Cigar Website Doesn't Pay Off Contest. What To Do?

[Blazer]

About 3 months ago I won a contest on one of the major cigar blog websites. The owner of the site contacted me and said the prize was a 5-pack of cigars that I had been dying to try, so I was pretty excited. After about a month with no cigars I emailed the blog owner and he said he was still waiting to hear back from all of the other winners and that when he sent out the prizes they we would be much better than the original prize. Okay, another month goes by with no cigars e-mail the owner again say "I'm not trying to be a thorn in your side, but I still have not received the prize." He says "got a disappointing response from the winners and now you are really going to get a great prize". I say great. A month later still nothing. Go to his blog and he now has another contest up and references the previous contest and winners. I've e-mailed him twice since his last "checks in the mail"  e-mail with no response. I know its just a few cigars and I shouldn't get bent out of shape about it, but number one, I never win anything! And number two he kept raising expectations by the telling me over and over again that the prize was going to be much better than the original and the lack of response to repeated e-mails is just rude.

So what to do? Just drop it? Keep trying to contact? Leave negative feedback on his website?

I should mention that as the owner of an e-commerce site, who runs contests and pays them off, I may be a bit skewed in my viewpoint.

[LGC]

Just leave negative feedback (with details) and be done with it. Blogs come and go like farts in the wind. There's no big investment, so many aren't run anything like a business. A lot of postings by owners are used to stimulate activity and hits.... without any followup on the backend.

[gr8eman]

I would go onto a web site like ripoff report or cigar inspector and write what you wrote above

[irratebass]

Blazer, sorry this happened to you....I KINDA had the same thing happen to me awhile back.

I won't mention his name, but you could probably figure out who it is as the story develops. I won a contest and I received my goodies, but one of them was damaged (tatuaje Jekyll). I took a pic and emailed him thanking him 1st for the sticks and then telling him about the damaged one with a pic enclosed advising him that I didn't need a replacement I was ok with what was sent,but I just wanted to make him aware.

He apologized and said that was his last Jekyll,but he would send me something else....I again told him it wasn't necessary, but I appreciated the offer.

Couple of weeks go by I send another email (I guess I should have let it go, but he insisted). He said he forgot about it, and would make it worth my effort and offered me a certain cigar...this was a new version of an old "novelty" cigar, I had purchased a box of the revamped version and was sadly disappointed....it was falsely advertised...they have as of this week revamped it yet again for the 4th time, but with another well known company (they sold out yesterday). I asked him if this was the revamped (2nd version) he assured me that this was the 3rd version...so I said ok.

Again nothing comes, I send him one last email, he assures me that he will get out....still haven't received it.

So not really the same as you as I did receive my original shipment, but if you say you're gonna do something, do it.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Ethernut]

@Blazer IMHO - Dishonest folks should at least be exposed.. Not in a douchey way but they shouldn't get any with it either. I'm a firm believer that adults need whoopin's too! Some exposure to their dishonesty in a gentlemanly way is whoopin' enough ;-)

[cigcars]

     *Sounds like you're the victim of a true jack-wad. Have been there myself a few times.  No.1: Rest assured folks like this always do get their come-uppance. My grandmother used to say that "you don't do to one what you don't do to all..." in that you're, no doubt, not the only one he's probably done this to. I would recommend what was suggested earlier, and that's that you make a written feedback complaint on CigarInspector.com, and leave negative feedback on that guy's own website. You've seen the fact that he's advertising another contest, and without having satisfied the contestants on his previous one - YOU!  People like this eventually cross the wrong one, if you get my drift, and that "wrong one" makes unGodly REAL trouble for folks like him. Even so, as he has not rectified this situation with you properly, again, I would just leave negative feedback on this guy with the proper websites and even RipoffReport.com.  I've made a couple of complaints on that site, myself.  Best of luck to you, Blazer 

[demer]

I would just let it go as is my personality but  there is a special place for ass hats that dont pay up on there debts.

[hoffmr3]

You have been more than patient and understanding. If you haven't already, maybe you could send one final e-mail to lay out the facts and let him know that without any response, you will feel compelled to caution others publicly about your experience.

I have no idea where to draw the line with things like this, but giving advanced warning and a reasonable deadline to respond prior to airing your grievance publicly is usually a good place to start, IMO.

[Blazer]

Thanks all for the feedback! I think I will try to email him one last time and if I don't hear back leave some comments over on CI.

[semifan1]

Don't waste your time, just go and leave the feedback. Hell you already tried 2 times.

[El Presidente]

We can all forget things. Life get's busy for all of us and I am sure we understand. 

However, an e-mail should get most things sorted quickly. 

"Damn, Sorry about that. Will take care of it" is all you really need.