I bought a box of CAO Visions from Famous Smoke Shop at a killer deal. When it arrived the sticks were as fuzzy a a 3 week old kitten.
I called them and they tried to convince me that it as plume. After explaining to them that I know the difference, they begrudgingly sent me a replacement box. This box too was moldy. So we went for box three. Same again.
The customer service woman was snippy with me basically telling me that I don't know what I am talking about and that it is plume.
Box 3 is going back for a refund (no replacement). Maybe I can find a good deal on them elsewhere.
I would stay away from the Visions from Famous, as she says that they all have plume and that is just how it is and that it is a good thing.
That really stinks. Have a pic to post so we can see the damage?
Wow, first I have heard of mold from Famous cigars!
QuoteDonM - 9/3/2010 1:10 PM
Wow, first I have heard of mold from Famous cigars!
Very sad to hear, I too have never heard of this issue with them but I am certainly behind your knowledge, good luck with the next box; and pictures please...
QuoteJackal - 9/3/2010 3:52 PM
I bought a box of CAO Visions from Famous Smoke Shop at a killer deal. When it arrived the sticks were as fuzzy a a 3 week old kitten.
ha ha ha, 3 week old kittens are pretty fuzzy, I understand your disappointment ! You would think that by box 3 someone who knows the difference between fuzz and plume would have opened the box and checked it before sending it out......but that takes human intervention....not just pressing "resend order" on the computer, as the customer service rep must have done.
Maybe you could start a cigar pass for "fuzzy cigars only" call it the 3 week old kitten pass :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
Wow. I assume you had to send all three boxes back at your own expense? While I certainly don't doubt that the cigars were moldy (it certainly wasn't plume), I can also understand Famous having a hard time with it, especially since the Vision box is actually a humidor... did you happen to notice the RH on the digital read-out on the boxes when you got them? With all three boxes having mold, that should have raised a red flag @ Famous... it would indeed be very interesting to find out more about their "problem" and what they're doing about it... I got the new Famous catalog today and they're offering the Visions (like you said) at a huge discount. I'm thinking the Vision cigars are so old at this point that there is some sort of failure in that high-tech box's systems...
Must ... see ... pictures ...
It is highly disturbing that Famous would try to pawn mold as plume. Even if many of the dips out there wouldn't know the difference, it is unethical. :mad:
Please let us know if there is any further news about this ... and if Famous 'fesses up. At least they have tried, and at least you will get some (most?) of your money back.
I was just talking about moldy cigars with fellow smokers at the Finck's outlet yesterday. I was telling them to watch out for the Cigar Warehouse nearby because they have moldy cigars--especially my beloved Joya de Nicaragua Antanos. The guy working there doesn't even know enough to try to convince me it's plume...
And that's why I go to Finck. Their exclusives are hit or miss, but their stock is quality and they know what they're talking about.
Guess Famous is a notch closer to going on the C G S H I T L I S T.
:shooter:
Jason, that sucks. Did they at least send you a couple of 5 packs for your trouble?
Thats piss poor customes service
I'd like to see some pics or have they all been sent back?
That sucks. I've probably ordered more from Famous via the Monster in the last six months than anywhere else. I'm on your side, but like others, I have to ask did you take pictures?
Quotejunglepete - 9/3/2010 6:25 PM
I'd like to see some pics or have they all been sent back?
Yeah, I would have liked to see some pics as well. I recently had an issue (not mold)with a "cask" of cigars I bought from JR and took some pics, but I didn't end up posting anything here because they handled the problem appropriately (very slowly, but appropriately.) You should always get some pics, just in case you need to document the issue.
QuoteROTHNH - 9/3/2010 2:27 PM
Wow. I assume you had to send all three boxes back at your own expense? While I certainly don't doubt that the cigars were moldy (it certainly wasn't plume), I can also understand Famous having a hard time with it, especially since the Vision box is actually a humidor... did you happen to notice the RH on the digital read-out on the boxes when you got them? With all three boxes having mold, that should have raised a red flag @ Famous... it would indeed be very interesting to find out more about their "problem" and what they're doing about it... I got the new Famous catalog today and they're offering the Visions (like you said) at a huge discount. I'm thinking the Vision cigars are so old at this point that there is some sort of failure in that high-tech box's systems...
I never put the batteries into the humidor to check the RH. Luckily, they picked up the shipping on all of the returns. If not, I would be really pissed. The mold was probably there either from the get go coming from CAO or in the Famous humidor. These cigars felet wet to the touch.
The high tech humidor is just a plastic box with a humi pouch in it.
Damn that really is a bummer, I be annoyed outta my mind! Ya know it's simple, if there's a problem all they needed to do was look into it, (the box of cigars & the situation) and things would have gone so much smoother. Yet even after a second "incident" it should have been a HELLO, SOMTHINGS UP!!! for them.
Whatever...
Again, I'm just amazed at Famous for rolling over and playing dead on this.
I the old days, Arthur would have jumped over the damned counter and grabbed this problem with both hands.
If I were you, I'd write Arthur an e-mail.
Wow, that's disappointing. I've never had a bad experience with Famous Smoke Shop. I would have hoped they would have responded better.
I wonder if it is a result of the special humidor box?
Of course, Famous should have opened one up (or asked you if they could) to check themselves before sending you another box. :sad:
I have got a fair amount of cigars from Famous lately and never had any problems like this. In their defense, it sounds more isolated to that particular brand and or boxed brand. Of course CAO has never been one of my go to cigars (I don't own any) I would think after 3 boxes, there should be some compensation there if I were the vendor, just for good customer service
QuoteDonM - 9/4/2010 5:46 AM
I have got a fair amount of cigars from Famous lately and never had any problems like this. In their defense, it sounds more isolated to that particular brand and or boxed brand.
I have to second that. I have ordered a lot of cigars from Famous and have never had any issues. Maybe the mold issue started at the factory and was "sealed" into every box. :confused:
I just sent Gary Korb @ Cigar Advisor a link to this thread:
"Hi Gary,
I thought this is something you might want to look at:
http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=6237.0
As a long-time Famous customer, I, like many of my friends, are concerned with this issue.
Thanks for your time!"
Wow - that stinks. I've only ordered once from Famous, but I've been considering getting some Visions at their huge discounts. Now I know not to....
In their defense, I have never had any serious problems with them before. A few smashed sticks due to bad packaging, but they were resolved quickly and replaced.
This is the first time that I have ever gotten mold, beetles or anything else like that.
I think that the problem is completely isolated to the CAO visions.
Maybe the fact that they were selling them for $109.98 a box was telling that there was something wrong with them.
The whole exercise is entirely frustrating and the condescending manner of the woman at customer service has left me a bit sour towards them. It is not like they are the only online retailer out there.
As many others have said in this thread, I also have ordered frequently from Famous/Monster and never once received a poorly maintained stick. It seems to me that the problem is specific to the "humidors" and original packing at the CAO factory.
If Famous had more than one call about the product (the representatives response leads me to believe they had already received calls about it), someone should have been alerted to go open a couple boxes and inspect it. Cigars are a luxury purchase that should not be accompanied by hassles when there is an obvious problem.
I for one will be watching to see if this was just a one-time screw up, or if it indicates a shift in policy at Famous.
I think that they did inspect them, sent me the one with the least mold on them (it is only a few patches on this box, confined to the cigar's feet) and will pass off the others as plume to the unsuspecting.
The snippy CS girl said that they all had plume ands that I just didn't know what I was talking about. She said that plume would grow right out of the feet of the cigars.
PLUME IS NOT FUZZY.
QuoteJackal - 9/4/2010 5:58 PM
PLUME IS NOT FUZZY.
:word:
I was also wondering why the Visions were being sold for less than half retail :?:
I like 3 week old kittens, but but not on my cigars. Glad they finally took care of you. I have had a handful of bad experiences from CBid/CI, but have only had good service from Famous. I have only placed 10 or so orders with them, but they have all been good.
QuoteJackal - 9/4/2010 5:58 PM
I think that they did inspect them, sent me the one with the least mold on them (it is only a few patches on this box, confined to the cigar's feet) and will pass off the others as plume to the unsuspecting.
The snippy CS girl said that they all had plume ands that I just didn't know what I was talking about. She said that plume would grow right out of the feet of the cigars.
PLUME IS NOT FUZZY.
Also, plume does not "grow". I thought it only accumulated on the wrapper, and not on the filler. :confused:
The more of this story I hear and understand, the less I like what it means. A screw up is one thing. Intentional BS - that's a problem. :mad:
That's what bothered me. They fixed it, but were intentionally telling me that the returned product had plume and that I just didn't know what I was talking about. :mad:
QuoteJackal - 9/4/2010 9:33 PM
That's what bothered me. They fixed it, but were intentionally telling me that the returned product had plume and that I just didn't know what I was talking about. :mad:
That is concerning - one thing to mess up, completely different to mess up and blame the customer.
QuoteROTHNH - 9/4/2010 2:15 PM
I just sent Gary Korb @ Cigar Advisor a link to this thread:
"Hi Gary,
I thought this is something you might want to look at:
http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=6237.0
As a long-time Famous customer, I, like many of my friends, are concerned with this issue.
Thanks for your time!"
Here's Gary Korb's e-mail response, received today:
"Hi,
Yes, I saw it and have addressed it. The Customer Service Center is handling this and I may have to make adjustments to the copy.
Since you are an experienced smoker, you know about plume and if you bought a box of Vision and they had it, you would know how to handle it.
More to come, I guess, and thanks for the concern.
Happy smokes,
Gary
(__[GK]_____{{{{ ~~
www.Famous-Smoke.com
www.CigarAdvisor.com
What's in your humidor?"
I can't tell from Gary's reply if he actually inspected the three boxes of Vision cigars with mold, not plume. More to come, he said. It will be interesting to see if any actual updates occur ...
Will the future hold a Vision of Plume? Or a Vision of Mold?
Good to know. I've never had any problems with Famous either, and almost went for a box of the Visions myself, but I will definitely avoid them now. Thanks.
This sounds like he believes that Jackal don't know shyt and keeps sending back cigars with plume. The line that says you are an experienced cigar smoker and if you got a box with plume you would know how to handle it. Interesting.
Quotelowpro75 - 9/7/2010 12:53 PM
This sounds like he believes that Jackal don't know shyt and keeps sending back cigars with plume. The line that says you are an experienced cigar smoker and if you got a box with plume you would know how to handle it. Interesting.
Yeah, other than dusting the plume off, how else do you "handle" it?
Like Rich, I was a little disconcerted with Gary's rather nebulous reply, so I wriote him back:
"Hi Gary and thanks for the quick reply!
"I wrote you because I was very concerned about this matter and how Famous Smoke Shop had handled it so far.
"I'm please that you actually checked this out, including reading the CigarGeeks. Com forum thread (the link I sent you).
"I hope you also checked out the three boxes of moldy Visions.
"As you can see by reading the forum thread, my fellow CigarGeek, Jason, who sent back these cigars, is also an "experienced cigar smoker" who knows that mold, unlike crystals of beneficial plume, is thick, "hairy," and that mold is unacceptable in any cigar purchase.
"We're look forward to the result of the investigation. Anyone who's smoked cigars as long as we have who've been long time Famous Smoke Shop customers have grown accustomed to superior knowledge and the customer service; it's somewhat disconcerting to fear ordering a box of Vision Cigars to not only to receive a defective product but then get a hassle about it from CSRs."
To be honest, this is getting more disappointing. :shades:
The last box that was sent to me had only some cigars that had white fluff only on the foot. The box had been opened and inspected. I believe that the least contaminated box that they had on hand was sent to me. Still, I am not paying over $100 for only some mold.
The customer service woman that I spoke to, was insistent that the cigars that I sent back to them were inspected upon return, and that the experts at Famous confirmed that it was indeed plume, and that I just don't not know the difference.
I have a degree in chemistry and can tell the difference between a crystal formed by insolubilities of oil verses a growth of biological materials. In my profession, I have seen a lot of bio-growth; this was mold.
QuoteJackal - 9/7/2010 1:21 PM
The last box that was sent to me had only some cigars that had white fluff only on the foot. The box had been opened and inspected. I believe that the least contaminated box that they had on hand was sent to me. Still, I am not paying over $100 for only some mold.
The customer service woman that I spoke to, was insistent that the cigars that I sent back to them were inspected upon return, and that the experts at Famous confirmed that it was indeed plume, and that I just don't not know the difference.
I have a degree in chemistry and can tell the difference between a crystal formed by insolubilities of oil verses a growth of biological materials. In my profession, I have seen a lot of bio-growth; this was mold.
You should probably be educating them as to how to tell the difference.
Quotelowpro75 - 9/7/2010 11:00 AM
QuoteJackal - 9/7/2010 1:21 PM
The last box that was sent to me had only some cigars that had white fluff only on the foot. The box had been opened and inspected. I believe that the least contaminated box that they had on hand was sent to me. Still, I am not paying over $100 for only some mold.
The customer service woman that I spoke to, was insistent that the cigars that I sent back to them were inspected upon return, and that the experts at Famous confirmed that it was indeed plume, and that I just don't not know the difference.
I have a degree in chemistry and can tell the difference between a crystal formed by insolubilities of oil verses a growth of biological materials. In my profession, I have seen a lot of bio-growth; this was mold.
You should probably be educating them as to how to tell the difference.
They didn't want to hear it. The CS girl was snippy to the point of being rude.
When I told her that plume does not grow fuzz and that I have never seen it grow out of the foot of a cigar her response was that it sometimes looks that way and sometimes grows out of a cigar's foot.
Personally, I don't believe that plume can grow from the foot, but I am not an expert on that point, so I cannot argue that point properly. Has anyone here heard of plume growing straight out of a cigar's foot?
Now I see that Holts has the same cigars at @ 6 for $25. Might as well just buy there and not worry about the hassles.
QuoteJackal - 9/7/2010 2:36 PM
Quotelowpro75 - 9/7/2010 11:00 AM
QuoteJackal - 9/7/2010 1:21 PM
The last box that was sent to me had only some cigars that had white fluff only on the foot. The box had been opened and inspected. I believe that the least contaminated box that they had on hand was sent to me. Still, I am not paying over $100 for only some mold.
The customer service woman that I spoke to, was insistent that the cigars that I sent back to them were inspected upon return, and that the experts at Famous confirmed that it was indeed plume, and that I just don't not know the difference.
I have a degree in chemistry and can tell the difference between a crystal formed by insolubilities of oil verses a growth of biological materials. In my profession, I have seen a lot of bio-growth; this was mold.
You should probably be educating them as to how to tell the difference.
They didn't want to hear it. The CS girl was snippy to the point of being rude.
When I told her that plume does not grow fuzz and that I have never seen it grow out of the foot of a cigar her response was that it sometimes looks that way and sometimes grows out of a cigar's foot.
Personally, I don't believe that plume can grow from the foot, but I am not an expert on that point, so I cannot argue that point properly. Has anyone here heard of plume growing straight out of a cigar's foot?
I'm pretty sure plume doesn't "grow".
Their plume has a life of its own
QuoteJackal - 9/7/2010 5:17 PM
Now I see that Holts has the same cigars at @ 6 for $25. Might as well just buy there and not worry about the hassles.
Thanks for the heads up. :biggrin:
Did you ask to speak to the girl's supervisor? I don't care if the person calling is a total moron (which I know you are not), if you work in customer service you do not get snippy or event hint at being slightly rude to a customer. No excuse.
I haven't had many dealings with Famous but this issue is seriously making me question any future dealings. Guess I'll wait and see what Gary has to say on this matter
Gary's answer looks intentionally vague, and does not reassure me of Famous, their level of expertise, or their ethics. Either he hasn't looked, doesn't care, has really bad "expertise" on staff, made a calculated business decision to offload a bad buy from CAO ... or something equally stupid.
The competition is looking better every day. The thread on Tampa Humidors went better than this ... at least they fessed up.
Here is the response from Famous
Dear Jason,
I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for the quality of your recent order from Famous Smoke Shop for the CAO Vision Catalyst.
We at Famous Smoke Shop take pride in our unmatched service and quality and I assure you that your experience is in no way typical. As a cigar smoker myself I can understand your disappointment. I'm sure you know that a little bloom on a cigar is nothing to be concerned about and can easily be wiped away without any affect on the cigars. In fact, some people say that a cigar with a little bloom is one that is well aged and will provide an excellent smoke. Mold, however is another story.
After inspecting your cigars, they do indeed have enough bloom (not mold) that I can see would concern you. Either way, you must be completely satisfied before we are. We take customer satisfaction and quality very seriously. As a gesture of our sincerity, I'd like to offer you a 10% discount on your next order with Famous. We know you have choices when it comes to cigars and we want you to continue to choose us.
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you.
Patrick Haines
Famous Smoke Shop
Call Center Manager
They are willing to give me a 10% off coupon so that I will be quiet and stop bothering them.
They are, however, not going to accept that there is mold on those cigars. They have pulled out the ambiguous term "bloom". It is bloom, a fungal bloom. With over 10 years experience designing chemistries to be resistant to bio-growth, I know what sclerotinia looks like.
I am happy that they are willing to try and make me happy with the discount, but I am done with my dealings with Famous for quite a while.
By the way, is there anyone who has ever heard of fluffy, cotton like plume coming out of the foot of a cigar?
That's all bull$%?& Jason. The 10% offer made me laugh out loud. What about all the time and stress you had sending the packages back, the rude customer service agent, the fact that you're a good customer, the fact that you're not a dope....10% my ass. If a company can't satisfy you then the hell with them...I think 10% is an insult and a very weak response. At the very least they should have offered you a box of something else of equal value and picked up the tab for your troubles.
Too bad I just ordered from them recently because I would have passed on the order just out of solidarity. :mad: :mad:
Well, I buy over $3.000 worth of cigars a year, and this thread has convinced me that there are vendors far more willing to earn business than Famous.
The 10% is laughable. To me, its is no big deal. There are a half dozen other online vendors that I am happy to work with.
I can understand from a business side why they can't admit fault. What they would be afraid of is for some loudmouth to go on the cigar websites telling everyone how they got mold 3 times from Famous. That is bad press. I guess that they figure that I would happy take the discount coupon and just fade away into the background.
Well, unless anything else weird happens in this saga, I am done with this topic.
Sounds like a bunch of BS coming from the call center manager--how does managing a call center qualify him to correct a chemist?
I've had the same BS happen to me at a store run by a guy that couldn't correct the wife of a cigar smoker looking for cigars similar to the "Zinc" brand her husband smokes. Luckily I was standing there to help her realize the brand name was "Zino."
Weeks later, I point out that the JdN cigars had mold on them and the guy says, "I'm pretty sure that's plume." I haven't been back to Cigar Warehouse on 1604 because I'd rather not deal with BS.
Just curious... Is there a test you can do on mold to verify what it is? Not that you should have to mess with the time and expense...
Here's a video from last month regarding another CAO brand--this time from Thompson--that has some white stuff on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqzjnIJWic&feature=player_embedded
Does that look like plume or mold to you guys? :confused:
I dunno. I know plume when I see it... That looked a little too much like mold to me.
A 10% coupon is definitely not much in the way of compensation, especially since they're still trying to say it's not mold. :mad:
QuoteJackal - 9/8/2010 12:15 AM
The 10% is laughable. To me, its is no big deal. There are a half dozen other online vendors that I am happy to work with.
Completely agree. Guess I won't be sending any of my cigar budget their way. :confused:
Gary Korb responded quckily to my second e-mail to him about this:
"Hi Rich,
"Saw the link. Thank you and the situation is being handled as best it can be.
Certainly, if the mold is really nasty, they should be returned.
"The only thing I can add to your closing remarks is that eventually things like this happen, even to those who have their customers' best interests in mind.
"Happy smokes,
Gary
(__[GK]_____{{{{ ~~
www.Famous-Smoke.com
www.CigarAdvisor.com
What's in your humidor?"
I came away from this situation with the impression that this is all a sad situation and although Gary, it seems, in his position, can't do much about it, there is at least one serious flaw in Famous Smoke Shop's customer service:
Making absolutely certain that proper training is provided to *anyone* who is entrusted to determine *any* issue with a defective product, especially not-so-obvious or difficult ones, such as mold.
These inherent, serious flaws at Famous will cause me, like many of my fellow Geeks here, to question the reliability of the expertise I expect from Famous Sm oke Shop personnel and, since Jason's whole unfortunate experience with the Vision cigars was handled by the Famous SMoke Shop Customer Service Deptartment, it renders me unable to trust or rely on their CSR assistance when needed.
Just to beat the dead horse one more time about mold issues.
Personally, I do not like the idea of bringing mold spores into my mouth. There has been a lot of work done by the Canadian government on the sclerotinia minor fungal strain (they were evaluating it as an environmentally friendly bacteriacide).
The conclusions were that there was little danger of oral (ingestion) toxicity. However, there was a strong correlation to the mold being a sensitizing agent, and there were toxic effects in lab animals via inhalation. Thus, I don't think that it is a great idea to smoke cigars that are infected with white mold.
Gentlemen...
My name is Humberto. For those that don't know me, I've worked for Famous for years and have participated in many board discussions across the web but not here.. Never even heard about this place until this morning, when Arthur jumped over the counter and almost strangled someone.
Here's the deal. We're a great company and excel at a great number of things. Our customer satisfaction rate is damn near 100%. But a company is only as perfect as the people it employs. Hence, though we claim otherwise, we're far from perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure how it got communicated that we're selling moldy cigars and calling it plume and I'm not going to speculate other than to say that someone down the line most likely didn't know any better. The information was considered 'trusted' and ultimately conveyed to you.
We've been in business since 1939. There's no way we could possibly be that successful by selling foul, nasty, moldy cigars and we certainly aren't about to start pawning them off to you now by calling it by another name.
In a nutshell, what you got there is mold. The folks at CAO made the conscientious decision to sell us the remainder of all their Vision inventory at a reasonably discounted price which is being passed on to the consumer. We got it all. Unfortunately, and unknown to either of us, some bad product was mixed in with the closeout. To clarify, this does not reflect on how we store and/or humidify product. As a result, we're now inspecting every CAO Vision box to make sure it's good, premium, & smokeable product. We're also honoring our no-nonsense guarantee that came right from Arthur's mouth and printed in every catalog... "I do not consider a sale complete until the customer is happy". For whatever it's worth, the fine folks at CAO have been extremely cooperative and are more than willing to work directly with us on this issue.
As far as what you heard from Gary and/or Patrick.. I won't disparage co-workers that I respect in open forum. I'll simply say they should have known better and leave it at that.
In closing, we cannot apologize enough for this apparent snafu. This was handled badly. Plain and simple. The comments and criticisms on this thread were well deserved. We won't let it happen again.
Humberto
Thank you. All I wanted was an honest answer.
As an avid cigar collector and a scientist with over 15 years of experience in the fields of chemistry and microbiology, I do not take kindly to being told that I don't know what I am talking about when it comes to mold, plume, calcium crystals or any other anomaly that I might have seen on a cigar.
The gentleman that I spoke to on the second return was very helpful. The woman that I spoke to on the first return was somewhat condescending. The woman that I spoke to on the third return (may have been the same one) was overly rude. She blatantly told me that both batches of returned cigars were inspected and that it was plume, and that I just don't know how to tell the difference.
Also Patrick Haines stated in an e-mail to me "After inspecting your cigars, they do indeed have enough bloom (not mold) that I can see would concern you. Either way, you must be completely satisfied before we are." Again, this appears to me to be a blatant dodge at taking responsibility for the situation.
I will most likely continue doing some business with Famous, however, as you said this situation was handled poorly. Furthermore, your customer service representative (the one that I spoke to the third time) has a bad attitude and insufficient training/ information for her position.
Please forward this message to Artur as I believe that he should be aware of what goes on in his place of business.
So, Famous admits that CAO sold them moldy cigars...which in turn they sold to you and then argued left and right that it was not mold. If it were me...I would be a satisfied customer by something more than 10%...something like a box of cigars for me trouble :confused:
Quotejunglepete - 9/10/2010 2:07 PM
So, Famous admits that CAO sold them moldy cigars...which in turn they sold to you and then argued left and right that it was not mold. If it were me...I would be satisfied customer by something more than 10%...something like a box of cigars for me trouble :confused:
I am not going to be petty about this. However, it may behoove them to check my purchase history over the last year to see the volume of business just from me (not counting other members of this site) that easily can transfer to Holts just because of bad customer service.
QuoteJackal - 9/10/2010 5:03 PM
Thank you. All I wanted was an honest answer.
As an avid cigar collector and a scientist with over 15 years of experience in the fields of chemistry and microbiology, I do not take kindly to being told that I don't know what I am talking about when it comes to mold, plume, calcium crystals or any other anomaly that I might have seen on a cigar.
The gentleman that I spoke to on the second return was very helpful. The woman that I spoke to on the first return was somewhat condescending. The woman that I spoke to on the third return (may have been the same one) was overly rude. She blatantly told me that both batches of returned cigars were inspected and that it was plume, and that I just don't know how to tell the difference.
Also Patrick Haines stated in an e-mail to me "After inspecting your cigars, they do indeed have enough bloom (not mold) that I can see would concern you. Either way, you must be completely satisfied before we are." Again, this appears to me to be a blatant dodge at taking responsibility for the situation.
I will most likely continue doing some business with Famous, however, as you said this situation was handled poorly. Furthermore, your customer service representative (the one that I spoke to the third time) has a bad attitude and insufficient training/ information for her position.
Please forward this message to Artur as I believe that he should be aware of what goes on in his place of business.
Arthur was actually the person that discovered the thread. He knows all about it.. Lucky for me, I don't work anywhere near the call center or customer service. I'm just a guy that writes pretty good. :-)
Thus, Arthur is well aware of your situation and is handling it... ehem... appropriately.
Arthur needs to work *hard* on improving his customer service center. That CSR
"in charge" the director or whatever -- sent a canned reply -- an insult to both Arthur's customers and the rest of his trusted staff and ultimately, to Arrthur's way of doing business.
An utter disappointment.
That Arthur "jumped over the counter" on this was something I stated first in this thread -- and I have no doubt he did. Nor do I doubt he is still reading this thread.
Now for the shake up (and dismissals) in the cuistomer service center, since we've thus proven there are kinks on what Arthur expects.
Let's see what are the results of above and beyond.
QuoteROTHNH - 9/3/2010 6:37 PM
Again, I'm just amazed at Famous for rolling over and playing dead on this.
I the old days, Arthur would have jumped over the damned counter and grabbed this problem with both hands.
If I were you, I'd write Arthur an e-mail.
ditto.
Famous has always given me great service. I'm sure somebody wants to know about bad customer experiences...
Well, I would be prepared to purchase from Famous again, but only if they do something to completely satisfy Jason. But as of today I will be removing my name from their email list.
Here is a short note I sent to Famous this evening:
"I have removed my name from your email list. Furthermore, I will no longer buy cigars from Famous until the matter with Jason Sherlock has been resolved to his complete satisfaction. I am also advising all members from cigargeeks.com to do the same."
So fellow cigar geeks, I am calling upon you all to take a stand of solidarity and follow my lead by not purchasing cigars from Famous until this matter has been resolved to Jason's 100% satisfaction. I will be keeping this thread alive and fresh so everyone knows what has happened. I am also asking for you to write a short note to famous as I did.
In brief, for those who are new members or have not heard, Jason returned three boxes (one at a time after 3 consecutive purchases and returns) of CAO Vision cigars due to mold. Customer service rudely argued with him that it was not mold but was plume/bloom and that in good faith they offered him 10% off his next purchase for his trouble, even though they took no responsibility for the matter at hand. Upon further investigation, Famous discovered that it was actually mold. Famous was in the wrong and treated a regular customer badly. I believe he deserves more than a 10% discount on his next puchase due to his faithful business with Famous.
Thanks...Pete
Cigargeeks Administrator
Quotejunglepete - 9/10/2010 10:08 PM
Well, I would be prepared to purchase from Famous again, but only if they do something to completely satisfy Jason. But as of today I will be removing my name from their email list.
Here is a short note I sent to Famous this evening:
"I have removed my name from your email list. Furthermore, I will no longer buy cigars from Famous until the matter with Jason Sherlock has been resolved to his complete satisfaction. I am also advising all members from cigargeeks.com to do the same."
So fellow cigar geeks, I am calling upon you all to take a stand of solidarity and follow my lead by not purchasing cigars from Famous until this matter has been resolved to Jason's 100% satisfaction. I will be keeping this thread alive and fresh so everyone knows what has happened. I am also asking for you to write a short note to famous as I did.
In brief, for those who are new members or have not heard, Jason returned three boxes (one at a time after 3 consecutive purchase and returns) of CAO Vision cigars due to mold. Customer service rudely argued with him that it was not mold but was plume/bloom and that in good faith they offered him 10% off his next purchase for his trouble even though they took not responsibility for the matter at hand. Upon further investigation Famous discovered that it was actually mold. Famous was in the wrong and treated a regular customer badly. I believe he deserves more than a 10% discount on his next puchase due to his faithful business with Famous.
Thanks...Pete
Cigargeeks Administrator
I'm with Pete on this one. As much as it pains me to resist the Monster, I will do so. Until this issue is resolved to Jason's complete satisfaction, I will NOT order anything from Famous. My purchases might be meager, somewhere along the lines of $50-100 a month from them, but that's money they will be missing out of their coffers. I spent close to 20 years in retail sales/management. The way Jason has been treated violates every tenet of any manual I've ever read, any course I've attended and/or taught on "Customer Relations". A 10% discount on his next purchase is laughable at best.
QuoteCigahs - 9/10/2010 5:10 PM
Arthur was actually the person that discovered the thread. He knows all about it.. Lucky for me, I don't work anywhere near the call center or customer service. I'm just a guy that writes pretty good. :-)
Thus, Arthur is well aware of your situation and is handling it... ehem... appropriately.
It's very obvious that there are some flaws in Famous's call center and customer service. Mr. Haines' epic fail and his department's faux pas require some definite restructuring and retraining, starting with everyone in the call center/CSRs memorizing Arthur's words written inside the front cover of every Famous Smoke Shop catalog.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Arthur will personally take care of this matter.
Meanwhile, I'm with my fellow Geeks -- my business with Famous Smoke Shop is on hold until this matter is resolved to Jason's satisfaction.
It's time for me to restock and I had a couple boxes picked out, but put my plans on hold when this thread popped up. I think until we see what happens, I'll restock from elsewhere. Too bad, I was looking forward to them.
Hopefully Arthur or the "big boss" gets to the bottom of this, fesses up to the mold and offers more than 10% discount to Jackal.
Sorry to hear this, this issue would be typical to purchase here in Israel, what happaned to Jason is a daily problem with us, but we are Levantines.
I grew up on the legend that in the USA customer service is the altar of business relations.
I find out that things are not excatly as I believe they are, I had also not so good exprience with some of the online sites & again believed it's accidental.
Another faith was spoiled, pity (http://www.cigargeeks.com/community/images/emoticons/Sad6.gif) (http://www.cigargeeks.com/community/help-emoticons.asp#)
simcha
Gentlemen:
Your act of solidarity is admirable. Yet, this matter is between one customer and one company he's doing business with. As I mentioned before, the issue is being dealt with. Pouring gas to the flames here will have no effect on its outcome other than to dissuade other satisfied customers, (many of which I'm sure have never had any negative issues with Famous Smoke Shop after a multitude of purchases), from doing business with a very reputable company that made one notable error. I ask that you allow us to do our job and handle the matter appropriately before grabbing your torches and pitchforks. After all, this is (or at least used to be) a gentleman's business.
Thank you.
Humberto
Quotesimcha - 9/11/2010 9:21 AM
Sorry to hear this, this issue would be typical to purchase here in Israel, what happaned to Jason is a daily problem with us, but we are Levantines.
I grew up on the legend that in the USA customer service is the altar of business relations.
I find out that things are not excatly as I believe they are, I had also not so good exprience with some of the online sites & again believed it's accidental.
Another faith was spoiled, pity (http://www.cigargeeks.com/community/images/emoticons/Sad6.gif) (http://www.cigargeeks.com/community/help-emoticons.asp#)
simcha
Simcha, while some believe otherwise, I'm still convinced that customer satisfaction is key to the success of any business that deals directly with their customers while competing for sales. My father used to say that, in business, it takes 100 positive remarks to undo the damage to a business's reputation by just one voiciforous, unhappy customer.
We'll hear from Jason soon, I am sure.
QuoteCigahs - 9/11/2010 10:59 AM
Gentlemen:
Your act of solidarity is admirable. Yet, this matter is between one customer and one company he's doing business with. As I mentioned before, the issue is being dealt with. Pouring gas to the flames here will have no effect on its outcome other than to dissuade other satisfied customers, (many of which I'm sure have never had any negative issues with Famous Smoke Shop after a multitude of purchases), from doing business with a very reputable company that made one notable error. I ask that you allow us to do our job and handle the matter appropriately before grabbing your torches and pitchforks. After all, this is (or at least used to be) a gentleman's business.
Thank you.
Humberto
It seems you understand the situation clearly. None of us wish to deal with the type of annoyance over a luxury purchase where high hopes and expectations are dashed. A gentleman's business is based on trust. If one side fails on an agreement, it is their responsibility to ensure the situation is handled gracefully and that the terms of the agreement are met to the satisfaction of the other. None of us should have to lecture you on this. So. Many of us are happy to take the sidelines and watch to see how this is resolved. It is *your* actions that determine the outcome.
I hope it comes out good in the end. We have all had great transactions with Famous, but leave a bad taste.
Quotekola - 9/11/2010 11:13 AM
QuoteCigahs - 9/11/2010 10:59 AM
Gentlemen:
Your act of solidarity is admirable. Yet, this matter is between one customer and one company he's doing business with. As I mentioned before, the issue is being dealt with. Pouring gas to the flames here will have no effect on its outcome other than to dissuade other satisfied customers, (many of which I'm sure have never had any negative issues with Famous Smoke Shop after a multitude of purchases), from doing business with a very reputable company that made one notable error. I ask that you allow us to do our job and handle the matter appropriately before grabbing your torches and pitchforks. After all, this is (or at least used to be) a gentleman's business.
Thank you.
Humberto
It seems you understand the situation clearly. None of us wish to deal with the type of annoyance over a luxury purchase where high hopes and expectations are dashed. A gentleman's business is based on trust. If one side fails on an agreement, it is their responsibility to ensure the situation is handled gracefully and that the terms of the agreement are met to the satisfaction of the other. None of us should have to lecture you on this. So. Many of us are happy to take the sidelines and watch to see how this is resolved. It is *your* actions that determine the outcome.
In this case *our* actions are geared towards one person. No one wants an audience when handling a sensitive situation. As far as satisfaction towards our customer, in this case 'Jackal', it's been clearly established that we've made several attempts at getting him the products he ordered at no extra expense to him. The big issue, as I understand it, was with the way he was treated by a member or members of our staff and the insistence that he didn't know what he was talking about. We've admitted, without prejudice and in open forum that (a) it was mold and (b) we were wrong. Dealing with staff members, at this point, is an internal matter. His last post on this was that he only wanted the truth, which he and the rest of you got.
If there is anything further to be done here, it has nothing to do with anyone else but 'Jackal' and Famous Smoke Shop. Unless he chooses to publish his dealings with us here, we really have nothing left to say on this as we absolutely respect our customers' privacy.
Humberto
I agree with Humberto on this.
Let's see what Jackal (Jason) has to say. I'm sure it won't be long and I am optimistic about a favorable resolution.
QuoteCigahs - 9/11/2010 11:31 AM
Quotekola - 9/11/2010 11:13 AM
QuoteCigahs - 9/11/2010 10:59 AM
Gentlemen:
Your act of solidarity is admirable. Yet, this matter is between one customer and one company he's doing business with. As I mentioned before, the issue is being dealt with. Pouring gas to the flames here will have no effect on its outcome other than to dissuade other satisfied customers, (many of which I'm sure have never had any negative issues with Famous Smoke Shop after a multitude of purchases), from doing business with a very reputable company that made one notable error. I ask that you allow us to do our job and handle the matter appropriately before grabbing your torches and pitchforks. After all, this is (or at least used to be) a gentleman's business.
Thank you.
Humberto
It seems you understand the situation clearly. None of us wish to deal with the type of annoyance over a luxury purchase where high hopes and expectations are dashed. A gentleman's business is based on trust. If one side fails on an agreement, it is their responsibility to ensure the situation is handled gracefully and that the terms of the agreement are met to the satisfaction of the other. None of us should have to lecture you on this. So. Many of us are happy to take the sidelines and watch to see how this is resolved. It is *your* actions that determine the outcome.
In this case *our* actions are geared towards one person. No one wants an audience when handling a sensitive situation. As far as satisfaction towards our customer, in this case 'Jackal', it's been clearly established that we've made several attempts at getting him the products he ordered at no extra expense to him. The big issue, as I understand it, was with the way he was treated by a member or members of our staff and the insistence that he didn't know what he was talking about. We've admitted, without prejudice and in open forum that (a) it was mold and (b) we were wrong. Dealing with staff members, at this point, is an internal matter. His last post on this was that he only wanted the truth, which he and the rest of you got.
If there is anything further to be done here, it has nothing to do with anyone else but 'Jackal' and Famous Smoke Shop. Unless he chooses to publish his dealings with us here, we really have nothing left to say on this as we absolutely respect our customers' privacy.
Humberto
Humberto,
How you choose to deal with the situation is your business, how I or anyone else chooses to spend their money is not. Leave well enough alone. I thought your first letter was direct, honest and to the point. Jackal is a good guy and if you resolve the situation to his satisfaction he will let everyone know. Getting into a pissing contest in a forum doesn't help anyone, in fact, it can only hurt. I understand your instinct to try to control the situation but I can almost guarantee that it will have the opposite effect. So while you are technically correct that it is a situation that involves one customer, you now have a number of people waiting to see how the situation is resolved, and that is the only thing that matters to me, all the rest is just words. So if you are trying to politely but firmly tell me to mind my own business, I'll take a pass.
Thanks,
Rich
Mr Humberto
With all the respect you are totally wrong.
When Jason decided to share with us this issue it has become public & is part of your showcase .
"If there is anything further to be done here, it has nothing to do with anyone else but 'Jackal' and Famous Smoke Shop" (p.s it's Jason)
No - you have a bunch of customers or future customers that in some way you have lost their trust & if you care about this audience you have to purchase your trust again.
"No one wants an audience when handling a sensitive situation" very understood but neither Jason nor we arose the problem, so the AUDIENCE you don't like becomes part of the problem.
I'm aware to the stress and tension in this situation but you must keep kool and think rational & you can't afford to preach us the AUDIENCE.
Simcha
We are a group of individuals with like interests sticking by their friend till he is satisfied; it's nice to see someone telling us not to do this.
Before I switched careers to the Oilfield Industry, I worked in customer service from many different angles: answering phones at a call center, face to face and management. Truth be told the customer is not always right but that does not constitute treating the customer poorly and there are ways around telling the customer he doesn't know what he's talking about. As a manager, I was fortunate that my crew always treated the customer well but I would not have tolerated poor customer service.
There were some shenanigans here, when the first box was sent back with mold, maybe someone higher up the chain of command should have gotten involved. When the second box was sent back some one higher up should have definitely gotten involved. The CSR reps could have handled things better, but the bigger the company the more potential problems you will have. The only fault I see with Jackal's actions is that after the second box of moldy cigars, I would have asked for my money back. (all that means is Jackal is a more patient person then myself)
Admitting the cigars are in fact moldy is a big step. The 10% discount, to me, is no incentive to shop there again. Telling us to keep our noses out of business that our CG BOTL brought to our attention, is our business.
Man. I go out and cut the grass and then play with the kids and look what I miss. :biggrin:
So here's my thoughts on this. Jason had a bad service situation with Famous. He was not happy with how it was handled. We posted here to get some attention to the issue. Humberto had the guts to come here and directly respond with an apology, admittance that the Service Rep was wrong and that indeed Jason was correct about the mold. Frankly, I think that is pretty big move for a company to make and I think it has to go to their character. Let's face it, most of us have bought from Famous and have had good experiences. It seems unreasonable to me to let 1 bad CSR taint your overall opinion of them - but that it obviously up to you guys as individuals.
What I don't think helps the situation any more is to drag this out in an open forum. The original intent of the thread was to bring attention to the issue and that has happened. I think the rest is between Jason and Famous, and if Jason chooses to talk about this more, then that is on him. But I don't think Famous should be expected to carry on this dialog about a customer service issue in the public.
My 2 cents.
As you know I'm not one that likes to come in and over-moderate this place because I think we do pretty good at self-moderating, but I don't see the point of piling on this topic any more.
-Paul
My thoughts are that if Famous does the right thing for Jason then they will be priaised and admired immediately by me. If it is in the works, great, and if Jason wishes me not write my thoughts and ideas of the situation then I won't, but at this point Jason posted his thoughts and feelings in a public forum and many responded, including a rep from Famous. I am not comfortable by having a rep from Famous tell me to butt out of a public forum discussion or trying to lecture me on what is private or not. There was nothing disrespectful being said or done here, just people sharing opinions, thoughts, feelings and ideas in a public forum. We as geeks support each other as friends...we share cigars, we trade cigars, we give away free cigars, we do box passes, we host contests and we have fun. Not supporting a friend in this situation is just not an option for me and if I can influence others then I will try to do so. I have no ill feelings for anyone who wishes not to 'jump on the band wagon'...to each his/her own.
For me, this is not a bashing of Famous, just a stand of solidarity for a BOTL. I do not expect Famous to join in the public forum and could care less if they do or not...how they handle it is certainly their own business, but it is also my business as to how I handle my own feelings about it. If they are on top of it then great, but that in no way entitles them to tell others to stop talking about it. At this point I don't see any cigar geek being offended by this thread.
Couldn't be phrased better
QuoteSenorPablo - 9/11/2010 12:23 PM
Man. I go out and cut the grass and then play with the kids and look what I miss. :biggrin:
So here's my thoughts on this. Jason had a bad service situation with Famous. He was not happy with how it was handled. We posted here to get some attention to the issue. Humberto had the guts to come here and directly respond with an apology, admittance that the Service Rep was wrong and that indeed Jason was correct about the mold. Frankly, I think that is pretty big move for a company to make and I think it has to go to their character. Let's face it, most of us have bought from Famous and have had good experiences. It seems unreasonable to me to let 1 bad CSR taint your overall opinion of them - but that it obviously up to you guys as individuals.
What I don't think helps the situation any more is to drag this out in an open forum. The original intent of the thread was to bring attention to the issue and that has happened. I think the rest is between Jason and Famous, and if Jason chooses to talk about this more, then that is on him. But I don't think Famous should be expected to carry on this dialog about a customer service issue in the public.
My 2 cents.
As you know I'm not one that likes to come in and over-moderate this place because I think we do pretty good at self-moderating, but I don't see the point of piling on this topic any more.
-Paul
Wow, a lot happens while I am offline. The admission that there was truly a problem, an apology and that action is being taken to fix things at Famous was all that I wanted.
I am happy to let it drop from here.
I appreciate the show of solidarity, but it is not asked for by me and it is probably best to let everyone get back to their lives. I suffered no damages other than some ruffled feathers and some of my time and annoyance. Guys, do what you wish at this point. If you want to buy a good deal at Famous then please do so; if this incident has drawn you away from them, I can't do anything about that other to say that they did take the returns at no cost to me.
It is your own choice who you shop with. Please put down the pitchforks and firebrands.
And there was much rejoicing.
yeahhhhh...
"Man. I go out and cut the grass and then play with the kids and look what I miss."
I'm right there with you, Paul! I glanced through this thread a couple of days ago and since then it done growed...a bunch!
:word:
Quotejunglepete - 9/11/2010 4:19 PM
My thoughts are that if Famous does the right thing for Jason then they will be priaised and admired immediately by me. If it is in the works, great, and if Jason wishes me not write my thoughts and ideas of the situation then I won't, but at this point Jason posted his thoughts and feelings in a public forum and many responded, including a rep from Famous. I am not comfortable by having a rep from Famous tell me to butt out of a public forum discussion or trying to lecture me on what is private or not. There was nothing disrespectful being said or done here, just people sharing opinions, thoughts, feelings and ideas in a public forum. We as geeks support each other as friends...we share cigars, we trade cigars, we give away free cigars, we do box passes, we host contests and we have fun. Not supporting a friend in this situation is just not an option for me and if I can influence others then I will try to do so. I have no ill feelings for anyone who wishes not to 'jump on the band wagon'...to each his/her own.
For me, this is not a bashing of Famous, just a stand of solidarity for a BOTL. I do not expect Famous to join in the public forum and could care less if they do or not...how they handle it is certainly their own business, but it is also my business as to how I handle my own feelings about it. If they are on top of it then great, but that in no way entitles them to tell others to stop talking about it. At this point I don't see any cigar geek being offended by this thread.
My point was that they seemed to satisfy what was being asked. They took the time to come here and publicly apologize, admit they were wrong, admit their CSR folks mis-handled the situation, admit it was actually mold, and left Jason whole + a 10% discount on a future purchase.
That seems pretty good to me. I'm not sure what more could be expected - except maybe a free box of cigars. :biggrin: But I wouldn't hold your breath for that one.
In any case, you all are certainly entitled to air your feelings, I just feel like that has been done and it's time to move on. Again, my 2 cents. :-)
-Paul
QuoteSenorPablo - 9/11/2010 9:36 PM
My point was that they seemed to satisfy what was being asked. They took the time to come here and publicly apologize, admit they were wrong, admit their CSR folks mis-handled the situation, admit it was actually mold, and left Jason whole + a 10% discount on a future purchase.
That seems pretty good to me. I'm not sure what more could be expected - except maybe a free box of cigars. :biggrin: But I wouldn't hold your breath for that one.
In any case, you all are certainly entitled to air your feelings, I just feel like that has been done and it's time to move on. Again, my 2 cents. :-)
-Paul
:word: I didn't chime in on this thread or the other related one earlier (and that is unusual for me) because you guys seemed to be pretty passionate about it, but frankly I agree 100% with Paul's assesment of this. Its no different than the issue I had earlier in the summer with Tampa, and it was resolved between the retailer and myself without any 10% discount or expectations of a freebie or the firing of the customer service rep, and everyone here thought that the conclusion was fair and adequate. I'm not sure why this one is any different. We were both inconvenienced, the retailer eventually stepped up and admitted the mistake and took corrective action. And Jason seems to be OK with that, just as I was with Tampa. Time to forgive and move on, IMHO.
Thats my 2 cents on it, so now you have 4 cents. :biggrin:
If Jackal is satisfied with the outcome, I am too.
Now, if Famous could extend a special Geeks Free shipping offer, I would be happier. But I am not extorting anyone.
:shades:
My 2 cents are: as a guy that spends way too much cash on cigars, I like all of the information I find on Cigar Geeks. It makes me a more efficient and happy spender.
:biggrin:
Quotecapndutch - 9/11/2010 10:26 PM
If Jackal is satisfied with the outcome, I am too.
:word:
Looks like a missed a lot over the weekend, but I'm happy that it was resolved to Jason's satisfaction.
QuoteSenorPablo - 9/11/2010 9:36 PM
Quotejunglepete - 9/11/2010 4:19 PM
My thoughts are that if Famous does the right thing for Jason then they will be priaised and admired immediately by me. If it is in the works, great, and if Jason wishes me not write my thoughts and ideas of the situation then I won't, but at this point Jason posted his thoughts and feelings in a public forum and many responded, including a rep from Famous. I am not comfortable by having a rep from Famous tell me to butt out of a public forum discussion or trying to lecture me on what is private or not. There was nothing disrespectful being said or done here, just people sharing opinions, thoughts, feelings and ideas in a public forum. We as geeks support each other as friends...we share cigars, we trade cigars, we give away free cigars, we do box passes, we host contests and we have fun. Not supporting a friend in this situation is just not an option for me and if I can influence others then I will try to do so. I have no ill feelings for anyone who wishes not to 'jump on the band wagon'...to each his/her own.
For me, this is not a bashing of Famous, just a stand of solidarity for a BOTL. I do not expect Famous to join in the public forum and could care less if they do or not...how they handle it is certainly their own business, but it is also my business as to how I handle my own feelings about it. If they are on top of it then great, but that in no way entitles them to tell others to stop talking about it. At this point I don't see any cigar geek being offended by this thread.
My point was that they seemed to satisfy what was being asked. They took the time to come here and publicly apologize, admit they were wrong, admit their CSR folks mis-handled the situation, admit it was actually mold, and left Jason whole + a 10% discount on a future purchase.
That seems pretty good to me. I'm not sure what more could be expected - except maybe a free box of cigars. :biggrin: But I wouldn't hold your breath for that one.
In any case, you all are certainly entitled to air your feelings, I just feel like that has been done and it's time to move on. Again, my 2 cents. :-)
-Paul
So it is written, so let it be done. :biggrin:
Actually, I think we were pretty well behaved as a group on this one. It could have gone a lot further South than it did. I really appreciate Humberto's frank and honest replies. Was this the right forum for Famous to address this issue? In today's day and age, I'm not really sure, but it is what it is what it is. You piss someone off and it hits the internet.
I'm going on 45 years of age. I spent well over a third, maybe half of those years in sales, customer service and retail management in one degree or another. If what Jason was saying about his treatment by the CSR is true, and from my dealings with him I have no reason to doubt him, I think that young lady needs to look for another job.
I think that it's great that a group like the Cigar Geeks can put some pressure on folks on behalf of a fellow Geek and get a response that seems favorable.
Quotenwb - 9/12/2010 3:12 PM
Quotecapndutch - 9/11/2010 10:26 PM
If Jackal is satisfied with the outcome, I am too.
:word:
Looks like a missed a lot over the weekend, but I'm happy that it was resolved to Jason's satisfaction.
+1
I will be a bit wary of them for a while though, and will be watching to see if this was an anomaly or beginning of a trend.
Quotekola - 9/12/2010 5:37 PM
Quotenwb - 9/12/2010 3:12 PM
Quotecapndutch - 9/11/2010 10:26 PM
If Jackal is satisfied with the outcome, I am too.
:word:
Looks like a missed a lot over the weekend, but I'm happy that it was resolved to Jason's satisfaction.
+1
I will be a bit wary of them for a while though, and will be watching to see if this was an anomaly or beginning of a trend.
Having received several shipments from them while all this has been going on, I think it is indeed an anomaly and a situation that could have been handled better on the part of Famous. That being said, I think I can still order from them with confidence.
Quotegitfiddl - 9/12/2010 12:54 PM
Was this the right forum for Famous to address this issue? In today's day and age, I'm not really sure, but it is what it is what it is. You piss someone off and it hits the internet.
I think that this was the right forum considering the circumstances. If this had been taken care of quietly with an admission that it was, indeed, mold, then it wouldn't have had to go to the forum. All of the dodges and statements of "bloom" and direct denial of mold was what got it here.
I would have been perfectly happy with a response of: CAO sent us some bad boxes; we are in the process of replacing them. Sorry about the inconvenience.
With that, it would have been case closed, and I would never have even brought it up here. The dicking around that I got was the cause of me posting this thread that now has over 1280 views. I think that this is a lesson in customer relations, not only for Famous, but for anybody who runs a business.
QuoteJackal - 9/12/2010 7:39 PM
Quotegitfiddl - 9/12/2010 12:54 PM
Was this the right forum for Famous to address this issue? In today's day and age, I'm not really sure, but it is what it is what it is. You piss someone off and it hits the internet.
I think that this was the right forum considering the circumstances. If this had been taken care of quietly with an admission that it was, indeed, mold, then it wouldn't have had to go to the forum. All of the dodges and statements of "bloom" and direct denial of mold was what got it here.
I would have been perfectly happy with a response of: CAO sent us some bad boxes; we are in the process of replacing them. Sorry about the inconvenience.
With that, it would have been case closed, and I would never have even brought it up here. The dicking around that I got was the cause of me posting this thread that now has over 1280 views. I think that this is a lesson in customer relations, not only for Famous, but for anybody who runs a business.
Major props to you, Jason, for sticking by your guns. Details aren't necessary. Just let us now when you are satisfied.
QuoteJackal - 9/12/2010 7:39 PM
Quotegitfiddl - 9/12/2010 12:54 PM
Was this the right forum for Famous to address this issue? In today's day and age, I'm not really sure, but it is what it is what it is. You piss someone off and it hits the internet.
I think that this was the right forum considering the circumstances. If this had been taken care of quietly with an admission that it was, indeed, mold, then it wouldn't have had to go to the forum. All of the dodges and statements of "bloom" and direct denial of mold was what got it here.
I would have been perfectly happy with a response of: CAO sent us some bad boxes; we are in the process of replacing them. Sorry about the inconvenience.
With that, it would have been case closed, and I would never have even brought it up here. The dicking around that I got was the cause of me posting this thread that now has over 1280 views. I think that this is a lesson in customer relations, not only for Famous, but for anybody who runs a business.
Jackel, sorry you had to teach Famous the difference between Mold, and Plume 3 times no less...... You did a good thing by being persistent. Think about it, Famous is purging their inventory, so you saved some smucks from buying moldy cigars, and from inhaling mold spores !!
For my two cents, I understand your reasons for posting the subject, and I agree 100% with your reasons.
This forum is a great collection of people, who benefit collectively, from individual information.
If I was writing the ending here, I would have Famous send you out a 50 % off coupon for up to $100 for you to use in the next 6 months. Or I would have them check your buying history, and send you a bomb of singles from your order history....something like 10 or 20 cigars. But, I'm not writing the ending........
It's easy to say everything is "even" but it's better to say Famous did more then they needed to to make you a happy customer.
I won't go into details here, but Cigars International did that for me when I had a problem with some cigars....gave me a 5 pack of cigars free for my trouble. Since then, I returned several times safe and confident they would not only make things right if something went wrong, but would go that 1 step more.
Enjoy the day, smoke a cigar, relax, reflect !