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We all know ebay is a great place to buy and sell golf clubs at a good price. I myself have upgraded my sets several times through ebay. However, there are serious problems from fraudulent listings that may hamper the benefit of trading on ebay. As many are aware, there are
fake clubs listed on ebay and this is a big problem.This guide is written to help those in market for golf clubs on ebay. I wrote a similar review for Taylormade R7 TP but thought I write a guide because the problem is not limited to just one kind of clubs.
Anyone in the market for buying clubs should use a strong caution. Here are some ways to avoid getting ripped off. First, check the feedback comment. If there has been no activity past couple of months and all of sudden the seller is offering clubs, you can bet the seller's account had been compromised by hackers. To make sure, ask seller a question and if there is no response, DO NOT BUY! I did this and some of the seller responded and told me they were not even aware the fact that there are items listed with their IDs.
Secondly, look for the description of the item. If there is no description of the item by the seller other than that provided by ebay, I would stay away. Also, these fraudulent listings have shorter listing times generally.
Third, make sure you ask for serial number for the clubs. Once you get it, call the manufacturer and have them verify the serial numbers are legit. It only takes couple of minutes to do this.
Fourth, use your common sense. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. These listings generally have BIN price that is 20 to 30% lower than listings by other reputable sellers.
I only wish ebay is more responsible by actively sorting out the bad from the good sellers. Without such effort, people will be turned away from making high price purchases on ebay and it would be a shame.
A good news is that there are plenty of "good" sellers who offer genuine products at great prices. And, I am happy to report that all my purchases have been satisfactory from using the caution that I have written here.
Anyone in the market for buying clubs should use a strong caution. Here are some ways to avoid getting ripped off. First, check the feedback comment. If there has been no activity past couple of months and all of sudden the seller is offering clubs, you can bet the seller's account had been compromised by hackers. To make sure, ask seller a question and if there is no response, DO NOT BUY! I did this and some of the seller responded and told me they were not even aware the fact that there are items listed with their IDs.
Secondly, look for the description of the item. If there is no description of the item by the seller other than that provided by ebay, I would stay away. Also, these fraudulent listings have shorter listing times generally.
Third, make sure you ask for serial number for the clubs. Once you get it, call the manufacturer and have them verify the serial numbers are legit. It only takes couple of minutes to do this.
Fourth, use your common sense. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. These listings generally have BIN price that is 20 to 30% lower than listings by other reputable sellers.
I only wish ebay is more responsible by actively sorting out the bad from the good sellers. Without such effort, people will be turned away from making high price purchases on ebay and it would be a shame.
A good news is that there are plenty of "good" sellers who offer genuine products at great prices. And, I am happy to report that all my purchases have been satisfactory from using the caution that I have written here.
Guide created: 05/14/07 (updated 08/28/08)
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