CI Charging For SCHIP Already

[slyder]

How many members do we have here total? Lets say its 700. Why dont we do a little boycotting? What if our 700 members spread the word and everyone stopped using CI and Cbid for a few months? If 700 people told 2 other smokers thats 1400 more people not using their sites. Maybe then they would respond to a very easy question. Lets face it.....there are other places to buy cigars...maybe not as cheap but id pay a little more to be treated right.

[wescoaststogie]

Geez you guys are like a bunch of school girls with your talk of boycotts and all this drama nonsense!



First off you don't know jack shit about the reason for the increase, so to come to any conclusions at all is just plain ridiculous. Why don't you all just slow down, light up a stogie, and sit back and wait for some more information to come in before raising the protest signs

[Jonesee]

Welcome to the pond West.

I am not assuming anything, nor did I advocate a boycott. I have posted what was on their link and what I have done so far to learn more. If you have any information at all that could enlighten me, please share it. So far:

1) What I know is what CI posted the reason for the increase themselves on the site.
2) They stated is was because of SCHIP. I provided the quote and the link for anyone that is curious.
3) I used thier customer service system to email them a note asking for clarification. The customer service ticket remains open almost 24 hours later. They deserve a break however because I did send it on a Sunday evening and I assume they don't work those tickets over the weekend.
4) I used their personal online help system where you are able to IM a customer service rep. She advised me to contact a supervisor at the help desk and gave me the phone number that is also at the top of their website.
5) I called the number and asked for a supervisor. The customer service rep asked what it was in reagards to and I told her. She said yes I would need to talk to a supervisor (Trish) and said she would send me over. She came back on and said the supv. was busy would I like to leave a voice mail. I declined told her I had time to wait and she put me on hold. In about 90 seconds from then I was sent to a blind voice mail. I was definetely left with the impressionI was being avoided. Both voice and actions led to that belief.

I am typically a qiet person, not very demanding, it is just not in my style. So I don't believe I did anything that would put them off for any reason.

As factually as I can I have relayed my 3 separate ways I have tried to speak with CI for clarification. None have been successful so far.

My guess is I will get a reply and my ticket closed after 4/1 with a explanation of the tax. It won't answer my query, but I assume they need to respond at some point to close the ticket.

West, if you have any other suggestions please fel free to tell me and I will folllow through. if you have any insight, please feel free to share it.


Again welcome to our little coral reef I hope you enjoy it here.

[David M]

Perhaps he is right and we need to wait for the answer but from what you described, including their lack of desire to talk to you (which in itself is uncommon) seems to point in a different direction. We should definitely wait to hear what they say though.

I dont know much about all of this stuff except for the planned increase on April 1.

I bought 280 cigars today with this expected tax increase in mind. Here is some info I got while on the phone with 2 vendors whom I bought from today.

Famous - They are offering a 1-month grace period before they start charging with the new tax. I dont know if thats connected to their existing high inventory or what but thats what they told me.

TampaHumidor - They are currently low on inventory and they plan to sell all of their existing stuff without charging the new tax. She expected their store to start charging with the new tax on April 10.

As for the people power boycott stuff. If the people are in fact getting screwed, it is a great tool for the people to show their displeasure, voice their opinions and by the very nature of the type of protest - they will be heard.

Keep us posted.

[OracleSmoke]

++++ edit +++++ a ton of posts said everything I was gonna say.

Anyone want a link to the tax portion of the bill, it can be found HERE:

http://www.stogieguys.com/wp-content...CHIP-Taxes.pdf

Hope the above isn't in violation of anything here


kind of a bitter first post there bro! Ya gotta ease into it a bit before banging the members so harsh. People may get the impression you work for the company in question or somethin'.

[wescoaststogie]

my point is, who knows why the price of those cigars went up early. why just these particular cigars and not all cigars? maybe due to the upcoming taxes the manufacturer had to make some changes in order to keep producing these bundles. who really knows. why assume it's all CI's doing though? do they have a history of screwing and gouging customers? not that i'm aware of, so why not give them the benefit of the doubt.

also, why get so worked up over an early price increase of some lousy bundled cigars? as far as i know this has not affected 99.99% of all the rest of their cigars, so who really cares?

i just think your energy is being spent in the wrong place. why not go out and protest SCHIP or something more useful

[scottw]

Originally Posted by OracleSmoke

++++ edit +++++ a ton of posts said everything I was gonna say.

Anyone want a link to the tax portion of the bill, it can be found HERE:

http://www.stogieguys.com/wp-content...CHIP-Taxes.pdf

Hope the above isn't in violation of anything here


kind of a bitter first post there bro! Ya gotta ease into it a bit before banging the members so harsh. People may get the impression you work for the company in question or somethin'.

100%, not a good intro.

[wescoaststogie]

Originally Posted by OracleSmoke

++++ edit +++++ a ton of posts said everything I was gonna say.

Anyone want a link to the tax portion of the bill, it can be found HERE:

http://www.stogieguys.com/wp-content...CHIP-Taxes.pdf

Hope the above isn't in violation of anything here


kind of a bitter first post there bro! Ya gotta ease into it a bit before banging the members so harsh. People may get the impression you work for the company in question or somethin'.

nope i am in no way affiliated with CI or any of there siblings/subsidiaries, but I do a fair amount of business with them and have had nothing but positive experiences, even when there was an issue with my orders they have always promptly taken care of it. i like to give those companies the benefit of the doubt until i have all the information.

[Jonesee]

I absolutely agree West. I am trying to get the information and have been unsuccessful in 3 separate attempts.

The easiest reply they could have offered was the manufacturer did it and they are forced to pass it on and wanted all their loyal customers to know that.

But: they haven't said that. the lack of response has become as interesting as the note itself.

My guess is they are in a box because they can't collect for a tax that hasn't been imposed yet, and they will not be remitting to the govcernment for. They can raise their prices, but claiming it is a tax that isn't yet in place might be a little edgy. It could be they are either passing on a manufacturere's increase or one of their own and their copy writer took a liberty that pushes the lines a bit.

And, I order from them too...

[wescoaststogie]

Originally Posted by scottw

[/b]

100%, not a good intro.

yea i have this habit of calling it like i see it, and probably not in the most pleasant way possible, but oh well we can't all be happy go lucky sailors i guess.

would you rather i show you my grouchy and grumpy side a few months after joining, kinda like what happens with girlfriends? oh wait nevermind, this ain't a dating site is it

[Doogie]

its a money grab by pedormo or CI. it just isn't right

[scottw]

Even if you just said "Hi my name is.........." before donkey punching the forum would have been fine. It just came off the wrong way but nevertheless, welcome to the pond! The dating site is Peter Puff.com, not Puff.com.

[wescoaststogie]

Originally Posted by Jonesee

I absolutely agree West. I am trying to get the information and have been unsuccessful in 3 separate attempts.

The easiest reply they could have offered was the manufacturer did it and they are forced to pass it on and wanted all their loyal customers to know that.

But: they haven't said that. the lack of response has become as interesting as the note itslef. And, I order from them too...

so maybe the people on the phone, or whoever is in the office right at this second, does not know the reason? maybe the pricing decisions are made by the higher ups, and they aren't sitting around all day to answer phone calls, maybe they are on a beach somewhere (where i would be).

you just can't expect to get those kind of business answers immediately, it's not realistic.

are you just looking for something to get worked up over today, or what? just for a single lousy bundled cigar? common man you're killing me here lol

[smokeydog]

Originally Posted by Doogie

its a money grab by pedormo or CI. it just isn't right

gurkha's got jacked up to.

[slyder]

Originally Posted by wescoaststogie

Geez you guys are like a bunch of school girls with your talk of boycotts and all this drama nonsense!



First off you don't know jack shit about the reason for the increase, so to come to any conclusions at all is just plain ridiculous. Why don't you all just slow down, light up a stogie, and sit back and wait for some more information to come in before raising the protest signs

Hi welcome to the site!

Please dont talk to me in that manner.

If the tax is supposed to take effect on April 1 on the cigars coming into the country on that date how can somebody start chargin the tax a week ahead of time on current stock?? That is my whole gripe. I do alot of business with CI but I sure as hell aint gonna stick by them if they are gouging people. Its sounds like they made it plain as day in their advertisement the reason they raised the price.....SCHIP!

Again welcome to the site...im sure we will butt heads again somewhere.