Mizuno MP-68s From Ebay: Authentic or Knock-offs?

[ajschn06]

Yep, that is an EMS logo. EMS is a shipping company out of China......

[bplewis24]

PM sent with a link to where they most likely came from.....

That is uncanny. The ad in that link lists the shafts as rifle 6.0, the same as the ebay ad, and also lists "free headcovers" which were thrown into the ebay auction as well. The headcovers are NOT Mizuno, by the way.

What irons did you get in the set? One of the pictures says something like 5-9, and p g s. I look at that as 5-9 irons and pitching gap and sand wedges. If that's the case they are most certainly fake, as MP-68's don't come in gap or sand wedges.

The irons were a 3-pw set, but you're right that the sticker on the shaft seems to denote something different. Another bad sign.

And don't worry, I won't try and justify the authenticity to myself. I'm simply a very analytical person and want to weigh all the evidence before I take any action, especially since that action means accusing this seller of selling me counterfeits. I'm going to email him now. Brandon

[jpalermo]

That is definately ems, i have a collection of japanese knives and know that logo well...... the yellow tape is a dead give away..... ems is an asian shipping service, did you get my pm? sorry bud, u've been had

[jpalermo]

keep us posted on the result...... don't forget to dispute it thru paypal to freeze any funds in his account

[bplewis24]

sorry bud, u've been had

No worries, it happens. When I first registered for this forum it was about 2 days after I won the auction and I happened to stumble across a "are these clubs real" thread by chance. I read the entire thing with my mouth wide open, as I can easily spot fake batteries and counterfeit apparel on ebay, but never thought that there would be a huge market for golf clubs. I immediately felt like an idiot for not doing my due diligence, and sort of felt like I deserved to have been duped. Such is life.

Anyway, I am going to call Mizuno with the serial number first thing in the morning just so I can put that in the paypal dispute if it comes back inauthentic. I also used my credit card for the paypal purchase, so I feel safe regarding the cash. Bottom line is if I do end up purchasing this set it's going to be from a local dealer, as the extra $300 or so is probably worth it in the long-run. Brandon

[ajschn06]

It happens.......I wasn't aware of all these counterfeits until I had purchased some myself. Luckily, I got mine for 300 and was able to sell them to a friend for 250 who didn't care if they were fake......

[jpalermo]

after they almost got me, i went ape shit..... found all of these sites... reported them to ping, titleist, callaway, mizuno....... they got shut down and a new one pops up, same format to the site so undoubtably the same ppl...... bastards

fake clubs is a HUGE market, i read an article about these guys from england who made millions from sell bs clubs on ebay, they are in prison now...... but there are more shady characters out there trying to make a quick buck

[bplewis24]

FYI...

Just got off the phone with Mizuno USA. They ran the serial number and said "that would be a stock set of MP-68s. Nothing to worry about there."

Now, I realize that a Chinese manufacturer could have copied the serial number. So my question is, are there any other questions I can follow up with Mizuno to verify the authenticity of the serial number?

Brandon

[bplewis24]

Some correspondence from the seller:

Brandon, I won this set through the local radio station so I’m not sure where they where made or assembled. During the auction a few people asked me what kind of shafts where on the clubs so checked it out with a club maker in town here that assured me they where original. Even though there was no markings on the shafts he cycled them and came to conclusion they where 6.0 Rifle shafts. The last thing I expect is that these not original clubs but if you’re not happy with them then tell me what you want to do next.

I'm going to go to the local pro shop and have them inspected. Would they do something like that for free?

Brandon

[anthony]

I don't know man. I just compared your photos with one's on google images and they look the same. If those are knock-off's, they did a very convincing job visually. More than likely, someone assembled the clubs themselves as opposed to them being factory. But, if I were in your shoe's I'd want to know for sure as there seems to be an influx of knock-off clubs surfacing. I bought my MX-200's from ebay, but they had a few thousand reviews and a phone number. Plus, when I received them, they were in a factory box. Good luck man.

[jpalermo]

I can get a serial number off a set of clubs at golf galaxy and etch it on to a set of clubs. Dude, I showed you the link of where they came from, and what radio stations do you know of that give away a thousand dollar set of irons that have the wrong ferrules, no shaft bands and the box comes from china? they are fake, tell him you want your money back......... What you do from here on out is up to you.

[gmanuel25]

I can get a serial number off a set of clubs at golf galaxy and etch it on to a set of clubs. Dude, I showed you the link of where they came from, and what radio stations do you know of that give away a thousand dollar set of irons that have the wrong ferrules, no shaft bands and the box comes from china? they are fake, tell him you want your money back......... What you do from here on out is up to you.

Absolutely do this!!! A lot of fake clubs have legit serial numbers.

[HytrewQasdfg]

Brandon, I won this set through the local radio station so I’m not sure where they where made or assembled. During the auction a few people asked me what kind of shafts where on the clubs so checked it out with a club maker in town here that assured me they where original. Even though there was no markings on the shafts he cycled them and came to conclusion they where 6.0 Rifle shafts. The last thing I expect is that these not original clubs but if you’re not happy with them then tell me what you want to do next.

Didn't I read that the label indicates a Chinese origin for the package? If so, then the guy has just flat out lied to you. He's a crook and a cheat, and you don't owe him anything (not even a chance to "make it right").

All he is trying to do now is string you along so you don't file a complaint with paypal and cause him to lose his money (or should I say YOUR money he has stolen from you). The worse, most evil crooks often come across as the nicest persons. They are con artists, they know how to smooze you to steal your money. File a complaint with paypay (bounce the charge back on your credit card if needed) and get your money back. If he complains and demands the clubs back, tell him the clubs are in the evidence locker of your local police's fraud investigation unit.

[shades9323]

Ask him what radio station he won them from and then call and ask the radio station about them.

[Nike Markiie]

Who did you buy from?

[bplewis24]

Ask him what radio station he won them from and then call and ask the radio station about them.

I considered that, but ultimately if I'm going to do the paypal dispute process I'd rather start that right away. I think the bottom line is that even if his story is true, the "radio station" still got the clubs from China based on all of our evidence so far. So what does the validity of his story really mean to me, the consumer? Nothing, because I'm still stuck with counterfeit clubs.

I again thank everybody for their input so far, and I'll continue to update the thread with pertinent info and my progress in the matter. Brandon

[jpalermo]

he didn't win them, he bought them for 250 and sold them to you for 600. the most common listing for fake clubs is "i won them" "i got them as a gift" blah blah blah......

[jpalermo]

post the item number and ill get you proof