Avoiding Fake Tennis Racquets on Ebay

Another article on avoiding dissapointment from your next Ebay purchase by our Denver player Vamsee Konda.

As a follow up to my recent experience on purchasing, identifying and returning a fake racquet on Ebay, I thought I'll compile a list of steps anyone can take to avoid sour deals.

1. Purchase only from sellers within the US. Chinese sellers usually start their bidding at unbelivably low prices to get you interested. Once you buy their stuff and you decide to return it - you will have to pay a fortune to ship it back. Be sensible!!

2.  Pay attention to return policy. Dont get suckered in by low prices, buy items only when the seller accepts returns.

3. Buy only when your purchase is protected by Ebay. Usually displays the badge above.

4. Always ask for more pictures. Although it does not guarantee that your seller is posting pics of the racquet they are selling you. It atleast forces your sellers to find an authentic racquet if he is intentionally selling a fake. You especially need pics of the racquet neck and the handle butt cap. The racquet necks usually have holograms and the butt caps have serial numbers and other info.

5. Take pictures of your fake. If you have already received a fake racquet take pictures comparing your fake to an original. You will need this to make a strong case for getting your money back from Ebay. You can find more info here - http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/replica-counterfeit.html

6. Do not pay outside Ebay or Paypal. Do not under any circumstances agree to a deal outside Ebay. Paying via ebay/paypal/your credit card gives you an added layer of protection for your purchase. If you can prove that your seller duped you - there is a good chance of getting your money back.

7. Avoid the hassle and purchase from an authorized dealer. Most popular manufacturers like Head, Wilson, Babolat dictate the lowest price that their products can be sold for. So if someone is trying to sell a racquet for an unbeleivably low price - something is fishy. If  you are patient enough you will find a good deal at an authorized dealer like GolfSmith.

In my instance I tried to purchase a racquet on ebay for $115 and I had to pay for shipping it back to the seller another $12 - so my total = $127. I found a great deal on GolfSmith for $165 + free shipping + free stringing. Yes, I paid about $40 more but I know that its authentic and I can get my money back if something happens to my racquet.

Hope this helps - Vamsee

Fake Head YouTek Radical Pro

Our Denver League's Vamsee Konda recently purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay and it turned out to be a fake. Here are his observations on how to identify a fake Radical Pro:

I purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay recently for $115 and was waiting eagerly for it. I thought it was a reasonable price for someone who doesnt understand its value to sell if somehow they got hold of this racquet. Anyway, it got home ok, but it turned out to be a fake. It was so well made that if I didn't already own an original, it would have been really hard to distinguish.

I was able to return it and get my money back - but I feel lucky for not having lost any money. But I did manage to take some pictures with the idea that you can avoid a bad deal. By the way you can click on any of the images below to view them at full resolution.

The original on the left and the impostor on the right.

They look identical at first, they even weight almost the same and surprisingly they are also balanced the same - 2 pts head light.

Original on top, fake below

On closer inspection I noticed that the color is off. The fake has a brighter red shade, while the original is orangish.

Original on top, fake below

The criss cross pattern that runs around the inside of the racquet head is more distinct in the fake. Its not that disctinct in the original - its a litte more blended in.

Orignal on top, fake below

The "HEAD" letters towards the top left and right of the head are in chrome on the original, while they are black and not that distinct in the fake.

Head hologram sticker on the original

Missing sticker on the fake.

The fake racquet does not have a hologram sticker.

Original on the right and fake on the left

The original racquet had clearly marked serial number, grip size on the butt cap. The fake does not have this info and even the head logo is slightly off to the right.

Original on the right and fake on the left.

You can see the cheap workmanship on the fake (left) the leather grip does not wrap around neatly around the handle.

Fake

The cheap construction of the grommet strip is visible here, looks like its about to come off.

Chinese booklet

The booklet that came with the racquet was in Chinese.

There were several other examples of poor workmanship that was hard to capture via my camera. You can actually buy these fakes directly from China using websites like these - http://hemeitrade.en.made-in-china.com/product/ZMwnUBqlwicF/China-Head-YOUTEK-Radical-Pro.html for $50 a piece and make a profit by selling them on ebay. I have heard some horror stories on forums where people broke these racquets in a couple of weeks and lose all the money they paid because you get no warranties.

Summary

I am not saying that all racquets on Ebay are fake, but unfortunately its impossible to distinguish when you dont see the racquet with your eyes. How can you be sure that the pictures they post are from the racquet that you will get. If you are patient enough you can get a good deal from an authorized dealer like GolfSmith.

Hope this article provides you with enough things to check for before purchasing you racquet.

- Vamsee Konda

Hit With a Tennis Pro Event on August 1st

Flexible Tennis League Denver is pleased to announce our “Hit with a Pro” event scheduled for Sunday, August 1st at the City Park tennis courts. The event will begin at 10:00AM.

Dan Dicke of Rocky Mountain Tennis Academy will be present to give his expertise on questions you have regarding technique, strategy, fitness…etc. Dan is a PTR certified instructor with over 20 years of teaching experience and has served as a director and head tennis pro at several tennis clubs in the Chicago area before joining RMTA. This event is a great opportunity to receive valuable input on your strokes and game from a well respected professional in our sport.

Dan will also run through a drill for the most voted stroke category from the following:

1. Ground Stroke – top spin etc.
2. Volleys – under spin, touch etc.
3. Serve/Overhead – placement, spin etc.
4. Specialty Shots – control, touch etc.

Like all Flex Tennis League Denver programs, our Hit with a Pro event is free to all members. In addition to spending time with Dan, we will have a short game format tournament for members that wish to participate. The top finishers will receive rewards sponsored by Golfsmith Tennis.

Refreshments will be provided. Please bring a $5 donation to help cover the costs of the drinks and snacks.

We ask that you RSVP and indicate your preference for the drill before July 28, by sending an email to admin[at]flexibletennisleague[dot]com. We look forward to seeing everyone at the event.

$20 off on Head Youtek

GolfSmith is offering $20 off on all Head Youtek range of racquets. They are also offering free stringing services on purchase of a performance frame. This amounts to a total of $40 in savings. Great deal if you are in the market for new racquet. Check out their Park Meadows store for more awesome deals!!

Golfsmith's Friends and Family Sales Event.

Golfsmith is offering upto 35% off on its Tennis gear and apparel from 6/25 - 6/29. They have a huge selection of Tennis racquets, shoes, strings and other accessories. They also offer racquet stringing services by USRSA certified racquet technicians. Please check out their Park Meadows store and see how you can save money on our next Tennis purchase.

If you find a lower price elsewhere, they offer a 115% price match guarantee - so you are always getting the lowest price. Click here to find out more about the sale.

The longest match in Grand Slam's history.....

American John Isner and France's Nicolas Mahut's match is yet to be decided 10 hours after they took to the courts this morning (06/23/2010). Both players won 2 sets each and the final set's score reads 59 - 59. According to the crazy Wimbledon rule - "In men's tennis, a player must win six games to win a set, three out of five sets to win the match (in women's tennis, the winner must take two out of three sets). The winning player must win the final set by two."

Both players were so tired that they decided to stop play and pick it up the next day while the crowd was chanting for more. Can you beleive playing for 10 hours straight? Wow!!

10 hours and still not done.

ESPN 360

If you have basic cable like me and if you feel like you are missing out on all the Wimbledon action, check out ESPN 360. Turns out that if you have internet service from Comcast you can get on the ESPN360 site and watch all the sports coverage they have for free. The best part is you can watch streams from all the courts simultaenously - you can switch between matches that are currently happening (not sure if you can do that on TV?). You can also catch FIFA action along with Wimbledon.

If you are at the airport all you need is your comast login and password. Just get on the site and put in your access credentials. The stream quality is awesome and it never buffers.

Check out ESPN360.com