Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Feek the Freek

Hi all

My trusty Saab 95 has finally given up the ghost and gone to the Salvage Yard in the sky and I'm looking for a new car after selling my beloved bike to buy one.

Spent weeks trying to find something and finally spied a reliable and relatively new Japanese Estate with low mileage nearby. HPI clear so I emailed the guy and it turns out he is in Spain and a company in Manchester is storing and will ship the car once I have agreed a price and paid the owner. they then ship the car and I have three days to test it before accepting it and they get paid. I can return it any time in those three days and it's not even return they collect.

It seems cosher but I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced anything like this before I go ahead and spend my hard won cash...

The Storage and shippers are AJ Long Transport Services Ltd.

Thanks

Feek

Edited by Feek the Freek on 28/11/2018 at 11:36

Has anyone heard of this before.....? - Mr Woo

I would tread very carefully on this and not hand over any money before seeing the vehicle.

There is a scam doing the rounds which sounds very much like this.

Has anyone heard of this before.....? - Feek the Freek

Thanks Mr Woo, I'm definitely on the too good to be true line at the moment but wanted to do a few checks before I walk away.

Has anyone heard of this before.....? - Deryck

10 foot and bargepole spring to mind.

You could, if you feel inclined, Google the telephone number and give the storage people a call, but I would give it a wide berth

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Avant

I don't know what sort of Japanese estate you're looking at, but see if you can find a similar one on Cars for Sale on this site, or on Autotrader. There's too much chance of this shipping operation being a scam to make the risk worth taking.

If it's a Mazda 6, go for a petrol one, not a diesel.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Brit_in_Germany

A classic scam. Can I send you my bank details if you are giving money away?

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Feek the Freek

2013 Honda Accord 2.2 diesel 21k on the clock and he wants £5,350 for it....

I'm after a low mileage newish Accord but the best I have seen for the money is 58 plates with much higher mileage.

I completely agree with all your comments and that's why I have sat on this for as long as I have (three weeks).

Thanks for all your thoughts and advice!

Think it's plan B time...anyone got an Estate they want to sell?

Edited by Feek the Freek on 28/11/2018 at 12:24

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - KB.

If they can try to scam me for £40 when I advertise a bed on Gumtree ( a scam purporting to involve the bed being collected by a courier and them seemingly wanting to pay with PayPal) - then they can certainly try their luck for five grand car. Why in the world would you even think of trusting such people?

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Gibbo_Wirral

Just looking at their website. Its interesting how they have a Manchester address but a Stevenage phone number?

  • Address : 2 Lonsdale Street, Newton Heath,
    Manchester, lancashire, M40 2FT
  • Phone No: +44 (143) 894-0135

ajlong-transport.co.uk/index.php?route=common/chec...e

This is Lonsdale Street in Manchester:

www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Manchester+M40+2FT/@53...8

And interesting financial information here - "dormant company?"

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08941095/filing...y

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 28/11/2018 at 12:38

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Feek the Freek

Good work Gibbo!!

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Manatee

Mr Shaik, erstwhile director of A J Long, is an accountant whose office is at Lonsdale Street.

Street view: goo.gl/4TLaLZ

Not unusual for the registered office of a company to be an accountant's office, but unusual to use it as the trading address if it isn't.

As of 31 March 2017, the company appeared not to have traded at all - no assets other than £100 capital, no debtors, creditors or bank balance. Not to say it hasn't traded since of course.

Still a classic scam - car way underpriced, seller abroad, wants payment before delivery. Probably nothing to do with A J Long either.

If there's a photo in the advert, do an image search. The photos are often nicked from other websites or ads.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - 72 dudes

Still a classic scam - car way underpriced,

Agreed, unless the car has done 210,000 as opposed to 21k, then it's far too cheap.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - thunderbird

When there are literally 1000's of cars in your price bracket locally at dealers which you can see and drive why would you want to risk buying a car you have never seen?

But lets be honest here, they must do some "deals" or they would not bother advertising.

And of those that get ripped off and loose all their money how many are too embarrassed to admit they have been complete muppets.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Brit_in_Germany

Their "how it works" section is a laugh. Try googling "civil code section 1633.1". This is California state legislation and they have just stuffed a "London" in front instead of "California".

They have just lifted the text off escrow.com.

Edited by Brit_in_Germany on 28/11/2018 at 19:40

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Brit_in_Germany

Have a read of this:

www.nbcnews.com/id/3078510/ns/technology_and_scien...I

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - joegrundy

This business may be entirely legitimate, of course. On the other hand, it may not. The company history is 'interesting' and may reflect the purchase of a 'shelf' company (i.e. one pre-formed, 'guaranteed never to have traded' (yes, that's how they're advertised). 'Off the shelf' companies can be bought and used for trade for legitimate purposes. Or not.

With the current publicised but still largely ineffective anti money laundering provisions, where banks are supposed to 'know your customer' before opening accounts and facilitating transactions, 'shelf' companies (and LLPs) are still used to get round stuff.

Kudos for the research earlier in this thread and the link to 'escrow fraud'. (I note that the contact phone number is missing a final digit - careless or what?). In fraud investigation circles we had a category for 'oldies but goldies'. Some fraud schemes have been going for years and only need to be tweaked a little to bring them up to date.

Had I come across this in my previous professional life I would have directed enquiries with/referrals to GMP Fraud Squad, National Fraud Intelligence Database and others. Just in case.

To reiterate, this may be an entirely legitimate business. But I would encourage the OP to report the facts to Action Fraud -'just in case'.

Well done to the OP for bringing this to attention, and well done to the HJ forum for raising the issue.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - joegrundy

PS to Avant, as moderator:

I appreciate the requirement to be balanced in the forum, and that comments such as 'bent as a 9 bob note' must be avoided. That's why I tried to be balanced in my comments above.

Should you think it worthwhile I'd be happy to correspond with you off-forum to discuss this further.

Cheers.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Andrew-T

<< 'dormant company' >>

Gibbo, you will know that many rental Peugeot cars reach the nearly-new market (as mine did) via a 'dormant company' - Provincial Securities 017115 - and that fact has worried posters on here before. It isn't necessarily a problem.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Dragpaul

I HAVE BEEN SCAMMED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE PRETENDING THEY HAVE A LEXUS CT200H FOR SALE AND IT IS AT THE SHIPPING COMPANY AJ LONG TRANSPORT COMPANY. I PAID UPFRONT MONEY OF £4895 INFULL SAYING THEY WILL DELIVER THE CAR. AND AFTER 3 DAYS IF I DONT LIKE IT, I CAN GET A REDUND BACK. I SENT A BANK TRANSFER ON THE 22ND DEC 2018.

THE LADY WHO ADVERTISED THE CAR INITIALLY ON EBAY EMAILED ME HER DRIVING LICENCE. I DO NOT KNOW IF THATS REALLY HER OR SHE STOLE THE LICENCE.SHES SAYS SHE DEAF AND CANNOT COMMUNICATE ONLY BY EMAIL. LEXUSCLUB SAW THE ADVERT AND COMPLAINED TO EBAY. THIS WAS ALL BEFORE I KNEW AND I ENDED SENDING MY NEARLY £5000 BY BANK TRANSFER. NOW I FEEL SICK TO MY STOMACH KNOWING I GAVE THESE PEOPLE MY HARD EARNED MONEY. THEY HAD SENT ME INVOICES ON HEADED PAPER FROM THE COMPANY AJ LONG TRANSPORT LTD. TO MAKE PAYMENT TO THEM.

I NEVER RECEVED NO CAR!! AND THEY HAD WITHDRAWN ALL MY MONEY AND DISAPPEARED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE POLICE AND MY BANK. I AM GUTTED.

BEWARE OF THESE SCAMMERS AND DO NOT PURCHASE THROUGH AJ LONG TRANSPOT LTD. I NEVER RECIEVED NO CAR!!!

Edited by Avant on 28/12/2018 at 23:02

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Avant

Sorry - I realise how distressing this is for you, but we can't name individuals in this situation on a public forum, let alone give their address and licence number.

Posts are easier to read if you don't type in capitals.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - FP

There is no need to shout (block capitals).

It is surprising that people will pay up front for something as valuable as a car - without even seeing it first. I'm afraid that is naive in the extreme. It doesn't excuse the criminals, but it's a bit like leaving your front door open and assuming no-one will rob you.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Brit_in_Germany

If someone had swindled me out of five grand, I think I would be shouting about it. Do people really view posts written in capitals as 'shouting', to be read with hands cupped over ears? Poor sensitive souls.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - madf

I don't read posts in capitals. Too much like hard work. I assume the writers of such posts are ignorant.. so not worth reading or too lazy to rewrite them (I admit I may be wrong on both counts)

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Mr Christopher Begley

Just be aware guys this same scammers is still running the scam

Audi a1 on ebay right now 4999quid with 49k.on the clock. Messaged him on ebay and told to email the same russelljones as all the other posts. Police need to be investigating this.

Has anyone heard of this before.....AJ Long Transport Services? - Avant

Thanks for the update.

For anyone new to the forum - if you ever see anything along these lines:

...it turns out he is in Spain and a company in Manchester is storing and will ship the car once I have agreed a price and paid the owner. they then ship the car and I have three days to test it before accepting it and they get paid...

AVOID. There may be some honest people trading with this method, but there are too many such people who aren't honest - so don't take the risk.