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Last post 13 months ago by delta1. 10 replies replies.
Fake Cubans
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LeeBot Offline
#1 Posted: Mon, Apr 24 2023, 10:33 PM EST
Joined: 07-08-2020
Posts: 2,017
Forgive me for I have sinned. I got ripped off on some fake Cubans last summer, but I haven’t told anyone. I need to confess. Greed. It was greed.

I was in the D.R. last year and went to a local shop that had Cubans. I broke the seal on a box of Trinidads, can’t remember which kind. They were toros, OK (don’t judge me). I could tell from the cigars they were real, plus, being the first one to open the box, inspect the seals, etc., I was confident. $20 each! This was right after the Cuban price heist, so I felt good about it. Master of the situation.

The night before we left the country, I decided to go back and get a 10er. Then it happened. I lost my way. I saw a box of Cohibas, and like a drunk with a hard on, knowledge, wisdom, caution, and common sense went out the window. $20 each if I bought ten! I am a fantastic negotiator! So, I grabbed 10 of those instead of the Trinidads.

Got them back to my room (where the lighting was much better), and I could immediately see they were fake, no matter how much I wanted to tell myself they were real. The bands were real, or at least very good knockoffs, but the cigars were not. So, I jumped in the car, went back to the shop, and he had left for the day. I went by again the next morning on the way to the airport, but it was too early, and he wasn’t in yet. I had to eat it. Every time I open my desktop and see that one lone Trinidad that I still haven’t smoked, I feel the regret. The indignity. The shame. I think that’s why I haven’t smoked it yet.

I know that Cohibas are the most counterfeited cigars out there, small shops like that one are probably selling fakes, etc., etc. None of that mattered once I saw them. I was buying cigars for a steal given that the price had just jumped sky high, and this guy didn’t know that yet. He didn’t know about the Trinidads! I was the master of the situation because I had superior information and, did I mention, I’m a fantastic negotiator. He was puddy in my hands.

Now, instead of having a nice 10er of some Trinis, I have some unknown whatchamacallits with nice Cuban bands.

And self-loathing.




Maybe if I post this late at night, no one will see it.
Palama Offline
#2 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 12:16 AM EST
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,712
LeeBot wrote:
Forgive me for I have sinned. I got ripped off on some fake Cubans last summer, but I haven’t told anyone. I need to confess. Greed. It was greed.

I was in the D.R. last year and went to a local shop that had Cubans. I broke the seal on a box of Trinidads, can’t remember which kind. They were toros, OK (don’t judge me). I could tell from the cigars they were real, plus, being the first one to open the box, inspect the seals, etc., I was confident. $20 each! This was right after the Cuban price heist, so I felt good about it. Master of the situation.

The night before we left the country, I decided to go back and get a 10er. Then it happened. I lost my way. I saw a box of Cohibas, and like a drunk with a hard on, knowledge, wisdom, caution, and common sense went out the window. $20 each if I bought ten! I am a fantastic negotiator! So, I grabbed 10 of those instead of the Trinidads.

Got them back to my room (where the lighting was much better), and I could immediately see they were fake, no matter how much I wanted to tell myself they were real. The bands were real, or at least very good knockoffs, but the cigars were not. So, I jumped in the car, went back to the shop, and he had left for the day. I went by again the next morning on the way to the airport, but it was too early, and he wasn’t in yet. I had to eat it. Every time I open my desktop and see that one lone Trinidad that I still haven’t smoked, I feel the regret. The indignity. The shame. I think that’s why I haven’t smoked it yet.

I know that Cohibas are the most counterfeited cigars out there, small shops like that one are probably selling fakes, etc., etc. None of that mattered once I saw them. I was buying cigars for a steal given that the price had just jumped sky high, and this guy didn’t know that yet. He didn’t know about the Trinidads! I was the master of the situation because I had superior information and, did I mention, I’m a fantastic negotiator. He was puddy in my hands.

Now, instead of having a nice 10er of some Trinis, I have some unknown whatchamacallits with nice Cuban bands.

And self-loathing.




Maybe if I post this late at night, no one will see it.


Chit happens. Nobody died.
KingoftheCove Offline
#3 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 10:51 AM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,638
Just ONE of the reasons the only Cubans I buy, which is rarely, are from a few cbid botl who know more about them than I ever will.
My advice?
Take those fakes, crush them up, and throw them in the garden, on the lawn, whatever.
No need to look at them………..ever.
Mraia Offline
#4 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 10:54 AM EST
Joined: 04-18-2019
Posts: 427
Theres no shame.

Maybe a little.
BuckyB93 Offline
#5 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 11:20 AM EST
Joined: 07-16-2004
Posts: 14,211
Although fakes, smoke them up. They still may be nice cigars even though are not rolled with Cuban tobacco.
Stogie1020 Offline
#6 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 11:35 AM EST
Joined: 12-19-2019
Posts: 5,350
Oh the huge manatee...

Smoke em! Maybe you get lucky and they are really Oliva V 135th anniversaries!
Huzza3045 Offline
#7 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 1:11 PM EST
Joined: 11-07-2022
Posts: 558
I always buy Cuban fakes when I go out of the country. Got a box of 10 fake cohibas for 25 bucks and they smoke great!
Cheno Offline
#8 Posted: Tue, Apr 25 2023, 3:42 PM EST
Joined: 06-06-2019
Posts: 1,991
Save them for company that "doesn't really smoke but wants one". They won't know
MACS Offline
#9 Posted: Wed, Apr 26 2023, 9:25 PM EST
Joined: 02-26-2004
Posts: 79,804
I thought I bought fakes one time... ol' Slimboli was tryna tell me they were super fake.

He was wrong. And now the place I got them from is likely one of the most trusted vendors that 98.2% of the folks here use. Ravis sometimes sends Christmas gifts, too...

But prices be crazier than Joe Biden readin' a teleprompter.
delta1 Offline
#10 Posted: Thu, Apr 27 2023, 9:35 PM EST
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,803
smoke one at least, Lee...it might be good, if not great...

I once bought a couple of boxes of Trinidad Fundadores that were sold by an online vendor that seemed legit, at least according to a website that rates which ones as trustworthy. They were about $120/box cheaper than all other legit online CC vendors, at a time when a box of 24 sold for $525 (now, they cost nearly 3 times that). So I thought I was getting a $22 cigar for about $17...a great deal for a fave cigar.

They were marked "special", along with a couple of other items, while the rest of their offerings were in the same pricing ballpark as other places. I got two boxes of 24, feeling pretty good. When they came, I smoked one from each box, and tho they were very similar and pretty good, they were nowhere near as good as Trinidad Fundadores I've had in the past. They did taste like Cuban cigars, but not in the class of Fundadores. I had bought two boxes before from different vendors, and those were my fave CCs. Called the vendor and they refused to refund, saying that items on special were exempt from their money back guarantee. I felt burned and humiliated every time I smoked one. I told my son and SIL about this and they thought the fake Fundadores were very good, so they helped me "bury" my mistake. They also said these were not as good as "real" Fundadores, tho.
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