Quality Importers Launches “Qualified Program,” Resumes In-Store XIKAR Warranty Replacements

Quality Importers Trading Co.—the parent company of XIKAR, Humidor Supreme, Palió, Cigar Caddy and a variety of other cigar accessory brands—has announced a new program for its brick-and-mortar retailers that will offer exclusive incentives, products, and warranty program. For consumers, the big news is that select stores will now be able to perform in-store XIKAR warranty repair and replacement services.

Retailers that are part of the new Qualified Program will receive discounts on products they purchase and shipping costs, access to exclusive products and promotional items, and the ability to be deemed a XIKAR Authorized Warranty Location. In order to be part of the program, retailers must spend a certain amount on the four aforementioned brands: XIKAR, Humidor Supreme, Palió and Cigar Caddy. Once a retailer meets the spending tiers, they will be part of the program for the current year as well as the subsequent year.

A total of 136 retailers have already qualified based on their 2022 spending.

This will give consumers the opportunity to once again receive in-person service and/or replacement as part of XIKAR’s lifetime warranty.

If a consumer has a broken XIKAR item, they can visit a XIKAR Authorized Warranty Location, and the product will then be inspected and serviced. Retailers will be given training to look for common and easy-to-fix problems such as bleeding a lighter, making sure the piezo is positioned properly or checking the flint. If the retailer is unable to fix the issue, the retailer may replace the product for the consumer in person. For discontinued models, Quality Importers gives the retailers guidance on the replacement value of the product and it can be replaced with a new model of equal value. Consumers are not required to bring a receipt or proof of purchase. As in the past, the warranty does not cover any cosmetic issues caused by normal wear and tear.

XIKAR Authorized Warranty Locations are not required to replace the item on-site. They have the discretion to send it back to Quality Importers Trading Co. for further service or replacement. In addition, if the retailer does not have the inventory to replace the item, the product will then need to be replaced through Quality Importers.

Of note, if a replacement is done at a XIKAR Authorized Warranty Location, it means both the consumer and retailer will get a new item. Quality Importers says it reserves the right to replace a broken item with a refurbished product if it is sent to the company’s Weston, Fla. headquarters.

In some regards, this is a return to the old XIKAR warranty method where retailers would replace broken items out of existing inventory. That warranty program was great for consumers but caused issues for many XIKAR retailers because they were consistently asked to replace warranty items out of their inventory, meaning each warranty replacement resulted in retailers having one fewer new product to sell to a potential customer.

After purchasing XIKAR in 2018, Quality Importers did away with the over-the-counter warranty replacements and instead launched an online portal where consumers could send the products back to XIKAR for warranty work and/or replacement. Earlier this year, the company updated the portal to make it more consumer-friendly. The portal still exists for consumers who cannot visit a XIKAR Authorized Warranty Location or would rather handle the warranty process themselves.

“We are grateful for every customer who has joined us on our journey these past 23 years, and we have launched this program as a way to thank those of you who have grown with us and invite new customers to see the benefits of joining the QI family,” said Michael Giordano, ceo and founder of Quality Importers Trading Co., in a press release. “The Qualified Program is just another example of how we put your customer feedback into action as part of our QI 3.0 initiative that was launched last year.”

Update — An earlier version of this post referenced the program as “Quality Program,” it is “Qualified Program.”