Fake Babolat Aeropro Drive GT?

[benz1]

Well I just bought the new nadal racquet offline and i got it today and i am almost positive it if fake... i contacted the guy that sold it to me and he said he didn't know about it being fake but would take it back if it is... but i would like to definently make sure that it is fake before i send it back...

-the finish on it is all glossy where the white/yellow version has no real gloss to it

-the yellow ring of cortex or whatever just above the handle, a little but of it can be picked up like it was just glued there or something

-the grommets are funky in that some sit too far out and some cant really go all the way trough the racquet frame

-at about 9 o'clock, where it says GT Technology with the GT in red, it is just a black glossy background, but on the TW pictures this part of the racquet has litte grey lines going through or around it

-and then it has the babolat barecode sticker in the throat but does not have a sticker that has the grip size above it and then there is also a sticker the is a hologram and says Babolat Pro Legacy on it

you guys think this is fake as well?

i can take pictures and put them up if someone can tell me how

[PrinceMoron]

Well I just bought the new nadal racquet offline and i got it today and i am almost positive it if fake... i contacted the guy that sold it to me and he said he didn't know about it being fake but would take it back if it is... but i would like to definently make sure that it is fake before i send it back...


Well if it is fake then it does not belong to you or the seller, it infringes the rights of Babolat and belongs to them or whoever the importer is in your country. So you should not be sending it back to the seller. You should be asking for a prepaid envelope from babolat who can then cut it into little pieces.

The seller has entered into a contract to supply you with an APD Gt and that is what he should do. It would not matter if he had sent you an elephant before, it would still be as useless and he would be no nearer fulfilling his obligations to you.

If the seller wants it back he should go knocking on Babolat's door asking for it.

As to whether it is fake or not, some photos would be good. Post them up on picasaweb or some free space and then link to them from here.

[Zefer]

Pictures would really help.

More information regarding "Babolat Pro Legacy" (http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=262871)

My opinion about the racquet is split 50/50. It could be a fake but there's not enough information provided for me to determine either way. It might just be a foreign variant or something... pictures please? :D

[Hotrocks]

Well I just bought the new nadal racquet offline and i got it today and i am almost positive it if fake... i contacted the guy that sold it to me and he said he didn't know about it being fake but would take it back if it is... but i would like to definently make sure that it is fake before i send it back...

-the finish on it is all glossy where the white/yellow version has no real gloss to it

-the yellow ring of cortex or whatever just above the handle, a little but of it can be picked up like it was just glued there or something

-the grommets are funky in that some sit too far out and some cant really go all the way trough the racquet frame

-at about 9 o'clock, where it says GT Technology with the GT in red, it is just a black glossy background, but on the TW pictures this part of the racquet has litte grey lines going through or around it

-and then it has the babolat barecode sticker in the throat but does not have a sticker that has the grip size above it and then there is also a sticker the is a hologram and says Babolat Pro Legacy on it

you guys think this is fake as well?

i can take pictures and put them up if someone can tell me how

If you bought it on e-bay most likely FAKE! Hard to tell without photo. Take it to your local tennis shop and compare, Take the grip off and pull the but cap. If you got a great deal on the price...it's not Authentic. I have seen the fake pure drives also...they are usually head heavy. Plus the printing on the inside of the head frame will most likely extend over the crest.

[DownTheLine]

Take pics with the butt-cap off.

[benz1]

http://picasaweb.google.com/111799949869664664005/Lovegame#

^there are pictures

[LafayetteHitter]

When in doubt, don't hit the bid button. Someone should be able to compare their photos to their own frame.

[DownTheLine]

It's real. The staples in the handle prove so.

[benz1]

Downtheline- what about the GT part where its just a black background, but in the TW pictures, its a speckeld grey line background?

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_AeroPro_Drive_GT/descpageRCBAB-BAPDGT.html
its the 4th picture down

[Bud]

Well I just bought the new nadal racquet offline and i got it today and i am almost positive it if fake... i contacted the guy that sold it to me and he said he didn't know about it being fake but would take it back if it is... but i would like to definently make sure that it is fake before i send it back...

-the finish on it is all glossy where the white/yellow version has no real gloss to it

-the yellow ring of cortex or whatever just above the handle, a little but of it can be picked up like it was just glued there or something

-the grommets are funky in that some sit too far out and some cant really go all the way trough the racquet frame

-at about 9 o'clock, where it says GT Technology with the GT in red, it is just a black glossy background, but on the TW pictures this part of the racquet has litte grey lines going through or around it

-and then it has the babolat barecode sticker in the throat but does not have a sticker that has the grip size above it and then there is also a sticker the is a hologram and says Babolat Pro Legacy on it

you guys think this is fake as well?

i can take pictures and put them up if someone can tell me how

Definitely fake... based on the one I'm comparing it to.

Are there also fake Woofer grommets in the throat?

[Marshredder]

Its fake. The GT Tech on my APDGT has a grey with textured background showing the GT weaving, it doesnt have a hologram either.

[Bud]

It's real. The staples in the handle prove so.

I disagree. It looks like a really well-produced fake. I just compared it to mine and there are slight (but significant) differences.

The inside of the handle is a mess. No genuine Babolat looks like that when you pop off the butt cap. The center divider is straight. The fakes are always skewed like the one in your pics.

Also, the background in the area on the head with "GT Technology" should be grey with very small lines. it appears yours is black with no lines.

To the OP... get a better closeup of the Woofer grommets in the throat... and also the Woofer grommets where the headguard meets the grommets (near the 10'oclock position).

In addition, the headguard and grommets should be two separate pieces... can you tell if they are or not?

If you can, weigh and balance the frame as well.

- - - - - - - - - -

This is what the GT Technology area should look like:

http://img.tennis-warehouse.com/new_big/BAPDGT-4.JPG

[Ivan Lendl's Backhand]

I'm afraid its a fake.

I demo'd a proper one only this afternoon, and its nothing like how you've described your racquet.

[grimmbomb21]

Like everyone else said, I compared your photos to mine as well. Sorry man, fake city.

[leesta76]

definatly a fake, you can automatically tell by the hologram sticker- real babolats dont put them on but most fakes have them, sorry

[VamosSR]

From your pics, I'm sorry, but I'd say it's a fake.. I have an APDGT and, although this is a pretty good PJ, the differences are there. As you said, the GT Tech logo is missing some detail. Hologram sticker is a big no no.. Also, like someone said before me, even though the inside of the buttcap has the staples, the middle piece should be straight, not at an angle like in yours..

Try the head-light vs head-heavy trick (put a finger in the throat and see whether the head floats up above the handle or sinks below it) as a final test, but looks like you've got a fake on your hands.

Can't believe they've already started producing fake APDGTs though!! The counterfeiters are really stepping their game up.. Such a shame. The sport of tennis and the Babolat brand deserve better. :-?

[Bud]

From your pics, I'm sorry, but I'd say it's a fake.. I have an APDGT and, although this is a pretty good PJ, the differences are there. As you said, the GT Tech logo is missing some detail. Hologram sticker is a big no no.. Also, like someone said before me, even though the inside of the buttcap has the staples, the middle piece should be straight, not at an angle like in yours..

Try the head-light vs head-heavy trick (put a finger in the throat and see whether the head floats up above the handle or sinks below it) as a final test, but looks like you've got a fake on your hands.

Can't believe they've already started producing fake APDGTs though!! The counterfeiters are really stepping their game up.. Such a shame. The sport of tennis and the Babolat brand deserve better. :-?

Based on the pics, they're producing pretty good fake frames, as well. To the untrained eye, this APDGT appears authentic.

[Aerial]

Sorry, It is a fake. I have two Babolat from an authorized Babolat local reseller -- two different lots. My racquets looked identical and nothing like yours. The location of the markings, Hologram was enough to tell me so.

If I didn't own the real thing- that racquet might pass as real.

[braypro]

sounds like fake to me. From limited experience and net research, i believe some fakes may be getting to a level of almost no difference physicaly. ive seen a possible fake with no way to tell, even side by side. Good luck.

[Animal_NZ]

Hey benz1,

Did you ever confirm if this was a fake racket? I have bought one that does have the lines on the "GT Technology" section but fails in other areas like yours. I'm not sure whether mine is fake or not.

[BobFL]

100% fake. The paint is just dead giveaway.

[Animal_NZ]

100% fake. The paint is just dead giveaway.

Thanks for that. What was the giveaway in particular for you? Because I have one that I am 50/50, probably more 60/40 that it is faek - but I'd love confirmation if possible.

[BobFL]

Thanks for that. What was the giveaway in particular for you? Because I have one that I am 50/50, probably more 60/40 that it is faek - but I'd love confirmation if possible.

The original paint is more matte and this one is glossy and it just looks like a very sloppy job...

[BradThomas2121]

It is FAKE! Some of the paint job doesn't match up to a real one and looks like a sloppy job that is fake

[cHA0s]

hi guys
need your help.... just bought a new aeropro drive GT from eb*y (i know it's risky but the price was pretty good).
i took the pics of the GT technology logo and it looks normal
just wondering if you guys can tell me if it's fake
Here's the link of the pics http://img13.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0129uy.jpg
from what i see it's pretty normal but still not to sure
i appreciate your help :)
thanks

[Deodorant]

hi guys
need your help.... just bought a new aeropro drive GT from eb*y (i know it's risky but the price was pretty good).
i took the pics of the GT technology logo and it looks normal
just wondering if you guys can tell me if it's fake
Here's the link of the pics http://img13.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=img0129uy.jpg
from what i see it's pretty normal but still not to sure
i appreciate your help :)
thanks

hey there, you have an authentic one, the graphite/tungsten weaving is correct and isnt a paint job, also the grommets on the apdgt are supposed to be black like that, unlike the replica's they have the grey woofer grommets from the fake apdc batch just painted to look like the new apdgt

[cHA0s]

cool.... was so afraid cause it was pretty cheap about 175 aussi dollars
thanks for the response :D

[cHA0s]

wow..... my racquet was fake...... ended up returning it to the seller. you can't really tell from the pics but the paint job was awful.
when comparing all the characteristics of fake, this one pass. like the gt technology part is grey, no hologram sticker
i guess there is different types of fakes
buyers beware

[Bhagi Katbamna]

If it sounds too good to be true....

[lefty10spro]

Many folks have entered my shop with "Fabolats". The weight is often a dead giveaway - much lighter that they ought to be.

[hcb0804]

http://*http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad171/hcb0804/008.jpg*

Fake, poor quality barcode sticker, has no grip size sticker, has bogus hologram sticker

[hcb0804]

http://*http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad171/hcb0804/007.jpg*

real. has barcode sticker only, and a grip size sticker, no hologram sticker

[hcb0804]

http://*http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad171/hcb0804/006.jpg*

fake, shiny black paint, no tungsten fibers showing in GT Technolgy @ 9 o'clock

[hcb0804]

http://*http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad171/hcb0804/005-1.jpg*

real. matte gray color with tungsten fibers visible under GT Technology @ 9 o'clock on hoop

[hcb0804]

http://*http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad171/hcb0804/004.jpg*

side by side comparison, new fake is the top one, got on eB@y

[Gregnoris]

That's a lot of helpful information hcb, thanks for sharing.

[hcb0804]

That's a lot of helpful information hcb, thanks for sharing.

Just trying to help out where I can.

[hcb0804]

That's a lot of helpful information hcb, thanks for sharing.

Just trying to help out where I can.

[cHA0s]

what happens to your pics hcb0804?

[Lakers4Life]

Can anyone tell me if the real APDGTs have black grommets or dark grey?

The older ADPCs were dark grey.

[txt858]

It looks like a FAKE base on what I see inside the butt cap.

Stick your finger at the throat and do the balance test. (take a picture of that). We want to see the balance of the racquet. If the head drops, then it's a fake.

[nomisual]

Just trying to help out where I can.

hcb0804...with those pictures you sure saved me from buying the fake one. seriously appreciate it so much i had to register and tell you :)

about the hologram, does the very latest model still not have one?

[dangros]

this was wildly helpful! Thanks guys!