A charge on your credit card statement listed as “Cigars Etc,” or more often under names like “BPA Sales LP,” “MEM-CILOYAL,” or “BPA Services,” is almost always a $14.95 monthly fee for Puro Perks, a paid loyalty subscription run by the online retailer Cigars International. You can cancel it by phone and, in most reported cases, get a full refund of past charges — including months you never noticed.
What the Charge Actually Is
Puro Perks is a paid loyalty program that offers cashback and shipping rebates to Cigars International customers. It’s administered by Clarus Commerce LLC on behalf of BPA Sales, L.P., which is the entity that actually bills your card.1Puro Perks. Program Terms The standard fee is $14.95 a month. A related program called Pipes Plus has also drawn complaints, with monthly charges running between $16.95 and $18.31.2Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints
The reason the charge is hard to recognize is that the merchant descriptor doesn’t say “Cigars International” or “Puro Perks.” Consumers report seeing “BPA Sales LP,” “MEM-CILOYAL,” or “BPA Services” on their statements instead.2Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints If any of those labels is on your statement and you’ve bought cigars online in the last year or so, that’s your charge.
How You Got Enrolled
Enrollment happens through a pop-up window that appears after you complete a cigar order on the Cigars International website. The pop-up offers shipping rebates. Entering an email address and clicking through starts a 30-day free trial of the loyalty program, and once the trial ends the subscription converts to recurring monthly billing unless you cancel.3Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints, Page 2
Cigars International says customers receive a welcome email and a physical mail packet explaining the program’s terms after signing up.4Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints, Page 3 Many consumers tell the Better Business Bureau they never understood they were agreeing to a paid subscription at all, citing pre-checked boxes and unclear pop-up language. The charges can sit on a statement unnoticed for a long time. One consumer reported 13 straight months of fees totaling $194.35 before catching on; another reported 12 months at $179.40.2Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints
Billing complaints account for 89 of the 158 complaints the BBB has logged against Cigars International over the past three years, more than half the total.2Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints If you didn’t knowingly enroll, you’re in a very large group.
How to Cancel
The fastest route is to call. Puro Perks lists its Customer Program Department at 888-645-4168, and the program terms also allow cancellation through the “Help” or “Contact Us” link on the Puro Perks website.1Puro Perks. Program Terms Cigars International’s main customer service line is 1-888-244-2790 (option 2), open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Live chat and an online contact form are also available.5Cigars International. Contact Us
Ask explicitly for two things: cancellation of the subscription, and a refund of every charge billed to date. Keep a note of who you spoke with and when.
What Refunds Usually Look Like
The Puro Perks terms say refunds are not prorated and that cancellation only takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle.1Puro Perks. Program Terms In the complaints the BBB has published, though, the actual pattern is more generous. When consumers push back and say they never knowingly enrolled, Cigars International has repeatedly canceled the subscription and refunded the full amount of accumulated charges, not just the most recent month. Some resolutions also included a courtesy coupon of $30 to $100. The company says refunds take up to 10 business days to post.4Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints, Page 3 In its responses to the BBB, the company has at times acknowledged “unintended enrollment.”6Better Business Bureau. Cigars International Complaints, Page 6
Disputing the Charge With Your Card Issuer
If the company doesn’t make you whole, or if you’d rather not deal with them, the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you the right to dispute billing errors on a credit card. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized charges at $50, and you can withhold payment on the disputed amount during the investigation without being reported delinquent.7Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Send a written dispute to the billing inquiry address on your card issuer’s statement within 60 days of the statement that first contained the charge. Include your name, account number, and a description of what’s wrong. The issuer has to acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90.7Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends keeping copies of everything you send.8Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill
Beyond the 60-day FCBA window, you may still be able to request a chargeback through your card network for up to 120 days. If the merchant doesn’t respond with evidence supporting the charge, banks typically side with the consumer.9Stripe. Chargebacks 101 For older charges that fall outside both windows, calling Cigars International directly is usually the better path, since the complaint record shows the company has refunded well beyond those timeframes.
One practical sequence works for most people in this situation: check your last 12 or more statements for any of the merchant names above, call to cancel and request a full refund, and if the refund isn’t complete within about two weeks, file a written dispute with your card issuer for whatever remains.