Fake Majestuosos Part 2. Deal or No Deal? Would you take the offer?
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2023
- Would you accept the shop's offer to take the box back for $15,000 but signing a document saying that the box is not fake and therefore accepting the fact that the box will be sold again and someone else will be ripped off ?
If you can, please kindly take part in the poll to let me know your point of view. Here is the link towards the poll below:
www.youtube.com/@habanonews/c...
Thank you for your support and please remember that it is ok to disagree but we must remain respectful of one another or there is no future for humanity.
Habano News. - Jak na to + styl
If you dont need the money, please dont take the deal. The shop needs to be held accountable. Truly respect how you are handling this.
Thank you sir.
I agree! You are a standby guy for not taking the deal. If you don't need the money, and they are not willing to destroy it after everything you did to prove it was fake, tells you what kind of shop it is. They probably have been selling fakes for years! The cigar community needs more people like you!
@@habanonews Hmm... looks like one man vs fakecigar mafia, just take the money because at some point... in the legal proceedings you will be threatened 🤔
They must be held accountable by you exposing the name of the shop online!!!
The fact that they're refusing to admit it's fake, after everything you've provided from Cuba, means they knew it was fake all along and must have done this to so many others...
DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!!! EXPOSE & SUE THEM!!!
I agree. I appreciate him wanting the box destroyed so nobody else gets scammed. I think him accepting the money if the box is destroyed is a generous deal on his part. But no matter what he does, the shop needs to be identified. They obviously have no problem selling counterfeit products. He has legitimate paperwork saying the box is fake. It’s obvious there are spelling mistakes, but they’re still saying he’s lying. That’s ridiculous!
The fact they are not willing to have the box destroyed tells me everything about the shop. They will resell at the new, market price and actually still make money after paying you. I applaud you for your stance and you should not move off that stance in my opinion. Your principles are worth more than money.
Thank you Michael.
They gotta be grimy people to just take it and put it back on the shelf.
Completely agree on the ethics of the matter. It's a huge red flag that they're not willing to just refund the money and letting you keep the box.
thank you.
I would only take the 15k if they let you or the distributor destroy the box with ample evidence , but knowing they are still denying that its fake i would not surrender the box back to the shop as i also believe the box will end up in someone else hands for certain, thank you for keeping us updated and shining a light on this issue.
Thank you for the comment and support.
Thank you for standing up for the rest of cigar aficionados, collectors, and enthusiasts alike, and for standing your ground and holding onto morality. This is a shining example of how to deal with such a situation. If I were in your shoes I would certainly keep the box to prevent its re-circulation, however much it would help in the bigger picture of things, while also raising awareness within the cigar community on the levels of counterfeiting that are possible out there, how to better educate ourselves to avoid being ripped off, and why to never outright trust a business. I think that would grant you a far better investment than $15,000 in the long run. New subscriber here, thank you for everything you do.
The fact that they are willing to pay you the 15 grands, shows that they know your not lying , and are excepting that it's fake. Fair play for not handing it back.As you said,they will only catch some other poor soul
I would take the $15,000 and name the cigar shop. This way no one else will be scammed out of thousands of dollars.
They will only give me the money if I sign a convention stating the box was not fake. They want to buy my silence and sue me for defamation if i talk.
no deal... keep the box. try to get your money back, but you keep the box and destroy it. you and i both know they will resell the box and scam someone else, not fair. you are a great man. i agree with you.
I would not waver for sure, your leverage is of significant magnitude. You have empirical proof of the counterfeit status of the box, a winning court battle in my opinion. I think you should negotiate the shop to destroy the box and give you the money, or take it to court and have them get you a new box, destroy the fake one, and pay for your legal trouble and expenses.
Cheers for standing up for the unsuspecting consumers.
It's a winning court battle; but in the end, what will be the measure of damages? I believe it will be $7,500.00 plus costs and fees. Not an insubstantial amount. I can tell you what it won't be; the $22-30k for a replacement.
Just found and subscribed to your channel. Values are more important than money. I applaud your stance and wish you the absolute best
I would gove it to the museum. Sir you just gained a huge amount of respect from me! Thank you for what you do for the cigar community 🙏 much love and respect to you sir 🙏 hope one day i can sit with you and enjoy a cigar.
I appreciate that!
Bravo for standing your ground. It’s such a small market that statements such as yours can have an outsized positive effect. Thank you!
I think what you're doing is 100% the right thing to do. I would also tell the shop that I will reveal the shop name if they refuse to destroy the box. Trust me they will loose more than 15k. It's in their best interest. No cigar shop will ever want to have that kind of reputation.
I would take the money and hand them back a destroyed box back....if that's not an option, then don't take the deal. They should be held responsible for selling a fake product.
Take the money. Return the box and expose the merchant so all current and possible future customers will buy at their own risk. This way you could rest easy that you’ve been compensated as to your actual box… only time will tell. Take good care and enjoy the day.
Thank you sir.
I 100% agree, stick with your principles because the bottom line here is the cigar shop was unethical. There is too many fake Cuban cigars on the market.
Very sorry to hear everything you have been through! I say name and shame this shop. The community needs to know
It's very interesting ethical line to be ok with giving them the fake box in exchange for a real one but not give them the fake one in exchange for $15k.
Thank you for your channel, please announce the name of the shop, we need to hold them accountable.
Take the 15k€ and let them destroy the box. What is the public prosecutor saying about this fraud? May they can find out the source of that fake box.
I applaud you and your values and integrity sir 👏 You are a great man
As a solicitor my advice:
1. Be commercial
2. X2 for your loss is something no court will ever award you
3. Stop assuming what the shop will do - if they resell then that’s on them not you
4. Once you sign a confidentiality agreement don’t make a video - it’s settled but terms are confidential are sufficient
You are asking the advice of people whom a majority of do not own a passport, will NEVER travel internationally let alone first class and most importantly you are exposing yourself by putting it out there publicly. Be commercial and don’t post on point going forward or ask “the common man” his advice!
I am so much impressed, just recently watched a first video and now this one appeared! Absolutely agree with you! No deal if the box won’t be destroyed and they won’t admit that this box is fake! You probably should name the shop… it would be fair now. Museum idea is 👍 too
Stick to your guns. You are correct. The store is wrong. You are correct. Stick to you guns. Maybe all the others stores will learn because of men like you. Kudos Sir!
As prior service I'm proud to hear you value the lessons learned serving.
No, the shop needs to honor the transaction and give you a real box as originally agreed upon! Nothing less!
Thank you for your comment.
First of all, really sorry for what you’ve been through. I believe all of us who has been collecting cuban cigars for quite some times will definitely experience this kind of situation, me included. To answer your question, if I were you, I will not return the box. If the insist, I would rather not taking the money they offered, and I will bring the box to many CZcams cigar shows while explaining the truth to the audience, so they can be more aware. I will also publicly tell the true story including the name of the shop. They should think twice, reputation Vs 15k and a fake box. Cheers
Maybe without outright naming and singling out that shop, because it's not about that shop specifically, he's not coming from a perspective of personal vendetta against a particular store, he's coming from the perspective of principle, the principle of being cheated in the cigar collection business. By turning it into personal vendetta against one shop engaging in such malpractice, it would dilute the meaning of his mission and he would eventually fail to get the real message of awareness across.
yes, I think its time to expose their name
@@Fady117 i agree what you said but he should at least tell us the name of the shop at least once. so people know to shop with precaution there
Much admiration and respect for you. My suggestion based on what I would do.
1. They need to admit they sold the fake box & cigars.
2. Accept a cash offer, the $15k seems reasonable provided it covers the cost of a new box. They still owe you a box.
3. All parties agree to donate the fake box to the museum you mentioned.
4. If all the terms above are accepted you don't disclose who the shop is.
Thanks, hopefully this can come to a reasonable end soon.
Don't be cocky, take the offer while your still ahead. Otherwise you might lose everything.
never compromise on ethic's , your making the right move , GOD BLESS PS that owner new it was fake not cool
15K NO! Real Humidor supplied as per initial transaction was intended and destruction of Fake as a matter of course YES. Nothing else is acceptable; is a gentleman of moral fortitude's only position I respectfully suggest.
Am totally appalled by the fact they offer to double & cover legal costs thus far “ which is seeming partial admission of guilt “ as is & yet they insist it’s all false claim and the box is real . That’s truly frustrating and definitely seems the relationship is not worth holding on to from how they’ve put it across it shows they don’t value you as their long time client . So my question to you is do you see or feel the need to mend or save this bridge of retailer & client especially seeming they undermine and don’t value you . Press for it , you are more than right and definitely please don’t name them it could be cause for more trouble on your part since they are so sly it won’t surprise they try use that against you for defamation. Settle only if agreement that said box be surrendered / destroyed . Wishing you all the very best on this man .
Boxes value is $22,000, the shop still stands to make a significant profit
It's not defemation if it's truth and fact. It's his right to share his experience
Offering the box to the Cuban cigar museum is an excellent idea.
I admire your analysis of the situation and the ethical issue which you're faced with and that you value your principles above a deal which most people would take.
Thank you
I always say a real man stand firm on his morals and belief’s!
dont take the deal! they dont deserve to keep doing business if they arent willing to get you a real box. its not about the money. this hurts the community. As a Cuban, giving it to the museum would be nice.
No amount of money is worth your soul and your ethics in life.
💯 The shop should be outed . It’s clearly obvious that this shop knowingly deals is fake product. Repugnant.
I could never afford cuban cigars but I do find your channel very interesting. Thanks for your educational videos
Thank you sir.
Absolutely not. it perpetuates the fraud and allows them to defraud someone else. Id would love to hear their explanations around the misspellings etc. if they get the box back they will go to their source, have the card changed to correct the spelling errors and sell the fakes again
Take them to court. Offering to refund double your payment but continuing to call you a liar is unacceptable. (Easy for any of us to say as we are not the ones who've lost out, but if I was in your shoes I like to think that's what I'd do, especially with such good evidence their box is fake.) Good luck, I'm watching with interest.
I wouldn’t accept this deal… this was their error and mistake. You bought from them with a long history. It was their job to middle man from a reputable source and sold it as an authentic item. They need to replace it… and if you have a case, personally I would take it to court. It may be a pain, but it’s about the principle. A relationship you’ve built with a shop for 25 years and they basically backstabbed you. That is absolutely fkin unacceptable. Make them absolutely acquire and replace the box, and find a new shop to build a new relationship with.
TBF, I am not a fellow Cigar smoker. However, I invest in Art, which isn't dissimilar. From an investment standpoint, that shop has robbed you of the future investment value you could have captured. They need to either buy you a certified box, or pay you enough to buy a box from another...I mean... from 'a reputable' dealer! Please don't let them off the hook here. Should you release their name, it will absolutely damage their business (fairly in my opinion, unless they make you whole). I think they sold these boxes to other unsuspecting cigar buyers. You will be holding them accountable for all the boxes they sold.
Stand your ground and do the right thing. You would have more peace of mind than having the authentic box in your collection.
Follow your convictions man! Because someone else will be gipped out of money! This isn’t even about money it’s about doing what’s right
Exactly
I would not take the money! Expose the shop and let the makers of the cigars and humidor fight the shop in court!
Absolutely not. This goes beyond money and the shop should be exposed as unscrupulous and not to be trusted among the community.
I would ask the shop to buy you a real box and you get to keep the fake box. You then take the fake box and burn it on CZcams for all of us to see.
Distroy the shop, don't take the money
Why doesn't Havana just give you a real set of cigars for your trouble. It probably only cost them like 20 dollars to make.
If the shop is willing to pay twice what they are paying it is an admission of guilt
Split the difference,
get your cost back $7,500
and you keep the box.
Then do a video destroying the box in
an entertaining way.
and you might possibly recoup some
of your "loss" from the video if it does well.
Sue the shop for $$$
You have to fight this all the way.
Agree with you
Principles
Box should be destroyed
You should hide an apple air tag in the humidor where it cannot be found, then accept the 15,000. Then follow the box wherever they send it in the world and see where it is being sold and for how much
Having made almost perfect counterfeit cigar box , why would they do a spelling mistake on the description sheet? What is the logic behind.? You proved that the cigars are fake by sampling and testing the cigars itself so it is all fake. Thank you for the video, it raises awareness and made me double check the box of Partagas that I purchased recently.
I would not take their offer. I would demand a genuine box and that this fake box is destroyed. If they don’t do this I would expose them publicly and sue them.
Hello. it is horrible to receive anything fake at that amount of money. That’s hard for anybody. I totally understand your morals. If I did not need the money, I would expose the shop. I think they know it’s fake. They will do it again. if you expose them and people choose to not go to their shop, they won’t be there to expose it anymore Again I’m sorry I hope you have better luck in the future
I agree with you sir tell them to go buy you a Box
Side note , are they authorized retailers of habanos ? If so , during you’re trip to Cuba was there mention of wether they would revoke licensing to retail habanos products ?
The museum is a good idea 👍
I would fight to the end because liars and people selling fake stuff should not exist. The shop has to admit that it is fake and admit they did a huge mistake. What they did has no money value.
If you are in a position (financially) to do so, do not take the deal. There is another aspect worth mentioning in this story: in 99% of cases behind counterfeit cigars, spirits, watches etc there are criminal organisation such as Camorra or Ndrangheta; stores knowingly selling counterfeits are supporting organised crime - plain and simple.
Hypothetically, if Habanos has the resources to do so, it would be interesting to retrace the supply chain / origin of the tobacco.
I would take their offer and do a subscribers giveaway for each of the cigars THEN destroy the box for some great YT content. 😊
Simple: take the money and if they do not agree for you to break the box and instead ask you to return it, give the name of the shop.
Accept the money, then air the shop out so we know exactly where not to go.
I agree with you keep the box....don't accept the deal.
The problem is, as you say, a moral one. Either you lose or someone else loses. The question then is what would hurt you more? Losing the money yourself but having the moral high ground or having someone else potentially lose the money?
You could also pursue this in court but then the lawyers are really the only ones who win. The stress 8t would cause you, even though you most likely would ultimately win, may not be worth it.
If it were me, I would ask for them to reimburse me the lawyers fees and the cost of going to Cuba but I keep the box. Ie. They give me only £7,500 instead of £15,000 but I keep the box.
If not, then working together with Habanos S.A. perhaps pursue the shop in court.
If I was in your shoes I would take it all the way down the legal route with judge at the court telling the seller shop that they are responsible for the scam
Take the money they offered only because you went through all the trouble of meeting with the authority of the humidor / printing etc. and the shop refuses to admit they are fakes. If they won’t listen to that actual print shop , they are not going to listen to anyone . The moment you get the money and send the box back, put the shop on blast and tell everyone who they are and what has happened and the rest will take care of itself . Think of what else they are selling and have sold to you over the years ! Non reputable business , game over. I hope you find your peace with this and sorry you have to go through it .
How about a crowd funding campaign to regain the money needed to buy an authentic box? Each sufficient donation would get a single cigar to try and would require a comment on the quality and flavor of the fake cigar. The highest donation would get the box or you can donate the box to the museum. The problem with getting the lawyers involved is you end up spending more on the lawyers than the box is worth. Chalk up the loss to an experience gained.
Don't settle for their snake offer. Only way they will learn is by taking them to court or at least threatening them with the idea. You're doing the right thing by preventing them from keeping the humidor.
I respect your Moral Principles. Take the money and don't return the box so someone else is bilked. That would be like you selling that person the box. Habanos should put them out of business realizing that they identified the box and cigars as Counterfeit . That is creating Terrible PR for Habanos knowing a Shop representing them as a Habanos Distributor selling Fakes. Obviously to me, the Money isn't an issue for you, it is based upon Principles a Moral Ethics. If your not going to smoke them sure return it to Habanos, hopefully they will make things right for you for exposing the counterfeiter. Now if it was Me, I would EXPOSE the Seller and the Shop so other's don't get bilked by them. They have proven not to have any Credibility and I Despise Liars.
What ever you do, make sure the box is destroyed. But taste one first, i am curious to know how they taste 😄
If you don't want to see the box resold then you can damage it ever so slightly as well as damage all of the cigars by making a cut or punching a hole in each cigar so that if they tried to resell the box and cigars, a person who inspected the cigars would never buy it.
Honestly. This is a tricky situation for both the client and for the shop. I used to work a counter, do accounting, and HR at a high end shop. I have never had to deal with such an expensive situation regarding fakes. However I did have to handle any returns or complaints, and I would *never* even consider refunding a customer on a limited or regional edition with the *updated* value of the cigars. 15k is a generous offer, as if you went the legal route, all the courts would make them pay is the amount you paid. They would then go after the shop owner for selling fakes.
I agree with you, purge the box. You are already very deep into this and can most likely win in court, of course all this depends on your financial wellness. If you do decide to take the deal I would put out the name of the shop so as to steer others away from the scenario you put forth in your video. It's not slanderous for you to do this. If they try to court for slander you have enough evidence to prove this. Of course I would take the advice of council if you were to go this route.
You cannot put a price on Integrity and Honor. Stand your ground.
As long as the documentation that the cigars are fake (which you have), there should be no problem on the part of the seller to destroy the box. That is fair, and all parties would be taking the high road on this matter.
If money is never a concern, justice needs to be served. $15k is not the market value for the real item in todays market so no deal. My deal would also conclude that you get to keep/discard.
This whole thing is so interesting… like a movie 😂
Super hard decision.. 15k buyout for a crime is pathetic.
I would take the money if i needed it but if not , i would go at them.
I can imagine too its not the first fake they sold.
Its their responsibility to check for realness.
Best wishes from Germany😊
Pursue the current market price worth of compensation plus lawyers fees and give the box to Cuban cigar museum!
What was the outcome of this? Fascinating case.
BTW - was the wooden lacquered box deemed to be original? If not, then that's a very good piece of work. If it was original, then this points to perhaps an inside job from someone at Cohiba!
I am guessing that as opposed to offering “compensation” the shop has offered to buy back the box at $15,000. If this is the case, then the box would be theirs to do what they wish with it.
I think that the approach taken has left both parties cornered. The shop, which may well be an innocent victim as well, would have to declare that it knowingly or unknowingly sold counterfeit goods. If you were the shop owner you would obviously not allow this to happen.
The right approach would have been to perhaps go to the shop owner in person and have a private off-the-record chat and come to an understanding. By getting lawyers involved at an early stage, this has painted the parties into a corner.
Now, speculation is rife as to which shop it was and there are enough clues in these videos to narrow it down to identify it.
Not a good outcome for all, I would say. The customer of course should not lose their money on counterfeit products and should be made whole.
However, this stand off situation is unhelpful. It narrows things down to either taking this to court, or threatening reputational damage. The former will not yield much more than being made while financially. The latter would be extremely sad, if indeed this is a non intentional situation caused by carelessness by not thoroughly checking items purchased from third parties. It happens in the antiques industry all the time.
Good luck with finding a pleasant resolution for all involved.
Values that can be bought are not valuable. A true gentleman and his priciples can not be for sale. It seems like you are in a position that allows you to do what is right and after seeing a few of your videos, i am sure you are not the man who bends the knee to people without honor.
I couldn't imagine buying a $7500 box only to find out its worth $30,000 and then $0
Tell us the shop!!!
That's a tough question... But if i was the shopkeeper who sold the box, i would absolutely destroy the box and the cigars! That's the only way they could save their reputation and face at this point. Of course its lot of money for the shop to take back but that would be also a lesson for them (if they legimately have been also scammed, which i doubt) that they should also be more aware and question their importer how this is possible to happen. And start to seek themselves also who is to blame for this! And it doesnt matter if the price is 7500...15000...or 50 per box. This kinda scamming needs to stop! Cant stand this kinda behaviour!
Having the money to spend , I just bring them down and burn the box in front of their shop
If you have the means and your lawyers think yiu have a strong case, take them to court. They have to be held a countable for their business practices or for not making it right once you presented them with the evidence. I'm surprised that they would not at least offer your money back plus let you keep the box. They have to be doing a lot of businesses and should be able to absorb that cost in the interest of good and honest service. If the museum doesn't want it, you could eather keep it as a conversation price or offer it for sale as a known fake, with your documentation. It's an interesting story and that could sell.
Good man
Do what is right and just... Not what is convenient.
Was this shop in Geneva?
Personally, with the proof that you have I would do one of two things if not both.
The first thing I would do is send them a legal notice informing them that if they do not replace the humidor for an original one I will have to go public with their name.
The second thing I would do is send them a letter saying that I am bringing them to court with all proper proofs coming directly from the cohiba Factory and specialists.
I would definitely not take the money
No do not accept, they are now on the run and you don't need the money. I also think the cigar maker should be giving you something as way of thanks for uncovering this scam. Dig deeper into this, I would love for you to get to the bottom of where this box came from.
Take the money and give the box back. But make sure you name the shop. It will cost them more in the future. 👍
Take the box back and get the money then go to trading standards and tell them the shop is selling fake cigars
Don't be a sell-out and take the money. stand your ground. the shop is trying to Bluff you.
Take the money and report the shop.. You can also report the seller to Trading Standards or report the seller for fraud. Trading Standards might take legal action against the seller, but they can't help you to get your money back.
I’m spiteful, I’d have burned it in front of their shop and made a show of it by this point. 😂
It would make sense but it is technically impossible to do it in front of their shop if I decided to do it.