C.I. crushed my wife today. I am mad

[veteranvmb]

Please I do not desire any contacts from Trish. She contacted me with the last problem and I told her not to bother as I was through.

Famous smoke shop has always been right on with me, never a problem. JR cigars has also been top notch, I am a bit chagrined with them, because I cant order everything I want at one time or at auction because of the altadis branding preference. In other words I cant get my rocky patels from them, as well as some other brands.
So I will keep of using famous smoke shop. I have enought r.p.s to last me almost a year at this point, (I was plaiing on buying another years worth, so every rocky I smoke will be aged for ayear, but I will start phasing in the roasairos instead. They are even less costly if I buy them by the bundle,

Much regards Jerry

[slyder]

Damn Jerry that sucks! The only real problem with them ive had is their (cbids) packaging techniques. Ive had singles and fivers and bundles just rattling around in a huge box on several occasions. You would think at $200 a week they would kiss your butt a little more. I know a local B&M sure as hell would.

[veteranvmb]

Originally Posted by slyder

Damn Jerry that sucks! The only real problem with them ive had is their (cbids) packaging techniques. Ive had singles and fivers and bundles just rattling around in a huge box on several occasions. You would think at $200 a week they would kiss your butt a little more. I know a local B&M sure as hell would.

Its funny. Last time I was at my local handroller(rosarios) I had if I remember about 137 dollars worth of cigars(I think the count was 45). They were in in a two gallon sized ziplock.

The owner held it high up in the air and called out to all the other rollers to show the sale, and in a way to congratulate them for the product, and to thank me.
They appreciated the order, and appreciated my business. I Hope it continues.

Regards Jerry

[Cigary]

I know how you feel Jerry. I have followed your deal with CI and have to say that I am very disappointed in their customer service and how they have dealt with you in this regard. I have received very good service with them in the past but knowing what I do about your situation aggravates me because if they can do that to you they can do it to me or anyone else for that matter. I know that you are a proud individual and are not posting your story for retaliatory reasons with CI. I happen to think along the same lines as Shawn (SSutton219) and CI needs to "fix" this problem because it's the right thing to do. They owe you and your wife a bit more than the courtesy of a functioning humidor. They have failed to deliver on their own personal agreement to deliver satisfaction of a contest they sponsered and then sent a broken piece of equipment. They have a history of more than this since you have been doing business with them and that sets a precedent as to how they deliver,,,,that is what upsets me. I could be the next guy getting dumped on and that does not set well with me at all. Even if you don't give them another dime of business they still owe it to you as they owe it to all who do business with them to take care of this FUBAR'D issue and if allowed to keep doing these kinds of things it gives them license to screw anyone whenever and wherever they choose.

I am going to send my own email to them and highly urge them to "fix" this and I don't mean by sending out another humidor. They need to send a top of the line humidor to illustrate that they are serious about them taking care of screw ups such as this and that they take Customer Service serious.

[veteranvmb]

Gary, thanks but please dont. I have put this behind me. Its not worth it to me. I do not wish to speak with or correspond with anyone anymore from the c.i. trilogy of companies.


Respectfully Jerry

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by veteranvmb

Gary, thanks but please dont. I have put this behind me. Its not worth it to me. I do not wish to speak with or correspond with anyone anymore from the c.i. trilogy of companies.


Respectfully Jerry

You know me Jerry,,,,I did this for those of us who do business with them or still have pending business with them. They need to understand that this is something that goes beyond one persons contact with them as if they can get away with this they can get away with it with anyone else and that to me is unacceptable.

[Wolf4Fun]

Originally Posted by Tazman

Call CI and ask to speak with Trish. Explain the situation to her and I am certain that she will make it right. They have the best customer service in the business.

Taz

Just an observation, comment if you will.
I respectfully disagree with this statement. Even if Trish were to step up and have the situation "fixed", to call that the best customer service is really incorrect. The best service would never have let something like this ever happen in the first place.
Don't confuse good "customer reaction" to customer service.

[CrashTECH]

Originally Posted by Wolf4Fun

Just an observation, comment if you will.
I respectfully disagree with this statement. Even if Trish were to step up and have the situation "fixed", to call that the best customer service is really incorrect. The best service would never have let something like this ever happen in the first place.
Don't confuse good "customer reaction" to customer service.

This!

I have only had a couple dealings with CI and I was left with a "meh" taste in my mouth. They were okay, I wasn't treated poorly, but I didn't think it was the best.

Neptune Cigar and Famous Smoke have always treated me great. For being a smaller distributor, Neptune has great customer service. I had problems with the website (I think it was my machines fault mostly) and lost an order I had put in my cart. I also asked if their free shipping deal would apply to my order (it didn't, because it was for premade samplers and not custom ones) but the individual I dealt with (via email) gave me free shipping anyway.

Famous has just been slick and smooth to order from and I will continue to order from them.

I have seen a few bad apple orders from CI and I think I will just steer clear for now.

[McCleod]

Originally Posted by Wolf4Fun

Just an observation, comment if you will.
I respectfully disagree with this statement. Even if Trish were to step up and have the situation "fixed", to call that the best customer service is really incorrect. The best service would never have let something like this ever happen in the first place.
Don't confuse good "customer reaction" to customer service.

Same as you have expressed, I mean no disrespect for anyone's point of view, but each of us can only address our personal experience -- no matter how much we sympathize with another's particular issue. I have been ordering on average about twice per month from either the CI site or the cbid.com site for 1 1/2 years. I have zero complaints; good prices, fast delivery, box always well packed, good product -- perhaps I've just been lucky, but that is my experience.

Perhaps I cannot appreciate the depth of your frustration, but if you are unhappy with CI -- and are going to express it on a public forum, I think it appropriate that you exhaust the opportunities for them to make it right. Your not being willing to speak to "Trish" is not helpful. It is not uncommom for any business to have a glitch that takes some time to resolve, particularly one like CI that probably handles 1,000's of orders per day -- I wish you would give them another chance to make you and your wife happy. Perhaps due to the economy, they are short-staffed at the moment.

I have been trying to express myself in a manner that does not offend you. Best of luck, and Regards, Butch.

[Trish@CI]

Jerry -

I'm really very sorry you've had such terrible dealings with CI Customer Service. As the person responsible for CI's Customer Service Team, I'd like to know who you dealt with in regard to the first issue. I'd also like to help you with this humidor debacle.

I've tried to find you in our database based on your username here but wasn't successful. I can't fix a problem I'm not aware of. Please give me a call at 888-244-2790 so I can rectify your humidor situation. Since this forum is the only way you'll discuss the situation, at least give me the order number from the invoice so I can look it up and make it right for you and your wife. What you choose to do after that is up to you.

Thank you.
Trish

[McCleod]

There ya go!

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by veteranvmb

Well as some of you may know of my continual displeasure with c.i. cbid, cigar.com this has been the utmost and final insult today.

I have been been having continual problems over a real petty monetary amount, after ordering 200 a week for a few weeks.

My wife had entered the free humidor contest without my knowledge and she won me the whitetail 50 count humi, (with a big c.i. logo on the top glass)

Whe was so happy and elated to win something for me after all these years. It took a month to receive it(not good) and today we decided to open it up and season it, as I need some more room, and she had the time for me to show how, the process of a new humidor takes place.

We unboxed it, and the first time she lifted the top, she asked me if its suppossed to be loose?
I said let me see. I noticed it was closing funny, and when I opened it a second time to install the hygro, both rear fittings came out of the humidor, which detaches the top. The screws were completely stripped.

I should have figured any better. This contest was probably for some defective humidors they didnt know what to do with. See photos.

My wife was so excited about this. She spent her lunch hours at school, reading the cigar for idiots book, and we had a date for this.

She was so happy and excited, and this absolutely crushed her. Now she does not take things hard like I do. Things ususally breeze past her, but I know in her own way, she felt very bad. Especiall since our 44th aniversay is tomorrow, but we were planning on having a special dinner and time tonight, and now her heart is not in it.

I know she will be feeling better in an hour, but one thing I CANNOT take is a member of my family being hurt. That drives me crazy to no end, and brings out the dark demons in me, that the wife has tamed all these year.

C.I, Cbid, cigar.com FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU

Regards to the group, I shall never speak on this again, or ever mention the c.i. family again.

Jerry

So sorry this happened to you and your wife Jerry, especially at such a special moment in your lives.

Originally Posted by Trish@CI

Jerry -

I'm really very sorry you've had such terrible dealings with CI Customer Service. As the person responsible for CI's Customer Service Team, I'd like to know who you dealt with in regard to the first issue. I'd also like to help you with this humidor debacle.

I've tried to find you in our database based on your username here but wasn't successful. I can't fix a problem I'm not aware of. Please give me a call at 888-244-2790 so I can rectify your humidor situation. Since this forum is the only way you'll discuss the situation, at least give me the order number from the invoice so I can look it up and make it right for you and your wife. What you choose to do after that is up to you.

Thank you.
Trish

Way to stand up Trish!

[trendo]

I know how you feel jerry, I once was sent a lighter that didn't work, when I tried to light it for the first time it leaked butane caught fire and stayed lit a few seconds after releasing the button it was leaking so bad, you could hear butane escaping through the button. They initially accused me of breaking it when filling, I had to explain step by step how i filled the thing. Then they said that they had no obligation to replace it because it was part of a bigger deal. I had to tell them that the deal was supposed to include a lighter that actually worked, so I felt that by sending me a broken lighter they were not delivering what they had promised. Then they wanted me to pay for shipping the new one out! I was so tired of arguing that I told them that they could just attach it to my next order. They said a note was made and that it would be with my next order. I have ordered three times since then, still no lighter.

CI you have terrible customer service, but I overlook that because you are cheap. The part that disgusts me is that you come running when someone plasters the truth over the Internet. I'm sure you are going to try to act like it was an isolated incident and that the representative was not doing what CI stands for. If you had taken care of business the first time jerry had a problem, maybe he would have reason to believe that you would help him with the humidor. Of course you cant deal with problems you don't know about, but you don't deal with the problems you do know about either.

On a positive note, there are a few companies that I feel have great customer service. I once had a problem with some beads from cigarmony, he sent me new ones no questions asked. Lighters direct also has good customer service, and Daniel Marshal answered a million emails from me before I finally bought one of his cabinets (which is awesome).

[Rookee]

i don't want to throw more wood on the fire, but (LOL) seems to me this is not the first time that Jerry has had a problem with their customer service. It just so happens that his wife was the one hurt this time, he has my full respect for being pissed off when someone hurt his spouse. Had to get that off my chest, wont say anymore on the matter.

[Cigary]

As a side note I deal with CI as a customer myself on more than one of their sites. I have been in contact with them about their Customer Service as a whole and about this issue as well. Before this happened I was a customer who sung their praises as far as Customer Service but after the last email and answer from them I am having second thoughts. I explained in full detail what problems they need to handle and that Customer Service is something they need to focus on at this time. I have previously received good service from them in the past but have been reading from other customers that some problems have been going on that required their attention. Their last email to me has me frustrated because of their attitude about how they are going to take care of it. This was part of their reply:

We would never ship out a humidor or any product to the customer knowing that it’s defective or damaged.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.

-Jessica

Now, c'mon man,,,this is smugness at best with a twist of STFU. I use to be in CS and anytime there was a problem we always told the customer that we WILL try to find out exactly what the issue is and get back to them with an explanation. This BS answer of we don't knowingly send out defective items and then thanking me for my comments and then say is there anything else they can do for me,,,,WTF is that?

I detest condescending explanations as much as I detest Customer Service problems. Thanks CI for showing some true colors here and from my own observations I will not be using Cigars International in the future unless they start showing some different colors because the one they are showing has a lot of brown in it.