Expert: James Yee - 11/9/2008

Question
James -  I know you don't evaluate mailorder sites, so I hope this question does not fit this category - it is more generic.

I generally prefer to buy from my local, friendly tobacconist.  But, for cubans, this is not possible.  Some retailers suggest they can offer lower prices because they receive and ship from bonded duty-free warehouses.  Are these legitimate?  Are there real savings (looking at their costs, not my retail price) for them compared to a retailer who operates out of an "inside-the-border" facility?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Charles,

A lot of questionable Cuban cigar retailers - whether it's a mailorder company/website or an actual store - frequently play the "duty-free" card as a way of getting around the subject of where they get their questionable Cuban cigars from.  When asked who their distributor is or why their prices are always so low (in many cases, much lower than normal), many of these retailers will claim that they do not receive their cigars from their regional Habano SA's appointed distributor but instead, receive their cigars from distributors from other countries in order to "cut costs and pass the savings on to the customers".  If this is the case, then these retailers are not receiving their cigars from any Habanos SA-associated distributor and their cigars are therefore questionable.  To prevent a shill market, Habanos SA-appointed distributors do not ship to countries outside of their jurisdiction.  For example, Intertabak (Habanos' Swiss distributor) will not ship to Canadian retailers at all because Havana House (Canada's official Habanos distributor) is responsible for Canada and vice versa.  

If a retailer claims to receive their cigars from a distributor in another country (purely to help them cut costs), they're not receiving from a Habanos SA-appointed distributor.  If they're not receiving from a Habanos SA distributor, who and where are they getting their cigars from?  Habanos SA is responsible for every genuine Cuban cigar that leaves Cuba for commercial sale and buying from a retailer that receives their cigars from a Habanos SA-appointed distributor guarantees that you will receive authentic cigars.  Buying from any other retailer is a gamble.

It's perfectly fine to buy duty-free cigars but what you should always do is buy from genuine duty-free stores carrying Habanos SA cigars instead of buying from retailers that claim to receive their inventory from duty-free companies.  If you buy from retailers that claim to receive their cigars, don't be afraid to ask questions and thoroughly research their answers with Internet cigar forums or even Habanos SA themselves (www.habanos.com) who can validate their claims.  If a retailer provides vague or dodgy info about where they get their cigars, be suspicious.  Lastly, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

Hopes this answers your question.

Regards,
James