# how do you spot fake / counterfit clubs?



## stu3y (Mar 11, 2016)

i recently bought a cobra fly z driver off ebay, brand new, all original packaging etc, but ive just read an article that the market for fake copys is massive, and made me worry a little about the face i bought a driver off ebay!  how do you actually spot a fake?


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## palindromicbob (Mar 11, 2016)

stu3y said:



			i recently bought a cobra fly z driver off ebay, brand new, all original packaging etc, but ive just read an article that the market for fake copys is massive, and made me worry a little about the face i bought a driver off ebay!  how do you actually spot a fake?
		
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Sometimes if it's a commonly used fake serial number a google search will show that up otherwise check with Cobra.  If it doubt take it to a pro or send to Cobra if you really want to be sure.  

Some sites have fake/real comparison photos which highlight the main differences and warning signs. 

Ebay is a mine field. Need to ensure its a reputable seller and if a private seller then check their history.  If they have been selling loads of similar listings or don't have much feedback and are selling a brand new club then it would be an alarm bell to me.  


Best way to avoid is to buy from a reputable dealer only.


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## stu3y (Mar 11, 2016)

I contacted cobra and sent pics etc but they said if it wasn't bought from a retailer they can't tell me if it's legit or counterfeit! Guess I will never know


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## Three (Mar 11, 2016)

Out of interest, why did you buy an untried club from eBay instead of from an authorised retailer?


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 11, 2016)

stu3y said:



			I contacted cobra and sent pics etc but they said if it wasn't bought from a retailer they can't tell me if it's legit or counterfeit! Guess I will never know
		
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That doesn't ring true - there normally is a serial number on the hosel somewhere

Just take it to your pro and get him to have a look.


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## Ross61 (Mar 11, 2016)

Try this link to golfbidder counterfeit guide. At the bottom of the page there is details of how you can set them a pic and they will help you.

http://www.golfbidder.co.uk/golf-advice/220/avoiding-counterfeit-golf-clubs.html


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## stu3y (Mar 11, 2016)

Three said:



			Out of interest, why did you buy an untried club from eBay instead of from an authorised retailer?
		
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I tried the fly z at a local direct golf but they didn't have the colour I was wanting and they were going to put the Reg flex shaft out of their demo club on to the new blue head they had as they only had stiff flex, wasn't prepared to pay full price for a 2nd hand shaft/grip on new head that wasn't the colour I was wanting, so I bought brand new off auction site in correct flex and colour.


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## User62651 (Mar 11, 2016)

People buy from Ebay rather than authorised dealers because its cheaper and everyone likes cheaper, why else would you?

If even Cobra cant tell if one of their clubs is a fake or not then the counterfeiters are doing a good job and perhaps suggests when buying Cobra or other brand you are in fact just paying for a name, for me there are usually subtle giveaways on fakes but it can be hard to tell, you get a sixth sense on it.

Real question is if you are playing Pongs instead of Pings, if the shot results are as good, does it really matter? Brands is all a vanity/psychological thing that we all fall for i.e if  a putter has Scotty Cameron written on it *I will* hole more putts! - then when you don't you blame it on all kinds of things but not the putter!


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## Three (Mar 11, 2016)

stu3y said:



			I tried the fly z at a local direct golf but they didn't have the colour I was wanting and they were going to put the Reg flex shaft out of their demo club on to the new blue head they had as they only had stiff flex, wasn't prepared to pay full price for a 2nd hand shaft/grip on new head that wasn't the colour I was wanting, so I bought brand new off auction site in correct flex and colour.
		
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I find it strange that Cobra are not interested in identifying whether it's original or not. 

Why don't you take it into the retailer, ie Direct Golf where you tried one out? You can compare there.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 11, 2016)

maxfli65 said:



			People buy from Ebay rather than authorised dealers because its cheaper and everyone likes cheaper, why else would you?

If even Cobra cant tell if one of their clubs is a fake or not then the counterfeiters are doing a good job and perhaps suggests when buying Cobra or other brand you are in fact just paying for a name, for me there are usually subtle giveaways on fakes but it can be hard to tell, you get a sixth sense on it.

*Real question is if you are playing Pongs instead of Pings, if the shot results are as good, does it really matter? *Brands is all a vanity/psychological thing that we all fall for i.e if  a putter has Scotty Cameron written on it *I will* hole more putts! - then when you don't you blame it on all kinds of things but not the putter!

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Good point.  Not endorsing buying counterfeits as that will just ruin the genuine manufacturers. But we have an office in Beijing and when I was out there they were telling me how some of the counterfeits are made in the same factories as the originals but done at night on the QT. So you could potentially end up with a bargain as they use a lot of the same stuff as goes into a genuine one. They were not specifically talking about golf equipment, but most of what you see in The Silk Market.


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## Bunkermagnet (Mar 11, 2016)

Everything made in China has been copied, and most that isn't made there as well. I refuse to give them the chance of my money, so only buy from reputable sources. Ebay is just full of fakes and genuine fakes.


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## Maninblack4612 (Mar 11, 2016)

I bought a SLDR on EBay from a seller local to me.  It played perfectly but,  after I had it for two days,  the pro at my range said it didn't look right. I then discovered what I should have seen before I bought it,  that it didn't have a serial number. Seller said he'd bought it from Snainton Golf but "couldn't find the receipt".  He refunded me without a quibble,  too easily,  I think. 

I'm convinced that the club had come from the Taylormade factory & that the people who stole it didn't have access to the machine that applied the serial numbers. I phoned Taylormade & asked what would happen if I sent them the club to inspect.  They said that,  if it was fake,  they'd destroy it & not compensate me.  Naturally,  that wasn't something I was going to do.


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 11, 2016)

Three said:



			Out of interest, why did you buy an untried club from eBay instead of from an authorised retailer?
		
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To be fair, he's hardly the first, especially on here


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## Pearbo (Mar 12, 2016)

After buying some ping g15 irons on eBay for a steal and after reading on the net somewhere about emailing ping the serial numbers I did just that, never had a reply so was a little worried, had two rounds with em, a 96 and a 91 off my 28 handicap. Decided they look right and I didn't need a reply from ping after all. Even managed to list my forged taylormade 300s on eBay and make the money back so pings cost me next to nothing, they were just too much club for me.


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## shivas irons (Mar 12, 2016)

When I worked for AG we used to get a lot of people turning up with a club concerned it may be fake and we would simply match it up to the legit one and in some cases the different was obvious and the club was fake, others were faked very well and difficult to tell if they were real or not sometimes it was litteraly down to the paint fill shade.Compare it to the real thing from a legit outlet would be my advice.


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## MadAdey (Mar 12, 2016)

A few years ago I purchased a mint condition used Scotty from Ebay. Looked the real thing on the pics, the grip, headcover, shaft band etc where the correct ones for the club. When I got it I just couldn't get on with it so decided to put it back on Ebay. 

Within a couple of days I received a message from Ebay saying that the listing had been removed due it being a fake. I contacted Ebay and they told me that the fraud department from Titleist had requested it be removed due to it being a fake.

I contacted Titleist and sent them the pictures of the club and they told me how it had been flagged as fake. Hats off to them because I couldn't tell from the pics alone, but after comparing it to the real thing the very very subtle differences was obvious.

My advice for anyone in the future is to make sure that you get plenty of close up pics and then go into a shop and compare them to the real thing.


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## Billysboots (Mar 12, 2016)

There's all sorts of advice regarding fake clubs and how to spot them. One of the best bits of advice I have read relates to buying new woods/hybrids which are advertised as not coming with a headcover. Apparently research has shown that if an online seller makes an excuse for a brand new club coming without a headcover, the club itself will invariably be counterfeit.


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## MadAdey (Mar 12, 2016)

Billysboots said:



			There's all sorts of advice regarding fake clubs and how to spot them. One of the best bits of advice I have read relates to buying new woods/hybrids which are advertised as not coming with a headcover. Apparently research has shown that if an online seller makes an excuse for a brand new club coming without a headcover, the club itself will invariably be counterfeit.
		
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That is definitely something that always sets alarm bells ringing for me, even cheap budget clubs come with a headcover these days.


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## Maninblack4612 (Mar 12, 2016)

I sure the Pong G30 driver & Galloway irons ive just bought are the real thing.


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## Old Colner (Mar 12, 2016)

The trouble with the auction sites is that all the pictures could be of a genuine club and not the fake one you end up with.


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## MadAdey (Mar 13, 2016)

Maninblack4612 said:



			I sure the Pong G30 driver & Galloway irons ive just bought are the real thing.
		
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So you trying to tell me the Tailormad driver, Misuwno irons and Rob Wowkey wedges might be suspicious too......


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## backwoodsman (Mar 13, 2016)

MadAdey said:



			So you trying to tell me the Tailormad driver, Misuwno irons and Rob Wowkey wedges might be suspicious too......
		
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Have just been told my swing is fake also. Apparently it's easy to tell if you compare it to a real one.


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## Three (Mar 13, 2016)

Three said:



			I find it strange that Cobra are not interested in identifying whether it's original or not. 

Why don't you take it into the retailer, ie Direct Golf where you tried one out? You can compare there.
		
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Just bumping the question I asked previously, would be the most obvious thing to do. 

I'd like to know more about the conversation with Cobra too...


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