Fake Cohiba Majestuosos. A $20 Million Dollar Scam?
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- In 2019 we purchased a Humidor of Cohiba Majestuosos from a legitimate shop. In 2022 we realised that there were some spelling mistakes on the description sheet, in the English translation part. We contacted the shop who refused to change the box to an original one without the spelling mistakes and denied that the humidor was fake. We asked our lawyer to contact the distributor in the country where the shop is based and they quickly replied that they had not sold this humidor in this shop. They offered to take us to Cuba and arranged a meeting at Habanos, the owner of the Cohiba brand to check the box on 6 September 2022. The report came in April 2023 showing that the Humidor, the cigars, the bands and the seals are all FAKE. In the past months we have made an enquiry and we believe that whoever made this fake box made more than one as we have seen at least 2 more fake. Therefore it is our belief that the counterfeiters have made a complete series of 1,966 fake boxes numbered from 1 to 1966. At an average price of $11,000-$12,000 a piece it adds up to a $20m scam. If they made 2 series it is double that amount. If your humidor's description sheet has the spelling mistakes detailed in this video you cannot sell it anymore as nobody will buy it from you. Original Humidors are currently for sale in the UK for GBP 66,000 or $76,000. If you have one of these FAKE humidors, please contact us, we'll assist you. Write to us to : habanonews@gmail.com. If you have any question don't hesitate to contact us. Please subscribe to the channel.
- Jak na to + styl
You put a lot of time, money and effort in this video to inform the cigar community about your experience and it is well appreciated. We all know about fake cigars but this takes it to a higher level. Please keep us informed about this outcome and thanks again!
Thank you for your support. I 'll keep you informed.
@@habanonews Did the company give you a new box or something for your trouble if not then don't do business with them ever again
it was there fault this happen not going to the shop to make sure there was no fakes out there
the Company should give you something for your time and effort
This guy is legit! He’s not hurting for money he just wants Justice because a real cigar efficianado knows that it goes deeper than money. It’s about the protection of real vs. fake. And to sell fake cigars is outright wrong in our hobby. I love this guy!
Thank you Justin. You're right. I am not hurting for money. It is the principle of being cheated.
@@habanonews exactly
Justice would be getting his money returned not making money on the deal
@@habanonews yep... exactly. god bless you. please keep updated
Fake Cubans from a real Cuban store . I’ll keep smoking new world cigars .
I don't smoke and know absolutely nothing about Cigars but just came across the video. Very informative and interesting on how just elaborate scamming has become. Thanks for your insight and hope you can recover some of your losses.
What a story! Thank you very much for sharing and educating us about these fakes. I feel sorry for your loss. Seems like you not only lost the money, but also the joy of owning and one day smoking some of the supposedly best cigars in the world. I hope you will get justice after all these efforts.
As a person who has diagnosed spelling learning disability I find this hilarious. The amount of time I put into spell checking so I don't look dumb.. and all the work they put into this fake and they have spelling mistakes!
4000 euro for a cigar is the biggest scam of all
Im sorry that happened to you. I would be so angry with the shop for refusing to accept the return at market value, they lied and most likely knew it was fake when they inspected it.
Thanks for the comment. It's difficult to prove that the shop knew it was fake.
@@habanonews You would think legally speaking if you sell a fraudulent product it's irrelevant whether you do so knowingly or unknowingly as to whether you accept responsibility.
@@CigarSurgeon right, and considering there is only one distributor to the markets where it's legal, you then as a store owner can question the distributor.
First off let me say that I absolutely love your content. I learn a lot watching your videos. I have so much respect for you with the way you’ve dealt with this problem. I really hate to hear stories like this. Thank you for taking the time to tell your story and educate people on these issues. I hope the shop in question finally does the right thing by giving you a new authentic humidor of Cohiba Majestuosos 1966. Again thanks for sharing your story. Keep the phenomenal content coming.
Thank you Luke. I enjoy teaching, it is one of my jobs. I like to share the information I gathered in the past 30 years.
@@habanonews Well I enjoy learning from experts like you. Cuban Cigars are something I’m extremely passionate about. I’m hoping one day I can turn my passion for Havana Cigars into a job some how. I truly look up to people like you. The knowledge you have pertaining to Cuban Cigars is absolutely amazing. Keep the phenomenal content coming because I’m extremely eager to learn.
This is a very informative video and sheds a light on an issue many people knew existed but maybe not to the extent that you have highlighted. I have a feeling the problem is bigger than we know and considering the affiliation China has with Habanos now they may have inadvertently made the problem worse. I hope that you were able to document your meetings with the relevant people in Cuba to corroborate the paper work you have in order to categorically rule out the shop saying that they don't believe you. Additionally, the shop need to divulge the source of where they obtained the humidor which would help up stream and narrow down the person(s) who made the fake available to the open market. Good luck.
Thank you for all your information, and time spent to inform the cigar comunity
Thanks you for sharing this. We should all be concerned that there could be so many Cuban fakes cigars out there. Good luck getting a real box for your collection.
Thank you !
Imagine you buy 2 sets. One real and one fake without knowing it. Then you realize one is fake. You can be tempted to go to the shop where you bought the real one pretending they sold a fake set. Of course this is pure speculation. But I can understand the point of view of the shop’s owner. In your case, the fact that 3 years later he still has a fake set for sell is a life saver. I wish the best solving your case and I subscribe 👍🏼
Amazing, this is your best video and one of the best cigar videos ever made. I am not rich and cannot afford these kind of cigars but I appreciate that you are willing to share this information! A service to the cigar community around the world! I am sorry you got scammed, and thsnk you for this video.
Thank you Ture for your support.
I'm so sorry to see your story. It's a horrible feeling to get ripped off like this. I know I felt really bad a few years ago just spending a few hundred pounds on what turned out to be a fake box of D4s so nothing in comparison to your losses. I hope you get compensation and justice in the end. Wishing you all the best.
Yeah, poor guy had to book a vacation to Cuba to sort it all out, truly horrible.
Thanks for sharing this.
Man oh man hope you get justice and get the real box.
Thank you!
Thank you for this video...Great personality,although I think we all need to say the names of the shops that sold fakes, as shops have responsibilities and if they are chasing money, we need to hold them accountable.
Thank you again,consider saying the name of the shop so other people are aware.
A nice report on a sad story. I'm sorry for your loss. I have bought fake cigars in the past and learned a lot from the experience. An expensive lesson for sure
Thank you. It is a lesson learnt of course.
It's a shame because this is a prime example of when a good business does the easy way. And easy way always backfires. This man is pissed off and he has every right to take this shop to court
I came across your channel due to this video , you have good videos showcasing cigars was wondering would you ever consider doing video cigar reviews, talking about the flavour etc?
Also looking forward to seeing how this turns out and hopefully in the future you get given which is rightfully due to you and we see a video on the real box of cigars.
👊👊👊💪💪💪
Thank you for exposing this fake. The time and effort is worth it.
Thank you!
PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED. THANK YOU
wow that was in-depth, well done. i hope that justice is served at the end.
funny thing is that this looks like an extremely high level of faking (apart from that imbicle who didnt proof read the leaflet) and really some crazy amount of work must have gone in it. so i wouldnt be surprised if it was an inside job. i would also be curious how they actually taste...if they put the effort in tobbaco selection and rolling how they did with everything else....they might actually be pretty decent cigars (still faking should have zero place in the world of cigars)
Wow! GREAT video. Thank you! This appalling. Do we know if any La Casa Del Habano shops sold these fakes???
This was the first video I've ever watched about cigar collecting. I loved it and found it absolutely fascinating!
On another note, I love your reading glasses. Can you please point me to the brand?
I can guarantee that the fakers have already corrected those spelling mistakes in their next run of fake 50th anniversary sets. I am well versed in dealing with complicated fakes in another field and I can promise the fakers have watched your video and are correcting any "mistakes". The problem with fakes in any field is the more knowledge that is available to the public the better the fakes. Good luck on your legal fight and thank you for the excellent video!
You are totally right. I am going to make a video about fakes and cannot reveal everything I know for that simple reason that counterfeiters also use CZcams.
Thank you for making this video. I am a cigar smoker. At this time I can't afford. To buy cigars to collect but I was thinking about it in the future. Your video has informed me to watch out for fakes thank you again for making this video.
Thank you sir. That is the first reason why I created this channel. I have received hundreds of messages and there are many more fake humidors out there.
I have never smoked cubans, and all of the counterfeiting makes me concerned about trying them. I love new world cigars and may just stick to them.
wow , it was a serious research sir . very impressive moves.
i wish to find the way and take back the real box of Majestuosos.
Thanks Lorenzo!!! Excellent information. Hug smokes from Cigarros Manrique, Buenos Aires, Argentina. We're toguether in Amicigar Scoglitti. Thanks again!!! ❤
Thank you Roberto. i hope you are home safely!
Thank you very much for your very fine attention. Fortunately it was a very good return to the United Arab Emirates, Italy and the Republic of Malta. I have marveled at your exquisite and well-documented explanation. I hope I can treat you more and see you again at the AMICIGAR event in Nashville. Strong embrace of smoke and long ashes with legitimate cigars ❤
I very much appreciate your video. It is hugely important. Not only because of fakes, but also because we have no real idea what could be inside the fake product. However - and I only say this with greatest respect - unless you and the tobacconist undertook an investment scheme to make profit via aging - then you have in American terms very little to recover damages. He offered to refund the money - many years later - by your own admission. Asking the seller to pay 8X (or whatever) or provide a replacement is not realistic or reasonable. Sometimes we have to just chock up adverse events and in your specific presentation a refund would seem fair. Lawyers and costs you probably won't recover - and if you do - well, was it worth it? That said your video is hugely beneficial and thanks for taking the time. Just my opinion and I wish you well.
Truly so sorry that you have to deal with this. What an investment to only find out that you were defrauded and taken advantage of. You have my support and well wishes for a positive future outcome.
Thank you very much for your support.
I would love to find out where this was produced and what else they are making?
This is absolutely foul. And i wish you would share the shop's name. There is a good chance that many of us have purchased or are currently purchasing from this shop. We spend thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars each year. And to have the possibility of having fake cigars from a reputable dealer in our collections is unsettling. They deserve to have a stain on their repution, especially if they are willing to refuse the reimbursement and accuse you of lying. You gave them the benefit of the doubt and opportunity to make the situation right. Now i believe their name should be known to protect other collectors and cigar enthusiasts... Shops will continue scamming, especially when prices have rose to the levels they are now, until patrons call them out and stop purchasing from them all together. I am truly disgusted by this story and i wish you find a satisfactory resolution in the end. Thank you for the lengths you have gone to bring awareness to the community.
What an absolute nightmare...it's amazing how incredibly good some of these fake boxes can be. These counterfeiters are making a lot of money. Sorry you're going through this. - Giz
Thank you. 80% of Cohiba cigars out there are fake it is a billion dollar scam. Worth investing in high end printing machine for the conterfeiters.
Oh my, that sucks. Hope you get justice. It's the principle of things when buying from a reputable shop.
I received close to a 1,000 comments and some from people who bought fakes from Habanos Specialists shops in Europe. This is only just starting.
Its your duty to name the shop so others wont be scammed? Their accusation of faling it shows how dodgy they must be
The shops lawyer are waiting for me to say the name of the shop to sue me for defamation. Defamation is a crime. Selling fake cigars is not NOT unless you can prove that the shop keeper knew he was intentionally selling fakes...
Wow, fantastic video and proof. What county was this bought in? Thank you
Good on you for not taking the money. The shop sold The fake box thinking that in a worst case scenario they will reimburse if discovered and turn around and sell it for more money. They did not count on your stance asking for a replacement with a legitimate box. Having said that how can you prove that the shop was not scammed too? Or should they have bought from the distributor and not a third party?
Gutted for you sir, but what an admirable gentleman for sharing the episode, how you handled it and shared the knowledge. Thank you so much and if anything the community and me can do please send a PM. Cheers
Thank you very much for your support.
Tanks for sharing this! This is really scary, especially when it comes to valuable collectable Cigars. Its also scary, if you get this at Retailers, you trust for many years. I guess, your Retailer may be doesn't realize himselv before, that he bought this Box as a Fake Box.
Thank you for your message. I have no idea whether he new it was fake or no. Initially I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
@@habanonews ....and it is a Testament to your Strenght, that you publicity admit, that you have been the Victim of fraud. That definitely doesn't doesn't feels good! 👌👍
Allways, but not only, cohibas are a problem. Lot's of people are smoking grass and don't realize that. I hole you get a way to solve your problem! Thanks for the informational content!
Great video, great attitude, you Deserve the real box and a good smoke.
I appreciate that!
The issue is the shop has offered to give him a refund... But he wants a replacement thats many times the refund value... You could argue he didnt loose the value of a real box because he never owned one in the first place... Was his original outlay the going price for a real box ? Clearly he has been agrieved but so may have the shop been as well.
Nice to see someone pick up Dr. Joe's old habanews thing.
Wow incredible investigation but also heartbreaking
Fascinating video indeed. It's very easy to solve though, simply ask the store owner to contact Cohiba directly to confirm the documents are authentic. Then I imagine it's a case of enforcing whatever consumer rights laws you have over there....
Crazy stuff.. I have a similar story with fake Cohiba that I purchased in USA a few years ago...
Monte Fortuna has been openly selling fakes for years. That sucks, I hope you find a resolution. Keep going with the legal procedures as it's your best bet to get your solution. Thanks for the informative video.
You're welcome thank you for the support.
Thank you for sharing your problem.
I think these counterfeits with Cohiba, in particular, are going to intensify, unfortunately.
The issue of counterfeited Cohibas is huge, Chinese are scared to buy Cohibas because of the fakes and this will put pressure on Habanos to come up with anti-fake technology.
This is really unbeliavable, You can’t see this so little details but It’s impossible if you trust anyone, really, that’s a so bad, I wish just justice for you😮
I’m still thinking about Piñar del Rio 😂
As misspelling expert, you should know the capital of the region is PINAR DEL RÍO, due to the high trees in the area. The Pine Tree
Incredibly impressive video.
Bravo
Is it possible to inform habanos of the situation? A shop has been notified of counterfeits in their inventory, provided proof by an authoritative agency, and yet refutes the letters that attest the illegitimacy?
This is indeed a very sad story. My sympathies to you brother of the leaf. As a cigar enthusiast. I've had my own personal encounter with fake cigars. You went all the way up the chain to the very top and discovered your box is fake. I hope everyone interested in cigars learns from situations like this. Do your homework, you may trust the seller but always verify. Ask direct questions and only accept direct answers. If even one thing is off. Walk away trust your instincts. There will be another rare box that will cross your path that is legitimate which you can then buy. Trust your instincts all. Happy smoke and Long ashes
Thank you very much for the message. I bought this box 4 years ago when the world of cigars was still looking honest around me. Now the world has changed and I have too. I have gone on an intensive course on ring checks and purchased microscopes. I hope it does not happen again. Unfortunately I received hundreds of messages and there are many more fake majestuosos than I thought out there...
I only buy Cubans in person from Davidoff of London...reputable and well maintained cigars.
Good move, it is a legendary shop.
But not easy to find collection books and Portuguese regional editions when you are a collector. I have been going around the world for 23 years to build my collection, like most collectors.
Wow I’m left speechless, hope you get everything sorted out
Hello Joey. actually since the video I have received hundreds of messages and it appears that there are more fakes than I imagined. I am preparing my next video on the subject.
@@habanonews yeah looking forward to see what’s gonna happen and hope everything works out for you. Just worried now about Cuban cigars seems to be a real problem, luckily plenty of other none Cubans that I like 😁
Thats the reason i never have excitement to buy cohiba and a cuban. There is so many Cuban fakes cigars out there and thats even inculuding cheaper sticks. So annoying i hope you will get somehow your money or original box.
Wow. That is really scary and sad. Hope you get it resolved with the shop. I think if they are a reputable shop, they should stand their word and reimburse you the money. God knows whether they are selling other fakes. Good luck on you journey.
Thank you. I don't want my money back I want a real box.
@@habanonews Yeah, that would be perfect.
@@habanonews looks like you're more concerned about having a real box than having real cigars🤔 So you don't mind to smoke counterfeit cigars from whatever country they're made? You smoked some already? You opened one? Are they even longfillers? How did they taste?
Very impressive video, If the cigar shop has any decency they will replace your cigars
This is probably the biggest surprise for me. Not the fact that the box is fake but the ferocity of the shop to fight me.
I’m sorry about that, man. I bought a fake tin of 5s’ Romeo no. 2 from the Zagreb airport in Croatia and feel bad, I can’t even imagine what you are feeling. Hope everything sort out in the end, best of luck to you🤞🏽
Fakes are sold a lot in the balkans also.
Good work.
Is anyone else seeing the crooked 1966 on the lower right hand corner of the humidor.
That in itself should be a dead giveaway.
Thank you for the update, I have a question, how much did you pay for the entire process of verification (travelling to cuba, paying the tobacco institute, etc etc)... I want to see if its worth it to spend that much for few boxes that I have.
Hello Alex, I only pay for my trip + accommodation. From what I have heard this is the first time this has happened and I am very thankful to the distributor and to Habanos. I don't think that Habanos will analyse your boxes directly. I would recommend you contact your distributor with your receipts proving your purchase for assistance. Feel free to send me HD pictures. I have lined up a team of investigators around me now and I have purchased some special equipment and can help you remove some doubts in total confidentiality. habanonews@gmail.com.
I have a question did the experts in Cuba say that just the cigars and paper work was fake? or did they say that the humidor pouch cigars box paperwork was all fake because if not I bet that humidor was manufactured along with the real Humidor
Would be interesting to see how the bands (and seal) are performing under UV light. The legist bands are "lightning" up, the little white squares are glowing (i'm sure you know)This is a dead give away against the "high-end "fakes i personally saw.
I am preparing another video as I received a lot of messages and have learnt that there is a least another series of fakes which do not have the spelling mistake on the description sheet.
The only 100% trustable place (at least) is HABANOS S.A. shop in the country you buy... of course there are other fine reputation shops selling habanos, even if you buy something so exclusive in a Habanos shop you ll have to know all legit checks (and check in place) to know youre not acquiring fakes.
Sadly... im used to... (because of where i live).
I wonder who paid the air tickets, hotel, meals and transportation in Cuba in order to do all that research.
It seems it will all be solved in long term by the legal ways, including everything, and harms & fees.
I just wish you the best. And thank you for this video you have a new suscriber.
They are not uniform wrappers and are too dark. As soon as you opened the box, there are 3 to 4 that are not uniform to the rest. I hope the shop admits their mistake and a agreement can be worked out. I agree with you about multiple fake collections. I suspect it's not the only collection that has been counterfeited multiple times. Even if they are sold for half price. 10 million is still enough to pay for the forgeries and make some on top.
What a horrible shop treating you like this after 25 years. 😢
This is why I only buy Cubans in the U.K. from the English Market Selection that have been checked by Hunters & Frankau. Look for the EMS sticker when in the U.K. If u get a box from there that is fake, then the shop owner or owners are definitely in on it because only they know where the box or boxes are coming from. If they are only purchasing from Hunters and Frankau like theyre supposed to, you can be sure theyre real. I recommend going to Davidoff of London or the Sahakian lounge at the Burberry hotel in London. The Sahakians would never risk their reputation by selling fakes nor would they need to as Im sure they make plenty selling real ones. So much so it would be foolish to risk selling fakes and losing customers they make thousands of dollars on everytime they visit.
Scams can happen to anyone !! Unbelievable
The white border on the real and fake ones looked the same to me. It would be soo hard to tell
Wow its crazy they went thru all the trouble to make such a well made fake but made amateur spelling mistakes
Correct, Very Poor mistake. Probably The Chinese. English/Spanish and foreign spelling is their weakness.
In human history it rear to fine a person fallow the truth and delicately search for it . I wish there are many people think and act like you did in all the fields .
How would it be real at a tenth of the price?
My favorite cigars are Cohibas, Romeo & Juliette, Partagas and Montecristo
I hope it turns out in your favor.
Shame on then what a cheap owner for treating you like that after 25 years of business!! Go forth and sue the shop/owner immediately my friend don’t hesitate and make him a lesson to every “big” shops out there.
I strongly suspect this happens in the wine industry as well, and there are fewer indicators of a fake on a single bottle of vintage than in this instance.
I know it does and saw it a few months ago with Fake bottle of Henri Jayer.
@@habanonewsAt least you have the experience to tell. Whilst some bottles’ labels may have a serial number, but how many of us really know what a particular vintage or even vineyard should taste like? Most people can’t tell the difference between Pepsi and Coca-Cola… I thought it was impressive that the Cubans could tell that even the tobacco was fake! Does tobacco have a DNA?
it happens in wine whiskey and cigars... wherever there is big money there is scammers.
@@timbee71I think everything has a kinda "DNA" or is traceable to the source. I mean crime scene investigators can trace pretty much any material to the source with lab testing.
I understand wanting the box replaced with the genuine thing. However, considering the limited nature of the collection I think the store owner was more than fair. They offered to refund the money you paid years after. I don’t understand why you would spend that much money and not inspect the item within a timely manner upon arrival to make sure everything arrived in pristine condition. You probably could have caught this sooner. Now you are expecting the store to provide you a replacement box that would be more than triple the amount you actually paid for the fake. How exactly does that make sense?
So funny..... The "replica" market for just about any luxury item is BIG business . The ego of these people sure gets hurt !
I am sorry for you, I know the feeling. I was in Istanbul recently and purchased a carton of Camels and unfortunately they turned out to be fake. I later spotted the difference because the "camel" on the carton had 2 humps instead of one.
Very sorry this happened to you. I would like your assistance with confirming the authenticity of a box of Behike I recently purchased. Would you be able to provide me with some guidance? Possibly a good contact?
Feel free to send me some pictures of the box from both sides and pictures of the cigars and cigar bands to LB@habanonews.com
The distributor for Germany is 5th Avenue. So you can be sure every habanos box you buy has the 5th Avenue sticker too and it's 100% legit. The thing is that 85% of the cuban cigars are not available in Germany since a year .
That is exactly how fake enter the system. Some shops want to offer special cigars and can only find them on the grey market. Some end up being fake...The question obviously is to find out if the shop knew that they were fake or not.
Misspelling is a common giveway of something being fake or an impersionation, this is even the case in cyber security when looking at phishing email.
Thank you for the information, it is very useful.
Hi there,
I am based in South of France and Austria. I was about to buy same box. How can we get into contact together so that you can assist us to check whether it’s fake or not. Many thanks for your kind reply
Hello Sanjeev. Assuming you find a box in a reliable shop here is what I would recommend: 1/ Is the shop an official shop i.e. Habanos Specialist or Habanos Point. There are no Casa del Habano in France nor in Austria if I am not mistaking. 2/ Check the description sheet. 3/ Check the Cohiba band. You can send me a picture of the Cohiba band here: habanonews@gmail.com.
Hello sir,you didn’t tell us the most importand. Who produced fake cigars and where?
You are totally right Sir. I wish I could find out. Any retired Police Officers or FBI agents here on this channel to look for these guys?
@@habanonews so it is Chinese made? did they tell you where was the leaves from? origin of the country?
Please let us know who the seller is once the legal engagement is over. Best of luck and keep us posted!
I'll keep you informed.
Did you see other comments mention Montefortuna which he did not say No that's not the shop.
€4000.00 for a strong nicotine rush is quite insane. A cigar costing that is Gurkha funny.
You're right.
There is a spelling mistake in your corrected text. The name of the Cuban province is Pinar del Río, not Piñar...
I’m pretty sure the spelling mistake is standard 😂
It's a shame that the cigar dealer does not want to accept responsibility. Sorry mate, I am feeling for you!
You might want to take a look at the other cigars that you purchase from that shop and do some investigating to make sure they are not fake as well. The shop is obviously doing business with a corrupt supplier.
Can you mention the shop so we don’t get scam
Is it possible the Dutch printing company did in fact make a spelling error in the authentic boxes as well? I’d like to see the description sheet on a legit box to compare.
No they did not. They checked and I have been able to see "real boxes".
I have seen REAL boxes with fake cigars, also REAL boxes in which only the top 10 cigars are real, and the lower 10 in the bottom row are fake, sadly anything is possible in this day and age…
You are right unfortunately. All kind of fakes exist.
Sorry this happened to you. I hope things turn out your way
Thank you very much, I'll keep you posted.
They offered you your money back. But…
Did you tell the shop in 2019 when you purchased?
I only discovered that the box had a spelling mistake on the description sheet in June 2022 and it was only officially conformed as fake by Habanos in April this year.
That is an absolute piss take. This is what happens, sorry to hear pal. They probably the same cigars they sell on the beach.