BUYERS OF GOLF EQUIPMENT ON E BAY NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS AND AVOID PURCHASING A WORTHLESS FAKE ITEM.  THE CRIMINALS WHO SELL THESE FAKES ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SPOT - FOLLOWING HINTS MAY HELP BUYERS AVOID COSTLY MISTAKES 

MOST SELLERS OF FAKE GOODS TRY TO CONCEAL WHAT THEY HAVE SOLD BY MARKING THE LISTING PRIVATE - IF YOU GO INTO THEIR FEEDBACK YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT GOODS THEY HAVE BEEN SELLING PREVIOUSLY.   

EBAY NEED TO DO MORE TO STOP THIS ILLEGAL TRADE - ANY GOLFER WITH A LITTLE BIT OF COMMON SENSE COULD GO ON TO EBAY NOW AND WITHIN JUST A FEW MINUTES SPOT SEVRAL LISTINGS FOR FAKES - IF WE CAN DO IT WHY CAN'T EBAY! - IF EBAY DON'T DO MORE SOON THEY WILL DESTROY THE RAPIDLY DECLINING CONFIDENCE THAT GOLFERS HAVE IN PURCHASING CALLAWAY ETC ON THE SITE.

1. AVOID SELLERS WITH WITH A SHORT E BAY HISTORY SELLING NEW TOP BRANDS AT PRICES TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
2. CHECK RECENT FEEDBACK TO SEE WHAT ITEMS HAVE BEEN SOLD RECENTLY - IF THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR TOP BRANDED ITEMS BE SUSPICIOUS - LOOK FOR A LONG TRADING HISTORY AND CONSISTENT POSITIVE FEEDBACK - LOOK FOR A RETURNS POLICY.
3. LOOK AT THE SELLERS OTHER ITEMS - IF THEY ARE SELLING PING CALLAWAY CLUBS AND GUCCI WATCHES ETC - AVOID
4. BE WARY OF THE INNOCENT PURCHASER OF A FAKE ITEM LOOKING TO PASS ON HIS PROBLEM - CHECK HIS FEEDBACK AS A BUYER TO SEE IF HE PURCHASED THE ITEM RECENTLY AND WHO FROM. I ACTUALLY PERSONALLY PURCHASED 2 CALLWAY BIG BERTHA FAIRWAY WOODS FROM A LONG ESTABLISHED EBAYER WITH 100% FEEDBACK - WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY WERE VERY OBVIOUS FAKES - I TOOK OUT A PAYPAL DISPUTE IMMEDIATELY AND GOT MY MONEY BACK QUICKLY - AFTER SPEAKING TO THE SELLER ON THE PHONE I BELIEVED HE WAS AN INNOCENT PURCHASER OF THESE FAKES BUT YOU CAN NEVER BE CERTAIN!! - WITH ALL THE FAKE CLUBS BEING SOLD ON EBAY MANY PURCHASERS WILL JUST SELL ON THEIR PROBLEM.
5. AVOID ITEMS WHEN NO ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE DISPLAYED  - SOME COUNTERFEIT SELLERS COPY PHOTOS FROM MANUFACTURER'S WEBSITES OR FROM A MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS WEBSITE SUCH AS EDWIN WATTS (THE MAJOR USA SELLER OF GOLF EQUIPMENT)
6. ASK SELLERS PROBING QUESTIONS - FAKERS FREQUENTLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) DON'T REPLY
7. IF A SELLER SAYS HE IS SELLING AN UNWANTED  PRIZE, SELLING BECAUSE HE HAS AN INJURY ETC - JUST LOOK AT RECENT PURCHASES/ SALES WHICH MIGHT HELP TO CHECK AUTHENTICTY. AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS GUIDE ONE GENUINE LOOKING LISTING FOR A G10 FAIRWAY WOOD SAYS IT WAS AN UNWANTED PRIZE FROM A PRO/AM. LOOKING AT HIS FEEDBACK HE SOLD AN IDENTICAL CLUB ONE WEEK EARLIER - ALSO AN UNWANTED PRO/AM PRIZE!
8. BE WARY OF SELLERS WHO CONCEAL THE ITEMS THEY HAVE PREVIOUSLY SOLD BY MARKING THEM PRIVATE - A CURRENT SELLER OF OBVIOUSLY FAKES CALLAWAY X FORGED IRONS IS DISGUISING THE PREVIOUS 15 ITEMS HE HAS SOLD IN THE FEW WEEKS HE HAS BEEN REGISTERED USING THIS TECHNIQUE. SURPRISINGLY THERE ARE 12 BIDS ON THE SET THE HIGHEST BEING £300+! HOW GULLIBLE CAN SOME PEOPLE BE?
9. IF IN DOUBT DON'T BID AND IF YOU DO PURCHASE A FAKE - BE SURE IT IS COUNTERFEIT (YOUR LOCAL PRO WILL PROBABLY HELP) AND THEN  SEEK REIMBURSEMENT VIA PAYPAL DISPUTE AND REPORT THE SELLER TO YOUR LOCAL TRADING STANDARDS - THEY DO ACT
10. DON'T BE FOOLED BY SERIAL NUMBERS - MANY FAKE CALLAWAY'S HAVE SERIAL NUMBERS AND MANY GENUINE DON'T - I KNOW THAT SOUNDS STRANGE BUT MANY MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT THAT DILIGENT ABOUT PUTTING SERIAL NUMBERS ON THEIR CLUBS - IT CAN BE HIT & MISS - PARTICULARLY WITH PRE 2007 CLUBS.  ETCHED SERIAL NUMBERS CAN FADE BADLY WITH WEAR & TIME. CLUBS FROM MANUFACTURERS WHO PUT THEIR NUMBERS ON THE PLASTIC FERRULE (eg TITLEIST & MIZUNO) CAN LOOSE THEIR SERIAL NUMBERS IF THEY ARE RESHAFTED OR REPAIRED. BASICALLY A SERIAL NUMBER DOESN'T PROOVE A CLUB IS OK AND THE LACK OF ONE DOESN'T MEAN A CLUB IS COUNTERFEIT.
11. IF YOU THINK SOMEONE IS SELLING FAKES REPORT THEM TO EBAY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO DO MUCH MORE TO REMOVE FAKE SELLERS FROM THE EBAY COMMUNITY. THESE PEOPLE ARE DESTROYING THE CONFIDENCE OF BUYERS AND GENUINE SELLERS ALIKE.
12. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS A LONG TRADING HISTORY ON EBAY DOESN'T  MEAN THEY ARE OK - A FRIEND RECENTLY PURCHASED A FAKE CALLAWAY FROM ONE OF THE BIGGEST SELLERS OF USED GOLF EQUIPMENT ON EBAY (30,000+ FEEDBACK) AND HE IS HAVING REAL PROBLEMS WITH THE SELLER's POOR ATTITUDE & RESPONSE - LOOK BACK AT PREVIOUS NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS - THEY WILL GIVE GOOD CLUES AS TO HOW THE SELLER WILL DEAL WITH PROBLEMS