Unhappy experience with Nice Ash Cigars

Started by BlackIrish, 01/01/2011 06:15 PM

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BlackIrish

I've ordered from NiceAshCigars.com a couple of times and had no complaints.  This week they did me wrong.

On December 17  I received an email from Smoky@niceashcigars.com announcing that they'd received Nestor Miranda Art Deco cigars and were offering a special.  I've been interested in trying these and clicked through the ad to the site.  The price was very good, so I placed an order.  The order, specifically stating that it was for a box of 21 and setting out the price, was confirmed that same day and I have a copy of an invoice dated December 17 telling me that the order was being shipped by UPS ground.  

I didn't receive any deliveries from NiceAshCigars before Christmas, but I figured that the holiday was to blame.  Then the blizzard hit the northeast, so I waited until Tuesday, Dec 28 before contacting them through their website contact us form.  I referenced my invoice number and asked them to provide me with the tracking number for the shipment so I could see where it was.

No response.

So a day later I sent an email to the email address that had sent me the invoice.  Again, I explained the situation.  Here's my email:
 
In a message dated 12/30/2010 3:31:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, ******@yahoo.com writes:

"Hi.  I placed this order two weeks ago and I haven't received it yet.  I submitted a message through your contact us page on the website but haven't received a response.  Could you please provide me with the tracking number?
 
Thanks.
 
Edward"


Here's the response from NiceAshCigars (sent from an aol.com address):

"Edward,  
 
I'm afraid that we are currently out of stock of these cigars and that the price on our web page was incorrect when you placed your order, It has been fixed.  I am sorry that no one got back to you about this.  Your order has been placed on backorder."


Out of stock?  It's currently available on the website.
http://www.niceashcigars.com/Brands/705/NestorMirandaArtDeco.aspx

:confused:

Something seems fishy here.   But maybe the website isn't fully up to date with real time inventory. So I wrote back:

"Thanks for your response, although I'm not at all sure it addresses my concern.  My order was confirmed, as evidenced by the invoice below, and the product was displayed on your website as available for several days after my order was confirmed.

I'm willing to wait and have you put my order on backorder, assuming you'll honor the price that you confirmed in the invoice.  Please confirm.

Thanks, and happy new year.

Edward"


I got the following response:

"I'm afraid that we could not sell the box to you for $[the price on the invoice].  We could sell it to you for $**** [a price quite a bit higher than the price on my invoice] but no less."


So now it's clear:  although they sent me an email proclaiming the availability of these cigars, and although they confirmed my purchase at the price on their website, they won't honor that price.  But they don't tell me until I inquire about the order, and then they give me a BS line that the produce is "on backorder" when it's listed as available on their site even today.  

 :mad:

I get it -- mistakes happen.  But own up to your mistakes and treat the customer right.  Don't ignore me, hope I'll forget about the order, and then lie to me about the product not being available.  

I'm done dealing with this vendor.  If they'd honored their price -- again, confirmed in an invoice! -- they might have lost what, maybe $25 on the box of cigars?  But they'd have kept a customer, and I would have told you all about how they were stand up folks.  

Caveat emptor if you're buying from NiceAshCigars.  Be aware, too, that this is the same outfit that runs cigarsatyourprice.com, and here they reneged on a deal for cigars at THEIR price.  

 :mad:
(__
  • ___{{{~[/B]

wescat

Thanks for the heads up on niceashcigars, Eddie. Their mistake, their loss, they should fulfill your order. Perhaps they still will.
The second law chases us all.
In most realms, tranquility comes from ownership.
Order ensues when everyone totes their own water.  
Stand firm, and never let the bastards grind you down.  
Life's arc is primarily charted between ones ears.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
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Hell is where the police are German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, the chefs British, and it is all organized by the Italians.
Be Sunny ¦ Stay Frosty.

Robert LG

Thanks for the info. Eddie.  I will look elsewhere when buying even if there price is compettitve.
Rob

nwb

That stinks, Eddie.  It has been a while since I last used NiceAsh, but my last purchase from cigarsatyourprice went well.  Hopefully someone from their site will see this and make it right.... :confused:
Chief of Shaft

87North

Seems like there's been a little bit of a rash lately of mistaken advertised prices that haven't been honored and the runaround on the customer service end of things...  :sad:
Guru of "Sarcastic Wit and Folksy Wisdom"

Brlesq

#5
I agree with your conclusions here, Eddie.  These outfits are both shady.  I was the first member here to tout how great Cigarsatyourprice.com was when they first entered the scene, and was happy with my initial order (although it always seemed that you had to actually call and follow up on the order and speak to that one lone guy that answers their phone).  

However, about 2 months ago I placed another large order with them that was confirmed, just like yours, but then I never received it.  So after waiting a long time I called "the customer service guy" to inquire, and he told me that he can't sell me cigars in NY.  I explained that they did it before, and they were shipped from their PA warehouse without issue.  He basically said, "sorry, tough".

So I won't deal with OR recommend to anyone either Cigarsatyourprice.com or  NiceAshCigars.com.  Seems to me that they are too slippery, self-serving and unpredictable, and as an internet storefront operation that could shut down at any time, I am not interested in giving them anymore chances.
Bruce
Chief Enabler 
Guru of Decorum & Sarcasm


Hey! How come Habana is written on here with a Sharpie ?!?

A day without whiskey is like . . . just kidding, I have no idea!


junglepete

That sucks! No more business from me unless they fix it real good...and I mean real good...and that goes for cigarsatyourprice as well. Might it be worth calling and speaking to an owner instead of an employee?? Good luck with it!
Guru of Frugality

"It is your decisions, not your conditions that shape your life."  ~Tony Robbins~

kola

Definitely some bad mojo there. As Bruce points out, the unpredictability is a factor. For me, if I can't depend on them to do what they say, then I won't depend on them at all. Period.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery - Winston Churchill

junglepete

In support of Eddie I have sent the following letter to the company. I urge you all to do the same in support of Eddie, but totally respect your choice whether to write in or not. I am just asking.  I believe is we speak as a group we will have more of a chance of positve resolve:

To whom it may concern, preferably an owner.

A member of our site cigargeeks.com has been mistreated by your company. His name is Edward Naughton. On December 17th he placed an order for a box of the new Nester Miranda Art Deco cigars. Your company emailed him a confirmation with the agreed price and has yet to fullfill the committment/order. Why?

Edward is now being told that you cannot honor your own price and that the product is out of stock, even though I see you are still selling the product today. Why?

Furthermore, Edward needed to make contact with you because he heard nothing in response to his order until he initiated it. Why?

As an administrator for our site, a site that boasts over 10,000 registered users, I can assure you that your lack of resolve will not help your sales with our users. We frequently discuss the customer service of the sites we purchase from, and right now your company is not in our favor. I would like to politely ask you to resolve this matter to the customers satisfaction. You can follow our public discussion here and make amends here as well, if you choose to http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7562.0

Regards,

Peter Kozo
Administrator
Cigargeeks.com
Guru of Frugality

"It is your decisions, not your conditions that shape your life."  ~Tony Robbins~

Robert LG

Very nice job Pete.  I will be following this and give them a chance to respond.  If not I will send a similar letter as well.
Rob

DonM

I hope there is resolve in this for you Eddie, I recently picked up some of the Art Deco's and was a pleasant cigar

"The Curmudgeon"













nwb

Great letter Pete.  I'm hoping they resolve it.
Chief of Shaft

gitfiddl

Here ya go, Eddie and Pete:


To whom it may concern,

I have yet to become a customer of yours and after an online discussion with a couple of friends, namely Edward Naughton and Bruce Long,  I'm not sure I will.  We're all members at cigargeeks.com.  Eddie placed an order back in the middle of December for a box of the new Nester Miranda Art Deco cigars.  He got an email confirmation from you about the order stating the order was being shipped UPS Ground.  Now we find out that not only was the order never shipped (supposedly back-ordered), but now you can't sell it to him at the price given when he placed his order, the same price you quoted him in an email announcing the arrival of the cigars.  

Maybe I'm just a Southern Redneck rube, but I'm pretty sure what you're doing ain't good business.  "Under-promise, over-deliver" might be something y'all want to make a part of your business plan instead of the other way around.

Sincerely,

David Robinson
Cigar Smoker at large
Self-appointed Guru of Pass Container Sizing,  All Things Midgetly Stripperish, and general "Stirrer of the Puddin'".

BlackIrish

Quotejunglepete - 1/1/2011  8:38 PM

In support of Eddie I have sent the following letter to the company. I urge you all to do the same in support of Eddie, but totally respect your choice whether to write in or not. I am just asking.  I believe is we speak as a group we will have more of a chance of positve resolve:

To whom it may concern, preferably an owner.

A member of our site cigargeeks.com has been mistreated by your company. His name is Edward Naughton. On December 17th he placed an order for a box of the new Nester Miranda Art Deco cigars. Your company emailed him a confirmation with the agreed price and has yet to fullfill the committment/order. Why?

Edward is now being told that you cannot honor your own price and that the product is out of stock, even though I see you are still selling the product today. Why?

Furthermore, Edward needed to make contact with you because he heard nothing in response to his order until he initiated it. Why?

As an administrator for our site, a site that boasts over 10,000 registered users, I can assure you that your lack of resolve will not help your sales with our users. We frequently discuss the customer service of the sites we purchase from, and right now your company is not in our favor. I would like to politely ask you to resolve this matter to the customers satisfaction. You can follow our public discussion here and make amends here as well, if you choose to http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7562.0

Regards,

Peter Kozo
Administrator
Cigargeeks.com

I appreciate the assist, Peter, and particularly that you invited the folks at NiceAsh to weigh in.  

I want to make clear, though, why I've posted.  I'll post up good things about vendors who have treated me well.  See, for instance, my positive reviews of

New Havana Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2976.0

Arnolds http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=3140.0

Atlantic Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7546.0

and others http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2933.0

I don't post these favorable comments to shill or get freebies (and I'll note that I've never gotten a freebie or reward because of something I've posted about a vendor).  

Similarly, my aim here was not to shame the retailer into doing the right thing.  (God knows I don't really need any more cigars.)  I posted simply to contribute to the body of knowledge and share my experience, because I've certainly benefited from the information that others have shared.  I appreciate that others might want to help me out, but -- with all respect to my fellow geeks who've offered -- I don't think it's necessary to start an email campaign.  

As far as I'm concerned, the matter is done and I'm moving on.  I've shared the information with you all, and I'm not going to say any more about it.
(__
  • ___{{{~[/B]

nwb

Eddie,

I don't think anyone who knows or has dealt with you thinks you are trying to guilt the vendor or get freebies when you post your retailer reviews.  We all value your opinion and appreciate you giving your feedback.

That being said, a lot of vendors "patrol" these boards for feedback just like this.  I have a feeling that this isn't the end of it, at least from the vendor's perspective....
Chief of Shaft

Shukpaw

Sorry you are having problems.  Glad to see people on the site supporting you.  I would file a Better Business Bureau complaint against them.  Both to help you resolve your problem and to help them take honoring a posted prices more seriously.  Seems many of the retailers don't seem to think they have to honor what they say, or write, or display on their websites anymore.

I wish we had an area on this site where we could rate different retailers.  I know we have this forum, but it would be nice to see trends of how different companies treat us and resolve problems.  I could tell from that Atlantic Cigar post we are all over the place with them.  Something like what Amazon has for rating a product.
I'm right 98% of the time.  Who cares about the other 3%?

junglepete

I have no doubt that when kudos ar due, Eddie has no problem giving a thumbs up for good customer service. I personally do not take kindly to vendors who won't make good on their sales promises. I don't believe this is about "freebies" on anyones part, but just that there has been an injustice and I hope that the details of the problem get into the right hands to resolve it...meaning an owner, because I find more often than not it is an employee who makes the fatal mistakes unkown to the employer.
Guru of Frugality

"It is your decisions, not your conditions that shape your life."  ~Tony Robbins~

mcdimond

Wasn't Nice Ash the guy who registered and rated all his own cigars as 5-star? There was a small storm around that when it happened.
Michael


Fun Fact:
Groucho Marx suffered from insomnia, which he claimed was due to a financial loss in the stock market. When he suffered from insomnia, he used to call people up in the middle of the night and insult them. In the 1950s Groucho was invited to take a tour of the New York Stock Exchange. While in the observation booth, he grabbed the public address system handset and began singing "Lydia the Tattooed Lady". Upon hearing silence coming from the trading floor, he walked into view, was given a loud cheer by the traders, and shouted, "Gentlemen, in 1929 I lost eight hundred thousand dollars on this floor, and I intend to get my money's worth!" For fifteen minutes, he sang, danced, told jokes, and all this time, the Wall Street stock ticker was running blank.

Brlesq

#18
The purpose of my supplemental account to Eddie's experience was, like Eddie's, only to contribute to the CG community and share my experience, because we have all benefited from the information that others have shared here before.  I also felt that I should update my experience since I was the original endorser of them when they appeared on the scene this past summer. (I didn't update all of you before because I wasn't that upset:  I just wasn't ever going to use them again! :mad: )  I'm also not looking to have Cigarsatyourprice.com try to make things right at this point because that order was for Kyle's (wlfwalleye) Wishlist PIF a couple months back, and I found other reputable shops to cover it for me, even though it delayed getting the package out to Kyle. :-(

It is great to see the camaraderie and support here by fellow BOTLs, and I appreciate the letters of support by Pete, Dave and others on our behalves.  
 :bigthumbs:
Bruce
Chief Enabler 
Guru of Decorum & Sarcasm


Hey! How come Habana is written on here with a Sharpie ?!?

A day without whiskey is like . . . just kidding, I have no idea!


gitfiddl

QuoteBrlesq - 1/2/2011  9:40 AM

The purpose of my supplemental account to Eddie's experience was, like Eddie's, only to contribute to the CG community and share my experience, because we have all benefited from the information that others have shared here before.  I also felt that I should update my experience since I was the original endorser of them when they appeared on the scene this past summer. (I didn't update all of you before because I wasn't that upset:  I just wasn't ever going to use them again! :mad: )  I'm also not looking to have Cigarsatyourprice.com try to make things right at this point because that order was for Kyle's (wlfwalleye) Wishlist PIF a couple months back, and I found other reputable shops to cover it for me, even though it delayed getting the package out to Kyle. :-(

It is great to see the camaraderie and support here by fellow BOTLs, and I appreciate the letters of support by Dave and others on our behalves.  
 :bigthumbs:

That's what we're here for.  I do think, though, that when someone (a vendor or whatever) does something exceptional and comes through in a big way, we ought to laud and applaud them as well.  We've been pretty good about that, I think.
Self-appointed Guru of Pass Container Sizing,  All Things Midgetly Stripperish, and general "Stirrer of the Puddin'".

87North

Well I guess Nice Ash won't be showing up on any Daily Deals threads... :confused:  :lmao:
Guru of "Sarcastic Wit and Folksy Wisdom"

Dave S.

#21
Quotemcdimond - 1/1/2011  8:59 PM

Wasn't Nice Ash the guy who registered and rated all his own cigars as 5-star? There was a small storm around that when it happened.

That's my recollection, too, and the reason I haven't ordered from them.

I have ordered from cigars at your price and had no problems.  Sorry to hear that they too have a checkered past.

Eddie, thanks for the heads-up!!!

 :mad:
"There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Cavalry."

George Armstrong Custer


kola

QuoteBlackIrish - 1/1/2011  10:20 PM
Quotejunglepete - 1/1/2011  8:38 PM
In support of Eddie I have sent the following letter to the company. I urge you all to do the same in support of Eddie, but totally respect your choice whether to write in or not. I am just asking.  I believe is we speak as a group we will have more of a chance of positve resolve:

To whom it may concern, preferably an owner.

A member of our site cigargeeks.com has been mistreated by your company. His name is Edward Naughton. On December 17th he placed an order for a box of the new Nester Miranda Art Deco cigars. Your company emailed him a confirmation with the agreed price and has yet to fullfill the committment/order. Why?

Edward is now being told that you cannot honor your own price and that the product is out of stock, even though I see you are still selling the product today. Why?

Furthermore, Edward needed to make contact with you because he heard nothing in response to his order until he initiated it. Why?

As an administrator for our site, a site that boasts over 10,000 registered users, I can assure you that your lack of resolve will not help your sales with our users. We frequently discuss the customer service of the sites we purchase from, and right now your company is not in our favor. I would like to politely ask you to resolve this matter to the customers satisfaction. You can follow our public discussion here and make amends here as well, if you choose to http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7562.0

Regards,

Peter Kozo
Administrator
Cigargeeks.com
I appreciate the assist, Peter, and particularly that you invited the folks at NiceAsh to weigh in.  

I want to make clear, though, why I've posted.  I'll post up good things about vendors who have treated me well.  See, for instance, my positive reviews of

New Havana Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2976.0

Arnolds http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=3140.0

Atlantic Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7546.0

and others http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2933.0

I don't post these favorable comments to shill or get freebies (and I'll note that I've never gotten a freebie or reward because of something I've posted about a vendor).  

Similarly, my aim here was not to shame the retailer into doing the right thing.  (God knows I don't really need any more cigars.)  I posted simply to contribute to the body of knowledge and share my experience, because I've certainly benefited from the information that others have shared.  I appreciate that others might want to help me out, but -- with all respect to my fellow geeks who've offered -- I don't think it's necessary to start an email campaign.  

As far as I'm concerned, the matter is done and I'm moving on.  I've shared the information with you all, and I'm not going to say any more about it.

Eddie, for those of us who know you at all, I think we understood you from the beginning of the thread. Your comments do clarify the situation for others who may stumble across this.

To Eddie's credit, he is willing to simply give us all a heads up and let it go.  I can appreciate that.  This is a gentleman's business. So the email, posted prices, and invoice are more than just a promise. They are an agreement between gentlemen. If they refuse to honor their end of a deal, they are no longer gentlemen and they will not have the pleasure or privilege of my business.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery - Winston Churchill

lowpro75

QuoteDave S. - 1/2/2011  11:01 AM

Quotemcdimond - 1/1/2011  8:59 PM

Wasn't Nice Ash the guy who registered and rated all his own cigars as 5-star? There was a small storm around that when it happened.

That's my recollection, too, and the reason I haven't ordered from them.

I have ordered from cigars at your price and had no problems.  Sorry to hear that they too have a checkered past.

Eddie, thanks for the heads-up!!!

 :mad:

That person was from hotash cigars.  Nice Ash Cigars is a regular cigar retailer that, while they may sell house brands (I'm not sure), but has never pushed them on this forum.
Guru of Sensitivity.  

The Herf of Havertown.

lowpro75

Quotekola - 1/2/2011  11:39 AM

QuoteBlackIrish - 1/1/2011  10:20 PM
Quotejunglepete - 1/1/2011  8:38 PM
In support of Eddie I have sent the following letter to the company. I urge you all to do the same in support of Eddie, but totally respect your choice whether to write in or not. I am just asking.  I believe is we speak as a group we will have more of a chance of positve resolve:

To whom it may concern, preferably an owner.

A member of our site cigargeeks.com has been mistreated by your company. His name is Edward Naughton. On December 17th he placed an order for a box of the new Nester Miranda Art Deco cigars. Your company emailed him a confirmation with the agreed price and has yet to fullfill the committment/order. Why?

Edward is now being told that you cannot honor your own price and that the product is out of stock, even though I see you are still selling the product today. Why?

Furthermore, Edward needed to make contact with you because he heard nothing in response to his order until he initiated it. Why?

As an administrator for our site, a site that boasts over 10,000 registered users, I can assure you that your lack of resolve will not help your sales with our users. We frequently discuss the customer service of the sites we purchase from, and right now your company is not in our favor. I would like to politely ask you to resolve this matter to the customers satisfaction. You can follow our public discussion here and make amends here as well, if you choose to http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7562.0

Regards,

Peter Kozo
Administrator
Cigargeeks.com
I appreciate the assist, Peter, and particularly that you invited the folks at NiceAsh to weigh in.  

I want to make clear, though, why I've posted.  I'll post up good things about vendors who have treated me well.  See, for instance, my positive reviews of

New Havana Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2976.0

Arnolds http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=3140.0

Atlantic Cigars http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=7546.0

and others http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2933.0

I don't post these favorable comments to shill or get freebies (and I'll note that I've never gotten a freebie or reward because of something I've posted about a vendor).  

Similarly, my aim here was not to shame the retailer into doing the right thing.  (God knows I don't really need any more cigars.)  I posted simply to contribute to the body of knowledge and share my experience, because I've certainly benefited from the information that others have shared.  I appreciate that others might want to help me out, but -- with all respect to my fellow geeks who've offered -- I don't think it's necessary to start an email campaign.  

As far as I'm concerned, the matter is done and I'm moving on.  I've shared the information with you all, and I'm not going to say any more about it.

Eddie, for those of us who know you at all, I think we understood you from the beginning of the thread. Your comments do clarify the situation for others who may stumble across this.

To Eddie's credit, he is willing to simply give us all a heads up and let it go.  I can appreciate that.  This is a gentleman's business. So the email, posted prices, and invoice are more than just a promise. They are an agreement between gentlemen. If they refuse to honor their end of a deal, they are no longer gentlemen and they will not have the pleasure or privilege of my business.

Eddie wants freebies!! :biggrin:
Guru of Sensitivity.  

The Herf of Havertown.


   
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