Buy Cigars From These 4 Websites—Avoid the Rest
Unlike other articles outlining the best places to buy cigars online, this article also goes into detail on online cigar stores to avoid. That’s important, because there are some truly terrible websites to purchase cigars from, including companies that have terrible service or are straight up scams.
So how do I determine the best websites to buy cigars online? After 10 years of personally ordering from a number of retailers, the most important components of a cigar store are customer service, price, selection, quality, and the usability of the website.
Now, without further ado…
The Best Websites to Buy Cigars Online
1. Famous Smoke Shop
Famous Smoke Shop was the winner on my original list back in 2016, and it remains there to this day. First, although not perfect, the website is easy to navigate, has a modern and mobile friendly web design, and makes it easy to sort product by price, brand, country of origin, ring gauge, strength, and more.
Second, after a number of years of making large and small purchases with Famous, I’ve never had a bad order—never late, never any dried out product, no bait-and-switch orders, etc. And when I have needed customer service (to change shipping addresses, etc), their customer service department has been friendly and completely on point.
Third, Famous Smoke Shop still maintains Cigar Monster, which is a newer take on the old deal-an-hour fad of the early 2000’s. The benefit there is they have five packs of major brands that are discounted 20%-30%.
2. Gotham Cigars
Gotham Cigars comes ranked as the number two online cigar retailer for a couple of reasons. First, the websites does a good job of appealing to a broader arrow of cigar smokers, including those looking for cheaper, machine made cigars (which are all of their top sellers). Second, the website is very clean and easy to navigate, which might not sound like a big deal but if you’ve ever tried to shop on some of the more archaic cigar websites (*cough* Cigar Auctioneer *cough*), you’ll know that having an easily navigable experience is a big plus.
3. Smoke Inn
When I wrote my last ranking in 2016, Smoke Inn was a runner up, with the caveat that its web design needed some work. Well, somewhere in the last two years this site upgraded. It still isn’t 100% intuitive to navigate, but the product pages are slimmed down and much easier to understand than most other online cigar retailers.
Two other reasons Smoke Inn makes the list. First, they have the standard cigar selection, and second, they also have a huge selection of boutique smokes (good gifts for the enthusiast in the family).
4. Cigar Page
Cigar Page’s slogan is “A smorgasbord of cigar deals,” and boy does it deliver. The website specializes in five and ten packs from major brands, and really does have excellent deals. I haven’t purchased from this website personally, so I can’t vouch for the quality of the product, and hence why I strongly recommend Famous Smoke. But some of the deals are impressive, so if you’re a current cigar smoker it’s a website to look at.
And now, with the best websites out of the way, it’s time for…
The Worst Websites to Buy Cigars Online
If you’re going to buy cigars online, you need to know that there absolutely are retailers to avoid. Here are the cigar retailers you should pass over in favor of our recommendations above.
Thompson Cigars
I hate to say it, but even after writing my first article on online cigar stores more than five years ago, Thompson Cigars still hasn’t improved their reputation much. True, they have a A+ rating on Better Business Bureau, but if you look at the reviews page, you’ll find negative review after negative review. They seem to have a reputation for signing unsuspecting shoppers up for expensive monthly subscriptions without their consent, which is, you know.. Bad.
I don’t have first hand experience, but here are some of the comments on my previous post about Thompson:
“Please avoid Thompson Cigar…they did exactly what you said they would do…Back in the summer my boyfriend spoke to them about starting a monthly subscription starting September 11 2017…and told them he would call them first before he wanted his card charged…Well on September 1 2017 they went ahead and charged his card….he immediately called them and told them to cancel it….after all kinds of back and forth they refused to cancel the order and we would have to wait until after he received the cigars then call them back to have a return slip sent to him…2 months later he was still waiting, he finally got it after several months but at that point decided to keep them, which I’m sure was done deliberately so he did keep them…well they got $120.00 but he won’t ever purchase from them again…Thank you”
“I placed an order online with Thompson Cigar and within half an hour cancelled it. I received an email acknowledging the order was cancelled. Much to my surprise, I received an email telling me it had shipped. When I called their CSC line, I was told there is nothing that can be done (is the CSC out of the country?) I usually order from another large online vendor but they did not have what I wanted to send and had heard good things about Thompson. My mistake and will not order again. Consumer beware.”
“Thompson’s cigar club is a nuisance, as are their pushy sales people!”
Cigars International
Cigars International on my worst list boils down to the fact that they still have an F rating with Better Business Bureau. The rating is largely due to an IT issue that surfaced in February 2017 that resulted in thousands of customers being charged for orders that then had extreme delays in delivery. You can read the ground floor from the consumer point here. The problem has mostly been fixed, but I’ve still seen reviews surfacing around the internet from customers who are still reporting problems.
CigarBid
Cigar Bid was actually on my “best” list in previous years, but due to my own personal experience they are now on my worst list. Cigar Bid is certainly a website to get good deals, but I’ve found a number of my orders were delivered with dry cigars inside. Cigars that aren’t humidified are mostly ruined, so this is equivalent to getting a box of wine bottles that have oxidized and turned into vinegar. Second, I had one order placed where I was then told they didn’t actually have the product in stock and would be sending me something else.
If you want a full breakdown between CigarBid and Cigar Auctioneer, read my detailed breakdown here.
Solo Cigars
I’ve never purchased through Solo Cigars, but I’ve read on countless internet forums now that, not only do they sell fake Cuban cigars, but they’ve also been involved in creating fake accounts on popular cigar forums to try to get people to change their mind about the retailer. Just google their name and look at result 2 – 10. You’ll get the idea. Key point here is: always check the reputation of any cigar retailer you purchase from. Just google their name and add “reviews”.
Do you have a favorite cigar retailer that should be on this list? Or, if you have a question about a cigar retailer, or a comment (good or bad), drop it in the comments section below.
Affiliate disclosure: when you purchase something using the retail links on this or other Fine Tobacco NYC pages, we may earn a small commission. Our opinions remain our own!
I like Holts online cigar shop. A+ service, nice selection and competitive prices.
Bought a whole box of vanilla backwoods n most of em came moldy i cost like 140$+ don’t buy from hitcigar.com n i also bought a box of dark stouts n 2 packs came in moldy smh but they were pretty fresh not dry
Thompson Cigar’s is the worst online company to purchase from. No matter what you pay for delivery it will never be on time nor will your cigars be fresh. The cigars are never humidified during shipping. I ordered my husband cigars for Father’s Day, paid extra for expedited shipping to ensure delivery, and waited. Luckily I have signed up for shipping/delivery alerts from all carriers. UPS notified me that the entire shipment was stolen from their delivery truck the Thursday before Father’s Day and that they notified Thompson as well. I was never contacted by Thompson to let me know that the delivery wasn’t going to arriving or what they were going to do about the money I had paid them for something that wasn’t going to be delivered. After sending 4 emails to customer service & trying to contact them by phone (waited on hold for more than 30 minutes- recorded voice stated the wait time was 1.5 hours), i resorted to sending a message on Facebook- as well as a negative review. Needless to say, they finally replied to my Facebook message to find out if I had emailed or call customer service to file a claim? They had all order information and didn’t offer me a refund or to reship the order. By the way they are rated an “F” by the BBB in Florida.
I have bought from both cigar bid and cigar international in April – June of 2019 well packaged, not dry or moldy. The only issue it takes a week to get them. I never talked to customer service because of no issues.
Holt’s in the best. Cigars International is my most hated. Cigars International delete negative reviews. Crooked as can be. I bought from them for years and they left all my positive reviews but I noticed all my negative reviews were deleted. Help yourself out and try Holt’s
I’ve used Fox Cigars and Mike’s never had an issue with them. Fox packs with humidor bags so the cigars are never dry.
I’ve got to tell you….i’ve never, ever, once had a good cigar from J&R. I don’t say that lightly, b/c I’m sure they take a lot of pride in their work. In the beginning of smoking cigars 20 years ago, I’d go all the time. As the years went on I noticed the cigars were always stale. I tried different stores too and the same thing. So, I stopped going. Periodically I’d stop in and give it a try, but the same result. Last month I was at a political fundraiser. Tickets were $1,000 for a cigar night. I figured, top quality. I smoked two and they were a bit “off”. I asked the host if he got them from J&R and he said he did….I knew it! I get the same results from Cigar International, though I don’t go there much. I’m just wondering if these outlet places get the rejects from cigar companies? Similar to like Department Stores. You may go to Marshals and get a brand name, but it won’t be the same as say Nordstrom’s. Are there any cigar experts who can comment on this? I’d be curious to know if it’s just me.
J&R was great about 15 years ago, but they sold the place a few years back and it hasn’t been the same. They seem to be more interested in machine made cigars. They use to hold really big events and most followed.
My last purchase from Cigars INternational was my last. The agent was aggressively pushing me to accept his special, and I accepted it but when it came the cigar size was small and skinny . I wrote to them about my dissatisfaction and have received NO reply.
You may wish to revise your ratings. In the last few months, JR Cigar has fallen off a cliff. They apparently tried to do some sort of system upgrade that has resulted in broken accounts, lost and incorrect orders, abysmal shipping times, and utterly unresponsive customer support. Look at the reviews from June/July. https://www.resellerratings.com/store/JR_Cigars_2
True.
JR used to be the best, by 2019 they are the absolute WORST. Items won at their auctions don’t get shipped unless contacted to Customer Service; which, unfortunately, doesn’t exist any longer. No return calls, no emails replies, and they take forever to ship.
Rude, terrible, disgusting….
Agreed JR Cigars aka cigars.com shouldn’t be on the best list. Always slow shipping and when you call same excuse, warehouse is behind 3 days. If business is so good maybe they should hire more people or get rid of the ones they have now and hire someone that can do the job. Been buying from CI and Neptune and so far had no problem with either. CI even offers free shipping without signing up and paying for some Amazon like crap JR has.
Caution: Thompson Cigar has been bought by a firm outside of USA. They closed the Tampa facility around in either March or April 2019 and have shifted their entire warehouse of cigars to Bethlehem Penna. where they now ship order fulfillments. Only one problem – which exposes Thompson for what crooks they are – they are charging TAX on shipments into Florida and other States where they do not have a facility. They fail the “Nexus Test” that allows taxes to be collected in States where the shipper DOES HAVE a facility. Otherwise, you can’t ship from Penna. to a consumer in Florida and collect taxes for Florida when you don’t have a presence there. And you can’t collect taxes from the Florida resident for the State of Penna. since the cigars won’t be consumed there.
Uhh Yeah that’s a thing now. The federal government passed a law that ALL online retailers (having a local presence in a state or not) charge sales tax for the state in which the buyer is having the item shipped to. This was done because A) your local businesses were complaining about how the internet is killing BnM because people were saving on something that BnM could not get away from (charging sales tax) B) the government KNEW you were not being honest about the sales tax you were “reporting” on your taxes. So essentially unless you are either super lazy, afraid of getting shot, or looking for the super rare/out of stock item, there is absolutely NO reason to shop online anymore.
Cigar International, no matter their IT issue, is now a great website. been using it for 1-2 years, prices are solid, packaging always comes with a Bovida pack. Good customer service, not amazing, but fine. Really can’t recommend them enough. Cigar.com is also great. Do *not* use Cigars.com. A bit shady, poor customer service, and everything about it is suspect.
I also agree with the listed 4 spots of this article. Famous Smoke and JR etc. are solid.
Again, I would recommend Cigars International as my #1.
Just an FYI, cigars.com = JR Cigars. Same people
I usually order from Neptune Cigars, in Miami. I’ve always gotten then in 2 or 3 days (except when USPS is the cause of delays), they’re fresh, priced well, often have cigars that I smoke in stock when others are backordered. I’ve never had a single issue with them.
I will, however, try some of the ones on this list that I haven’t this far. I like to have more than one good place to order from, to avoid back orders
To note, I’ve never had an issue with Thompson Cigars either, but I haven’t ordered that much from them. I can’t speak for their part performance as I’ve only been ordering from them during 2020
CI not the same anymore!! I’ve been buying for about 10 years, probably a couple hundred sticks/year…should probably do some math there…coulda maybe bought a new car. Anyway, in 2020, I have not received an order that didn’t have some horse manure cigars, including a box of 20 Cohibas that I dropped $250 on. Something is wrong there….which ironically led me to start searching where I came across this review.
AGREED!!! Bought several 5 packs. 5 “Monticristos” were not smokable. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM. Called and e-mailed them – no reply STAY away from CI – the WORST.
My last experience with Cigars International (CI) was extremely disappointing, and very expensive. I was in Alaska vacationing, waiting for a cruise and needed to do an emergency order for cigars. I placed the order, “confirmed the different delivery address for the hotel during the process of ordering) and paid the shipping. The delivery date comes, but no cigars. I call the company, and Amanda from Shared Services tells me that the order didn’t ship because the hotel address wasn’t confirmed…says a second email was sent to confirm the different address…nothing I like better than being frustrated, and having to argue this with the staff. First, I had already confirmed the different address during their ordering process, and second…I didn’t receive this email she referenced — she resent a copy when it was being discussed, but I never got any notice before that. Soooo, here I am in Alaska where the prices are unbelievable – I spent a lot of money recovering from this to have sticks on the cruise ship. Upon my return home, I consulted an attorney, because I seriously wanted to be reimbursed for the extra cost, time driving/shopping for the replacements – it was purely the principle of the matter. Turns out it would be more expensive, so I let it go…until today when someone mentioned CI’s name (which they probably won’t do around me again). Previous delays in shipping have been overlooked, because I already had stock at the house. This situation in AK was unforgivable to be left high and dry in a state where cigars are outrageously high — by a company that I have done a lot of business with over the years. I vote with my dollar – and in this case, have chosen to cut my relationship with CI. This was just my experience, but in my opinion…if the customer verifies the different address after signing into their account, the company should have sent the cigars. Instead…I ended up having to go through a lot of hassle & money to remedy a poor company process. Not fair, and not my fault —
Have bought and received 5 orders from Famous Smoke. Always fresh, always receive within 4 days, always packed protectively and always a bargain.Haven’t tried the others no need to if I am happy and I’m delirious.
Not counting the auction sites, the best online cigar company is Atlantic Cigars. For 3 reasons: They have the absolute best prices {to get the best price, establish a free account first}; they have a tremendous investory and they process/ship very timely. I almost forgot to mention they have very good customer service for problems/returns.
Please comparison shop at this web site. I will add I have no connection to Alantic other than as a customer.
I love this post – one of the most valuable that I’ve seen in a while. Since moving to the UK, home of the $20 third-rate-cigar, I’ve not purchased cigars online back home, but a few years back, my main go-to was Cigars international which was head-and-shoulders above Thompson. CI stogies would seem to come in either fresh or slightly dry and on the verge of smoking. Whereas Thompson always sent plugged and dried out cigars most of which were unsmokable. Its disturbing to hear from some of you that CI has gone downhill. I am now ordering cigars to ship in the states so I’ve discovered that CI’s prices (and availability) are not so good anymore. I have checked out Famous Cigars and really like the selection and the price ranges are perfect for me on 6″ 60 ring full-bodied smokes. I may have found a new cigar source, will update here once I get the order and see the condition of the cigars.
I’ve ordered multiple times from CI.com and Famous Smokes. I’ve never had one issue, I do believe I may have some luck since I’m only about 30 miles from where they ship. Cigars Daily also has some great prices and really fast shipping.
Thanks for the list. I have ordered from Famous and i approve of them. Cigar International is good for some information, but purchasing is a pain.
Marc
https://www.CigarSmokeShop.net
I echo 2 earlier Comments: HOLTS (Excellent Service both on Delivery & Customer Service) Been buying the for almost
6 years. Started when nobody had Cuba Libre one (Well CI did and I swore off CI due some personal Bad Experiences)
in stock and they special ordered with No Prepay, called when it came in and shipped Immediately. Also have the Best
Price on Olivia Cigars (As I am Partial to the Master Blend 3-too bad the #2 & #1 of Master Blend are part of Cigar
History:
Also Props to ATLANTIC CIGARS and some great buys at times from SERIOUS CIGARS (Albeit Serious is an
arm of JR’s, usually better pricing some great Sampler Prices and good Customer Service (IMHO)
No I don’t work for any of the above nor does any of my family. Just a Normal Consumer who wants good quality
at the best price I Can find.
I also Started Buying From CIGAR PAGE when nobody knew who they were. In fact I was buying From FIELD
SUPPLY when the Cigar Division broke off and was Branded CIGAR PAGE (Which was started by a person
who left CIGARS INTERNATIONAL) With Cigar Page my only issue is sometimes they are selling off cigars
the bought from Distributors who could not unload what they had and the Loose Cigars (5 packs, 10 packs)
Can be in pretty bad shape if they are older products. Still order from them but usually by the Box. Most
of the time, On Most Brands CP does have the best price available.
Famous smoke very good. Cigar standard is excellent as they ship for free and always receive in two days. VERY good prices. CI has great prices and has been good for me. Thompson just recently disappointing for me. For boxes priced right with awesome shipping and just plain awesome I really like cigar standard.
JR Cigars is the absolute WORST! Contacted my credit card company to dispute their charge. Sent me half the order but billed me for the full order. Tried contacting customer service 5 times by email and phone. No response. Theives!
Couple years ago, I ordered almost $200 worth of cigars fr cigars international, but because of on line reviews, I paid with pay pal. I still haven’t received the smokes, nor have they gotten my $.
I have tried all the large stores. Cigar.com, CI and JR are all intertwined. STAY AWAY. Customer service is horrible. Your cigars, if/when you finally get them, will probably be ok, but they take forever, will more than not screw up your order and then make it very difficult to get it straightened out. Buy from Famous. They are great and care about you as a consumer. Plus, they do arrive much sooner.
How could you recommend a site you have never purchased from as being one of the best?
Hi Joe!
Good question. Since writing this article in March, I’ve actually purchased five boxes of cigars through Cigar Page and have been very happy with the results. But to get to your point, the deals on Cigar Page really are stand out.
I agree with other. JR has gone downhill in the last year or so. Delivery times have gotten worse although still not terrible. Just slower than in the past. It’s the quality that sucks lately. Cigars are too dry and falling apart upon receipt. At first it seemed limited to JR’s brand but now I see it’s all major cigars. I just received 30 Romeo & Julietas, many of which are falling apart when smoked. I was looking for a new place to order from and after reading this article I’ll try Famous Smoke.
Any feedback on Atlantic Cigars?
Atlantic is a good choice. Good selection, good prices, etc.
I’ve been ordering cigars from CI and c.com for over 10 years and never an issue. Delivery in a week or less. No complaints on humidity, although I always place freshly delivered cigars in humidity for at least month before lighting. Bear in mind that I have 2 humidors and over 300 smokes, so I’m never in a rush. I made a mistake on a CI order today and after I noticed it on the confirmation called CI, talked to a rep and had the issue resolved with a correction and new order confirmation within 15 minitues including wait time. Am I the only one they take care of. I doubt it.
I’ve been buying from CI for years. Cigars are wrapped super tight and never dry. I’ve had to consult customer service on a couple of occasions with no problems. Treated me just fine. I use PayPal most times and never had a problem. I’ve bought from Famous a couple of times-no problems but not my favorite. I like CI’s daily deal and free shipping on it. I’ve gotten some really good deals. Thompson was who I started buying from 15yrs ago. I got signed up for monthly that you could put on hold. Man they nagged the crap out of me. Finally cancelled it and found CI had better prices and deals. After reading most of these, I’ll definitely check in to some of the other. That’s how I found this post…looking for better deals. Cigar prices are sky-rocketing and online prices aren’t much better than the store I go to. That being said, I do go to the oldest tobacco store in Alabama which has the cheapest prices around. That’s what happens when you own the building and don’t have a plush smoking room w/ 10 tvs.
I’ve ordered from CI numerous times never an issue with my sticks, well packaged and gr8t stogies. Customer Service for me 2nd to none. Placed an order representative made a mistake and over charged me, called back an problem was solved expeditiously.
Geezzz! My two “mostly favorite – depending” cigar sellers you mentioned one and two. Thompson & C.I. With Thompson, I think it’s a matter of who is working that day. Sometimes I order and the Gars get to me within two days. At other times, when Godzilla-Give-A-Crap is working, they arrive a week or more later. Then try to use your Reward Points. I just had it out with them over why it is so difficult to access Reward Points. I got a “It’s very easy, just follow these unfollowable instructions.” Still, I endure but will definitely follow your recommendations on who to buy from. Thank You!
I shop for cigars at Famous Smoke Shops , JR’s, CI , Cigar Bid, and Cigar.com. Famous is very good good selection site is easy to navigate cigars arrive fresh and fast shipping and handling. Usually about 3 days from when I order. JR’S takes at least a week, but I get some good deals there and I haven’t had any bad cigars from them, if you get cigars from their auction you have to call customer service and have them put your items in your cart, or pay the customer service agent which is best they won’t get lost that way . I have no problems with CI cigars arrive fresh in about 3 days. Never had any bad cigars or problems with back orders. Cigar. com is another one I deal with do mostly auction purchases with them, get some good deals there and cigars are always fresh when they arrive in about 3 days, no complaints with them. I just started dealing with them have my first order traveling to me, should be here on Monday if UPS doesn’t stall it out with this virus deal, can’t vouch for the condition of the cigars yet.
Famous Smoke has a free shipping offer on orders of $75 or more. I was ready to make a purchase that came to $74.98 before tax, I called them and asked if my order which fell 2 cents under the $75 could be considered for the free shipping and I was denied. SERIOUSLY? Turn down an order for 2 lousy cents? Greed has gotten incredibly rampant these days so I just went to Holts.
After 4+ years and thousands of dollars with Thompson Cigars, I’ve had it. I had a credit card cloned and Thompson was mistakenly swept up in a “charge back” by the bank. That has been settled by the bank but Thompson still has a hold on my account. Discussion with their customer service and online chat has not solved the problem. I’ve place 3 orders with them in the last 2 weeks and all cancelled due to the hold despite providing an active credit card. I’m done with them. Their lack of concern with a customer who has been faithful and spent quite a bit of money is irrelevant as far as I can see.
After buying from JR Cigar over 20 + years, they have steadily declined since Lew Rothman retired. Customer service is non-existent, as they they don’t respond. Mistakes made on orders (usually involving free shipping) go unanswered. They charge state sales tax, but when your invoice comes it states ” sales tax not collected”. I think that I am done with them.
I’ve used Famous, CI, Cigar.com, but recently almost all my purchases are from Cigar Page. Their prices are sometimes unbelievable (like 1/2), shipping is always free, and I’ve received product in perfect condition in usually about 4 days. No complaints, Worth a try.
I have used Mike’s and Famous Smokes, both were prompt shipping, fresh cigars and reasonably priced.
I will not ship unreasonably low prices as inevitably there is something wrong about the cigars. I have had bummer experiences we with JR and Thompson, just lousy, ineptly managed businesses.
I’ve been using Cigars International since around 2008, never had an issue, got lucky during their 2017 IT scandal I guess, maybe I was using a different site that year. But I like Cigar.com and Holts the best. Holts customer service is really good.
I’ve been in this hobby for almost 20 years. I started out with Thompson Cigars but was quickly put off by the monthly subscription, which was very difficult to end, at least for me. Started using JR and Famous Smoke and they were fine. I’ve tried Holt’s, and they are very good. For the last 10+ years, I’ve used Cigars International (CI) and have never had a bad experience. I order at least 6-10 times per year and have about 1500 cigars in my large humidors. Everything I order is here within 3-5 days (I live in PA, so that helps), is packaged nicely, and in good condition. I rotate my cigars, but everything has been fresh. Customer service has always taken care of me if there ever was an issue. The IT issues in 2017 didn’t affect me at all, and in 2018 they sent their customers on their email list a $50 gift certificate for sticking with them! Their prices and deals are really good and I’ve never had a complaint in almost 15 years. Of course, we all have different experiences, so order from who you are happy with.
Atlantic Cigar is best for pricing and selection. Their holiday weekend sales are always 30-50% for boxes.