So today, I had to string a racket with a customer's strings, BG65 SP, Black, most likely coming from China or SP directly. The string package looked authentic and after a couple minutes of thorough inspection of the package, I had to conclude that the strings were most likely real. However, while stringing, I found that the string felt "softer" than usual and kinda looked thinner. The feeling was different than usual (and I string BG65 VERY often). I started doubting and looked for other clues on the string itself (the writing and presence of micro filaments), still inconclusive. So, my question is, have you ever found fake strings that had really well made packaging, so much that it is 99-100% like the real thing ? Here's a couple pictures of the package and comparison with mines and fake ones. Real (Left) VS Customer (Right) Real (Left) Back VS Customer (Right) Back Real (Left) VS Customer (Right) Cardboard inside Real (Left) VS Fake(Right) Real (Left) Back VS Fake (Right) Back Real (Left) Thickness VS Customer Thickness (Right)
I posted this thread in the strings section, but I'm kind of realizing this would probably belong here, or at least that the people who read this section are more apt to reply. So, I'm asking if you've had any situation similar to this: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php/123612-quot-Fake-quot-string-but-no-evidence (@ Mods, would it be possible to move the other thread and merge with this one ? Thanks and sorry for the trouble)
Ive come across yonex fake string before,the packaging was good but the string was not,It snapped in minutes strung at 22lb.From what I can remember it was purchaced from an auction site,
Can't it have to do with the dye? Even on RKEP the packages look the same, with rounded corners on the barcode box at the back for coloured strings and straight corners for the white ... although I now spot a difference in that on the ones at RKEP and a few others the string name is repeated inside the white square at the bottom. EDIT: never mind that, on this high res one I see what looks like a sticker covering the original straight cornered box. On your "fake" it doesn't look like a sticker?
I have seen fake string in a genuie package, they cut opened at the bottom package, took the original string out and put in fake string, then re-sealed the package afterward. I usually take string out by cutting the top, as soon as I took the string I noticed the string does not feel the same so I check the package for signs of fake pack and noticed the bottom was sealed twice.
It's a sticker on the fake pack, on the customer's pack and on all the non white string authentic packs.
Figured it was probably from the flash you couldn't see through it . But that sticker doesn't repeat BG65 on it at the bottom like "BG80" on the other sticker and likewise I saw on other strings or do you have more genuine ones of those as well (that don't repeat it)?
It does repeat on the ones that have stickers on them (so non white BG65). On the last picture, it does not repeat "BG65" at the bottom, but the one on the left doesn't have the sticker and the one on the right is a fake string package.
Yes, these Yonex "fakes" or HIGH COPY (sounds better than fakes ) as they are also called in the market here are very difficult to tell apart when they are in the packaging. You can only tell (more like "feel") them apart when you open the packages. One of my regular stringer told me to look at the Sunrise stickers, ORIGINAL stickers will give a kind of a "dull" glow when looked at an angle but the fakes will glow like the Sun at all angles !! Because of the glut of these Yonex "fakes" in the local market, it is one of the key reason why I switched back to GOSEN strings and I have no regrets whatsoever esp after I used the Gosen R4x100 strings, damn good strings !!!
definitely can't judge by the appearance of the package or the string itself, cuz a friend of mine own a badminton shop, and he showed me both real and fake YY strings to find the different. therefore I just strung at reputable shop, because I just can't play with fake string, feel dull, stupid and lose my money. just cut it off. recently bought too reels from strinerW, and became a stringer myself.
I'm a stringer and I own a shop. This customer was not from the store though. However, there is no way that I'll cut the strings off or use mine instead if someone brings me fake strings. I'd just string it and inform them that its fake when they get their racket back. However this was not possible in this case.
So you guys are saying these strings were definitely fake, and that it may not me be hallucinating or just the coating/color making it different/seem different ?
Unfortunately, I've had no contact with this customer. I happen to string for my college's sports center, so people just bring their rackets, I take it, string it, and give it back.
One of my customers brought in his own yellow BG-80 String (CH coded). I immediately realized that the string he brought me felt different. it was very smooth, coils easily and is very stiff/hard feeling when compared to ones that i have strung in the past. I then inspected the packaging and noticed the following: 1) Hologram of CH bg-80 is different in size and lettering when compared to my customer's nbg-99 (no region code) and my bg-80 (SP). The holograms for the nbg-99 and my bg-80 were identical. 2) The YY logo in the hologram had a more triangular shape, (very little curve) in the CH bg-80 3) Packaging is aligned differently. The wording for "hard feeling" is higher than the nbg-99 and my bg-80 lettering. I notified my customer of the above differences. I told him that i can't conclusively say that the string he brought be was fake, BUT i can conclude that the string is very different from all bg-80 i've strung in the past. I asked him to follow up as to where he got it because i was curious. Attached are some photos of the packaging. bottom right (Bg-80 CH), right most hologram (BG-80 CH)
It is definitely a fake, I have no doubts about it The alignment as well as the Yonex logo are very different from the original ones.
if you have the packaging, the is something unique about Yonex's packaging. if you try to tear open the package via the serrated seal, genuine Yonex packages tears pretty easily. while the fake one (at least the one i tried) don't tear.
Sorry. I gave the package of string back to my client along with a sample of my own bg-80 as a comparison. Aside from the fact that the string felt totally smooth (no bumpy texture) I think the hologram differences was the giveaway.