Buddy is getting faked. Etiquette?

[AlohaStyle]

Definitely stay away from the fake hot chicks!?! LOL

 

[Evan]

Wait a minute.... that site is a fake!? But the chicks are so hot!
Ohh no... OHHH NO!!!!!! I'l wasted hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

I guess you guys will have to send me all the real sources you have
Just kidding.... but seriously.

 

[Fourtotheflush]

Punch him in the face
Tell him he's an idiot
Walk away
Gronk style

 

[ywendyh]

You did the right thing in trying to help your friend and I really respect that. Ultimately the choice is up to him. If he refuses to heed your warnings there is nothing you can do about it without risking your friendship. The important thing is that you said something and hopefully planted a seed. He may one day remember what you said about the fake smokes and try to verify for himself alone. He may even come back to you on the topic. Who knows? The important thing is that he knows you are his friend and when he's ready you are there to steer him away from the scammers.

 

[Sin]

Alohastyle and AZCigarNut seem to have the right idea on this one.

 

[code_man]

You already tried telling him, Anyone that really takes up cigars will eventually be able to tell differences especially after they take a trip somewhere and do some sampling at a legit brick and mortar. If he asks your opinion then point out the flaws or post it for others to pick apart.

 

[code_man]

Give him your vendors

Best answer yet or even beter buy him a sample from your vendor and give it to him as a gift since you know what he likes.

 

[Cigary43]

You'd sacrifice a friendship just so that you can be right? "Keeping onto a friend until he sees the light...." I dunno man...if one of my friends kept coming on to me this way esp. after I told them what it is I like....even if it's not a real cuban cigar...it stops being a friend and becomes a situation of having to "be right" and that will destroy a friendship faster than most things. Friends want friends that will give them the space to be wrong if they find out later..friends want friends that will support them even when they are sometimes wrong. I've had friends tell me things that they thought were wrong but they didn't sacrifice the friendship just so they can be right.

As far as fake Vendors go....I understand that there are more out there that you can shake a stick at but as long as there are those who are willing to buy the product...they will continue to thrive and being Don Quixote will not fix the problem. While I applaud your initiative at balancing things in life sometimes people need to experience loss or hitting the wall...some just won't learn any other way.

That's not what I mean, brother!

If a buddy just flat out said, "Look, I know they're fake but I just don't care - they taste good, to me, and are cheap," then I'd simply state my position on him supporting a fake vendor and drop it...... can't fault a guy for having bad taste. :grin:

In this case, though, the guy believes they're legit...... and, as a friend, I would definitely keep on him because he's getting screwed! I hate (a) when a buddy gets screwed and (b) when fake vendors continue to get money by screwing people!

It's not about being right...... it's about helping a FRIEND out (and, in this case, really helping ALL cigar lovers out by trying to reduce the business of fake vendors)!

Maybe I'm a jerk for that...... but if you're my FRIEND... and you're getting screwed (by a fake vendor... by a cheating girl... by a thieving accountant...), I'm definitely not gonna just shrug it off and watch you continue to get screwed. Yeah....... if you gave me an ultimatum that you just like cheap fake crap... or don't care your girl is a cheater... or like giving extra money to your accountant............. okay, fine, I'll let you drown all on your own. Up until that point, though (even if it ends up I was tilting at windmills the whole time - ahem)... my definition of FRIEND says I keep trying to show you.

P.S. - I've been on the other end of all THREE of those scenarios I mention...... and I'm glad I had friends to slap me awake!

Cheers, brother!

I do agree with you after reading this...friendships are worth more than any cigar but as a friend we should at least give each other enough room to make their choice after we've given them all the advice we can...as a friend. Real friends wouldn't lose the relationship over a cigar.

 

[KcJason1]

Give him a behike... Destroy his ass forever!

 

[Jfire]

[/QUOTE]
Real friends wouldn't lose the relationship over a cigar. [/QUOTE]
Unless u catch that friend MUing a gifted Behike

 

[BEN(SWEDEN)]

The consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself.

Sad consensus, if you ask me. I'd keep onto a friend until he saw the light... and simultaneously take business away from a peddler of fakes. Shrug.

P.S. - there are a couple legit vendors that still unband (and one that repackages to make it look like they come from elsewhere) their cigars. You could probably find out, for sure, with a PM to the right member(s) here on BOTL.

This!!!

 

[Cigary43]

The consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself.

Sad consensus, if you ask me. I'd keep onto a friend until he saw the light... and simultaneously take business away from a peddler of fakes. Shrug.

P.S. - there are a couple legit vendors that still unband (and one that repackages to make it look like they come from elsewhere) their cigars. You could probably find out, for sure, with a PM to the right member(s) here on BOTL.

This!!!

Pot calling the kettle black here Ben....you need to go back to that forum and fix things that you are well aware of. PM me.

 

[BKKALLDAY]

Here's how I see it... If your buddy's girl was cheating on him, you are obligated to tell him. If he's in love, doesn't matter cause he's a friend, after you tell him it's his decision from there on out. That's how it is with this vendor, like a girl, he's being supplied with something he wants which is that great relationship. This girl is lying about their relationship and giving him something that isn't real and he's dumping his precious time into it... You gotta let him know his girl is cheating on him.

Haha maybe the wrong analogy but cigar smoking is a relationship, smoking the finest cigar is an incredible experience in that relationship. That experience isn't an honest or finest one but he's being told and paying as if It is.

That's just my 1/50 of a dollar haha

 

[Starbuck]

the consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself.

sad consensus, if you ask me. I'd keep onto a friend until he saw the light... And simultaneously take business away from a peddler of fakes. Shrug.

P.s. - there are a couple legit vendors that still unband (and one that repackages to make it look like they come from elsewhere) their cigars. You could probably find out, for sure, with a pm to the right member(s) here on botl.

this!!!

pot calling the kettle black here ben....you need to go back to that forum and fix things that you are well aware of. Pm me.

This!!

 

[Angry Bill]

The consensus seems to be to let him continue as long as he enjoys himself.

Sad consensus, if you ask me. I'd keep onto a friend until he saw the light... and simultaneously take business away from a peddler of fakes. Shrug.

P.S. - there are a couple legit vendors that still unband (and one that repackages to make it look like they come from elsewhere) their cigars. You could probably find out, for sure, with a PM to the right member(s) here on BOTL.

This!!!

Pot calling the kettle black here Ben....you need to go back to that forum and fix things that you are well aware of. PM me.

Take it to pm boys. What occurs on other boards stays there. If there is a problem that can't be solved by pm , make Eric aware.