Cigarbid.com stole my money

[Emperor Zurg]

This the thread? Gee, I can't understand why you would be banned...

Cbid ripping people off - General Discussion - CigarBid Forums

[Hardheaded]

This the thread? Gee, I can't understand why you would be banned...

Cbid ripping people off - General Discussion - CigarBid Forums

Well shart man. Call me an offended fanboy.

At least someone from cbid attempted to admit to some shipping problems around the time of the stolen order.

But seriously. I'm pretty sure Cbid customer service always makes it right when something goes wrong when you contact them, at least based on experience and limited internet research because I really don't care enough to put any more effort into it than that.

[Upstatemax]

Sorry to hear about your shipping delay. However, this stuff can happen, even to well run companies. As others have mentioned, I HIGHLY doubt it has anything to do with purposefully trying to steal your money...

They could have made things easier on themselves if they just sent out an email warning customers about possible shipping delays.

I've had nothing but great customer service from CI, right down to delaying a shipment for me on purpose...

As a retailer myself, I come across situations like this all the time. If someone is respectful and understanding of reasonable delays, I will bend over backwards to make sure that they leave happy.

If someone flies off the handle at me or my staff, and makes a scene. My kindness shuts down and I'm more likely to hand you your money back and suggest a new retailer that might be able to help you more than me. Most of those customers come slinking back in, with a new attitude, when they visit some of those other retailers.

[Ropey]

Thanks for the responses. Yesterday I did ask for a full refund and magically today the entire order shipped.

This whole exercise has been very enlightening for me, and shows that most consumers will back a retailer rather than a fellow consumer. Consumer reports of poor behavior on the Retailer's part make people afraid and their initial reaction is to Kill the Messenger.

I find it fascinating and saddening. Fanboys abound on the internet and are a strange breed which I will never understand. Perhaps it is the nature of the average person who posts on these boards to be this way.

You are easily instilled with fear.

[Nature]

Thanks for the update. Glad your order shipped.

[Hardheaded]

Thanks for the responses. Yesterday I did ask for a full refund and magically today the entire order shipped.

This whole exercise has been very enlightening for me, and shows that most consumers will back a retailer rather than a fellow consumer. Consumer reports of poor behavior on the Retailer's part make people afraid and their initial reaction is to Kill the Messenger.

I find it fascinating and saddening. Fanboys abound on the internet and are a strange breed which I will never understand. Perhaps it is the nature of the average person who posts on these boards to be this way.

You are easily instilled with fear.

Or maybe we have a more realistic view of what happens in any sort of retail or sales business. I know I do, having worked in it for the last 10 years. Sometimes stuff happens. Sometimes it is even really odd, unexpected, and difficult to deal with.

My guess is you went into it with the attitude that you showed in this post. In that case id take my sweet time doing anything to help you.

Try not being a dick sometime and relax. Shit happens. Glad it worked out for you in the end.

[TreySC]

Or maybe we have a more realistic view of what happens in any sort of retail or sales business. I know I do, having worked in it for the last 10 years. Sometimes stuff happens. Sometimes it is even really odd, unexpected, and difficult to deal with.

My guess is you went into it with the attitude that you showed in this post. In that case id take my sweet time doing anything to help you.

Try not being a dick sometime and relax. Shit happens. Glad it worked out for you in the end.

That's good rule for life in general

[Ropey]

Actually when I talk with customer service I'm usually usually very sweet. I know it's not their problem they are just minions.

I did this as more of an experiment to see what kind of response I would get from the company and from people on the internet. I'm not very surprised but I am a little bit enlightened. it's always interesting to see how people will react when negativity is thrown their way. Most people on the internet especially cigar boards want to be nice and be friends with everybody. I don't care about any of that and never have.

I do think however it's sad that many consumers - - not all - - immediately take the side of the retailer rather than fellow consumers. A surprising number actually. That to me is very interesting because you will never be a huge multinational corporation but some day you may get screwed over by one. Choose your allies and your enemies wisely.

That's all I have to say about this, other than the fact that puff.com deleted my post immediately and botl.org locked it after a day or two.

I guess we know whose asses they're kissing don't we?

[Emperor Zurg]

Here's a few points I expect you to disregard

I want to be nice and be friends too. I'm only not when it becomes impossible to do so.

Your original post was very sketchy as to 'proof' that you'd been robbed; there was a shipping delay, you called back after hours and they were closed. Big. Forking. Deal. Then you went on their boards and bitched about them in public so you were rightfully banned. None of this adds up to 'I was robbed'

I do take the side of the retailer, I openly admit that. The reason being that if a company has risen to multinational (as you put it) recognition, 99% of the time, they haven't done it by screwing people or treating them badly. The types that do usually fold pretty early in the game. I am also in business myself and I know that for one - sometimes shit happens. For two - I will do everything in my power to make it right. ...oh and for three, I also know that some customers have a chip on their shoulder and these you can't possibly please. We refer to these types of customers as 'Assholes'. It's a business term. Even in the end C-bid did you right. After all the bitching, threats and vitriol they STILL shipped you the cigars. That's more than I would have done.

I am not kissing anyone's arse. I'm also not choosing my allies/enemies by either trashing a company or sticking up for them. How could I? I don't use my real name on the internet and I will never post a pic of myself or any of my family so how the hell would this work? Or did you think 'Emperor Zurg' was my real name? I will trash a company if it deserves trashing but I will not trash a company who, in my experience (Disclaimer: with CI mind you, never had dealings with C-bid) bends over backward to make things right... and I especially wouldn't trash them based on some sketchy circumstance brought to the board by a guy with an anti-business chip on his shoulder.

Edit...

To clarify: I am not calling you an asshole. I am simply pointing out that once the company you are dealing with relegates you to asshole status, all is lost and they will usually do very little to help you at that point. A chap will catch far more flies with honey than vinegar.

[Old Smokey]

All's well that ends well and I certainly feel better.
Now, what are we smokin tonight?