Expert: James Yee - 8/8/2010

Question
Hi James,

I had a few questions about something I think all online cigar sites do.   I order from cigarsofhabanos.com which was verified by the Pacific Cigar Company as being a legitimate website

anyways, Ive read on all cigar sites that their boxes are opened to inspect all their cigars for quality control, and that it gives them an opportunity to add some padding for added protection as well as a humipouch to keep the cigars in perfect humidity.

All this seems to make sense, but all instances other than once, there was no bubble wrap padding, and there was never any humidifying device.   In addition, I found the quality control of the cigars were subpar... not that they were damaged during shipping, but some of them were rolled perhaps poorly.   

The latest box I ordered, after making a small complaint about quality control... I finally had some bubble wrap and the cigars seemed in great condition.

Do you think in your opinion their claim to open the boxes for your benefit is legitimate?  

Answer
Hi Andy,

Cigar retailers - whether it's a mailorder company or an actual retail store - do indeed open and inspect boxes to protect both the customer and themselves.  The last thing a cigar retailer wants is to sell a defective box of cigars to a customer because it's a hassle to deal with refunds and/or replacements.  Having to refund money or replace a product is something businesses never want to do because it takes more time and money out of their pockets.  By opening and inspecting boxes before they ship, a retailer can ensure that a box of cigars you order does not have any mold, damage or tobacco beetles and will less likely be returned by you.

Depending on the store/mailorder company and their policies, humi-pouches and extra packaging such as padding is usually optional and only available when the customer requests it.  There are some retailers that are extremely accomodating but not all stores will provide humi-pouches or extra packing materials.  The same applies to shipping methods.  Most retailers will ship their cigars a certain way and it's up to the customer if they prefer to have their cigars shipped differently (at the customer's expense, of course.)

When inspecting boxes, retailers usually only look out for mold, damage and tobacco beetles.  Even though the cigars may be rolled poorly or does not look perfect, retailers usually doesn't consider this as a strong enough reason to not ship them.  Shipping an average-looking box of cigars instead of a perfect-looking box of cigars is entirely up to the retailer's discretion.  Some retailers will only ship the best-looking cigars they have while other retailers may not even consider the construction quality because they just want to unload their inventory.

I hope 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