Callaway Golf Europe is warning consumers that the marketing of cheap counterfeit golf clubs, golf balls, and accessories from China is on the rise. Neil Howie, managing director, Callaway Golf Europe, says that the increase of counterfeits in the European market comes despite efforts in China by Callaway Golf to shut down manufacturers and sellers of fake Callaway Golf products.
Callaway Golf has filed complaints with law enforcement or sought civil remedies against web site owners and individual eBay sellers in the UK, Scandinavia, and Germany.
In addition, Customs authorities in EC countries have noted an increase in attempted importation of counterfeit Callaway Golf products, which come largely from China. Seizures by Customs authorities are now almost a daily occurrence somewhere in the EC. Tourists and business travellers in China are frequently tempted with offers to purchase full sets of Callaway Golf clubs, often for 75% less than they might cost at home. Invariably, such “bargains” are counterfeit.
“Web site and Internet offerings of full sets of Callaway Golf clubs at bargain basement prices, often less than half of the normal selling price in the EC, are usually counterfeit,” Howie says. “Such clubs are likely to be Chinese copies, manufactured from incorrect or inferior materials. While the clubs themselves may sometimes appear cosmetically similar to authentic clubs, the quality is poor and the failure rate high. Such clubs will not provide golfers with the level of performance associated with authentic Callaway Golf products.”
According to Howie, “The best way to protect oneself from being victimised by sellers of these counterfeits is to purchase Callaway Golf clubs from authorised retailers.”
For additional tips on how to avoid being fooled by sellers of Chinese counterfeits, go to the “Customer Service” portion of the Callaway Golf website and click on “Consumer Alert: Counterfeit Clubs.” Consumers will there find a link to an advisory, “Nine Ways to Avoid Being Fooled by Counterfeits.”
Callaway Golf www.callawaygolf.com.
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