The EL List, by itself, is certainly suspicious. But then all the guys have already told you that.
The fact that a cigar is counterfeit does not necessarily mean that it will smoke like crap. Many do, but I've found that the ones that look good, tend to be boring, not Cuban, but not horrible. While you may find counterfeit Cubans made with Cuban tobacco (though not the tobacco used in the legitimate marca) on the island itself, any counterfeits you find off-island are almost certainly not going to contain any Cuban tobacco.
As to why retailers go to such lengths to sell counterfeits and why the producers seemingly put in so much effort? Of course the answer is profit. A box that can be made for $35 and then sold for $375 is a very attractive thing. Some counterfeiters are also starting to apply what they are learning to their "industry." Fakes are getting better in every way as time passes. Why? I believe one reason is because there is room in the pricing structure for them to continually improve their copies. This means all aspects of the packaging as well as the quality of the tobacco used. Another reason is that I think there is a class of "professional" counterfeiters that is concerned about supplying deceptive product that is of a sufficiently high quality that customers will repeat buy. One can only gain so much from duping someone for the first time with crappy goods. A steady revenue stream is more likely to come from repeat customers.
CigarStone, keep in mind that even though the cigar may be good, it may not be "real." Cigars like the Partagás Pirámides and RyJ Petit Pirámides are very distinctive cigars. If you've not had an authentic specimen, you might not be able to discern that they are not genuine. I mean no offense with respect to your palate or your experience. It's just that the newest specimens I've seen are so perfectly done that if the counterfeiters did not still regularly commit a few key mistakes, there would be no way I could tell these were fakes without an authentic specimen (cigars and boxes) right in front of me to compare. And in some cases, not without smoking one.
I got your PM and will be responding shortly. I'll be asking you to send me the photos to my university account.
One final comment. Even though these cigars might smoke well and could be considered good values if one accepted their counterfeit status, I would recommend against patronizing vendors who sell these things. On the one hand, you would be supporting people and companies' whose business model is built on deception, fraud, and the trade of counterfeit goods. Any customer service relationship built on this foundation could not, by definition, be one of respect and trust. On the other hand, you would also not be sending your support to the country and people from whom the Havana Cigar originated.
Wilkey