Fake String Reels ?

[Jerme]

I know that there is an important market for fake tennis rackets in China, so i wonder if there is one for the strings too.

I am asking this because in my country , Romania, there are a couple of tennis sites where you can buy tennis strings (especially those made in Germany) at a very low price. I would say quite suspectly low compared to the most important tennis sites in Europe.

Does anybody know how low can you go with the price , to be able to make some profit , taking into consideration that these sites are legally registred and they even pay VAT.

I'll give you some examples to be more exactly.

Volkl Cyclone - Tennis Warehouse Europe - 103 Euro
- you can find it here for - 60 Euro

Signum Pro Tornado - TWE - 99 Euro
- here - 64.5 Euro

Signum Pro Micronite - TWE - 141 Euro
- here - 84.5 Euro

All of the Europe's tennis sites have similar prices like the ones on TWE. I think the differences are too big .

What do you think about it ?

 

[texastornado]

I know that there is an important market for fake tennis rackets in China, so i wonder if there is one for the strings too.

I am asking this because in my country , Romania, there are a couple of tennis sites where you can buy tennis strings (especially those made in Germany) at a very low price. I would say quite suspectly low compared to the most important tennis sites in Europe.

Does anybody know how low can you go with the price , to be able to make some profit , taking into consideration that these sites are legally registred and they even pay VAT.

I'll give you some examples to be more exactly.

Volkl Cyclone - Tennis Warehouse Europe - 103 Euro
- you can find it here for - 60 Euro

Signum Pro Tornado - TWE - 99 Euro
- here - 64.5 Euro

Signum Pro Micronite - TWE - 141 Euro
- here - 84.5 Euro

All of the Europe's tennis sites have similar prices like the ones on TWE. I think the differences are too big .

What do you think about it ?

Buy sets of those strings and try them side by side. If you can't tell the difference then you got a great deal...

I've looked in racket shops in asia a few times and have seen fake rackets but not fake strings.

 

[HappyMilk]

This is also a first that I've heard of fake strings. The closest comparison side-by-side that I've heard of is Pro's Pro Blackout and Technifibre Black-Code. If China's fake rackets don't feel the same, I don't advise you buy those strings trusting that quality control!

 

[Jerme]

This is also a first that I've heard of fake strings. The closest comparison side-by-side that I've heard of is Pro's Pro Blackout and Technifibre Black-Code. If China's fake rackets don't feel the same, I don't advise you buy those strings trusting that quality control!

Not sure if it is a fake string or just other strings with similar properties. For example Pro's Pro (which is a very chip string) has similar models with Volkl and Signum Pro and it might be very hard to tell the difference if it has the same color and the same shape with 6 edges or 10 like the Cyclone.

I never buy strings from Romania, as i don't trust this kind of stores. For example the same string reels , at Decathlon, Intersport or other franchise stores that are well known in Europe are even more expensive than on TWE.

 

[TobyTopspin]

I do know that fake strings do exists. Mostly is the high dollar Lux or RPM stings, see the 'bay' site. I would think that the profit margin for a string like Cyclone wouldn't be worth making a fake, but I could be wrong.

 

[tyu1314]

I just asked my friend to got me a reel of black cyclone from china,it cost about 50 USD. I think it should be real, because i did some search and every site and seller i came across sell cyclone about the same price 50-55USD. I think it is so cheap because it is made in taiwan.

 

[TheRed]

I just asked my friend to got me a reel of black cyclone from china,it cost about 50 USD. I think it should be real, because i did some search and every site and seller i came across sell cyclone about the same price 50-55USD. I think it is so cheap because it is made in taiwan.

Why would making it in Taiwan make it cheap? Taiwan is NOT China.

 

[tyu1314]

I think its because they are really close and seller has easier access to it? Thats just my guess. I will find out are those cyclone real or not when my friend is back from china at the end of month. I think they should be real because sellers/stores i look at also sell many other tennis gears, and they are all pretty much the same retail price as here in US. They also listed it as authentic,but that wont help much.

 

[dode]

I just restrung a racquet for a friend and I had to ask him where he got the previous string because it was absolutely fake. It was "supposedly" Luxilon Alu Power but it was closer to weedeater string. All of the crosses in the sweet spot were absolute flat instead of round, and it was actually a cross that broke because it flattened out so much. We aren't talking flattened like that Gamma test string a year or so ago. We are talking like 3 times as wide as it originally was. I will say that there was almost no notching of the main strings, but I guess that would be hard to do when the crosses are worn flat.

Anything coming from overseas like that from a "questionable" source stands a good chance of being fake IMO. Make a string the same color as what you are trying to fake, and probably 90% of people wouldn't know the difference, whether we are talking about Babolat, Volkl, Luxilon, or anything else.

John

 

[loosegroove]

Without a doubt there are fake reels out there, and there is probably a good chance the ones you are speaking of are fake. Unfortunately there are fakes of everything.

Slightly off topic, but currently I'm peeved because I ordered a Rainbow Loom (hot toy this season) for my niece as a Christmas present online. Turns out it's a crappy fake, even things "fulfilled by Amazon" are often fake. Though if the tennis string plays well and is significantly cheaper, it might still be a good deal (though Pro's Pro and Discho might be cheaper and an even better deal). I payed pretty much full price for my niece's gift and the thing is a total piece of poo.

 

[tenniskid567]

Buna ziua si bine ai venit la talk-tennis

I haven't heard much in the way of fake strings either, closest would be like others have mentioned, pro's pro, etc. Possibly a company/companies that make strings they claim to be nearly identical to the name brand, with a 'compare-to____' tagline attached.

 

[diredesire]

Why would making it in Taiwan make it cheap? Taiwan is NOT China.

Stuff made in Taiwan (even US) is subject to the same laws of economics. There are things that are cheap and crappy, and there are things that are expensive and high end. Apple products are made at foxconn in China, and cheap knockoffs are made in China. Being that something is made in Taiwan has absolutely no bearing on the final price in China. You'll often see brand name clothes more expensive in TW where they're made vs. where you buy them in the US.

I think its because they are really close and seller has easier access to it? Thats just my guess. I will find out are those cyclone real or not when my friend is back from china at the end of month. I think they should be real because sellers/stores i look at also sell many other tennis gears, and they are all pretty much the same retail price as here in US. They also listed it as authentic,but that wont help much.

See above -- Short answer is that this train of reasoning isn't really going to hold up in general.

As far as knockoff reels, they definitely do exist. Back when Signum PPP (orange) was pretty new and gaining popularity, there were many reels sold on the auction site that looked genuine, but there were many, many reports of (bizarre) premature breaking. Luxilon counterfeit products are very frequently sold on the bay as well. Counterfeits are definitely out there, but you may get lucky (is it worth the risk?). Ask yourself this: If you can buy a $200 reel for $50, but it's not genuine, but plays OK. Is it still worth the $50? If you find out it's garbage string, would you end up buying the $200 reel after that? Your $200 reel just got 25% more expensive. Calculate your risk tolerance, and buy based on some educated decision making.

My 2 cents.

 

[Jerme]

Buna ziua si bine ai venit la talk-tennis

)

There is no doubt there are fake strings on the market. On an auction site in Romania, like the well known e-bay there is a seller who admits that he sells a very good imitation of the Lux BB Alu Power. You can't tell the difference between the real one and the fake one if you only look at them.

So definitely there are fake strings out there. In this particular case i've exposed in the first post i think the strings are changed with other chipper ones that look identical, like, for example the Pro's Pro which has identical strings to Cyclone and Signum Pro.

 

[jamescg]

Coincidental that this subject would crop up here at the same time that I'm having the identical conversation with both my stringer and my former stringer.

Recently had two racquets strung with Wilson Sensation, the same stringer, strings, and at the same tension I have been using for about two years. These have been not only looser initially, and have lost even more tension much quicker than before, noticeably.

My stringer told me that he bought a large reel on line recently for an excellent price. :shock: I don't know if this is relevant, but I also noticed that the string name is only printed on the strings once on the entire racquet face, older racquets strung with my own single packet strings have at least twenty "prints".

I feel like Columbo.

J

 

[Fed_Wilson]

I think fake strings exist because if you go to E b a y, there are many strings that were made from China
They even directly say it to you and sell it for less than half price..
I saw the reviews and most of them re-selling it for another half price lol..
If you go type Alu power rough they have it for like 100 bucks for auction and you can see that nobody bids on it lol
One of the guy said that it didn't work for him, He wanted to try it out how it felt but he said he didn't like it at all lol
So you guys should be aware of those..
I believe TW or any other big major markets are the safest to go or direct sellers who have really high ratings
That's what I do
Hope it helped

 

[Jerme]

Coincidental that this subject would crop up here at the same time that I'm having the identical conversation with both my stringer and my former stringer.

Recently had two racquets strung with Wilson Sensation, the same stringer, strings, and at the same tension I have been using for about two years. These have been not only looser initially, and have lost even more tension much quicker than before, noticeably.

My stringer told me that he bought a large reel on line recently for an excellent price. :shock: I don't know if this is relevant, but I also noticed that the string name is only printed on the strings once on the entire racquet face, older racquets strung with my own single packet strings have at least twenty "prints".

I feel like Columbo.

J

I can definitely assure you that there are fake reels of Wilson Sensation.

 

[cartel]

i agree there are definite fakes -- even on cars for something like a fuel pump i know there are fake "walbro 255" so if wholesale is $105 and someone is selling it at 80 or less it either fell off the truck or its a knock off..

for string they wouldnt make a "fake" except for maybe alu power or something that is VERY popular-- most of the strings would just be repackaged with different labels.

all it takes is they see CYCLONE gets a lot of favorable posts and they get one pack and copy the package--

on side note how do pro pros strings compare to cyclone?

 

[mikeler]

They easiest way to look for this is they should be required by law to put "Fake" on the packaging.

 

[jamescg]

They easiest way to look for this is they should be required by law to put "Fake" on the packaging.

Or we can just politely ask the crooks to "please stop making fakes". :roll:

J

 

[cartel]

on some things there are probably more "fakes" than real -- like a rolex submariner--
i've seen a lot of fakes-- some so bad a timex would be better - although a timex or any quartz watch is more accurate than my sub..

 

[rev200g]

I have encountered fake Luxilon Alu Pwr strings twice in the past year.

 

[RetroSpin]

My hitting partner got some Lux off the big auction site from a guy with a lot of favorable feedback. He suspected it would be fake, and actually contacted Luxilon and confirmed that the string was fake. The string looked exactly like the real thing, right down to the tiny printing on the string itself.

The funny thing was, we both really liked it. It was well worth the price he paid for it.

 

[Bhairava]

A local store in Italy sells 12meters of RPM Blast at 8 euros instead of the usual price (18 euros). I've tried them, and even if they performed good, they are not as sharp as I remember. I'm starting thinking they are fake too...!