TRANSFORM YOUR 100$ SQUIER INTO A 100$ FENDER

Hi Phil, was checking through eBaY for Stratocasters a few days ago and I noticed alot of highly dubious stuff for sale. You have to be really suspicious of wording, some of the ads have 'Fender' and 'Strat' all over them but what they are selling is a no name copy, and they never explicitly admit it. Strats are so easy to build and so numerous that the market is a minefield.

I would never buy one unseen (pictures on eBay are usually cruddy, this suits the dodgy sellers) or from anything other than a bricks and mortar shop. Beware the fakes.

Either buy new or build from parts but yes there are lots of cheats out there...

Yes that's what I do too. My reasons are similar, but here most used to IMPORT a guitar.
My financial condition, starts now to be more and more stabilized, and there is a 90% chance to go with "mammy (isn't that sweet?) to CANADA.
I am heavy infected with an ACOUSTIC PRS. About serial numbers, some are really hard to read, a "guitar anatomy" is not my thing, and yes this CAN BE TROUBLE. On ebay, I was fooled once, or ripped of for 50$. One time I bought a "Chinese" GIBSON, transport included 250$. This was a real beauty, but FEED-BACK. A friend who played STAGG, wanted that guitar so bad, AGAIN a proof how important THE NAME "GIBSON" IS. I told him that it was a fake, but he gave me on the spot 400$, even the headstock is different. We had topics about why we always discussed that you pay 'the name" of these brands, Fender, Gibson PRS. In my transaction, I sold ONLY THE NAME!! He had to show his friends, in their band, that he has a GIBSON.
I don't think that I can give you a better example: he bought that guitar, I told him a dozen of times that this wasn't the real stuff. AMAZING, and he is still proud, he used Gibson humbuckers to replace the other and is veryn very happy.

Thanks again BOOT, I told you, and now in public: I TRUST AND APPRECIATE what you write. Your answers are to the point, and very "educative."
We had already several discussions about WHY GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN?
I know a few people who changed ELECTRONICS, by buying an Epihone, the add some GIBSON humbuckers, same for squier. I DON'T BLAME IT, these players don't have the money OR don't want to spend 2000$ for a Gibson LP standard. These people are often those who ask the question about why GIBSON....
In extreme cases, they buy a GIBSON neck (there are a lot of people, and certain on Ebay, selling parts, like necks, Humbuckers, coils). I once bought a "CHINESE GIBSON" you can see the difference, especially the head stock (different shape, but similar). The guitar arrived here, knowing that it was a CHINESE, and guess what: the looks were great, magnificent top, and within a month, an acquaintance MUST HAVE THAT GIBSON, knowing that it was a CHINESE copy. This guitar didn't sound bad, except for the huge feedback. So that guy bought my FAKESON LP CUSTOM purpose? Every one could see he played on a GIBSON. People are like that, he was so happy, and me too (€€€ benefit), he changed the pick-ups and placed EMG pick-ups. That guitar had improved, and sounded great.
I've been in many countries, and there you can see a lot of curiosities. In INDIA: changing money on the streets, but 75% are counting so fast and they cheat you, also the PHILIPPINES, my brother, now in Dubai, told me unbelievable stories. He was really clever and smart, changing money on the street, not giving 1€ before the money was correct (it's illegal)and being married with a Philippine girl, he had serious contacts. He bought a house, for 50% less than if he should have changed his money on a bank.
Wherever you go, it's a WORLDWIDE problem FAKE PRODUCTS, I even heard that this business is more LUCRATIVE than drugs.