So...I was stupid, and bought a fake...

[Detroit_Waves]

Yep, I went and did it...committed the ultimate sin and bought a fake cuban...well im pretty sure I did. Even worse, I bought it, knowing I shouldn't.

So, Im currently in the states, so thought I would try a new cigar lounge/shop a little further away as I had a spare day and wanted to pick up some singles. Yes I know...Don't buy Cubans in the US, as they are more than likely fakes, and most of the time I don't, unless I know the owners well. The problem here seems to be, when you walk into a store and youre young, they immediately assume youre naive and ask you straight away if you want cubans. I always say no, as to be honest, although NC arent my favourite, they are so cheap over here, its great to buy some random singles and try them out, see if any stand out. (On a side note, I bought and tried a Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Toro and smoke it yesterday...and it was only one notch above bloody awful). Anyway, so I spent about 20 minutes picking out a couple of singles, and every now and then the owner would dive in his 'secret' humidor and pick out the odd couple of cuban to offer suggestion, which I would decline. After talking about the Partagas range, he pulled out one of the Serie D LE which again I declined.

Once I got home however and unloaded everything, I found the Partagas sitting there. After a look at the receipt, yep, I paid for it and didnt even notice. I assume he didnt hear me say no and kept it with the others he was holding for me. $20.50 I paid for it apparently. As he was running everything through the till I was talking to a couple of guys in there so wasnt really paying attention. Once home I immediately grabbed it and had a look, and could see instantly how terrible the construction was, especially the cap, which was the must uneven thing I had ever seen. Then something else caught my eye, not only did the label not look that great, but on the label was this

'Serie D. No. 2' along with 'Partagas Habana' on the second band, the 'Edicion Limitada' '2010'

Which im sure wasnt right, so after a look online, yep, no Serie D No.2 Edicion Limitada was released in 2010. On the 2010 edition, the words Especial follows Serie D.

Unless in anyway im wrong here? It doesnt seem to be the case though.

The only down side. Among all these NC, it actually smells the best haha!

Rant Over!

[TJCoro]

Fool me twice and you won't fool me again!

Sounds like the vendor pulled the "puro" from a glass-top box from Mexico! But don't feel too bad, amigo. Some of my americano aficionados have purchased full boxs of (ahem...) so-called "Cuban Cigars" from a "trusted vendor" who got them from a "trusted customer!"
Oh well....shit happens, amigo!

I must take issue with you however, regarding the RP 1990 vintage. I smoked several of these fine sticks, including a few bundles of seconds, when they first hit the cigar scene several years ago and still have a box of crystals (glass tubes) sitting in don TJ's massive unit. I sparked one up less than a month ago and found it to be a wonderful stick!



But what the hell do I know!

Perro, el Pero

Hey el Perro! Check this out....

EDICI?N LIMITADA 2010 - Partag?s Serie D Especial (Girth 50 x 141 mm in the length).

[Smallclub]

The Partagas D2 was a superb Edicion Limitada, one of the best ever IMHO. A legit one would cost you more than $20.50 in the USA, probably in the $40 to $50 range I guess.

http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand.aspx?brand=Partag|as#122_Edici|on_Limitada

[monkey66]

The D2 sure wasn't a 2010 release.

Sent from happy tappy tap.

[Zigatoh]

so they illegally sell 'cuban' cigars, also illegally a second time cos they're selling fakes anyway so false advertising or some such guff, And they still put it on your receipt??

Pictures would be a laugh too

[Nightwingvyse]

I would be so damn p*ssed at that vendor!!!

[Ryan]

That cigar is without a doubt fake. No D2s were made in 2010. It's interesting how many fakes are produced of cigars that were never actually made. It's like faking and trying to sell a 1994 iPod. They just weren't made.You would think it would be just as easy to get it right. They're obviously selling enough not to care.

[omegar]

so they illegally sell 'cuban' cigars, also illegally a second time cos they're selling fakes anyway so false advertising or some such guff, And they still put it on your receipt??

Pictures would be a laugh too

A thought. Would the law be interested in them selling a cigar that was not Cuban?
Hmmm.

Rod

[monkey66]

Yup, probably not illegal from a Cuban point of view but fraud/misrepresentation etc.

....still back in the real works who is going to report them?

[Zigatoh]

well.... If DW is a UK Citizen not US then has he technically done anything wrong in purchasing 'cuban' products? Semi-serious question really, I know the rules are that US citizens can't buy Cuban goods anywhere in the world (seriously?? yes, seriously) sorry, talking to myself there... But does it also cover non US citizens buying cuban products in the US??

[Eddie]

You try taking an air rifle silencer into the USA... perfectly legal here, federal prison time over there. I think the nationality is fairly irrelevant.

btw the above example happened and the numb nuts didn't see why they were in trouble

[Zigatoh]

But that's what I mean, for example buying cuban cigars over here is perfectly legal - but not if you're an american, the law is a global one from america saying americans can't do it, no matter where they are...

I assume that it also covers the sale of cuban products in the US from anyone to anyone but I don't know for sure, it's always spoken about as Americans not being allowed to buy Cuban stuff the world over...

[monkey66]

....not everything in life makes sense

[Detroit_Waves]

I definitely need to do some research on the actual legal issues involved, just to fulfill my curiousity. You are however right on one point from what I know. It is illegal for an American citizen to buy any Cuban made products anywhere in the world. Which I find a little amusing. Who the blame falls on, whether its the vendor for selling, or the customerfor buying, I don't know. How an American law, can apply to you, outside of the US also bewilders me slightly. It would be similar to saying, you cant drive more that 70mph on the Autobahn if youre British, as it would be illegal to do so in Britain, and therefore this applies worldwide. Or that as an American citizen, you aren't allowed to drink alcohol anywhere in the world until youre 21, not just inside of the US.

As for what the law covers in terms of me buying a Cuban product in the states....I'm don't know.

I guess, with the fact that its clearly a fake, ultimately, it probably
wasn't made in Cuba, and therefore no law has been broken in that regard. From what I know of all my time over here in the states however is this....Everyone here that I know who smokes cigars
(That's not to say everyone does this, but certainly those that I know) has bought, owns,
smokes, openly discusses Cuban cigars, and not one has ever had any
legal repercussions. I think its almost so widely accepted here, that people aren't that concerned.

Has the shop committed fraud? In someway, most likely. Is anyone going to report it, and if they did, would anything be done? I highly doubt it. I haven't been to a cigar shop here that doesn't sell cubans, whether real or fake. Therefore, for something to be done, every cigar shop here would have to be 'raided' and over here, there are a LOT of shops. I can walk to at least 5 from where I live.

Ultimately, I had no intention of being a cuban cigar from this shop, and when I go back to pick some laundry up from that area tomorrow, I will be taking their cigar back to them to point of the fake cigar sold, and to politely give them it back. I will make sure I take some pictures before I do though and I can post to you guys.

Yes, from what I know its illegal, but I have just had a curious thought. Think about how many pictures you have seen of famous Americans openly smoking cubans, or discussing them in interviews. Also, the amount of Americans you can find reviewing Cubans on youtube, or even videos on CA of the guys sampling their way through cubans. Its such a wide practise, that it doesnt seem to bother many people. So either, the law really isn't that determined to crack down on it here, otherwise they could find 100s of people breaking the law with a couple of minutes searching, or there is some form of loophole that everyone is happily taking advantage of, to be so carefree. There is no loophole that I know of, but obviously, if you do talking about it here isnt the place, so if you do, probably best to keep it to yourself, just to make sure everyone is complying with forum rules. It was just meant as a simple observation.

Anyway, I need to go dig out the camera to take some pictures of this thing before I take it back.

[TJCoro]

Tell Us More, Dawg Face!

I definitely need to do some research on the actual legal issues involved, just to fulfill my curiousity...

Here's what I learned from one of my many Amigos Americanos who happens to be a Customs Agent. Before the Patriot Act, it was illegal to import or otherwise bring Cuban products into the United States, unless you had authorization, like CA magazine, I suppose. But here's the interesting part, it was not illegal to have Cuban products in the US. In other words, if you were able to get your puro into the country, you were good to go. Furthermore, the law did not apply to American Citizens traveling outside of the US.


But all that changed with the implementation of the Patriot Act. Under the Act, it was no longer legal to have Cuban products inside the US (which makes sense, actually), but the law also extended to US citizens purchasing Cuban products outside the Country - A violation of the Trading with the Enemy Act. Imagine that, if you will!

But as far as I know, the law under the Act only applies to American citizens and not the vendors who sell Cuban products to Americanos!

Perro, el Perro!

Hey el Perro! Viva la Mexico!Coros.jpg