aberdeen
Thursday, March 25, 2004 9:01:00 PM
I may be over reacting here, that's why I am writing this, in hope that someone that doesn't have a dog in this fight can let me know if I'm off base or right on target.

Last week I called to order some of the Puros Indios #2. When I called the operator told me I just missed by two hours the weekly special on this cigar. Since that email when to my old email address I did not receive notice of this deal. Now I think it was bad customer service to tell me that, she could have just kept quiet and I wouldn't have been any the wiser, but bringing it up made me feel like she was kind of rubbing my nose in the fact that I just missed the special deal on these cigars. Therefore I requested she put my order to the manager and let him decide, I would also order more cigars if they honored the sale price.

I also sent two emails to customer service voicing my concerns. The only response I received was a form letter confirming my new email address for the weekly specials. In the past whenever I had a concern my emails were responded to within 24 hours. There have been times even when someone at CI called me about a situation or concern.

Today I received my cigars, only the amount that I originally ordered and not at the sale price. So I feel a bit shafted here. I mean no matter what the retail situation, I think it's bad customer service for someone to tell you that you just missed saving money on your purchase by a few hours, and I think when I became aware of this knowledge it becomes the correct policy of CI to honor the sale price, in the least don't ignore my emails. I have nearly 2000 cigars and 75% of these I bought from CI, I think I deserve a bit more than this. Now I know I could have called management direct and made a fuss about it,but I don't think I should have had to do that, I think going through the normal channels should have been enough, but apparently not.
choner
Thursday, March 25, 2004 11:45:00 PM
I once had the winning ticket for the lottery but was 30 minutes late to the liquor store to buy it and so I'm not a millionaire. That's why I have to smoke these damn Swishers while all you rich guys are smoking Montes and Anejos.

And another time, I was 1 hour late to the airport and the fricken plane left without me, can you believe that. They didn't wait for me? Didn't that pilot know how many frequent flyer miles I had?

I once I was 2 hours late to a date with this good looking midget. She never called me back! How dare she, no one does that to the Rico Suave Choner.

Anyways, point is, if you're late, you're late. There is a cut off for a reason. Its life and the ever difficult task of experienceing it,...by the way, did I tell you about this date with a midget I had? Oh I did.

choner
RICKAMAVEN
Friday, March 26, 2004 12:31:00 AM
aberdeen

call (800)830-4590 and ask for trish. she will explain.
xrundog
Friday, March 26, 2004 1:55:00 AM
Yeah, that's hard to take. But you did miss the sale. And by no fault of Cbid. Changing e-mail notification is your responsibilty. No doubt the person that told you about the sale is wishing they had not. Maybe the e-mail responses were sent to your old address?
Slimboli
Friday, March 26, 2004 2:39:00 AM
Oh come now aberdeen ... you're not a 'newbie' here, and have been around as long as I can remember ...

... I believe you already have the experience here (and in life) to know how sales and specials work.
Slimboli
Friday, March 26, 2004 2:45:00 AM
Besides ... try your logic with the IRS a couple of ours after midnight on April 15th ...

... and see how far THAT will get you ... LOL!
eleltea
Friday, March 26, 2004 3:42:00 AM
Wait a minute here . . . PI#2's were on sale?????!!!!!
TrishS@CigarBid
Friday, March 26, 2004 4:36:00 AM
Aberdeen,

I just spoke with the individual who receives the Customer Service email for CI. I was told that he responded to you last evening, LONG before you posted here. Are your spam settings set to filter anyone not on your contact list? That's a fairly common reason when emails aren't received. If you haven't received that email, give me a call and we'll get it resolved for you.


Hey Rick, thanks for the faith you have in me!! LOL
tailgater
Friday, March 26, 2004 4:49:00 AM
Aberdeen, as a fellow PI LOVER, I feel your pain.
Your story is not quite clear, however.
When the sales rep mentioned the sale and your tardy status, was it because you wanted the lower price? Or did you simply order the cigars and then they offered the extra information?
I'm sure it was not to rub your nose in it, although it may have seemed that way. They likely assumed you knew about the deal and wanted the sale price and felt they should inform you that you had in fact missed the deal.
I don't know. I wasn't there.
I think it's fair if they didn't extend the offer, but I also think a wise business decision would be to let you purchase your original quantity at the normal price, and include your increased order at the sale price, considering the circumstances and your history with CI.

Either way, what do you think of the other Rolando Reyes Sr offerings?
I like the Maxima Reserva very much.
The special Aged Pyramids are a bit mild and too large for most smoking opportunities.
I'm deferring judgement on the cheap Flor del Todo's until I have smoked a few more, but intitial judgement is good considering the price.
I think about the only one I've left to try is the Viejo PI, and I'll likely pursue those in the near future.
Take care, and I hope your at ease with the outcome.
Joe.
xibbumbero
Friday, March 26, 2004 7:04:00 AM
WOW...someone actually has faith in Trish. I can now die a happy man. X :~)
rayder1
Friday, March 26, 2004 7:15:00 AM
What LLT said. Sale??

I think your first call was answered in that manner because she was advising you that the sale price was no longer in effect. I assume it was a friendly attempt to let you know the price was not at a discount. That actually amounts to good customer service.

If they gave you a discount price it should be considered a "gift". If you got the price at retail, (which you were expecting to pay anyway) then that is what was expected, since customer service advised you of such.

Cbid's customer service kicks butt on most other business'.
aberdeen
Friday, March 26, 2004 7:25:00 AM
okay, so apparenatly over reacting. But you sarcasm misses my point. I was calling to order Puros Indio #2 anyway without any knowledge of these being on sale, I just wanted to get some from the catalog, and was told after I placed my order that I just missed the sale price on these cigars by two hours. That is basically what kind of put me off. Yes I was late, and if nothing was said I wouldn't have known, and it wasn't that I new about the sale and just waited till the last minute to call. But it's done.

I was up until 1AM mountain time doing email, no email from CI, and I have no spam settings, everything comes flying through, only if my server suspects it's spam it simply mentions that, but nothing is prevented from gettting through. (though now I check there is one this morning)

I think this cigar and the Maxima Reserva are my favorites from PI. I also just started smoking the Cigar Kings, remember these, the so called box pressed PI? Quite nice also, but 3 years of aging may have helped. But the pyramid #2 does take time so the PI Rothschild I also like. Everyone says they're the same, but I don't like the Cuba Aliados as much, even smoking some aged 3 years, they are often rough around the edges.

Since August I have been playing online poker which is why I haven't left much here. It is just with play money but it's quite entertaining, and I can play while I get work done, plus it's free.
aberdeen
Friday, March 26, 2004 7:38:00 AM
by the way Slim, even after all this time you really haven't learned to read what is actually being said before making rash judgements. It is my responsibility to pay taxes on time, I know the when they are due, and there is no excuse for tardiness.

But... what if I paid my taxes a week early by phone say, and after paying was about to hang up happy as a clam, and then was told, hey mister, if you would have called an hour earlier we would have given you a $500 refund, don't you think you would be put off? Or if yo are buying a new car, and the associate said, well gosh, if you came in here before noon you could have had an extra $1000 rebate, too bad chump. You would either demand the rebate or walk out, as you had no knowledge of the rebate, you just happened to be in the market to buy a car that day and stopped in, as I was going to buy cigars that day without knowing about any sale. Do you see my point slim? It's the employee bringing up the missed opportunity, that if he didn't you wouldn't have known about the sale and simply made the purchase happily.
bud451
Friday, March 26, 2004 7:55:00 AM
Nice to see you still around Ab.....and after your expanation I do see your point. Probably not a deliberate "rub in your face" remark but certianly could be taken that way. I'm sure Trish will make it right. You've been a long time good customer.

Slimboli
Friday, March 26, 2004 8:04:00 AM
I to see your point now, aberdeen ... after the explaination.

I guess you didn't like my little IRS joke ...
;^)
KNOF
Friday, March 26, 2004 8:05:00 AM
Hey aberdeen,
Did you get matches with your order, or did they just run out. heheheee?
All is well, and why can't we all get along? LOL!!!

Knof
sketcha
Friday, March 26, 2004 9:31:00 AM
aberdeen,

Like Slim and maybe most, I missed that point too. It wasn't CRYSTAL clear that you didn't know about the sale.

After looking at it again, I can see that the point was somewhat hiddin in your statement that you didn't receive the email and it was purely coincidence that you wanted the PIs.
aberdeen
Friday, March 26, 2004 3:53:00 PM
well now that I read it over, I was a bit hard on Slim, you were the victim of a berating by my wife, as she wasn't too happy I went bowling last night when she was sick and stayed home with the kids.

I made too big a deal out of it,is what it amounts to, and yes CI did offer to make it right.
ducati996
Friday, March 26, 2004 4:48:00 PM
I had a situation with CBID on a hygrometer...a Chinese one. It did not work. They responded promptly...and even sent me an envelope to return the defective Chinese junk. Great customer service.
aberdeen
Friday, March 26, 2004 5:09:00 PM
what do the Chinese know about cigars anyway