I sent an email to R*** and asked if his deleting my account (and apparently my order history) would complicate me getting my refund when they get the return. No reply yet. The cost of the return is approx $35 and I certainly feel like I'm throwing good money after bad so I'm going to wait on the reply before I make a decision.
While the box and warranty label certainly look authentic, and some people claim ( as the vendor did) that the verification process has hiccups, I doubt these cigars are from Dec 14. They certainly don't look that old. Has anyone ever recvd a box of shorts that sat around that long? If I decide to keep them I'll eventually dissect one but I don't know if that would prove anything as the shorts aren't very big so I doubt they're packed with short filler crap and if that isn't definitive I'll eventually smoke one but since they had weeks in transit as an open box with no boveda pack they'll have to sit for a bit, plus I have that chest bacterial flu thing that's going around in my city so I'm a week or so away from being able to enjoy a smoke anyway.
As it stands I learned a cheap lesson and my next purchases will be from an authentic LCDH in Europe. I'd rather pay the extra 25% and not have to worry about authenticity and packaging.
I think your newness on this issue is going to lead you astray. Why wouldnt a vendor have boxes from 2014? Do you think everything sells like gangbusters and only 2016 stock shoudl be available? The aforementioned vendor you are hinting at has been having some shipping issues of late. I just sent back a 15ct tubos box, yes tubos that usually travel well, to him for refund. ZERO worry about him giving my money back.
Im currently working on an order with a vendor with boxes from 2000, 03, 2013, 2014, 2011, 2001, and 2012.
Stop overreacting over $125 and plotting your plans of buying at LCDHs in Europe for more money who do not guarantee shipping(most of them). You could always join the "down under" board and fight with all the newbs to get your email in within 4 seconds if you wanted the illusion of extra special quality.
This R*** guy also offers date code lists, here is what stock of codes he has of shorts alone:
Partagas Shorts Box 25 GEO DIC 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 BMS JUN 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 BMS ENE 15
Partagas Shorts Box 25 AUM JUN 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 OLM MAR 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 RAE ENE 15
Partagas Shorts Box 25 PMS FEB 15
Partagas Shorts Box 25 GEO AGO 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 GEO JUN 14
Partagas Shorts Box 25 LOA DIC 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 RAE MAY 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 UTE JUN 16
Partagas Shorts Box 50 RAE JUN 15
Partagas Shorts Box 50 RAE JUN 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 RAE JUL 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 #SOM MAY 16
Partagas Shorts Box 50 PET JUN 16
Partagas Shorts Box 50 OPG NOV 13
Partagas Shorts Box 50 OPG MAY 15
Partagas Shorts Box 50 OPG JUN 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 OPG FEB 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 LOA NOV 13
Partagas Shorts Box 50 AUM ABR 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 AUM JUL 15
Partagas Shorts Box 50 BMS ABR 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 BMS JUL 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 BMS OCT 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 BMS SEP 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 EAG JUL 14
Partagas Shorts Box 50 EAG NOV 13
Partagas Shorts Box 50 LOA JUN 14
BEZ