Buying Golf Equipment on eBay: How to avoid being scammed

A funny thing happened on the way to writing this post about how to avoid being scammed on eBay…….I discovered that I’d been scammed on eBay!

I bought an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter about 4 years ago on eBay, and I’ve been playing with it ever since. I’ve never questioned its authenticity. But while doing research for this post I realized (very quickly) that my Odyssey putter isn’t genuine at all! It doesn’t have a serial number anywhere on the club…….apparently a dead giveaway.

Some tips to keep in mind

It can be difficult to determine whether golf equipment being sold on eBay is genuine. Here are some tips to help you avoid being scammed:

1. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is
2. Purchase equipment from sellers with high eBay seller ratings and a good history of sales
3. Check seller feedback…..if the feedback is primarily from other sellers be wary
4. Look out for sellers who are selling a large amount of equipment set to expire at the same time. This may indicate that they are trying to dump their inventory before any bad feedback is given
5. Avoid sellers who appear to be using ’stock’ photos (generic photos, possibly taken from manufacturer’s website). Also look out for a product description that looks generic and possibly copied from retailer’s website
6. Some genuine sellers’ eBay accounts have been hacked and used to sell counterfeit equipment. Contact the seller and if you don’t get a response, don’t buy
7. Ask the seller for the serial number for the clubs. Then contact the manufacturer to confirm that the serial numbers are genuine….it would be worthwhile doing this for an expensive purchase
8. If possible, buy from sellers who have their own eBay site
9. Some sellers offer a money back guarantee if the equipment is returned within 1 week…..look for these sellers as they are more likely to be selling genuine equipment

If I’d be aware of some of these tips, I wouldn’t now own a counterfeit putter. On the other hand, at least I’ve got an excuse for my persistently poor putting!