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Counterfeit Clubs

SuperStroke
HoosierGolfer said:
What are Golf Smith knock off's? They are authorized dealers for all of the major OEM's.
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He's probably talking about the clubs they used to make back in the day when they were just a component company.
 
rtparty said:
Are you talking about counterfeit or clones? There is a major difference between the two.
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I would say clones .. These also have to hurt the market following this thread from the beginning . Wonder how manufactures feel about that ,? I bought a knock off ping eye 2 back in the day , and those grooves stayed boxed shape longer than the brand name eye 2 's I had . Infact the grooves still retained the box shape ..and these clubs got way more use
 
blugold said:
If you don't want to even risk a counterfeit club, buy direct from the OEM or from an authorized dealer, preferably in person.

Otherwise, don't be upset
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Exactily
 
Counterfeit clubs are bad but not nearly the threat to golf that is being made. Making people think they need a bag of this years clubs is probably a bigger issue leading unnecessary costs for the average player. This leads to them searching for good deals and running face first into the legion of counterfeiters.


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straightslice said:
Counterfeit clubs are bad but not nearly the threat to golf that is being made. Making people think they need a bag of this years clubs is probably a bigger issue leading unnecessary costs for the average player. This leads to them searching for good deals and running face first into the legion of counterfeiters.


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How is releasing new models different than car manufacturers, electronics companies, apparel companies or any other consumer good?
 
JB said:
How is releasing new models different than car manufacturers, electronics companies, apparel companies or any other consumer good?
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Car manufacturers don't expect consumers to flip cars every year.

Golf clubs are luxury goods like watches and purses. Likewise, they are also very easy to counterfeit.
 
straightslice said:
Car manufacturers don't expect consumers to flip cars every year.

Golf clubs are luxury goods like watches and purses. Likewise, they are also very easy to counterfeit.
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Neither do golf companies. They hope but the estimate is drivers every 29 months and irons every 50 months.
 
JB said:
Neither do golf companies. They hope but the estimate is drivers every 29 months and irons every 50 months.
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God, I wish I could hold out that long.
 
I think there is a tipping point at which counterfeiting may seriously compromise the market for clubs. As time has gone on, many of the counterfeits have become visually very close to the originals. Sometimes even guys who handle many clubs can't tell, that's how visually good the better fakes have become. With some of them you need to have a known good reference club to compare to. Viewing in isolation is difficult with the better fakes. If it's a fake that's on some suspicious website based in China, sure it's easy to say someone opened themselves to getting conned.

My fear is that once enough of the better fakes enter the used racks or find a way into US resellers who are "trusted" sources, we're in trouble. All it takes is a few guys buying close looking fake clubs at discount prices, then trying to play them and it goes badly. They figure the club doesn't work and do the golf shop trade in thing. The guy in the shop is just a retail guy, not a club expert, and is viewing a decent fake in isolation so on the rack it goes. Next, you get people actually browsing and demoing the club because it's on the used rack in a legit golf shop. Maybe it plays badly and goes back on the rack, or maybe a guy figures it's just his swing that day and buys the bogus club thinking it's legit. You need to have sources in a market where you can safely say "this club is legit". You begin to lose that if you get really close looking fakes that seep into those sources because they're so close.
 
I just bought some bio cell irons off of ebay, the seller had 6000 all good reviews. I even checked with cobra on the serial number and they said it was a valid number. But in my mind I think I should have just paid the extra to buy local. I paid 350 instead of 499 dicks sporting wanted.
 
Memphistiger02 said:
I just bought some bio cell irons off of ebay, the seller had 6000 all good reviews. I even checked with cobra on the serial number and they said it was a valid number. But in my mind I think I should have just paid the extra to buy local. I paid 350 instead of 499 dicks sporting wanted.
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That doesn't sound like a fake to me, just sounds like a good deal. Now, if you paid like $100...then red lights should be going off.

The issue of counterfeiting is very interesting to me, because I am not the type to pay full price for anything - I am always on the hunt for the great deal, whether used or new. The idea of spending $400 on a driver or $1000 on an iron set is something I just can't swallow, and quite frankly can't really afford.
 
I just don't get it. People have no clue how ridiculously low most golf stuff costs. That guy selling perfectly legit clubs at 350 STILL made money on that sale. People selling at 499 just make more money. I know this as a fact as a friend does this for a local shop. Footjoy shoes that are 125 in the store cost something like 35 at cost. So just because he goes out and sells them for 70 doesn't mean their fake. He still makes 100% profit on that sale.
 
Counterfeit Clubs

Clothing deals are even crazier for dealers. Last one I heard was buy a shirt get a hat and buckle for free. Buy 10 get 2 more. So he buys 10 shirts, gets 12 plus 12 hats and 12 buckles. You sell each individually and that's called capitalism.
 
Girardcorp said:
I just don't get it. People have no clue how ridiculously low most golf stuff costs. That guy selling perfectly legit clubs at 350 STILL made money on that sale. People selling at 499 just make more money. I know this as a fact as a friend does this for a local shop. Footjoy shoes that are 125 in the store cost something like 35 at cost. So just because he goes out and sells them for 70 doesn't mean their fake. He still makes 100% profit on that sale.
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Yes those shoes do cost $35 at cost but his employees are working in the store for free and the landlord I'm sure isn't giving him is store for free either. Most retailers don't charge what they do to be greedy they charge what they have to so they can afford to run a business. Fact remains that the person in the store that charged $125 for those shoes could easily make less after all is said and done than the guy that sold them for $70 on ebay with little to no overhead.
 
He doesn't have employees not a store. So none of that matters. My over arching point which I think was missed is that just because something costs X dollars doesn't mean it's counterfeit. In that case he has super low prices and it's 100% legit. This occurs way more often than you think.
 
Girardcorp said:
He doesn't have employees not a store. So none of that matters. My over arching point which I think was missed is that just because something costs X dollars doesn't mean it's counterfeit. In that case he has super low prices and it's 100% legit. This occurs way more often than you think.
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Your completely right, that's why these ebay stores can sell for so much less. And do most times.
 
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