scam website?

[j_p]

I'm currently shopping for some new golf clubs and online found

http://www.golfstoreshop.com/

Prices seem much better than everywhere else on the net on some products. I'd worried if it is a scam site or copies of original products.
There have been some warnings like
- Poor English/Grammar from support
- Paypal (the onetime credit card type payment) didn't work as it said it didn't accept CNY currency
- Another site almost exactly the same but different URL
- No reviews or comments on the site

Does anyone have any tips to tell if it is a genuine site or not?

 

[RumpledElf]

From domaintools.com

Registrant:
qiang zhang
jianche nanlu 660#
taiyuan, shanxi 030000
China

Domain Name: GOLFSTORESHOP.COM
Created on: 24-Aug-09
Expires on: 24-Aug-10
Last Updated on: 24-Aug-09

So, its not very old and its Chinese. Draw from that what you will.

ETA: other half says on Border Patrol last night they had stopped lots of cheap chinese knockoffs of genuine products. I think one of them was golf clubs

 

[twobobsworth]

I don't like not having a phone number or location/address on their website.

Being located in china some of those clubs might be like my Tag watch I picked up on the streets of phuket.

 

[shuggy]

Sounds like someone is trying to fill in where this guy left off... lots of Chinese copies being sold on Ebay and other sites.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6956425.ece

 

[AlmostBob]

Rule 1:

Too Good To Be True​

= Not true​

Rule 2:

TANSTAAFL​

there aint no such thing as a free lunch​

Rule 3:

Do not deal with a store that has no physical location​

hosted by Godaddy on a $4.99 plan
fake contact details for the registrant
poorly coded site
every page triggers malware scanner

 

[Pa1nter]

Why don't you buy something little and find out,
I would but I don't play golf

 

[Pa1nter]

Being located in china some of those clubs might be like my Tag watch I picked up on the streets of phuket.

My Tag is still going well,

 

[Monty Burns]

My Tag is still going well,

yep the time is correct twice a day

 

[HomeBuyAU]

As has been mentioned, the first thing I do is go to the contact page and see where they are located. If they have no address then I'm out of there...

There are many other things I would do if they have an address including just searching for the company and see what comes up in search engine results. If there is little info that comes up then it usually means they have not had the business running that long and I would like to see a number of sites linking to the shop and read reviews etc. I would never buy from some unknown obscure shop and most definitely not from countries like China. I would only buy from Australia or the USA. As RumpledElf mentioned, do a WhoIs search on the domain name to see who owns it and where they are located, you can use Whois.net for most domains.

 

[BayView]

I'm currently shopping for some new golf clubs and online found

http://www.golfstoreshop.com/

Prices seem much better than everywhere else on the net on some products. I'd worried if it is a scam site or copies of original products.
There have been some warnings like
- Poor English/Grammar from support
- Paypal (the onetime credit card type payment) didn't work as it said it didn't accept CNY currency
- Another site almost exactly the same but different URL
- No reviews or comments on the site

Does anyone have any tips to tell if it is a genuine site or not?

If you are a half serious golfer, do yourself and our Aussie Golf Industry a big favour by NOT buying clubs online just because they are cheap.

Many people do it, and I - as an ex-Golf Pro - used to see the result all too often.

People would turn up to see me for a lesson with the new set in tow, feeling pretty chuffed, and often with a bag full of junk; or worse - an expensive bag of junk. Naturally, I'm fuming because they haven't seen fit to trust me to provide them with what they need, they've cost me a sale and a chance to make some dough, and they've bought cr@p.

Usually it ends up being a set of clubs that are not suited to them at all, not the right combination of clubs they need to suit their style of game and not the right length, shaft type and flex etc.

If they had come to me first, they would have got a very good deal and the correct clubs for their game.

So, go and see a qualified Golf Professional near you at one of our many Golf Clubs (you can approach the private clubs as well as public courses), and ask to be fitted on the PRACTICE FAIRWAY - not on some two-bit computer program in an off-course retail shop.

This is of utmost importance - why? Because you can only see the ball's flight on the practice fairway, and any skilled Golf Professional can monitor the flight by eye and sound and will know what you require after about 30 mins. It can take up to 90 ins to get fitted for an entire set though. You will usually get a free lesson into the bargain at the same time as well.

Will you pay more for all this? Not necessarily - it is only perception that being fitted by computers is better, and it is only perception that buying online and "off-course" is cheaper.

I'd rather pay maybe another 50 bucks and get a properly fitted set, than some cheap set of "snake killers" off the net.

 

[Aaron Sice]

and that, ladies and gents - is curtains.