I personally consider Famous Smoke Cigar Store to be highly-rated due to its combination of top-tier quality and competitive midrange prices. The added bonuses, such as free cigar samplers or accessories, make every purchase a delight. This review highlights why it’s my go-to choice for premium cigars.
I rate this store a solid 9 out of 10. This store is particularly well-suited for:
- Bargain hunters: You get premium cigars at midrange prices without compromising quality.
- Gift shoppers: The frequent inclusion of free samplers and accessories makes it easy to stock up on gifts.
- Regular smokers: The consistent quality and value-added extras provide excellent value for long-term customers.
However, there are some downsides worth noting:
- Price variability: You might find certain cigars cheaper elsewhere, so it’s wise to shop around for the best deals.
- Limited lowest prices: While midrange priced, it may not always offer the absolute lowest price on every single cigar.
Next, I will compare the various aspects of Famous Smoke Cigar Store, such as pricing, quality, and additional perks, to provide a comprehensive overview. This will help you decide if this store meets your cigar-buying needs.
Offers and Deals
Any good cigar website should have some tasty deals. When it comes to coupons, Famous Smoke Shop is about as comprehensive as they come.
Free cigars. Free cutters. Heck, even free cufflinks. It’s all there – and in abundance.
This is no “spend $100 for $1 off” nonsense. These are meaningful savings designed to keep your wallet thick and your humidor packed.
The codes are always changing, so there’s a decent chance that if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll find exactly what you’re hoping for sooner or later. At least, that’s been my experience.
These offers are competitive for the industry, but Famous Smoke Shop take it one step further over on their sister site, Cigar Monster…
Cigar Monster
As far as online shopping goes, this is some pretty high-octane stuff. Cigar Monster’s deals are actually bizarrely good.
They have some of the deepest deals on the web, but here’s the thing – they’re time-sensitive, so you have to act fact. You snooze, you lose.
It’s pretty obvious to me that this is Famous Smoke Shop’s solution for getting rid of excess inventory, but that makes no odds to me. They get to clear their surplus, and I get a mental discount.
That, my friends, is what we call a win-win.
Some people might not enjoy the pressure of a countdown timer on some deals, but I’ve found it’s actually helped me take the leap to try cigars a little outside of my wheelhouse and find some new favorites.
“The Guarantee”
If I’m spending a chunk of change with a cigar site, I want to feel like I’m being looked after properly. We all work hard for our money – and that should be respected.
Most cigar outlets will offer a 30-day refund on defective products where the blame is with the vendor. For example, cigars that have been stored poorly and dried out, or have become damaged during shipping.
However, Famous Smoke Shop goes one hefty step further. They offer a return for any reason whatsoever, no questions asked.
“I do not consider a sale complete until the customer is satisfied.”
– Arthur Zaretsky, Owner of Famous Smoke Shop
It is refreshing to be treated like a grown-up. With other cigars stores, I feel like my refunds are sometimes treated suspiciously as if I’m somehow trying to get one over on the company.
With something like cigars, which depends so heavily on personal taste, I reserve the right to try things out and send them back if they’re not the right fit for me.
Famous Smoke Shop has always processed such refunds with courtesy and good grace, understanding that it’s pretty much impossible to know how you feel about a cigar until you’ve tried it.
If you order a jacket and it doesn’t fit when it arrives, you can send it back. Why should cigars be any different?
Of course, common sense should reign supreme here. If you try and send back a sampler of 5 having already smoked 3, you need your head checked. Don’t take liberties. But on a box of 100, there should be some leeway.
Shipping
First things first – on your initial order, there’s a free shipping offer for all orders over $75. You just have to sign up to the Famous Smoke Shop mailing list, which you’ll want to be on to keep track of the best deals anyway.
There’s usually a free shipping code on their coupons page, providing you hit certain criteria with your order. I practically never pay for shipping with Famous Smoke Shop because there’s almost always a promo.
So keep your eyes open to make the best savings.
If you’re simply too pressed for time to take those 30 seconds (does sarcasm travel over text well?) you can check out their shipping rates below:
Not that you’ll need them.
| Shipping Methods | Cost |
|---|---|
| Super Saver Deal | $7.99 |
| UPS Ground | $11.99 |
| USPS Priority Mail | $13.99 |
| Standard AK/PR | $14.99 |
| UPS 2 Day Deluxe | $18.99 |
| UPS PR 2 Day | $22.99 |
| UPS Next Day PM | $24.99 |
| Priority Mail Express | $26.99 |
| AK 2 Day Service | $22.99 |
| AK/PR 2 Day Rural | $31.99 |
| UPS Next Day | $34.99 |
And here’s a shipping map for delivery times through standard UPS ground shipping:
Reviews/ Testimonials
My personal experience with customer service has been solid. The only real issue I’ve ever had was that one of the “bonus items” I was awarded with my order, a torch lighter, did’t arrive. The tricky thing with non-arrivals is you have no real evidence of the claim – what do you do, send a picture of “not a lighter”?
Anyway, I sent an email to the customer service team, got a reply the same day, and had the lighter in my hands within a week. Keep in mind that the lighter was a bonus in the first place – I hadn’t even paid for it.
Despite the fact that it was a bonus in the first place, a replacement was sent out within a week.
I have done a bit of research on social media for other people’s experiences. Website reviews can be a little biased – after all, why would you publicize negative reviews about your service? Social media offers unfiltered opinions.
I found that any complaints were few and far between, and it seemed to me that they were more due to “difficult” individuals than Famous Smoke Shop themselves. That’s just my perception, but if it’s clear that you haven’t read the t’s and c’s properly and have unrealistic expectations, how can I take your point of view seriously?
The stories were overwhelmingly positive. I’ve gathered a few of them for you to check out below that I think give a good representation of the buying experience:
I will 100% be going to Famous for my online cigar needs in the future, really pleased overall, and specifically they went above and beyond to rectify a mistake for me, without giving me a hassle about it.
Facebook review of Famous Smoke Shop
I paid for the LEAST shipping and it got to me within 3 days!!! I have NEVER had an experience like that with USPS EVER!
ResellerRating review of Famous Smoke Shop
Customer service was also great as well when we talked through email. Very quick response, withing 5-10 minutes of me sending an email. Prices are the BEST on this site, will shop again and again.”
Reddit comment on Famous Smoke Shop
Cigar Samplers – Create-A-Sampler
Here’s something I haven’t seen elsewhere. Famous Smoke Shop offers a “Create-A-Sampler” deal, that lets you put together a DIY service that offers you the freedom of singles with the value of samplers.
Basically, you mix and match your cigars like you would when buying them individually – but for every five cigars you select, you’ll get one for free. There’s no limit on the number of cigars you can buy, as long as you’re not ordering more than 4 of the same.
Naturally, their offering of prebuilt samplers is stellar, too. All of the big boy name brands are there – Rocky Patel, Drew Estate, Romeos – alongside some great value home blends.
You can sort and search by price, community rating, price, and country of origin. It’s a super intuitive and straightforward way to cut through the vast selection and get to what you want quickly.
Cigar samplers are my favorite way to explore a brand I’m unfamiliar with and represent a great opportunity for rookies to learn more about classic smokes.
The average sampler contains an array of best-sellers of various shapes, sizes, and flavors, so you’ll have something on hand for every situation.
By trying out a range of smokes at low cost, you’ll be able to discover what smokes fit your personality best and invest in a full box with confidence.
These bundles tend to come directly from the supplier for a reduced price. It’s a way to get new customers invested in a brand they’re unfamiliar with, so naturally, they’re going to tempt you in with low prices.
Cigars for Warriors -Famous Smoke Shop Review
Smoking cigars is one of the best ways to kick back and relax after a hectic day. Well, if anyone needs that, it’s our brave servicemen and women.
Famous Smoke Shop’s Cigars for Warriors initiative is all about saying thanks to the troops. They manage shipments of stogies for squadrons deployed around the world, meaning wherever they are, there’s a taste of home waiting for them back at base camp.
To recognize their sacrifices and say “Thank You” for their commitment to our country – Famous Smoke Shop honors our troops and notes the common bond we share: cigars.
Famous Smoke Shop Cigars for Warriors Affiliation
What to Look for When Buying Cigars Online
When it comes to ordering cigars online, I’d consider myself an expert. My girlfriend might say addict, but tomato/potato.
Here are my top 10 things to look out for before putting your card down for an order. Luckily, Famous Smoke Shop satisfies all of these, which is why I recommend them.
If your cigar supplier doesn’t, perhaps you could do better. Just like my girlfriend. Wait – what?
Fast Delivery and Shipping
When you’re ordering cigars online, you want to feel like everything is just taken care of. Having to chase companies over late shipments or missing orders is not how I enjoy spending my Sunday.
Snappy shipping times make all the difference. If you’re in the middle of a grueling workweek, you’ll order something on Wednesday as a treat for the weekend. It sort of misses the point as a pick-me-up if the cigar doesn’t arrive for a month.
Another reason you’ll want fast shipping is freshness. The longer the cigar is out of the humidor, the more time it has to dry out and degrade. Even the best deal from timbuktu-cigars.net won’t compensate for depreciation in freshness and quality.
I understand that shipping cross-country costs money, but have a bit of context. I expect to pay a few bucks on top if I’m ordering singles, but a full box of cigars that can cost a few hundred bucks should come with complimentary shipping. If I’m spending a good chunk of my hard-earned cash with a supplier, it feels like the least they could do.
Quantity Options
Any established cigar store should offer you options. I hate being coerced into buying more cigars than I want or need just so I can get hold of the brand I want.
To be honest, in this day and age there isn’t much excuse to not offer singles. Cigars can be an expensive business, and I reserve the right to try before I buy, so to speak. That way you can find which style and brand of cigar suits you best without blowing your whole budget in one go.
If your retailer doesn’t offer a single of a cigar you’re fascinated by, chances are someone else will – if you’re willing to shop around. At the very minimum, you should be able to find a 3 or 5 pack to experiment with, rather than being forced into a full box of stogies.
Safe and Secure Website
Safety should be a priority for buying anything online, not just cigars.
I mean, you’re offering up your credit card details, for goodness sake. Would you just leave them lying around in the street? The internet is no different.
Once you’ve verified a site’s reputation through reviews, you should do your due diligence. Even if the website operators have good intentions, you need to make sure their site is up to scratch so your details aren’t intercepted by a third party.
Always check in your browser that payment pages use SSL and are properly encrypted if you want to stay safe.
Any online store worth its salt with have a privacy policy that is easy to find, and I encourage you to use a reasonably complicated password to minimize the chance of having your account hacked.
Product Quality Guarantee
Whether you’re ordering a $10 stick or a $200 box, make sure you’re covered.
When you’re shipping delicate items cross-country, things can go wrong. You’ll usually be protected for 30 days by law if your product arrives damaged or tampered with.
But what about if you’re just not a fan of that particular blend?
Because cigars are consumables, companies tend to have different policies. After all, the store can’t resell a cigar you’ve half-smoked and decided isn’t for you.
That said, the best places to buy cigars online put their customers first, and use common sense. Look for a provider like Famous Smoke Shop that will allow you to return a box of cigars within 7 – 10 business days provided they have not been excessively used.
Good User Experience
I’m not making a case for style over substance, but you can tell a lot about a company’s attention to detail and customer care by how their website functions.
If a company can’t put some effort into its storefront and show consideration for its user experience, what makes you believe that’s going to change once you press “order”?
I’ve wasted hours trying to find what I need on certain sites because they don’t have their categories for brands and types organized properly. Only to find that after all that, they don’t even have what I need.
Good sites will allow you to filter based on important criteria like price, shipping time, and availability. It’s all part of the service.
Reviews
It’s important to access user reviews, so you can get a good indication of real feedback from fellow cigar smokers.
Before you order from any cigar retailer for the first time, you should consider the experiences of those who have gone before you.
Are they, by and large, satisfied with their experience? Do products tend to arrive as described, and on time?
Most reputable providers with have customer reviews on the product page, which will give you an insight not only into fulfillment but the item itself.
Because businesses have control of what appears on their site, you should also do some digging elsewhere to make sure you’re not getting an airbrushed perception. My go-to resources are Facebook and Reddit. Through social media, you’re getting unfiltered opinions from real people, often supplemented with photos and video.
Once you’ve verified your source, you’ll want to check out some more comprehensive guides from cigar aficionados (such as ourselves at 7Gents!) to make sure that website is going to be able to deliver everything you’re looking for.
Famous Smoke Shop – Value, Verified.
If you’re looking for something that Famous Smoke Shop doesn’t have in stock (pretty tricky if you ask me), check out our review of Gotham Cigars. These two are a dynamic duo; if one doesn’t have what you need, the other tends to deliver.
Check out the links below for some of our favorite cigars brands you can buy via Famous Smoke Shop :
- Best Acid Cigars for a Sweet Smoke
What’s Changed?
19th July 2024: This guide was overhauled with changes to our recommendations, latest reviews, and was re-fact checked to make sure our reviews are as up to date as possible.
Write a comment