Duty Free Zone WebSites FAKE or REAL!

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Thesedays it is inevitable to come across some worldwide cigar companies making sales from free zone areas without any taxes and sure Vat. If you look for their addresses, you will see they are located in free zone areas. to support this article ıf we need to give some examples of these kind of websites:

When you do some search regarding these websites, it’s sighted that these websites are in demand and getting too much attention by people and the first reason of that, of course prices.

If you look at the prices of these websites, you will see huge difference in prices compared to other websites which are legal and make sells with tax and vat.
And would like to ask those out there how it is possible?
Can it be purchased original products for these prices or those are fake ones?

Let me give you an example from habanos price list to answer these questions and prove my theory (I possess habanos price list due to my business).

Of course cannot anonunce the all price list here but would like to share with you all some of the best selling product’s prices.

EXAMPLE 1

Product Name: Bolivar Belicosos Finos
Price of Habanos: USD 124 (this price from the Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2014)
Price of Habanos: USD 124 (Same price,no increment applied for 2015)
Price of Habanos: USD 133 (Increment by 7% on prices by the Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2016)

Those websites’ selling prices mentioned above; (as known it is forbidden to sell tobacco products online. These websites sell through online payments providers etc. klikandpay,worldpay,nextpay.)
And these payment providers get 2 fees from their clients for every single transaction.

1.) Percentage fee per transaction ( 5-7%)
Example:
You purchased a product for USD 500 via credit card. These payment providers get 25-35 USD commission (5-7%).

2.) Fixed fee per transaction (estimated 1 USD)

Now let’s go through the prices for these websites above.

CigarsofHabanos.com

Product Name: Bolivar Belicosos Finos
Selling Price: USD 177 (This is special price. Regular price is USD 230 but this website always selling for special price!!)
NOTE: Click to “Shipment to … Click here to change” top of the page and select outside of USA. They have different prices for outside USA.

ATTENTION:
Selling Price: USD 177
All Costs:
Product Price: USD 133 (Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2016)
Percentage fee per transaction (5-7%): USD 9 (Based on 5%)
Fixed fee per transaction: USD 1
Shipping Fee: USD 15-20 (estimated International Post Service fee) Shipping fee included for all orders.

When you total these all costs for this product;
Cost of product: USD 183
Selling price: USD 177
Result: – USD 6

Conclusion remains to be judged by you dear aficionados. Our thought for this product to be sold at such this price is doubtful.
(UPDATE 01.07.2017)

EXAMPLE 2

Product Name: Partagas Serie D No 4
Price of Habanos: USD 113 (this price from the Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2014)
Price of Habanos: USD 113 (Same price,no increment applied for 2015)
Price of Habanos: USD 121 (Increment by 7% on prices by the Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2016)

CigarsofHabanos.com
Product Name: Partagas Serie D No 4
Selling Price: USD 167 (This is special price. Regular price is USD 210 but this website always selling for special price!!)
NOTE: Click to “Shipment to … Click here to change” top of the page and select outside of USA. They have different prices for outside USA.

ATTENTION:
Selling Price: USD 167
All Costs:
Product price: USD 121 (Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2016)
Percentage fee per transaction (5-7%): USD 6 (Based on 5%)
Fixed fee per transaction: 1 USD
Shipping Fee: 15-20 USD (estimated International Post Service fee) Shipping fee included for all orders.

When you total these all costs for this product;
Cost of product: USD 148
Selling price: USD 167
Result: USD 19

Conclusion remains to be judged by you dear aficionados.
(UPDATE 01.07.2017)

I hope the custodian Mr. Ravi reads this article and contact us back with logical words! We can surely claim that it is impossible to sell these products at these prices.
This is my opinion and theory.

NOTE: CigarsofHabanos claims that they are located in free zone area which means not subject to TAX and VAT! but let’s say you placed an order from this website and your item stuck in your country’s customs and wanted to return your item and requested refund your money. Possible result would be as follows,
The ridiculous,strange and unacceptable side of the issue is CigarsofHabanos charges you USD 4 for every stick (if you purchased box of 25 cigars, 100 USD) under “DUTY PAYMENT” and refund your money. So how it is possible? Isnt this firm in free zone? Not subject to TAX and VAT? so how come for re-send products they can charge people under duty payment? So interesting and also I would like to encourage Mr. Ravi to clarify this issue!
NOTE: It is known that all websites selling online while they ship products, barcode serial number must be removed on warranty seal under the name of “Habanos Rules” but CigarsofHabanos does not do that and send products with barcode serial number!

Question:
When you ask them who is your distributor (Offical importer of Habanos) and they dont even answer this question! and making excuse to not give the name of their distributor.
Answer:
If CıgarsofHabanos ships products with serial numbers we can easily find out their distributor name through barcode serial number on warranty seal.
RESULT:
If CıgarsofHabanos ships products with serial numbers and they still dont answer whose their distributor then our theory below!
According to my opinion what they do is to copy one of the original barcode serial number belongs to one product and multiply the same barcode serial number and stick them on boxes of the same product.

For instance:

The original barcode serial numbers of Montecristo No:2 (10’s) is 000013728242 (you can re-produce Montecristo No:2 (10’s) until 99 by using the last 2 digit of the serail number. for this serial number the last digit ends with 42 which means can be produced 57 more boxes for once!)

To be convinced you may go to habanos website and try it out. You will see that all serial numbers confirmed by Habanos from this serial number 000013728242 to 000013728299. And they get this number and stick them on all Montecristo No:2 (10’s) boxes this way they make products look like original as if it was confirmed by Habanos (Official Website)

But as we stated before these products should not be sold at these prices. Any products sold on this website although look like confirmed by Habanos offical website, they could be advanced-faked cuban cigars.
you can check your barcode serial number from Habanos website
http://verificacion.habanos.com/

As conclusion,
We will continue to clarify you dear aficianados out there with these 2 websites below in next articles soon. But we cannot say whether these websites are selling fake or real products for now and also we dont know yet whether these websites charge customers for return ıtems under DUTY PAYMENT or not! (Edited 07.10.2016)

ENJOY YOUR SMOKING…

Thesedays it is inevitable to come across some worldwide cigar companies making sales from free zone areas without any taxes and sure Vat. If you look for their addresses, you will see they are located in free zone areas. to support this article ıf we need to give some examples of these kind of websites: When you do some search regarding these websites, it's sighted that these websites are in demand and getting too much attention by people and the first reason of that, of course prices. If you look at the prices of…

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55 comments

  1. 1st of all the prices you listed for your two examples attacking Cigars of Habanos is wrong. the Boli Fino is $209 and the PSD4 are $199.

    Therefore your theory or analogy is wrong. Matter of fact, If you pull one of the vendors you support on here such as Vipcigars.com their prices are just as low as COH or Cigar Terminal but yet they are ok? You need to have a better argument buddy.

    • Dear David,
      Just look at the the COC’s site and the price.
      Where is the USD 209 and USD 199

      • If you’re actually a professional individual you would not disrespect your audience as you’re currently doing.

        Where is the pricing you’re listing ? Do you need glasses because your vision is lacking sir. You indicate that COH is selling PSD4 for $167 and Bolivar Fino for $177. Where are you pulling these prices from?

        • Bolivar Belicosos Finos (25’s) USD 177
          https://cigaranalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/coh-bolivar-belicosos-finos.jpg
          Partagas Serie D No.4 (25’s) USD 167
          https://cigaranalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/coh-partagas-serie-d-no-4-1.png

          NOTE: Click to “Shipment to … Click here to change” top of the page and select outside of USA. They have different prices for outside USA.
          I think thats enough for you David.

          • Excuse me, but that’s absolutely false. COH does NOT have a “shipment to…click here to change” drop selection, PuroExpress does, so you’re confusing the two sites. COH defaults to US shipping and the price for cart items DOES NOT CHANGE.

            PuroExpress’s prices also DO NOT CHANGE when the ship to US selection is made and you’re taken to the cigarexport site. You have not done adequate research and appear confused.

            I’ve used both sites for over 10 years and am 100% happy, BTW

          • Dear unkown G, first of all please put a meaningful name on your comments thank you.

            Once you go through COH and PuroExpress, you are able to see clearly “Shipment to…… Click here to change” section. I do not know which website you were looking at. Plus when you amend the location also you can see different prices are applied for USA ( Fixed prices are applied for other countries).

            Example (Cigars Of Habanos)
            Partagas Serie D No:4
            USA price USD 210
            Other countries USD 167

            Example (PuroExpress)
            Partagas Serie D No:4
            USA price USD 209.88
            Other countries USD 196

          • NOT true about the Bolivar price you show here. At the top of the page, you have the 3 sites. Click it up there and it has Cigars of Habanos price for the Bolivar at 240.00. But when click on yours in the reply to David F. its 177.00

    • To whom it may concern

      I did exactly what you said but the prices for the Bolivar are $230 for a SLB of 25
      I changed the country to switzerland united states and egypt and the price was the same
      If I was able to upload a screen shot I would have uploaded it to this reply

      I also took a look at Partagas D4
      Those prices are also not what you had stated above
      The prices on the D4 are $210

      Just trying to contribute in a calm fashion

    • You’re a fucking idiot. The prices of the FAKE cigars on cigarsofhabanos are much lower than the prices on vipcigars

  2. Flights to cuba

    I am a neutral commentor, however you are making a big assumption. The price you saw by habanos is a wholesale or the price that vendors get. I have seen Cigarone offer specials that are comprabable to the prices of finestcubancogars.com and Cigarone.com.

    I believe you have already prefaced that Cigarone is 100% legit.

    Your analysis is jumps all over the place from bar codes, to prices, to return policies as justification to think the sites send fake cigars.

    As I read once, your not going to get a box of cohibas for $100, this is a clear sign of fakes, but not what these companies are doing.

    Have you ever bought from these guys and smoke one of there cigars. That to me is the real test. I am no expert and I have bought from these sites. They have decent customer service, timely delivery, accommodating. I have read many reviews before engaging them and the majority agree with the authenticity. If you read about the negative reviews they are either about the box and sticker practice, maybe the condition of the cigars. The negatives reviews never actually smoked the cigar or cut them open. Many of the positive reviews appear to be afficianados and confirm authenticity.

    To close, it would be nice if come one would put together a valid list of fake/fraud sites and the good guys, so we know where to buy real good Cuban cigars from. I suspect once USA opens up, the game will change, for better or for worst.

    • Dear Flights to cuba,

      Guess you could not comprehend the point.

      We are just trying to understand that how come the companies(mentioning COH) at free zone can offer such low prices.
      Example: Bolivar Belicosos Finos

      Price of Habanos: USD 159 (this price from the offical importer of Habanos.Let’s assume COH gets this price from the offical importer of Habanos.)
      COH selling price: USD 177
      Product Price: USD 159 (offical importer of Habanos)
      Tax free ( as all knows free zone companies are not subject to any kind of tax.)
      Percentage fee per transaction (5-7%): 8 USD (Based on 5%)
      Fixed fee per transaction: USD 1
      Shipping Fee: USD 20 (estimated International Post Service fee) Shipping fee included for all orders.
      When you total these all costs for this product;
      Cost of product: USD 188
      Selling price: USD 177
      Profit: – USD 11

      When we talk about above calculation, this product certainly cannot be sold for this price. If can, think twice before purchase since very high probability of being fake.

      Another thing you also mentioned CigarOne, you are able to find our negative and positive thoughts about this company in our blog. We are totally agree with your comment, the prices of CigarOne are comparable to FinestCubanCigars prices at only certain times like When CigarOne offers special prices. However our subject is not FinestCubanCigars. We already mentioned that we would like to share our comments related to this website and other two websites(CigarTerminal,PuroExpress) with you dear readers soon. We cannot make any positive or negative comments about these websites for now.

      “Have you ever bought from these guys and smoke one of there cigars. That to me is the real test.”
      Why would you attempt to buy and waste your money as you know these products cannot be sold for these prices? If we think the way you think, all smokers(who prefers to buy cigar online) should try this website at least once and when we talk about hundred thousand smokers this would be nothing else than making the website owner rich. Like SoloCigars and other fake websites.

      As we mentioned we are looking forward to hear from Mr.Ravi who is custodian of COH for clarification. If anybody from this website cannot clarify this issue then our thoughts will continue as same.

      • PuroExpress is without a doubt a a real Cuban cigar site. They along with Cigars of Cuba and cubans Lou’s have real Cuban cigars. I’ve been dealing with PuroExpress for many yrs. All of these sites have similar prices and are in line with most other companies. Free shipping always with Cuban Lou’s and PuroExpress. You have to spend at least 50 Euro’s. Cigars unlimited of the UK is the most expensive place I have ever shopped at. And way more than most sites out there today. They are not even in the same ball park with these other sites and also have free shipping. I have shopped at all of these sites and all have been confirmed at legit by many experts. I can’t say about the other sites mentioned. I only know where I’ve shopped and I DO know a real Cuban from a fake, and I’ve been smoking Cuban’s for more than 40 yrs. I’ve been to Cuba and brought cigars back that I normally smoke. They are all the same when I cut them open and inspect the bands.

      • These Cuban cigars need you to know how to conserve, so that they can radiate the brilliance of gold。Although there are few cases of mildew, it is only caused by excessive humidity。Attention should be paid to humidity control through reasonable maintenance。A few months later, you will naturally appreciate the unique taste of Cuban cigars,But I haven’t tried high drug addiction or Trinidad yet

  3. Hi! I’m looking some supplier cuban cigars for my business in Vietnam. Who can please contact my email: [email protected]
    Thanks

  4. They fake the micro serial in the label too? I think not.

  5. COH is 100% legitimate. Ravi is a trusted supplier to many aficionados the world over and I have personally spent time with him and been to his premises in Hong Kong. I can vouch for his passion for stocking only the best quality habanos stored in perfect conditions in his warehouse. Have you actually been there and and looked for yourself or are you purely basing your assumptions on pricing analysis off your “Habanos SA price list” you have for your business? I’m not sure what your agenda in writing this post is, but you are simply completely wrong.

    I would encourage you to phone Ravi (+852 2541-2619) and place an order. He will gladly give you the box codes he has in stock of any marcas you are interested in and he will select a box based on your personal preferences. Sealed or inspected and unsealed, its your choice.

    To accuse COH of suppling mixed boxes of authentic and fake cigars is not only extremely insulting to Ravi but also to many of us that consider him not only a legend of the cigar industry but a true gentleman and friend. If world regarded cigar experts like Rob Ayala (Director and Founder of Friends of Habanos) count Ravi amongst their dear friends then why would a guy that has nothing to prove contact you?

    Mark
    Melbourne, Australia.

    • Dear Mark,

      First of all thank you for your interest in cigaranalysis.
      This article is the result of a detailed study on COH. We respect your comment but not even agreed with one word of it.
      you are mentioning above that COH is 100% legitimate, Ravi is legend and you have been to his warehouse. While you are saying these things, would be even better if you can answer below questions in order to prove them.

      1.What is the offical registered name of COH?(if it is 100% legitimate why it is not displayed on their website)
      2.You are saying that you have been to his warehouse but we could not see even one photo of his warehouse. Can you please share a few photo with us?
      3.When you ask them who is your distributor (Offical importer of Habanos) and they dont even answer this question! But they sell cigars with serial numbers. Why?

      “I’m not sure what your agenda in writing this post is”
      as answer to this, our aim to clarify people before they decide to shop on any website not to slander.We believe that our whole article reflects only the fact.

      “If world regarded cigar experts like Rob Ayala (Director and Founder of Friends of Habanos) count Ravi amongst their dear friends”
      Rob Ayala might be an regarded expert however apparently you are aiming to build a trust over readers in favor of COH by using (selling) Rob Ayala’s name.
      If building trust is needed by advertising, this should be done by Ravi and Rob Ayala not middle man like you.

      Regards,

      • Ravi is known in the industry to purchase black market cigars. These are not fakes but instead are acquired from “mules” who pay off managers of the factories for boxes at a much lower price than what is sold to official Habanos distributors. That’s why COH can sell so cheaply.

  6. Marcus Pereira

    Sir,
    After reading your story I can tell you must believe in conspiracy theories. Everybody is wrong and you are right. Your analysis is based on a single price premise of habanos price list and you suggest that given that maths doesn’t make sense to you, these websites must sell fake cigars. This is so naive and misleading. Just think rationally for a second. So everybody that purchase from these websites don’t know how to spot a real from a fake, but you could do it, and not by tasting it, but just using your single simple premise.

    Maybe you should have purchased from these sites, smoked, dissect a couple of cigars, compare with the ones purchased from your reliable source before you decide to even consider title like that (Duty Free Zone Sites Real or Fake). Maybe your title would be changed to ” Duty Free Sites – Please Help Me I can’t do the maths”

    Regards,
    Marcus

    • Recently, I decided to try buying some cigars online and odered from few different sites like CigarsofHabanos.com for example. All cigars are FAKEs! However, for some unexperienced smokers that cigars might look and taste smokable. I smoke cuban cigars for 12 years and spend around 3500-5000 USD a year in my local authorised dealer for my hobby, and know how real cuban cigars look, taste and feel in hand. These fakes are low quality cigars from countries like Honduras or Nicaragua, I am guessing, and you can buy 1 for a 1U$ on sites like atlantic cigars or cigars internatoinal.
      For admin, I have reciept from CoH, email conversations, shipment paper, duty paid reciept, and, of course, cigars which I can sent to you to try at my cost as a proof.

      • So you think you know cigars do you because you smoke 15 to 20 boxes a year – dream on – I smoke at least twice that and I can tell you that COH sells totally authentic cigars! You should keep your inexperience and facile opinions strictly to yourself and not malign a great supplier.

  7. I have been smoking for more than 20 years and have tried cigars from online sites like COH, PE, TC, CoC, CT as well as from authorized dealers of Habanos. People who think that these sites sell fake cigars don’t really understand how the business works. Perhaps it’s best that they continue to think that these sites sell fake cigars so that they don’t drive demand up. But for those who really want to know how such sites can sell cheap and if they are fake, read on.

    Habanos, who sells the cigars for Cuba, sell to many authorized distributors (u can see them on their website). The issue with cigars is that they are organic materials and there are indeed varying quality of cigars even within a certain brand and label. So, even for a Partagas D4, you can have different quality based on where the leaves are from and where it is rolled. No 2 cigars are the same and that’s why, it’s not uncommon to taste two cigars from the same label and year but taste different. And that’s not taking into account how the cigars were shipped & stored.

    So Habanos does have batches of cigars with varying qualities and they often reserve the better quality ones for larger and more prestigious distributors like H&F, PCC and guess what, they pay a premium. That’s why cigars in UK are more expensive than the rest but they are really the best. Meanwhile, the smaller and other distributors get the rest of the cigars, some good, some bad. Some of the “bin end” cigars (ie. genuine but lowest quality) get bought at a lower price by distributors and they flog it out to the market. Guess where these cigars goes? No points for guessing – COH, PE, duty free cigars etc..

    So online sites like COH gets the cigars from multiple distributors and often at a good price because they buy in bulk and often, take the whole batch of cigars from the disty – good or bad qualities one. They need to remove the box codes so that their sources don’t get reported to Habanos by the authorized disty for that region/country. So, don’t go asking Ravi about where he gets his cigar from – he won’t reveal and he shouldn’t.

    So, that’s how it works. You get cheap genuine cigars from these online sites. Some of the better quality ones (like TC) charge more because they get from more reputable distributors with better quality cigars. Just because cigars from COH taste funny doesn’t mean they are fake. Those who say they are haven’t smoke enough yet. Most of these cigars bought online requires some time to settle down. Wait a while and you will be rewarded. But I must say, COH’s quality is pretty good these days. I think their volume is so high now that they can get better quality but at higher prices. That’s why they are no longer very cheap.

    • Cigars in the UK are high because you have enormous tobacco taxes. Started smoking Cubans 48 years ago bought them during worldwide travels and UK always had the highest prices.

    • Thanks,Sir..Excellent explanation!!! Iam a novice smoker, about 4 years to be exact.. I live in the states and now Iam positive we’re not getting the best sticks.. I’ve never doubted the legitimacy of my vendors, now I know why sometimes I get a fantastic smoke, and sometimes not.. I will not be deterred by cigar analysts, and will continue to enjoy my hobby to the fullest..,
      Respect Tim

    • Your evaluation is the most truthful and reliable

  8. How about FOH ( friends of habanos ) ??

    I received the cigar from them and the wood package from Cuba seems unusual,
    It’s a little rough and the deliveries in different time, over few weeks.

  9. Dear childsh,

    We don’t know any information about FOH.
    Can you please share your cigars’ photos?

    Best Regards,

  10. WWCigars is right IMO. I’ve been smokin’ cuban and non-cuban cigars from COH for about ten years and never have problems with them. I live in Europe so I have access to cigars from various official distributors. Best quality cuban cigars goes to biggest and most demanding markets like in England, Spain, Germany, etc. I think that if you do a blind taste of cigars from COH and from small official distributor (lower quality cuban cigar) you cannot find the difference between them. Cheers, Greg

    • Mr. Greg’s comment has been published due to CigarAnalysis’s rules.
      *****
      According to CigarAnalysis rules, In order to publish someone’s comment on our website, he/she must declare that he/she is a real customer. The reason why it is requested is to prevent any negative or positive propaganda about companies.

      Following informations are kindly requested;

      Order number:
      Order details (screen shot):
      *****

  11. I bought a box of Partagas Mille Fleurs from CigarsofHabanos.com.
    The box looks suspicious and probably is fake, especially its bottom, and hard-to-broken warranty seal.
    Below are some links of photos:

    http://imgur.com/a/L0ePr
    http://imgur.com/a/x2uqq
    http://imgur.com/a/tYrCN
    http://imgur.com/a/U2WoN
    http://imgur.com/a/HJvTv

    What do you think? Whether it is fake?

    • Mr. Ethan’s comment has been published due to CigarAnalysis’s rules.
      *****
      According to CigarAnalysis rules, In order to publish someone’s comment on our website, he/she must declare that he/she is a real customer. The reason why it is requested is to prevent any negative or positive propaganda about companies.

      Following informations are kindly requested;

      Order number:
      Order details (screen shot):
      *****

  12. Dear Ethan,
    There is no fake Mille Fleurs in the cuban market so that you can be at ease.
    Regards,

  13. Jesus,
    After all this idk if I want to go through the trouble of trying to buy cubans again. I bought from vipcig*** cohiba maduro magicos (only 10) and i got a box with a sticker covering the number (i peeled it back and checked it) came back ok. Last 2 digits were 97 so I took that as a good sign. But they left the micro codes on there. The box is legit, the bands are legit (kinda put them on sloppy, and backwards) (there’s a spot where there is no hologram on the top and bottom of the band. I took it as someone put the band on backwards). Odk of cohiba woulr make that mistake, would they?
    They are triple capped, problem is they are a gift, so i can’t smoke one.
    Cigaranalysis Can you explain why they left the micro codes on, why the sticker? why the bands are glued in only 1 spot and a little uneven and backwards?
    If you find this and want pictures I will post them. I just want to make sure that vipcig. is real, and I bought legit cubans. (Got an email from Tobias so I got the right website)

  14. My recent Cigars of Habanos experience.
    In brief, I have purchased from CoH less than a dozen times since 2012. My last purchase was November 27th, 2017. My order arrived December 26th.
    I have also been to Havana, Cuba earlier this last May. I purchased 4 boxes from the LCDH Miramar at 5y16. A fellow traveler gave me some Montecristo Anejados Churchills he acquired on a tour to the old Partagas factory (under renovation) store in La Habana Vieja near the Capitolo. These cigars were boxed in 2008 and released in 2015. I have one stick left so I decided to order more.
    I ordered on box of 25 from CoH and requested a sealed box.
    Now this is not a blanket endorsement of Ravi or CoH, just my experience. My cigars were shipped from Hungary. https://i.imgur.com/daXFamc.jpg
    The box was shipped in a protected overwrap. https://i.imgur.com/a0zsKtz.jpg
    Here is the details of the sealed box.
    https://i.imgur.com/OGbPsJz.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/S48d9E7.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/6C6iGIw.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/CsZh3t5.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/NzbXp5l.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/yADeIVl.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/ngZgQ0C.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/tAltKTy.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/2vpduJI.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/hyAn3W2.jpg
    Details of the warranty seal showing the serial number
    https://i.imgur.com/XU5GA5m.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/8pz8c9a.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/Uez5kvw.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/zRLwMtC.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/s4axCOV.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/5mMKOT6.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/gkG8Ovs.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/vZkrXJD.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/kooftMz.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/cEccjKx.jpg
    Now for the box opening.
    https://i.imgur.com/mEYuG0p.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/nINupGI.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/OzK1ZlG.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/kL0kBME.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/Tks8jmI.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/vWTqWSq.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/ibmUTA4.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/wVdgaIY.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/U0CKmml.jpg
    and an example of the cigar itself from the box.
    https://i.imgur.com/r1J4Ec5.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/KdIkeOI.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/cqmeFVC.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/wVlyuwc.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/8oSc2Si.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/6oGzJ9d.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/yjo4uNH.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/EkIqZ2N.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/COzBpMe.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/jevTVrP.jpg
    So now we can compare with my Anejados Churchill that I acquired in Havana, Cuba.
    https://i.imgur.com/XlWlI4A.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/WIW0sN8.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/gMRoDe6.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/hOWeoxF.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/zpNVX0S.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/2hbJoX7.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/OpMATwd.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/sV9q7Lu.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/0AHDqUD.jpg
    Conclusion:
    The cigars are identical in appearance. I have not smoked the new arrivals but I will when they settle down in the humidor. In my opinion based on experience and this visual comparison, the cigars I received from CoH are genuine. As far as shipping prices go, my personal experience ordering from both Europe and China is they get substantially discounted prices for bulk shipping. I have ordered cables from China that weighed more than 2 – 3 large boxes of cigars and the total prices of the items were less than $10. My past orders from CoH have come from Hong Kong, Switzerland, and now Hungary. It does take a while to receive the orders. I checked most of the past order boxes warranty label numbers and they were all genuine. Now I’m not particularly fond of unsealed or resealed boxes but I have never had an issue with the cigars I received. I do not order big rarities such as expensive Cohibas. These are the first Montecristos I’ve ordered from CoH.
    Some Havana pictures.
    https://i.imgur.com/2Stq5wV.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/eGMghfz.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/eIlEM6r.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/yvdHFfL.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/PUCobqi.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/YWmb3L5.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/P82mm5J.jpg

  15. This is nuts! You’re starting out with a faulty premise to arrive to a faulty conclusion. You ASSUME you know the price COH is paying for their stock… which is pure speculation. I live in Ontario, Canada (2 hours away from cigar chief ) and I have purchased cigars from COH for the past 5 years. I’ve spent well above 10,000$ in those 5 years (I have a custom built Staebell humidor fully stocked) I’ve been to Cuba multiple times, even got married there. I know 100% can tell the difference between a fake and real Cuban. COH absolutely sells authentic cigars. Without a doubt. What I find hard to believe is that would you make such harmful assumptions about a Cigar retailer when you’ve NEVER smoked COH product. All this because you seem to think the price is too good to be true? If we’re being honest, some of your “approved” online shops also have very low prices. Actually, http://www.dutyfreecubancigars.com sells cheaper Bolivar Petit Corona at 134$ vs 155 from COH. Based on your ignorant premise, http://www.dutyfreecubancigars.com must also be selling fakes? Listen, I appreciate the work you do and why you’re doing it. Fake shops should absolutely get denounced and labelled as such but COH is just not one of them. Do yourself a favour and buy a box of any of their cigars and you will quickly realize that you’re wrong. Also, I find it baffling that you would hold the belief that COH is most likely fake when so many people within the industry have vouched for COH. I’ve bought cigars in cuba that I had issues with. Some spotty, some with green stains etc. Cigars are hand rolled, organic and sensitive products. Not every box will be a winner, that’s just the truth. Anyways, not sure why you seem believe what you believe, even when it’s obvious you have a stupid premise to begin with but you need to stop your silliness.

    • COH, Ihavanas, and cigarterminal cigars are clearly fake. I’m sorry you can’t afford real cuban cigars bro

    • Hi Luc,

      I’m in Ontario as well. How is cigar chief?

      My two cents on this convo. I’ve purchased from COH over the years and haven’t had a bad experience or a “oh oh these taste fake” moment. In terms of pricing….I have price shopped and they aren’t always the cheapest.

  16. Hi Luc,

    I’m in Ontario as well. How is cigar chief?

    My two cents on this convo. I’ve purchased from COH over the years and haven’t had a bad experience or a “oh oh these taste fake” moment. In terms of pricing….I have price shopped and they aren’t always the cheapest.

  17. Jesus Christ! I can’t believe this conversation is still going. COH and Ihavanas do NOT sell fake Cuban Cigars. This has been verified time and time again by myself and numerous others. I have personally seen and compared these cigars to cigars acquired through licensed vendors. In addition to these in-person inspections verifying the legitimacy of cigars purchased from these grey-market (but legitimate) companies, dozens of people post their acquisitions to reddit every week. If they have ever peppered any boxes of counterfeit cigars in with their legitimate ones, I have yet to see the evidence. If you are worried that your cigars from COH or Ihavanas are fakes, I can put your mind at ease right now — they are not. I do not know much about puroexpress.com aside from the fact that they seem to get some negative reviews, despite the fact that most people seem to have good experiences with them. I am currently looking for testimonials regarding the quality of Cuban cigars obtained from puroexpress.com to see if they are worth ordering from when I can’t find what I want from FOH, COH, or iHavs.

  18. Jesus Christ! I can’t believe this conversation is still going. COH and Ihavanas do NOT sell fake Cuban Cigars. This has been verified time and time again by myself and numerous others. I have personally seen and compared these cigars to cigars acquired through licensed vendors. In addition to these in-person inspections verifying the legitimacy of cigars purchased from these grey-market (but legitimate) companies, dozens of people post their acquisitions to reddit every week. If they have ever peppered any boxes of counterfeit cigars in with their legitimate ones, I have yet to see the evidence. If you are worried that your cigars from COH or Ihavanas are fakes, I can put your mind at ease right now — they are not. I do not know much about puroexpress.com aside from the fact that they seem to get some negative reviews, despite the fact that most people seem to have good experiences with them. I am currently looking for testimonials regarding the quality of Cuban cigars obtained from puroexpress.com to see if they are worth ordering from when I can’t find what I want from FOH, COH, or iHavs…

    • I have bought form cigar one and Ihavana and COH. The only fakes I got were from cigar one (sent me an open box and a good 5 of them were fakes and tasted completely different than the rest. I Havana and COH only send me closed boxes and they always fast like the real thing.

  19. before 2 days I made an order from puroexpress.com I ask to cancel my order because Switzerland is not a European country and I thought they send products from Spain, they said me we cant and i am wondering after 2 days you make an order you cant cancel it this is ridiculous, i will lost my order, my money and i will get in trouble , avoid this company , this is my opinion . Very disappointed, so many other companies to buy from with really great support.

  20. Cigaranalysis,

    Thank you for this article. It helps concerned customers on potential fakes and taking a closer look into the companies selling at such a bargain. I myself wondered why CoH and iHav have such low prices and first thought is too good to be true.

    There have been overwhelming responses from actual customers supporting the authenticity in rebuttal to your analysis. However, only a few logical comments helped put me at ease based on the lower quality business model and verification of actual purchased from Cuba with product shipped from CoH. There are also a few strong advocates providing their experiences with fakes from these sites as well, one user stated they have dealt with CoH for years until they received a supposedly fake and did not get support and changed their vendor. This provides a forum for debate and readers will now have more info to make their decision.

    With that said I placed an order for a box and now more at ease because of the more logical responses to your article. We shall see. Keep questioning and allow others to provide their logical responses both ways. Anything is possible, they could be selling authentic cigars and slip in a few fake boxes here and there. Nothing is 100% certain.

    One last thing, I noticed in the example below your math is incorrect, cost of product shows $183, but my math shows $163 ($133+$9+$1+$20).

    CigarsofHabanos.com
    Product Name: Bolivar Belicosos Finos
    Selling Price: USD 177 (This is special price. Regular price is USD 230 but this website always selling for special price!!)
    NOTE: Click to “Shipment to … Click here to change” top of the page and select outside of USA. They have different prices for outside USA.
    ATTENTION:
    Selling Price: USD 177
    All Costs:
    Product Price: USD 133 (Offical Importer of Habanos SA 2016)
    Percentage fee per transaction (5-7%): USD 9 (Based on 5%)
    Fixed fee per transaction: USD 1
    Shipping Fee: USD 15-20 (estimated International Post Service fee) Shipping fee included for all orders.
    When you total these all costs for this product;
    Cost of product: USD 183
    Selling price: USD 177
    Result: – USD 6

    Conclusion remains to be judged by you dear aficionados. Our thought for this product to be sold at such this price is doubtful.
    (UPDATE 01.07.2017)

  21. Also in a reddit thread someone stated CoH was fake based on having Behikes in stock and have been sold out for a couple of years. This is a major red flag that and would like to see a CoH proponent provide reasoning behind this.

  22. Cigars of Habanos are authentic and I have been buying from them for years. Each box has the serial number which can be verified by Habano’s. Ravi has been in business for many years and for anyone who says he does not have authentic product is very wrong,

  23. i will recommend you to buy cigars from casadelpuros.com they are the real deal they have just the best, i got my package well sealed and safe and they are original

  24. casadelpuros.com are authentic and I have been buying from them for years. Each box has the serial number which can be verified on Habano’s. Robert has been in business for many years and for anyone who says he does not have authentic product is very wrong, you should try him out you will not regret.

  25. casadelpuros.com are authentic and I have been buying from them for years. Each box has the serial number which can be verified on Habano’s. Robert has been in business for many years and for anyone who says he does not have authentic product is very wrong, you should try him out you will not regret.

  26. casadelpuros.com are authentic and I have been buying from them for years. Each of these box has the serial number which can be verified on Habano’s. Thomson has been in business for many years and for anyone who says he does not have authentic product is very wrong, you should try him out you will not regret.

  27. casadelpuros.com are authentic and I have been buying from them for years. Each box has the serial number which can be verified on Habano’s. Robert has been in business for many years and for anyone who says he does not have authentic product is very wrong, you should try him out you will not regret.

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