I know most of us on here 1. Use pro stock sticks 2. Can tell the difference between real and counterfeit sticks, but I wanted to post this list for newer users/lurkers as well. Feel free to add more fake stick peddlers as they pop up. If you have been ripped off by a fake stick, please post it here.
These sticks are imported from China in bulk and are much worse in quality and durability than their authentic counterparts. Bauer and CCM both have minimum advertised price (MAP) regulations that do not allow ANYONE to sell brand new sticks for lower than the $360 MSRP. The fact that these sellers are selling these sticks for $200 or less is clear evidence that these are not legitimate sticks. You can easily tell by the uneven blade weaves, misprinted graphics, and cheap prices that these are 100% counterfeit. These are not pro stock sticks, just knockoffs of retail models. I have been in the industry for many years and know for a fact that Bauer and CCM would never allow their sticks to be sold this cheaply. They would not even sell sticks to hockey store employees and partners for that low of a price. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is!
What does "MAP Restricted" or "Covered by MAP" mean?
- MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price.
- If a product is MAP Restricted or Covered by MAP, that means that the lowest possible price has been set by the manufacturer and NO COMPANY, including us, can discount the product to below that price.