Callaway Golf Company announced that its investigation of counterfeit golf club sales on eBay.com has resulted in the successful criminal prosecution of an individual in Erie, New York, and the raid of a factory in China.
William Meyers, from Clarence Center, New York, was charged in Erie County Supreme Court with selling counterfeit Callaway Golf clubs on eBay.com. The counterfeit golf club sets typically consisted of a “Callaway Golf” driver, 3-wood and 5-wood, a set of “Callaway Golf” irons, an “Odyssey” putter, and a “Callaway Golf” tour bag, airport travel bag and umbrella, all of which were fake. As part of a plea bargain, Meyers has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted counterfeiting. Sentencing will take place on December 3, 2003.
The counterfeit clubs were tracked to Joyheart Golf Appliance Co. Ltd. in Xiamen City, China. Working with local authorities, Callaway Golf raided Joyheart in an operation that netted over one hundred fifty assembled and unassembled counterfeit clubs and over six hundred other counterfeit “Callaway Golf” components.
“We appreciate eBay.com's cooperation in the investigation through its Verified Owner Rights Program, as well as the outstanding efforts of the Erie County District Attorney's office,” said Steve McCracken, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Callaway Golf. “While on-line auctions offer many opportunities to consumers, it is an unfortunate reality that they are also used by unscrupulous people to sell counterfeits. Buyers should certainly beware of deals that are 'too good to be true'.”
