How to avoid buying fakes

[mikeyj23]

"Price point: Often the most telltale sign. If the price is too good to be true, it usually is. Do yourself a favor and check the price against the original manufacturer's recommended retail price on its Web site or that of an authorized dealer. Deep discounts are a huge tip-off that you may have encountered fake goods.

Contact is key: Especially if buying online, determine the physical location and contact particulars of the sellers. Test their authenticity and call them by phone or check out their address on Google - remember: location, location. Examine closely whether the seller really is an authorized and reputable retailer. If you are buying from an online auction site, send an e-mail and see how willing the seller is to reveal authentic contact details - often an excellent polygraph test.

The devil is in the detail: Become an avid label reader. Be shop- and tech-savvy. Counterfeiters often make spelling mistakes, get the type font wrong or miss some other detail. Spot the differences. If something just looks wrong, follow up with further investigations - contact the manufacturer's customer service center. And study the product itself closely. Vintage wines should have sediment in the bottle as an occurrence of aging. The labels are often damaged and have stains. Most château wine corks bear the correct vintage and trademark. High-end mechanical watches have a distinctive dial. Cartier watches, for example, have the word "Cartier" minutely etched onto the V of the Roman numeral VII and counterfeiters often miss this detail in their replicas. Authentic Cuban cigar boxes are very detailed and must carry the warranty seal, the "Habanos" chevron, hallmarks and proper bands around the cigars. Recent Colgate toothpaste fakes miscopied the word "favor" from the authentic packaging, using the British spelling (favour) instead of the American, and indicated that the sources of origin were African countries where Colgate does not manufacture.

Call upon the experts: This isn't always possible, but if you can, call in the experts, such as watchmakers, winemakers, car engineers and other specialists. Because copies are so perfect, even the gurus find it impossible to determine authenticity without a full scientific analysis - often based on an in-depth test such as DNA fingerprinting." (Mostert)

Links to cigar counterfeit information:
Cigar Aficionado Counterfeit Gallery
The Ultimate Counterfeit Cuban Cigar Primer
Spotting Fake Cuban Cigars
New Cuban Warranty Seal
Authentic Cuban Cigar Box Codes
Vitolas.net Counterfeit Cigar Section
Tips On Spotting Fakes - Warranty Seals
Is it a real Cuban?



Mostert, Frederick W. "Faking It." Ed. Marvin R. Shanken. Cigar Aficionado Apr. 2008: 78-88.

[hotreds]

Nicely done!

[Costa]

Counterfeiters often make spelling mistakes

WHAT?? That's ridiculous, they NEVER make spelling mistakes!

Great post!!!!!!!!

[hotreds]

Originally Posted by Costa

WHAT?? That's ridiculous, they NEVER make spelling mistakes!

Great post!!!!!!!!

Actually, they do! I see a lot of "Cohibas" out there, and we all know that they are really "Cohibos!"

[Darkroller]

CA has a good section on sample "Fakes". Good to know what is out there.

[tchariya]

How about a post for fake Ferraris?


this is nice..but it should be a sticky in the other forum group.

[rizzle]

I wonder if I have fallen to the counterfeit. I have a friend, Cuban of course. He doesn't smoke cigars. Here is the story.

Last summer he asked me if I wanted to buy some cigars. This was before I had any knowledge of this place and way before I started down the slope. The supposed origin of these is his grandmother works at the Cohiba factory and of course on occasion the workers smuggle a few boxes out of there. She had three boxes that she brought into the country. $300 a pop, he said that would feed a family over there for months. I have no reason to believe a friend would lie to me and I split the last box with him, he said he would like to have a few of them to give away.

So I'm felling pretty freaking good about it. I don't know which vitola they are but they are churchill length and smaller ring guage. Very rustic looking, from the bands to the wrappers. I attribute this to them being produced in Cuba. Whatever. The first one I smoked I could hardly get it to draw until about halfway through the smoke. I have to admit I was disappointed. Then I discover that maybe they need some humi time. So I let them rest for a few more months. A little better but still incredibly tight draw. So, I leave them lay for a couple more months. The last one I smoked was about three weeks ago. The draw is still tight as you get through the first half or so but the flavor, I must admit, is incredible.

I don't know if they're fake or not. Why would a friend lie to me knowingly? I think I'll just enjoy them to the best of my abilities. After all, ignorance is bliss. Right?

[tchariya]

Originally Posted by rizzle

I wonder if I have fallen to the counterfeit. I have a friend, Cuban of course. He doesn't smoke cigars. Here is the story.

Last summer he asked me if I wanted to buy some cigars. This was before I had any knowledge of this place and way before I started down the slope. The supposed origin of these is his grandmother works at the Cohiba factory and of course on occasion the workers smuggle a few boxes out of there. She had three boxes that she brought into the country. $300 a pop, he said that would feed a family over there for months. I have no reason to believe a friend would lie to me and I split the last box with him, he said he would like to have a few of them to give away.

So I'm felling pretty freaking good about it. I don't know which vitola they are but they are churchill length and smaller ring guage. Very rustic looking, from the bands to the wrappers. I attribute this to them being produced in Cuba. Whatever. The first one I smoked I could hardly get it to draw until about halfway through the smoke. I have to admit I was disappointed. Then I discover that maybe they need some humi time. So I let them rest for a few more months. A little better but still incredibly tight draw. So, I leave them lay for a couple more months. The last one I smoked was about three weeks ago. The draw is still tight as you get through the first half or so but the flavor, I must admit, is incredible.

I don't know if they're fake or not. Why would a friend lie to me knowingly? I think I'll just enjoy them to the best of my abilities. After all, ignorance is bliss. Right?

They might not be genuine releases from a certified cuban batch. But they might be rolled in cuba by a cuban crafter with cuban tobacco. Most likely they fell off the truck or something. you know...like cuban mistakes or seconds.

but if you like how they taste and smoke...then it doesn't really matter.

It is really sad there in cuba. I'm told there are two cuban currencies, one currency used for foreigners to exchange their $$ into cuban $$ which is then used everywhere and then the other currency the govt pays their cuban workers that is basically worthless because no one takes that currency. So if you somehow are affiliated with the cuban tobacco industry, you can use these cigars to basically barter with...a third form of currency.

I could be wrong, but my information source has extended family there...and no I have never asked them to smuggle me some cuban cigars.

[Da Klugs]

Don't buy cigars from individuals.

[Corona Gigante]

Know your vendor. Trust your vendor.

[mikeyj23]

Originally Posted by rizzle

I wonder if I have fallen to the counterfeit. I have a friend, Cuban of course. He doesn't smoke cigars. Here is the story.

Last summer he asked me if I wanted to buy some cigars. This was before I had any knowledge of this place and way before I started down the slope. The supposed origin of these is his grandmother works at the Cohiba factory. . .

I could've stopped reading here and told you with 100% certainty that they were fake Cohibas. They may indeed be real Cuban-origin cigars, but guaranteed fake Cohibas.