ComplaintsforCigars International
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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
09/22/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I made a one time order of some cigars from this company. All of a sudden, they started charging my credit card for some kind of membership in something called Puroperks. I never authorized them to do this and did not agree to receive whatever this Puroperks is supposed to provide. I canceled the automatic payments, but they owe me $15.77. They also should be investigated for fraud as I gather I am not the only one who has been victimized.Business response
10/09/2023
We sincerely apologize for the unwanted enrollment into our rewards program, Puro Perks.
We had a member of our leadership team investigate this further and they were able to have the subscription cancelled and the customer refunded for all charges. Please allow up to 10 days for the credit to appear back onto the card that was charged, Once again, we are terribly sorry for this recent experience the customer had with our company.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Customer response
10/19/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
***********************Initial Complaint
09/22/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I intentionally made a purchase on 06/22/2023 for the amount of $107.69, but today I noticed a recurring $14.95 unauthorized charge on my credit card. When I call customer service nobody answers. I need to get these charges removed and I do not want this to be a monthly occurrence. I didn't sign up for any service and I do not receive anything monthly from them. My account on their website shows that I do not currently have any subscriptions, and do not ever plan to have any. I have read online that this company is known for signing people up for unauthorized subscriptions and have been accused of CC fraud. I am requesting a full refund for the monthly purchase charges.Business response
09/25/2023
We sincerely apologize for the unwanted enrollment into our rewards program, Puro Perks.
We had a member of our leadership team reach out to the customer to notify them that the subscription has been cancelled and they have been refunded for the charges. The refund was processed today, September 25, 2023, please allow up to 8 business days for the refund to be returned to the credit card used.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Initial Complaint
09/20/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Company tries to scam you with their rebate offers but do not list their exclusions on site but only when you chat they provide a link. They refuse to cancel/delete my account and MY DATA. ****??? Why is MY info now theirs if I want to delete my account? I just want ALL of MY INFO deleted and removed from site and my account cancelled as requested. Stated they will only remove me from email list...I WANT ALL OF MY ACCOUNT INFO DELETED AND ACCOUNT CLOSED BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO SO. It's my info and if I want to remove, what right to refusal do they have with MY INFORMATION??? ITS MY INFO AND ITS TO PROTECT MY DATA...Business response
10/06/2023
We sincerely apologize for the recent experience the customer had with our business.
We had a member of our leadership team attempt to contact the customer, but they were unable to reach them. A detailed message has been left with the customer outlining what we have done for them. We have removed all contact information from the customer's account and closed/disabled it. Additionally, they have been removed from all promotional lists.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Customer Care Team
Customer response
10/19/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*****************************Initial Complaint
09/15/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I ordered a **** ******* Cigar Humidor from Cigars International on May 15, 2023 for a total of $1,262.12. Upon Delivery I noticed the top back right corner of the humidor was damaged; this damage then carries on to the veneer across the entire top of it. I immediately called them that day and was told they will send me another humidor. I was contacted for photos of the humidor and the packaging on August 7, 2023, which I provided via email. I was informed that a freight shipping company would come pick up the humidor however the pre-paid shipping label given to me was for a drop off item weighing only 1lbs. The humidor dimensions are 17 x 27 x 77 inches and 160lbs. I even attempted to take it to a *** with that label and was told they cannot send it and it is a BS shipping label for this item. I attempted to email back the two people whom I had received emails from regarding this which is **************** ******** and ************************** however I did not get a reply. I had not been contacted again for some time so I then attempted to contact them again via email and phone to which my emails were never returned and via phone I was told by someone named ********* (last name unknown) on September 13, 2023 that I have to "trust them" and they can no longer email me updates on the situation. I was also not allowed to speak to a manager (as I requested) I asked for at least half my refund in advance to which I was told I cannot get my refund until they get the humidor however, they do not schedule to pick up the humidor. I was also promised by ********* that I would 150% receive a phone call with an update on September 14, 2023 which did not happen. Most recently I called today September 15, 2023 which upon retrieving my account info I asked to speak to a manager and was immediately hung up on. I have also on 3 occasions attempted to write a bad review on the company's website while adding proof of purchase and each time the review never post, in advance it says the reviews are screened and will post within 3 days, mine never posts although they were submitted months ago.Customer response
09/25/2023
Since filing the complaint the company has refunded my money. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.Business response
09/26/2023
We sincerely apologize for the damaged humidor the customer received, and for the experience they had with our customer care team. We have reviewed this with all parties involved to prevent this from reoccurring.
We had a member of our leadership team contact the customer to resolve this matter. We have refunded the customer in full, and have asked the customer to dispose of the humidor.
Once again, we are very sorry for the recent experience the customer had with our company.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Customer response
09/27/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*********************Initial Complaint
09/12/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I was not aware there was a $14.95/month charge to have a **** perk membership when I purchased from Cigars International. Very disappointed.Business response
09/19/2023
We sincerely apologize for the unwanted enrollment into our rewards program, **** Perks.
We had a member of our leadership team contact the customer to resolve this matter. The customer's subscription has been cancelled and we have refunded the customer $14.95.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Customer response
09/29/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
***************************Initial Complaint
09/07/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
This morning I received a notification from my bank that a transaction was made in the amount of $336.94 to Cigar Bethlehem. I've never heard of this company and didn't make any such transaction.Business response
09/19/2023
We sincerely apologize for the recent concern the customer experienced with our company.
After researching this incident, we were able to identify that there was an attempted fraudulent charge made. Our fraud prevention department was able to identify this attempt on 9/8/2023. The order was cancelled, payment voided, and the pending authorization should have already been released. Rest assured, we take these matters very seriously and the account was flagged and disabled.
We employ the latest state of the art internet security to store our customers information. Our website is secured by the latest ****** Internet Security and is tested multiple times daily. Our company follows the toughest PCI (The Payment Card Industry Security Data Standard) Compliance guidelines to secure customer information. These established standards are necessary for us to be able to process online cigar orders.
Once an online order is placed, credit card numbers are encrypted and become unreadable by sales or customer service staff members. Orders are automatically downloaded into our order processing system with credit card information relocated to a separate encrypted server. Essentially order information and credit card information are stored on separate servers. We can assure you that we exceed industry standards to provide a secure online ordering environment and we are confident that your credit card information was not compromised as a result of our ordering process system.
You can expect our continued cooperation as you work through this. Customer satisfaction is our primary focus. Please do not hesitate to contact us at ************** if you have any further questions.Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Thompson Cigar Customer Care Team
Initial Complaint
08/23/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I like others here have fallen victim to their billing and customer services issues. Received cigars that they shipped and payment info was provided for . Approx. a year after receiving they froze my account stating they shipped but did not get paid, Their customer service over the phone after many requests would not send invoice just put onus of proving I paid on us , after some time and multiple requests we were sent to a collection agency, At this time we paid as it was way more hassle then this was worth and we received no actual help from customer service besides letting us know how to pay over the phone. Now that payment was made they have resumed sending flyer/advertising so I wrongfully assumed my account has been unfrozen so I figured I'd give them another chance as Ive had way more good orders than bad and as veteran/first responder they have a very appealing discount. This being said order was placed on 8/21 and cancelled at some point thereafter without notifying me the purchaser and no cancellation notice sent to PayPal . As of now I'd either like my account cancelled , credit report corrected, and no further trees put to death and filling my mailbox or fix my credit once again and re-instate my account and finish order.Business response
09/15/2023
We sincerely apologize for the recent experience the customer has has with our business.
We have a member our leadership team reach out to the customer to resolve this matter. Their account is in good standing and no impact has been made to their credit score.
Please let us know if the re is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Customer response
09/18/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
***************************Initial Complaint
08/18/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I never signed up for a $14.99 Puro Perks, they have taken this out of my banking account numerous times (we are probably in the 200-300 dollar range by now), and I have tried to call and reach out using their website about this. This was not authorized and is not the first time someone has complained about the deceptive policy.Business response
08/23/2023
We sincerely apologize for the unwanted enrollment into our Puro Perks rewards program.
We had a member of our leadership team research this matter and confirm that the subscription was cancelled on 8/18/23 and a total of $59.80 was refunded that same day. The remainder of the charges, totaling $104.65, were refunded on 8/22/23. Please allow up to 7 business days for the funds to be credited back onto the credit card used.
Once again, we are terribly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Initial Complaint
08/10/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Delivery Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Hi. I've ordered from Cigars International before with no problems. But this time I've not received my shipment after over a month, and I've emailed 5-6 times and never even gotten a response. Order Confirmation # ***********Business response
08/23/2023
We sincerely apologize for the recent experience the customer has with our company, and for not receiving the order he had placed.
We had a member of our leadership team research this matter and they have made multiple attempts to reach the customer, but we have not heard back from them to date.
We would like to apologize for this order, ***********, was cancelled. The reason for the cancellation was that this order was placed under a new account under a different email address, and a different first name then the one on the other account that was already age verified. Due to this, we were not able to age verify the new account and order.
Cigars International does not sell to anyone under the age of 21. Using a non-affiliated third-party company, *************************, we can verify that you are who you say you are and confirm that you are of legal age to purchase tobacco products. Using a proprietary privacy tool called ********,multiple trusted data sources scan billions of public records to return an age validation based on the personal information you submit. This service is specifically designed to confirm and protect your identity while maintaining the highest-level privacy when processing online transactions. A small percentage of shoppers may not be verifiable due to limited availability of publicly available information within the trusted databases. In an event that we cannot authenticate your account by this process, we will attempt to contact you via phone and email to request a copy of your valid drivers license or another form of government-issued ID which provides your date of birth.
On July 14th we sent an email to the customer advising that we needed to verify their age, and we never received a reply. After 2 weeks we cancelled the order, and the money was returned to the original payment method. We only collect payment when orders ship and any pending authorizations will drop. We have provided the customer a direct point of contact, should they wish to have us fulfill the original order.
We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter,Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
Customer response
09/06/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
***************************Initial Complaint
08/10/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I just realized that I have been getting charged $14.95 per month for a Puro Perks Membership. However, I never agreed to this, and I was not notified that this was being charged. I looked through all my records in email and no notification was received. Also, there was no indication on the website of these ongoing charges or memberships, just a monthly invoice. It has been going on since 6/16/22.Business response
08/21/2023
We sincerely apologize for the unwanted subscription into our rewards program.
We had a member of our leadership team research this matter further and follow up with the customer to ensure it has been resolved. We were able to confirm that the subscription was cancelled on 8/10/23 and a refund for $59.80 was processed that day. A refund for the remaining billings ($164.45) has been processed today, 8/021/2023. Please allow up to 7 business days for the funds to appear back on the account.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist in this matter.
Sincerely,
The Cigars International Customer Care Team
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Contact Information
Customer Complaints Summary
206 total complaints in the last 3 years.
58 complaints closed in the last 12 months.