On the dyed ones pictured in the link, you could rub them with a paper towel and mild pressure and it'd leave a scuff mark of the dye on the paper. Other's even complained of them leaving a coloring on their lips when they smoked them.
Not a natural dark looking maduro or even oscuro. Coal black as engletl mentioned is a good description
I never smoked the dyed ones I had. Just by looking at them you could tell they weren't right. I set them aside and a few weeks later I saw folks posting about the ones they were getting from CBid. Sven (the CS dude and forum moderator at the time) confirmed they were sucky and offered to make it right if people sent them back. Said he talked with the company and they gave him some song and dance but didn't admit nor deny anything.
I didn't want to hassle with it, just chucked the fake ones and never bought them again. They might be just fine now but as I said, the blend was drifting away from what it once was and this sealed the deal for me.
Re: auction win for the 5er of LGC's in my first post - I replied to the e-mail. Don't hold much hope for a resolution based on recent posts but we'll see. Won't bother me much either way, just testing the waters for myself the status of ordering things here.
If the CS is fine, and the smokes are as I remember - cool.
If the CS is fine and the smokes suck - bad.
If the CS sucks and I get the smokes and they suck - badder
If the CS sucks and I don't get the smokes then I won't know about the smokes but I'll know about the CS... so I'm not sure where on the cool ---> badder spectrum to put it. Is it somewhere between bad and badder or is it after badder. Hey badder, badder, badder..... swing... badder, badder...