Expert: James Yee - 2/27/2010

Question
James,
Thanks again for answering my question regarding my D4's.  I can't wait to bust into them, but as 09's, they will rest for about a year.  

If you were living in the U.S. and using an online sourse to get cubans, would you request that the box be opened and inspected or unopened.  I always request that the boxes remain unopened, your thoughts?

Michael

Answer
Hi Michael,

This is a tough question...  I would personally choose to have a box opened and inspected before it is shipped to me.  With mailorder cigars, it's always a hassle to receive a box of sealed cigars that has some sort of problem (either damaged during shipping or a factory defect) and needs to be returned or resolved.  If a retailer is willing to inspect a box before they ship it, I would certainly request that option.  

Of course, some retailers and customers preferred sealed boxes.  Some customers prefer unopened and untampered boxes and some retailers prefer to ship their boxes sealed because they don't want to be held liable for any unforseen problems that may occur with opened boxes.  I completely understand both sides to this dilemma but if a retailer is reputable and ships with a very reliable shipping method, having your boxes opened and inspected before they're shipped shouldn't be a problem.

The biggest downside to unopened boxes via mailorder is receiving a box where the cigars are not a pretty colour or has mold, tobacco beetles and/or damaged wrappers.  By having the retailer open and inspect a box before they ship, we can bypass these potential problems and save ourselves alot of trouble.

Hopes this helps.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James