FINAL REPORT...December 19th, 2006.

I have written enough about this subject and provided enough description of the various ways these folks deceive and steal from e-Bay members.  Its painful to think that people do these things.  But, this is our world we live in.   If you happen to observe any items being sold in this manner, by all means, contact e-Bay.  Since my last posting on December 1st, I been able to alert e-Bay of three bogus auctions and they pulled the plug on all three.  Good luck and Happy Holidays.  Until I write Again!!!!

Brijack515

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DECEMBER 1st, 2006 UPDATE:  Seems like this is a never ending battle against scumbags.  These folks have resorted to using active ID's and even answering your inquiries.  They are quite sophisticated.  Please beware when you see a group of "NEW" clubs with an opening bid the same as the "Buy it Now" price and a modest shipping price.  Look at the seller's items for sale and see something from every manufacturer and look at the auction time.  They run 24 hour auctions as this is harder for e-Bay to track short of a full time observer.  Take a look at the "seller" feedback and be wary if you see they have only purchased video games, cosmetics, personal products and other non golf items and have NEVER sold a thing.  I inquired of one seller fitting this description who readily responded "Its Christmas time and I'm now selling clubs."  They had never sold anything in several years on e-Bay.  Now all of a sudden they sell golf clubs.  I don't think so.  Anyway, I had added them to my item watch list and when I returned today, all items were removed.  They were busted.  Remember, If a seller removes an item from auction, the watched item remains on your e-Bay list with a note that Bidding has Ended for this Item.  If e-Bay yanks it, it disappears.  I ma now of the firm belief that there is such a flood of counterfeits that I will no longer purchase any name brand equipment through e-Bay.  I have a network of on-line sellers that I know deliver product direct from Ping, Nike, Taylor Made, Callaway and Titleist.  They are the genuine items.

Just for info:  Do you know how to tell a genuine R5 Taylor Made from a counterfeit?  1.  On the shaft, there is a sticker.  This sticker list the origin of the materials in the club.  The genuine club lists the Shaft as Made in China, Clubhead Made in China and Club Assembled in USA/Mexico.  Counterfeit lists all aspects of the club from China.  2.  If the club has a cellophane wrapper on the head, the genuine sticker will say conforms to USGA Regulation.  The counterfeit says Conforms to R&A Until January 2007 or 8.  3.  Call Taylor Made with the serial number on the hosel.  They will authenticate the number as they are scanned in California at assembly.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.

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NOVEMBER 5th, 2006 UPDATE:  They are still on Taylor Made, Nike, Odyssey and a couple others.  They currently selling as lomerson2, jamesdotmorgan and gtjadbaker .  Check it out.  This poor soul hasn't had any activity in last few months.  BEWARE!!!!!!!!!

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October 30th, 2006....The items listed below has expired.  The scammers have a large brass pair as they have relisted the items using the SAME ID!!!  jdguderjan.  These items have been reported to e-Bay and they are looking into it.  B E W A R E !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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As of October 28th, they are using the id from jdguderjan and have 39 items ending in 12-14 hours of this writing.  I wish I could transport myself and a few friends to their home page and put a hurtin on them...This id they have now has been inactive for almost a year. 

Did you notice an error in their listing?  They are selling Ping G5 Dirvers and have several listed as 9.5 and 10.5 degree lofts.  Ping does not offer the G5 in a 9.5 degree loft.  Their lofts are amost always seperated by 1.5 degrees between clubs.  So, what they currently offer in a genuine G5 is 9.0 and then 10.5.  Maybe after they read this review they'll correct. 

They've gone from Callaway to Ping, Taylor Made, Nike and Odyssey putters.

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October 25th:  They are still on Taylor Made.  They have an id from puttervic which has been inavtive and have Odyssey Putters, Ping Drivers and Hybrids, Taylor Made 425's....You name it.

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October 21, 2006.  I see that these critters have moved from Callaway to Taylor Made.  They are following the same MO as they did with Callaway.  All are 1 day auctions and the backgrounds are now outlined with flowers.  BEWARE!!!

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October 14th, 2006.  These folks are still at the identity theft scam for Callaway Clubs.  They have expanded now to include Taylor Made.  Look at the pattern I have described below and be on the lookout.  You will recieve a COUNTERFEIT CLUB!!!!

October2, 2006.  I spent the better part of an hour today on the phone with Callaway Golf and their "Internet Police".  They were aware of some of what is going on but were unaware of the complexity of the scam.  I guided them through the days FT-3 page and showed them the repetition of bids from five or six hijacked User ID's.  The ball is now in their court.  E-Bay has also been notified.  I don't know just how much they can do either.  These thieves are moving faster than a speeding bullet with a blitz of one day sales.  They sell for the day as one of several User ID's and then move to another set of User ID's the next day.  When do they run out?

Here is the basic line that you can check and see before you bid or buy:

1.  There is a series of bids all tucked together.  2.  Each has an opening bid which is also the "Buy it Now" price.  Most are $165.00, $175.00 or $185.00.  3.  Check the sellers feedback and you may see that there has been no activity in the last six months or longer.  If there is at least one transaction, the thieves made a boo-boo.  4.  Shipping is either $14, 15 or $16.  5.  Items are available in the USA.  This includes User ID's from folks in UK.  Thieves forget to use GBP and use $$US.  6.  Background of actual bid pages are all the same.  Even when they sell a Callaway with a Ping G5 or Nike Sasquatch photo.

These bids look realistic.  I do not intend to buy any of them.  I do not know if they steal the buyers info when thay go to pay for the club or they actually ship a Chinese counterfeit which is what I have heard they are doing.

I also received email from several individuals who have confrmed that they have no golf clubs for sale and that they have been hijacked..

E-Bayr's BEWARE.........