shop refuses to sell opus...

[joshtpa]

I actually like this policy. The store that I use ( I think the OP is referring my store) calls people like this "cherry pickers". They are not interested in anything in the store all year, and then as soon as Opus or Anejo comes in, these people call every day. I commend them for actually calling you and not letting you waste a trip down there. I am glad that "my store" will keep them in stock for regulars and that way I dont have to worry about calling everyday to see if they are in. If it truly is the store that I frequent, it is a CIGAR BAR, not a cigar store. There money is made by patrons coming in and spending time there. Buying drinks, cigars, etc... There markup is low and they dont like cherry pickers.

[smokinpoke]

The real problem is deeper. I again might get my P.P. smacked here. But, from what I have heard from my B&M guy and a few other shops is that Fuente will just drop ship a package to your door C.O.D. and if you want it you have to pay. If not you will never here from AF again. You can't order or request lines within the Fuente name. It's sad that they have such a strangle hold on small businesses.

I agree with barbourjay it's f'd up that they called him back and denied him. But if Fuente do business this way we wouldn't have a problem.

[JDC20]

Originally Posted by smokinpoke

The real problem is deeper. I again might get my P.P. smacked here. But, from what I have heard from my B&M guy and a few other shops is that Fuente will just drop ship a package to your door C.O.D. and if you want it you have to pay. If not you will never here from AF again. You can't order or request lines within the Fuente name. It's sad that they have such a strangle hold on small businesses.

I agree with barbourjay it's f'd up that they called him back and denied him. But if Fuente do business this way we wouldn't have a problem.

You are mistaken on the way that Fuente does business.


As for the rest of this whole deal, it sounds like a clerk took an order that the owner didn't authorize. I think the owner did the right thing by calling you directly and canceling the order.

[joshtpa]

Originally Posted by smokinpoke

The real problem is deeper. I again might get my P.P. smacked here. But, from what I have heard from my B&M guy and a few other shops is that Fuente will just drop ship a package to your door C.O.D. and if you want it you have to pay. If not you will never here from AF again. You can't order or request lines within the Fuente name. It's sad that they have such a strangle hold on small businesses.

I agree with barbourjay it's f'd up that they called him back and denied him. But if Fuente do business this way we wouldn't have a problem.

That is not how it is done at my B&M. They get it with their usual stuff. No COD or anything like that.

[doubled]

Well how about my local B&M claims they don't have Opus or Anejo in house ever! Ohh but they seem to be fetching some insane prices for both on every bodies favorite habit forming credit card killing site. I guess I can't blame them for wanting to get max dollar for their products but it's frustrating for people like myself who can never get any of these particular smokes.

[Bax]

The B&M I sometimes go to always says that "we never have them after Christmas." Even though I know a guy who just bought them an hour earlier. I just laugh to myself and grab something else. No use getting worked up over it.

[tchariya]

Originally Posted by barbourjay

i agree they can sell it however they want. but don't tell me i can have some then call me back and say i can't

Sure....that could be one guy who doesn't know how to run the credit card machine giving the information to the owner who knows how..and knows how he wants his store run.

I hate it when my subordinates don't follow instructions or house rules...etc etc.

[joshtpa]

Its about cherry picking and taking care of the people that support you year round.

[JDC20]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

Its about cherry picking and taking care of the people that support you year round.

Well said!

[tchariya]

But OP has the right to be upset and vent. Just a set of bad circumstances to get his hopes up....and then to get let down.

[Benzopyrene]

Ive had lots of places do that to me, but never after one employee tells me he can sell them. If that happens they tell me that they dont usually sell those cigars to non walk in customers, but since they already said they would that they will honor it. Usually I wont ever order anything from them again though when they take that approach, because there are just to many other places I can get stuff from. Cheers!

[barbourjay]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

Its about cherry picking and taking care of the people that support you year round.

here's the thing, who are you to say i'm cherry picking? yes, i've never done business with this shop but i also only found their number because of a referral specifically sighting them as a good shop. i don't just buy Opus or Anejos from any vendor i deal with on a regular basis. i do have other needs to be fulfilled and go to the shops that hook me up and i hook them up. they don't know this as they don't know me. but calling me a cherry picker is unjust. i buy lots and spend a very decent amount of cash on not just HTF's.

as for you and your local shop, blue smoke doesn't just cater to their regulars. i'm not a regular and was still offered anything they had in stock (which at the time two days after their shipment was some anejos and Tins both more than few bucks above MSRP with the tins being 60$ each).

now here's another question to ponder, if you've never dealt with a shop before and they had no website would you drop hundreds of dollars with them, over the phone i might add, the first time you dealt with them? if the answer is yes then you are just waiting to be taken.

as for me in this situation, i'm in sales and if someone promises something even if they were mistaken about it we will still honor it if it's profitable just to have a happy client.

[joshtpa]

Nobody is calling you a cherry picker. I said that many shop owners call it "cherry picking". The owner called back and said that he couldnt do it. Think of it is no harm no foul. It happens in everyday life all the time. If I was referred to a store, I would ask to speak to the person in charge and tell them who referred me. But that is just me.
As for Blue Smoke. Their tins are $44 each. I just bought two as gifts tonight. Their Anejos are less than $10 each.

[sames]

I personally think if they promised it, they should keep there world.

The internet can be a dangerous thing for businesses. A bad reputation/story is worth 2 cigars.

[barbourjay]

Originally Posted by joshtpa

Nobody is calling you a cherry picker. I said that many shop owners call it "cherry picking". The owner called back and said that he couldnt do it. Think of it is no harm no foul. It happens in everyday life all the time. If I was referred to a store, I would ask to speak to the person in charge and tell them who referred me. But that is just me.
As for Blue Smoke. Their tins are $44 each. I just bought two as gifts tonight. Their Anejos are less than $10 each.

i think we've had this conversation before. bluesmoke quoted me 60 for the robusto tin (msrp is 3 and 10.50$ on the anejos 50s and msrp is 8.00. i don't personally call that gouging but it's not as great as you are making it out to be. this is the prices that were ringing up in their comp when i was standing there buying some maduro classics.