChestBeater
Background: When I buy by the stick, I buy from my local B&M, and I smoke whatever I buy in the shop. Even though I could bring in cigars and smoke them, I never do. I only smoke in the shop what I buy from the shop. For boxes and samplers, I buy from two online retailers.

Recently, I was softly chastised in front of others in a shop (where I was smoking a cigar that I purchased from that shop--not my local shop--that day) by a cigar broker. He told me that all the cigars I buy from these two retailers are all poor quality cigars and that it's people like me who allow these sellers to make a big profit off of bad sticks.

Aside from the fact that, in a free society and a free market, where everyone can compete for your business, I don't have the financial luxury not to shop around for deals that won't break the bank.

Anyway, I was a little taken aback by what the broker said and want to know if anyone else has ever had a similar experience.
 
Wow, never had that happen. You would think the least the guy could do would be to talk to you privately, not in front of others in the shop at least.
 
bama said:
Aside from the fact that, in a free society and a free market, where everyone can compete for your business, I don't have the financial luxury not to shop around for deals that won't break the bank.
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:tpd:

Chastising someone for that, especially in front of others, doesn't make sense. I would love to buy boxes, let alone 5 packs of cigars, from the local B&M's, but finanacially that just isn't practicle.
 
Sounds like a jerk to me. And it's his job to get people to pay premiums at a B&M, you said he's a cigar broker ain't he? Just shrug it off, buy cheaper online, and save the extra money - which likely adds up to thousands in the future. Then laugh at him there.
 
That sucks! If that happens to me I will tell the "broker" that I avoid paying bloodsuckers like him by buying online or at B&M stores he doesn't sell to!
 
The guy is also full of the stuff that you scrape off of your shoe. There is no way that a big name manufacturer would produce second-rate stuff for some of the largest cigar vendors in the country. Would love to see his name sent to CI and a few other large vendors and let him see what a slander case looks like.
 
I buy from a couple online retailers- CI, Famous, Holt, and Taboo. They are also B&M's for a number of our BOTL - I stop by the 3 from PA on a regular basis as well as buy online. So for me B&M or Online can be the same??
Oh by the way I go to the stores because they treat me like a customer not an interruption.
 
Of my B&M's one is almost affordable by the stick:

5 - 9 sticks 10% off
10 - 14 sticks - 15% off
15 - up 20% off

I would love if most B&Ms came even somewhat close or carried the brands and models that I want. Unforuantly, they fail in all 3 catagories.
 
You should be laughing all the way to the bank--
The facts of life today is that you can buy cheaper online then almost any B&M--that guy should suck it up and shut up--While we like to support our local shops the forces of economy and Gasoline dictate otherwise
 
Had one tell me tonight that ALL the online stores sell only seconds that are not up to standards of the cigar companies. He said they are either flawed or do not draw well. I guess I'm not able to tell a good one from a bad one. lol
 
texasbadbob said:
Had one tell me tonight that ALL the online stores sell only seconds that are not up to standards of the cigar companies. He said they are either flawed or do not draw well. I guess I'm not able to tell a good one from a bad one. lol
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:r Interesting
 
Here's what I think. I think the incredible deals we sometimes get from online retailers, especially the daily deals, are due to overstock. BUT, I'm not saying those deals are any lesser quality. I'd like to think that every deal I get from CI (for example) are pristine cigars, but IMHO they are not. What does that mean? Usually, it means that we, as responsible cigar people should let the cigars rest a week in our properly humidified vinos/humis/cabinets etc. Are these cigars second rate? i don't think so. But, it is possible that these over- runs of cigars have seen a lot of travel and haven't been properly stored by the big online dealers, hence the need to move them fast, for a discounted rate.

I could be totally wrong, but how else do you explain the fact that something such as the Pepin Blue Generosos featured about a week ago would taste terrible if not given a couple weeks to recoop. In adverse, if I walk into my local B&M tomorrow and purchase the same cigar, it will probably be good to go. This all goes back to my first point that online retailers are able to offer us good deals, because their stock is huge. It's up to us to take care of the cigars, and then smoke them. Local B&M's purchase the same lots, but they humidify them, like us, hence the settling down period. That's just my :2.

I believe that if you let a good cigar rest for a few days, more often than not, it will be as enjoyable as if you paid top dollar for it from the best walk-in humidor in town.
 
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