Honesty versus Sensitivity

[javajunkie]

so i am in posession of a box, from a friend, which i am holding in my coolerdor until he can get his desktop on line. again. anyway, said friend is geeked about his connection coming through, and wanted me to protect these smokes.

but i do not even need to post pictures here for verification that this box of RyJ church's is FAKE. the sides of the box are not even flush with each other!

and this is a purchase my dude might make every year or three. he is more of a "stop by the shop" kind of guy, very single stick. it's not the money that i am worried about, but the principle

do i tell him, and break his heart? do i let him smoke god knows what? i need feedback, i am so torn on this.

 

[Tobacco Giant]

This friend is apparently a good enough friend to trust you with a box of cigars and you're torn between telling him the truth or not?

Come on man, this is a no brainer.

 

[Fourtotheflush]

Tell him & Show Him,
I would also be very weary of co mingling these with your stix as you dont know whats in there.

This should probably be moved or put into the Habanos section.

 

[Moose]

I know exactly what you mean, For my Birthday this year I had a friend of mine bring me a RyJ for a present, he tells me he got it from a local B&M and that he paid like 27.00 for it. Excited about it I showed a buddy of mine who manages a B&M, he informs me it is fake, a good fake but still a fake. Meanwhile my buddy who bought it for me is talking about getting more of these for other friends. I had to tell him and it was a hard battle as he was not believing me that it was fake. It was not until I showed him the Cigar aficionado site showing the pictures of a real one that he finally believed me. he then went and confronted the B&M where he got it and they refunded his money.

 

[ssaka]

I have as a general rule of thumb stopped telling people that their Habanas are fake unless I am specifically asked for my opinion and only then in private.

My experience is that people rarely take it well.

STS

 

[Moose]

I have as a general rule of thumb stopped telling people that their Habanas are fake unless I am specifically asked for my opinion and only then in private.

My experience is that people rarely take it well.

STS

Good call!

 

[GoingPostal]

If he's truly a friend you have to tell him. yeah it sucks he's going to be dissapointed but you don't want him smoking god know what. Just say something like, "i'm no expert but think they might be fakes cause the box is all messed up." or something like that so hopefully he does his own research and learns how to spot fakes and doesn't make the mistake again.

 

[CigarSaint]

I just went through this with my good friend and neighbor. You just don't know what's in them. Tell him privately.

 

[Cornrow_Wallis]

You could tell him that you were curious about them so you looked them up, and show him one of the how to spot fakes websites. Let him know you are concerned they may not be legit. Maybe not 100% honest, but it might be easier to break it to him that way.

 

[itallushrt]

I have as a general rule of thumb stopped telling people that their Habanas are fake unless I am specifically asked for my opinion and only then in private.

My experience is that people rarely take it well.

STS

who needs fake habanos when there are real liga privadas out there. :clap:

 

[MReschke0626]

I'd want a friend to tell me, so I'd tell a friend.

Agreed on the do it in private, point out the flaws/tell-tales, and always stress that the reason you're telling them is because you don't want them smoking who know's what's rolled in there and don't want to see them get ripped off again in the future.

It's a hard bit to hear, but if you do it sensitively and with a good natured looking out for your buddy, while it's a tough pill to swallow, they'll probably appreciate the medication.... Eventually. Maybe. Hopefully.

 

[javajunkie]

so... probably going to tell him. got a guy who can give me an
empty RyJ short church box for reference. and a website if my buddy needs a ISOM fix.

wish I could just get him on Gloria de Leon and be done with it!

and thank you to all who responded on this, both sides. I liked the added perspective.

still have to post pictures of that box once I get my phone to cooperate.

 

[The EVP]

A true friend tells you, "You stink and need a shower."
An enemy tell you, "You look fine, let's go."

Tell him his cigars are fake but let him know that he's not the first person this has happened to and won't be the last. It's sort of a right of passage.

 

[njstone]

If it were a stranger, that's a tougher call. With a friend, you've got to tell him. (Just be aware that some people react defensively in circumstances like this, so try not to let it turn in to an argument!)

I personally would want even a stranger to give me a head's up on something like that!

A couple years ago when I was in Mexico looking at cigars, I asked the older American/Canadian guy who was also there what he thought. He was a stranger, but he said "I woudn't get that one if I were you." He pointed me to another shop, and I was very grateful! I don't know if the first things I looked at were fake or not, but the stuff I got at the 2nd shop was so very real

 

[dpricenator]

some fakes have been rolled with non-tobacco products. ie..grass, newspaper, banana leaves, and who knows what else. I got my seats redone in TJ only to find them full of hay. There is no telling what is in those cigars.....you have to tell him. and then claim a chargeback on his credit card.

 

[heavyd]

I would tell him for sure. You gotta have his back. The first cc's I bought (a fiver) was fake. A friend explained it all to me and made it an educational experience, complete with a genuine aged PSD4 that was one of the best cigars I've ever had. I still thank him for that whole episode from time to time.

 

[nubchin]

Your friend has done nothing wrong ( except trying illegals ) , just help him bash the seller and get his money back .

 

[ciggy]

If your my friend...we can talk about anything. Just how I was raised! :tiphat:

 

[cartisdm]

I would want someone to tell me. Before joining this forum, I didn't even realize there were such things as fake habanos. The idea never really occurred to me. Someone called me out on getting fakes one time and I'm very grateful for it

 

[SuprHasan]

I'd tell him.
A friend gave me a 5er box of Monte 4 and although I was impressed with the outer packaging, I found that the smokes were individually wrapped in cello.
I thanked him for his generosity and told him that he had been taken for a ride. He appreciated the honesty and more than anything, he felt bad that he was gifting it.
He totally meant well and I hated to break the news to him, but if you buy cheap smokes in Mexico, it ain't gonna be legit.