Cons, fakes and counterfeits

[balaclava]

I was looking for the best price for some TM irons and I came across this site . . .
http://www.golfleading.com/ . The prices looked too good to be true so I called TM. They said the prices were below cost and other features of the site like no address and telephone number led them to believe it was a con. Continuing my search I came across this site http://www.golfsales365.com/ . Apart from the colours the structure and set up of the site look similar e.g. contact details. I have ‘contacted’ the first site and they insist they are legit. Of course I am not going to pay money to who’s address I cannot confirm. I just wonder how many of these (fake?) sites exists and if anyone has first hand experience?

Mike

 

[balaclava]

I went onto the live chat at this site and pushed them. They gave me a telephone number . . 020 3286 7464. I googled that and this site came up . .
http://www.mygolfpurchase.com/article-4-Contact-Us.html. Maybe they are legit?

 

[Stevenc]

Never had any experience of these type of sites as if I buy online, I tend to stick to the better known companies, or at least ones with phone numbers and addresses. That applies to not just golf equipment.

There does however, seem to be threads starting regularly with the same question. I didn't think there'd be a decent "living" to make selling fakes.

Surely if you bought of the site once, you'd never do it again and you'd tell all your friends and forums about your experience!

 

[MikeB]

This http://www.whois-search.com/tools/?mainpage=tools is sometimes useful if you're suspicious about a website.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It's the whole reason I'll never buy clubs of the internet. I always want to hit the actual club I'm going to buy first. Sure I'm probably paying over the odds but think its worth the extra cost for peace of mind. Plus if the club falls apart first time out I can take it straight back to POS and create merry hell

 

[balaclava]

This http://www.whois-search.com/tools/?mainpage=tools is sometimes useful if you're suspicious about a website.

Interesting, the owner is registered as:
Marcus Hamill
20 Whinmoor Drive
Huddersfield
HD8 9QA

Anyone know him?

 

[balaclava]

The thread on the below site appears to confirm that golfleading.com is selling fakes.
http://www.mygolfspy.com/fake-counterfeit-golf-clubs/

The registered owners of the domain names for golfleading and golfsales365 are, respectively:
Joe Citra
10821 S. Ridgeway
Kettering
WG us 606550

Martin Parker
2443 Palazzo Ct.
Kettering
WG cn 600890

Both of which are fictitious addresses.

So that leaves the question of:
Marcus Hamill
20 Whinmoor Drive
Huddersfield HD8 9QA

Surely there is someone on this site that lives near this address and could confirm that he's there?

 

[EastPreston]

What if that isn't the owner and you've just put some identity theft victim's address all over the forum?

 

[balaclava]

What if that isn't the owner and you've just put some identity theft victim's address all over the forum?

Are you suggesting I am maliciously identifying some innocent person for some personal reason? This is how I came up with Marcus Hamill . . .

I went to the live chat feature of http://www.golfleading.com/ and asked them for their telephone number. They gave the number - 020 3286 7464. I googled that number and it came up with this site http://www.mygolfpurchase.com/article-4-Contact-Us.html. I used the search tool http://www.whois-search.com/tools/?mainpage=tools and that came up with the owners as Marcus Hamill 20 Whinmoor Drive Huddersfield HD8 9QA.

Why am I bothered? I don’t know, perhaps it’s because I am a retired police Detective Inspector and can’t give it up!

 

[balaclava]

And, btw, I have reported the matter to the OFT Trading Standards who promised to investigate and report back.

 

[balaclava]

It appears that the clubs come directly from China. See below links

http://www.golfmagic.com/forum/forummessages.asp?URN=5&UTN=35198&SP=&V=1

http://www.sitereport.org/p/discountgolf18.com

http://www.galaxiagolf.com/viewtopic.php?p=596433

All that said, I'm sure the genuine TM, Callaway etc., clubs are all made in China. I think I'm a little angry that TM, Callaway etc., aren't doing anything to even hinder these sort of sales. The just don't care, they're making plenty of money and feel no pressure to protect a golfer who is looking to pay slightly less than the extortionate prices they charge!

 

[freddielong]

www.mygolfpurchase.com is one that comes up all the time the fakiest of all the fakers almost a master faker if there is such a thing, if you really want to spend money with them just give it to me instead.

 

[balaclava]

The plot thickens. . . .

I called TM and asked them what they were doing about this; of course I already knew the answer but I thought it might do me some good to make them squirm. Bye the by I asked them where their golf clubs wee made i.e. are they made in China. I was told that the clubs you buy in the UK are made in the US but if for example you bought some clubs in Hong Kong or Japan, they might be made in China. Further, that some of these clubs which bear the same name may look different as clubs made for the Japanese market are made to appear to what the Japanese like to see. All this R & D to come up with the optimum design and then they add some fins and go faster stripes!! And, I am sure that Callaway etc., are exactly the same!

So maybe these clubs coming from China aren’t counterfeit, maybe they’re genuine (Chinese) TM / Callaway clubs?

 

[Robobum]

Is there any end point to this crusade??

 

[USER1999]

Hanging for the counterfeiters?

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Why am I bothered? I don’t know, perhaps it’s because I am a retired police Detective Inspector and can’t give it up!

Were you in the fashion Police? If so, please arrest RickG......and Viscount17......