Buddy is getting faked. Etiquette?

[jamesbrownsplit]

Long story short...my buddy is getting ripped off. Told him the vendor was bunk but he continued ordering anyway. Lots of guys have told him they are legit. Guys who should know better. He really likes the cigars, which is all that really matters I guess. He gave me one to try out. Its not even triple capped like it should be. Do I point this out to him or do I keep my mouth shut?

 

[ilikefishes]

If he likes them, keep your mouth shut.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Give him your vendors

 

[jamesbrownsplit]

I did. He seems to think he is forming a relationship with this vendor as they call him to let him know what new stuff they have, ect. So he doesn't wanna try the ones I've been given. I'm not super knowledgable in this field but I just feel bad that he's kinda getting taken advantage of.

 

[Ecks]

Unband one of your collection, have him smoke it and tell you what he thinks. Whether it's better then what he has been smoking or not. Then break it to him gentle, saying that you think he may be paying too much for a knockoff smoke and here is the evidence as to why, but if he really likes em and thinks they are worth the money, ultimately it's his bank account.

 

[Cigary43]

Sometimes the best teacher is experience. If he likes them that's all that matters. Being right doesn't necessarily mean it's the best answer.

 

[Cazador]

Told him the vendor was bunk but he continued ordering anyway.

You've done your part.

 

[Diplomatico]

Told him the vendor was bunk but he continued ordering anyway.

You've done your part.

And there you have it. ^^

 

[AlohaStyle]

I really don't understand the mentality of letting friends get burned and letting scammers go scott free. Of course this one is different because he already told him and I can understand people saying you've done enough, but if I were you, I would take the opportunity of educating him about the triple cap and saying once again how you know this vendor is fake. But... you say you're not super knowledgeable in this field, so how do you know the vendor isn't legit? If you are for sure, I would definitely bring it up again because he is your friend, and why would you not want to try and stop people giving these scammers more money?

Only education can put a dent in fake vendors. If people don't say anything, the same people keep buying and buying and referring other people who buy and buy.

 

[sneak_a_cigar]

I wish I had a friend like you, giving me advice on getting the right vendor/smokes.

Sounds like a frustrating situation. Only so much you can do.

 

[Alwayslit]

You've done all you can do.

 

[jamesbrownsplit]

AlohaStyle, a quick google search points to this site being notorious for scamming.

AZ, the cigars are shipped in a box saying they are from Central America and they have no bands.

I guess there is no point to continue with this thread though. The consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself. I'm going to give him a few of mine though for sure.

 

[cschwalbe]

I had a friend and fellow botl tell me my smokes I was getting from a vendor were fake. I was new to cigars and didn't know any better. I was thankful for him pointing it out to me. I approached the vendor, explained why they were fake and he stills swears they are not. Lets just say I personally don't buy from that vendor anymore.

But.... I have a friend who insists on smoking the fakes. I told him a bunch of time and explained to him how we know they are fake, but he doesn't care. He loves the way they s'more and continues to buy them.

So I understand where you are coming from.

 

[Cigary43]

The consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself.

Sad consensus, if you ask me. I'd keep onto a friend until he saw the light... and simultaneously take business away from a peddler of fakes. Shrug.

P.S. - there are a couple legit vendors that still unband (and one that repackages to make it look like they come from elsewhere) their cigars. You could probably find out, for sure, with a PM to the right member(s) here on BOTL.

You'd sacrifice a friendship just so that you can be right? "Keeping onto a friend until he sees the light...." I dunno man...if one of my friends kept coming on to me this way esp. after I told them what it is I like....even if it's not a real cuban cigar...it stops being a friend and becomes a situation of having to "be right" and that will destroy a friendship faster than most things. Friends want friends that will give them the space to be wrong if they find out later..friends want friends that will support them even when they are sometimes wrong. I've had friends tell me things that they thought were wrong but they didn't sacrifice the friendship just so they can be right.

As far as fake Vendors go....I understand that there are more out there that you can shake a stick at but as long as there are those who are willing to buy the product...they will continue to thrive and being Don Quixote will not fix the problem. While I applaud your initiative at balancing things in life sometimes people need to experience loss or hitting the wall...some just won't learn any other way.

 

[Chrisso]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

You've tried to help. If you've educated him on the subject, then there's nothing else you can do, but move on IMO.

If he's happy, then ignorance is bliss!

-Chrisso

 

[AlohaStyle]

You'd sacrifice a friendship just so that you can be right? "Keeping onto a friend until he sees the light...." I dunno man...if one of my friends kept coming on to me this way esp. after I told them what it is I like....even if it's not a real cuban cigar...it stops being a friend and becomes a situation of having to "be right" and that will destroy a friendship faster than most things.

You have good intentions and thought there Gary, but I think you're taking Jim the wrong way. He is not just "trying to be right" as I've met him before and know his passion with cigars. According to the thread, the buddy didn't believe they were fake. That's the key here... I agree that you don't want to keep hounding a guy once all things are laid out in the open, but there is a legitimate opportunity here to go back to the buddy to help educate him about the triple cap and show him a couple websites etc to help show him the light. If he honestly just doesn't give a crap and likes the cigars, then all the power to him and I agree it should be dropped. But if he honestly believes they are authentic CC's, I would take every opportunity to help educate him. I wouldn't hound him and make him feel like shit, but if an opportunity came up like seeing an obviously fake band or something, I would bring it up again with a fun/ribbing attitude. I wouldn't do it in front of people mocking him, but I would definitely do it one on one while smoking cigars. I believe this is Jim's same type of thought... not "just to be right."

And to Chrisso... he did try to educate the buddy but now there is another legitimate opportunity to bring it up again and tell and show him about triple caps. If it were me and he was a friend, I would definitely do that.

And to the original poster, I am definitely not holding anything against you or giving you a hard time. You did the right thing by trying to tell your buddy, I applaud that. This subject has come up before and I wanted to chime in with my general opinion on the matter because I truly can't believe the divide of BOTLs on this subject. So please don't take my posts as a personal attack against you.

 

[Cigary43]

You'd sacrifice a friendship just so that you can be right? "Keeping onto a friend until he sees the light...." I dunno man...if one of my friends kept coming on to me this way esp. after I told them what it is I like....even if it's not a real cuban cigar...it stops being a friend and becomes a situation of having to "be right" and that will destroy a friendship faster than most things.

You have good intentions and thought there Gary, but I think you're taking Jim the wrong way. He is not just "trying to be right" as I've met him before and know his passion with cigars. According to the thread, the buddy didn't believe they were fake. That's the key here... I agree that you don't want to keep hounding a guy once all things are laid out in the open, but there is a legitimate opportunity here to go back to the buddy to help educate him about the triple cap and show him a couple websites etc to help show him the light. If he honestly just doesn't give a crap and likes the cigars, then all the power to him and I agree it should be dropped. But if he honestly believes they are authentic CC's, I would take every opportunity to help educate him. I wouldn't hound him and make him feel like shit, but if an opportunity came up like seeing an obviously fake band or something, I would bring it up again with a fun/ribbing attitude. I wouldn't do it in front of people mocking him, but I would definitely do it one on one while smoking cigars. I believe this is Jim's same type of thought... not "just to be right."

And to Chrisso... he did try to educate the buddy but now there is another legitimate opportunity to bring it up again and tell and show him about triple caps. If it were me and he was a friend, I would definitely do that.

And to the original poster, I am definitely not holding anything against you or giving you a hard time. You did the right thing by trying to tell your buddy, I applaud that. This subject has come up before and I wanted to chime in with my general opinion on the matter because I truly can't believe the divide of BOTLs on this subject. So please don't take my posts as a personal attack against you.

Thx for the reply and I'm sure Jim is a good guy...I don't want to leave any impression that he isn't. Good friends are hard to find and when you have a good one they are worth the time and effort to keep them. Appreciate your follow up on this.

 

[z6joker9]

If you've tried and he ignored, I'd leave it alone. The main thing though, if you're going to push the issue, make sure you are *right*.

 

[jamesbrownsplit]

Unless Habanos dropped the triple cap and a site that uses hot chicks to push their fakes changed their ways then I'm fairly certain I'm right.

Never thought you were coming at me Aloha. I'm very new to the Cuban game and wouldn't have any idea about them if it wasn't for the wonderful guys on this site, but even to an amateur these things are obviously not the real deal.

 

[Knickerbocker]

lol ughhhhh, he is not ordering from there is he really????