The vendor responded today offering a 100% refund on the product and compensation for return shipping up to $25. Not too bad. They also included advice on what to do to eliminate the mold should I decide to keep the cigars. They were all the same suggestions provided here. I'm keeping them obviously, as the mold wasn't that bad, but I appreciate the prompt reply on their end.
I'll continue to go to them for future orders as soon as they have what I want in stock. If I get annother box with mold, I will cease using them.
My 2 cents,
A good vendor will never ever send moldy or substandard cigars.
When mold is the problem, it means storage is an issue and mold is not the worst thing that can happen when storage conditions are poor. Plus, even if they appear fine on first inspection, the cigars themselves can be flavorless, bitter or acrid. There are reasons they end up at gray market vendors. If all you have ever had are cigars from these website franchises, you may find that once you start using a good vendor, you will notice that your cigars taste better.
I bought a box from one of these grey market franchises 5 years ago, covered in mold. As a result, I didn't use one of those vendors again until last year, when I took a shot. I received a box with beetle infestations. The vendor wanted me to return them at my cost and risk, prior to replacement. Of course that was unacceptable. Eventually, they replaced them and the cigars went in the trash.
You get what you pay for. I have NEVER received poor quality cigars from reputable vendors.
A good vendor will inspect cigars before they ship and know their stock intimately (I don't mean a spreadsheet). If you can't trust them to inspect your cigars, then you shouldn't be spending your money there anyway.