Websites that are "too good to be true" -

[profsmitty]

Please read before posting these types of topics

As some of you may know, I have a semi-longstanding interest in websites that offer deals on golf equipment that are too good to be true. Some of my personal favorites are

"golfinstock.com"
"ebayoyo.com"
"overstockseller.com"
"maxdiscountgolf.com"
"wowogolf.com"

Note Recent Additions (6-10-09)

"askforgolf.com"http://www.easybuygolf.com/Ping-G15-Irons-Set_199.html
"dhgate.com" (This one seems particularly interesting. Sort of a Wal-mart for "interesting" merchandise)

More additions (8-27-09)

"easybuygolf.com"

These sites are very closely related. Read the FAQ sections of each and you can see that they are written by the same person(s). Read through the text on each of these sites, and you will note very, very awkward phrasing, misspellings, and other markers that indicate that the text was written my someone who is not a native English speaker.

It seems that these wonderful business people have discovered GolfWRX. I have seen recent posts that indicate to me that there is a more or less concerted attempt by person or persons unknown (very Jack Webbish, don't you think) to get the names of these sites out to the WRX community in some legitimatizing form. You can make of them what you will. I know how I would take them - with a level of righteous indignation that I usually reserve for spiders, gophers, and other noxious varmits.

Please help in this effort. If you know of other sites that sell or promote golf equipment of dubious heritage, let your fellow WRXers know who they are. I will try to keep this list updated, with your help. Please help keep this business model in the perspective it deserves.

[Mr.B]

ebay :D

[profsmitty]

I know that I am not keeping up the list as well as I would like but the sites keep popping up faster than they can be identified. Feel free to add questionable sites to this thread. It's probably not much but if it keeps one person from wasting their money, it's worth it.

[greycat]

Part of the problem is posting these sites names only gives then one more source which their name gets a hit from. FGI gets hit quite often with the "How's this site" thread. It's almost like the idiot knows the site's crappy but hopes to get a catch from a sap looking into the site.

[puttitout2]

I don't think I'll be shopping on those websites. Seems too good to be true and most of them are not in the states.

[87vert]

The easiest way to tell if the stuff is fake is ask them if they have an left handed stuff available. Or on the drop downs in the site see if left hand is an option. If it isnt. its probably fake.

[robb01]

I'd like to add ioffer.com to the list, not just golf fakes, but a lot of replica goods

[profsmitty]

Another brick in the wall, so to speak!

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=302066&st=0&gopid=1969295&#entry1969295"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...p;#entry1969295[/url]

[profsmitty]

And yet another dubious thread:

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=302597&hl="]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...=302597&hl=[/url]

Another entry into the Hall of Shame: golfwholesale18

[cmilz99]

well, i was searching for some old mizuno's on the web, and a link that came up was wowogolf.com

They had the MP-68's for $350 and i took action... I asked how they had them so cheap:


how are they so cheap?[b]chenbozhongReply:[/b]( 2009-09-25 17:24:31 ) Two reasons contribute to the competitive price. Firstly, we delivery the clubs directly from the OEM factory, which saves our cost; Secondly, we are in the period of exploiting our market worldwide

they are exploiting their market worldwide....i lol'd at that one

[MWM400]

www.clubgolfsale.com has to be bogus. They're selling new Titlest AP2 irons for $298 (see link below). They do not have left handed either. On the page for the irons, people can ask questions. Someone asked why they were so cheap. The admin's response was "The setup of the Titleist AP2 Irons is 3-9P.As our products are offered by the oversea supplers,so that can save our cost,which makes the price much more competitive.Thanks"

On their FAQ page, someone asks if they're genuine or me-too from Asia. His response was "Yes they are real clubs from our oversea OEM supplier overseas"

Seems like he's trying to convince people they are manufactured by Titleist but originally sent to overseas suppliers, who must get them cheaper, and these overseas suppliers ship them to this place. Seems shady to me. Too bad, I'd love to grab some AP2 irons for less than $300.


[url="http://www.clubgolfsale.com/goods-447-Titleist+AP2+Iron+Set.html"]http://www.clubgolfsale.com/goods-447-Titl...2+Iron+Set.html[/url]

[MrParr1Noid]

Man, a guy could buy (2) sets and sell the other, and get his set for furreeeeee!

[profsmitty]

Another one of my favorite threads - this one a triple-header.

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=288038&hl="]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...=288038&hl=[/url]

These three sites are worthy candidates for the list we started awhile back.

[url="http://www.shopofgolf.com/"]http://www.shopofgolf.com/[/url]

[url="http://www.golfsetbase.com/"]http://www.golfsetbase.com/[/url]

[url="http://www.istockgolf.com"]http://www.istockgolf.com[/url]

Again the "OP" has very few posts. The pattern continues unabated. Please don't misunderstand, I am making no accusations but it does seem very strange that these threads referencing obviously shaky websites all are posted by very new posters who seem to disappear as fast as they appear. I am frankly amazed that the marshals and/or owner's of this site allow this to go on. Until they step in, I'll keep trying to include them here.

[ThinSliced]

Add this one to the list: "Titleist AP2 Iron Set" for $298.99

[url="http://www.discountsgolfclubs.com/goods-3041-Titleist+AP2+Iron+Set.html"]http://www.discountsgolfclubs.com/goods-30...2+Iron+Set.html[/url]

Found on local craigslist...

[smackygolf]

golfdiscountnow.com

obviously fakes

[Roderick972]

I'm pretty sure this is another one...

[url="http://www.igolfyoo.com/index.php?language=en"]http://www.igolfyoo.com/index.php?language=en[/url]

They seem a little different, have more items than the others. This one "stocks" the Mizuno JPX E-Metal fairway woods in addition to the E600 driver. List a US phone number and live help but the phone goes straight to voicemail with a very unprofessional getting and the live help hasn't been available all day!

[golf_junky]

[quote name='Roderick972' post='1984747' date='Oct 2 2009, 07:58 PM'][url="http://www.igolfyoo.com/index.php?language=en"]http://www.igolfyoo.com/index.php?language=en[/url][/quote]

Damn R9's are not even out yet and they've already copied them. Too bad they don't have the correct shafts in them....LOL

[TimeToFly]

LOL, [i]ebayoyo.com[/i] and [i]wowogolf.com[/i]....nice names, lol

[madmikey]

I recently discovered SHOPOFGOLF.com and was hoping it was legit. A google search brought me to Golfwrx.com where I was enlightened. It amazes me how these crooks in China can be so blatant. I wonder how much they actually sell here. If you bought a set of "Callaways" or Taylor Made" from them you would either be too naive to tell the difference or too embarrassed to admit it. Shame on all the golf manufacturers who, in light of China's disregard for patent laws, still insist on making their components there. Shame on our Federal government for not making it an issue for fear that China will stop loaning us money.

[profsmitty]

[quote name='madmikey' post='1994276' date='Oct 8 2009, 08:13 AM']I recently discovered SHOPOFGOLF.com and was hoping it was legit. A google search brought me to Golfwrx.com where I was enlightened. It amazes me how these crooks in China can be so blatant. I wonder how much they actually sell here. If you bought a set of "Callaways" or Taylor Made" from them you would either be too naive to tell the difference or too embarrassed to admit it. Shame on all the golf manufacturers who, in light of China's disregard for patent laws, still insist on making their components there. Shame on our Federal government for not making it an issue for fear that China will stop loaning us money.[/quote]
Glad you were able to find the information you needed. This is a great site - full of information about almost everything having to do with golf.

It is a shame that there are people who are so willing to take money from people who are so desperate to buy a "bargain" that they will suspend good judgement. There really isn't any such thing as a free lunch, is there?

[JMOGOLFER]

what about dhgates?

[IndyIN]

PING has a new counterfeit section up... thought I'd add them here.


[url="http://www.ping.com/clubs/counterfeits.aspx"]http://www.ping.com/clubs/counterfeits.aspx[/url]

KNOWN COUNTERFEIT SITES per PING
www.711golf.com
www.cheap-golf-drivers.com
www.clubgolfsale.com
www.dhgate.com
www.discountsgolfclubs.com
www.easybuygolf.com
www.easygolforder.com
www.golfbargainoffers.com
www.golfleading.com
www.golfleadings.com
www.golfquickway.com
www.golfsale365.com
www.golfsetstore.com
www.golfshop123.com
www.golfwholesale18.com
www.goshoppinggolf.com
www.gtbshop.com
www.hygolfcn.com
www.igolfyoo.com
www.istockgolf.com
www.maxdiscountgolf.com
www.mysurbuy.com
www.shopofgolf.com
www.shoponlinewholesaler.com
www.sunogolf.com
www.wowogolf.com

[profsmitty]

IndyIN - Thanks for the wonderful contribution to this thread. Scary how many of these sites have taken the time to show up here, isn't it?

[u][b]To the Mods[/b][/u] - I know that this little effort hasn't been on anyone's in authority's radar thus far. But as others, including Ping, are taking notice, maybe it's time for GolfWRX to get on this bandwagon. I can think of several things that could be done to address this growing problem on the site. If you would PM me, I would be happy to share my thoughts.

[profsmitty]

And yet another

golfbigdiscount.com


and so it goes . . .

If this weren't a part of a much larger, more tragic story, it would be funny. Instead it is very, very sad. Let's figure out a way to stop this madness.

[profsmitty]

The newest addition

[url="http://www.bsygolf.com"]http://www.bsygolf.com[/url]

[Pondy]

<-- Nominating [url="http://www.bsygolf.com/"]http://www.bsygolf.com/[/url]

edit: I see you added them, but here is the background conversations. Keep up the good work.

[quote]here I have another one, this price looks too good...

[url="http://www.bsygolf.com/en/newsdetail.asp?id=43"]http://www.bsygolf.com/en/newsdetail.asp?id=43[/url]

does anyone of you know about this page?

thank you


Chinese... No way they can be legit. Selling Scotty putters for 50 Euros ($75 US)

How about we put them on the list, just in case . . .

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=266942"]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=266942[/url][/quote]

[profsmitty]

A new friend makes the list thanks to this thread

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=310748&hl="]http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...=310748&hl=[/url]

And that site is

mygolfwholesale.com

[crops23]

Here's another one for your list [url="http://www.par-4-golf.com"]www.par-4-golf.com[/url] selling tileist prov golf balls from the uk and they come from bloody China

[profsmitty]

[quote name='crops23' post='2066851' date='Nov 16 2009, 08:08 AM']Here's another one for your list [url="http://www.par-4-golf.com"]www.par-4-golf.com[/url] selling tileist prov golf balls from the uk and they come from bloody China[/quote]
They are certainly not on any list I have seen.

I suppose that it would be appropriate to interject here that everyone should determine for themselves which businesses/websites they patronize. There is simply no way to validate whether a website is bogus or not, except by using common sense. Looking at this site, their arithmetic is not the best and they seem to be selling balls for a premium price (or higher). Most of the sites we have seen in the past that are "interesting" are selling product that is priced much lower than the legitimate market. Selling product priced higher market is not common for counterfeit sellers - at least in my experience.

[crops23]

everyone has their own opinion and that is mine those balls are reasonably priced I think when we pay $70 for a dozen here then you pay and they dont send you a tracking number for 2 weeks and then when they do you one it is for ems in China that says the balls have reached there destination and they went back to were they came from and have been signed for. Now they dont return any emails how patient can you be 4 weeks and I haven't seen anything in return for my money and I dont think I ever will.