I have been selling golf clubs on Ebay for a long time.  Many of the clubs I sell I have purchased myself on Ebay and played with them for several rounds.  I happen to be someone who enjoys playing with the latest equipment and then I sell them so that I can get the "latest club" all over again.  In my search to find good deals I have found quite a few fake sellers on Ebay.  Ninety percent of the time the seller WILL NOT have an extensive selling history golf clubs and their overall feedback rating will be less than 20.  BEWARE OF THESE SELLERS.  If someone has previously only sold odds and ends, then they start selling high end golf clubs, it is likely that they are selling counterfeit clubs. 

First, look at the picture of the item being sold closely.  You can tell when the club being sold is counterfeit because it is not an original picture.  It is usually the kind of picture that you will find on the manufacturer's website and usually there will be only ONE picture available.  Also, the picture may be fuzzy or out-of-focus so that there won't be enough detail for you to see any imperfections.  Don't be bashful about e-mailing the seller and asking for more pictures.  If they are legit, then they will provide the picture.  Also, certain manufacturer's provide serial numbers for their irons (e.g., PING, Callaway and Mizuno), so ask the seller for this information.  If he is hesitant about providing it, then SHOP ELSEWHERE.

Nowadays, the hot counterfeit golf clubs are from Callaway, Taylor Made and PING.  So use a little common sense when looking on Ebay so that you won't become a victim.  IF A PRICE SEEMS TOO LOW TO BE TRUE, THEN IT PROBABLY IS AND THE CLUBS ARE COUNTERFEIT.  For example, it you are looking to get a club that you know is retailing for $399 brand new, then it is highly unlikely that someone can offer that same club at a BUY IT NOW price of $179.  This is not to say that it the seller might not be legit, but odds are that he won't be.  Why take the chance and be a victim.  Also, look at what kind of buyer protection you will have.  A lot of counterfeiters will not offer PayPal Buyer Protection for their products or they will offer only $200 of protection for clubs that they are selling for over $700.  In those cases, a scammer will sell you the counterfeit clubs for $700 because Ebay will only be able to recoup $200.  So the seller will still be $500 ahead of the game. 

Lastly, try to always do business with a seller who has a specific city that he is selling from.  A lot of scammers will not list their city OR they will be located on the west coast.  I hate to possibly malign some legitimate sellers, but I have found that a lot of fake sellers will have locations on the west coast and will also have low overall feedback ratings.  Unfortunately, a lot of fake clubs come out of China and these scammers have taken the identities of legitimate Ebay sellers. 

Informed buyers are less likely to become victims of counterfeit clubs.  Try to be vigilant and if you find a seller that you think is suspicious, then report them to Ebay.  I do it all the time.  Counterfeit sellers hurt everyone in the Ebay community and I try my best to do my part to keep this community safe for everyone.