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The Consumers Association reported on the Dockerill’s business practices to the European Commission back in 2002.

With so many names in the past 30 years for their business empire, who is keeping track? Or, at least, that’s what they are counting on.

We came across at least 20 different trading names and limited companies formed under the same circle, Paul Dockerill and co, all servicing and offering the same product : ‘reconditioned engines’ in the last 20 years.

We found this interesting article published in 1997 when Mr Paul Dockerill has just dissolved one company, Bounceturn Ltd and formed another Earlyward Ltd. Trading standards back then issued a warning in the form of a printed media advertisment, a public notice to warn consumers of their poor business practices.

Read the full article here: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/80310_shock_move_by_trading_watchdog_over_garage

In 2002 a response by Consumers’ Association to the European Commission’s Follow-up Communication to the Green Paper on EU Consumer Protection [COM (2002) 289 final, 11.6.2002] related the following about the Dockerill’s car repair business :

“Liquidation

In 1998-99, over 17,000 UK limited companies went into liquidation – that’s over 46 a day, not including thousands of sole traders and firms that ceased trading, or disappeared. It’s not just small traders that go under – the furniture chain World of Leather Ltd went bust earlier this year, leaving thousands of customers uncertain whether they’ll get their goods or money back. Many company failures, such as this, are genuine and can be for any number of reasons. However, some failures are devious, and it’s easy to walk away from debts, and set up another ‘phoenix’ company from the ashes
of the first.

Enter Paul Dockerill – selling ‘reconditioned’ engines and gearboxes. He may be familiar to readers. We published a story about his recent conviction earlier this year (see Car scam crashes, Which?, June 2000, p4), and the complaints still haven’t stopped. His company, Earlyward Ltd, registered in Godalming, Surrey, still trades as Fast Fit, from a section of the Twickenham Trading Estate, Hounslow, Middlesex.

Trading standards officers (TSOs) have received many hundreds of complaints about his companies since 1996. They include charging vastly inflated prices – sometimes double or more the original quote; engine parts that were never changed – even though customers paid for a replacement; cars that broke down just days after being ‘repaired’, and misleading adverts for part prices cheaper than people were charged. In 1996 his previous company, Bounceturn Ltd, trading as Martini Motors, was prosecuted for making false statements. But it went into liquidation, and neither the fine nor costs were ever paid. This March, after a two-year investigation by Hounslow TSOs into Earlyward, Dockerill was fined £4,500 for making false statements, with £20,000 costs.

The court heard some damning evidence against Earlyward including:

– it has 12 outstanding county court judgments against it, totalling £74,000.

– it has failed to file accounts to Companies House for the last three years.

– every one of 206 customer invoices recovered by TSOs, had been given a ‘surcharge’ – totalling more than £87,000.

It also heard there was an ‘uncertain relationship’ between Earlyward and yet another company, Rimacroft Ltd, trading as Engines Direct. Dockerill’s story illustrates the difficulties that the authorities face bringing rogue businesses to justice. Hannah Barnett and her father James had to battle to recover money from Earlyward. After work was carried out by Earlyward (costing more than double the original quote), Hannah’s car broke down twice. On the advice of TSOs, Hannah sued. As the company didn’t show up for the hearing, she was awarded judgement of over £2,000. But Earlyward didn’t pay up, so James asked the High Court Sheriff to recover the debt. The Sheriff paid Earlyward a visit with a warrant and impounded some of its assets. Eventually, Dockerill handed over the money.
Trading standards officers are in the front line of consumer protection, and amass dossiers of information about dodgy local traders. They are generally careful about what information they pass on to consumers. However, to alert consumers to the activities of Dockerill, Surrey Trading Standards took out the advert in 1997. It was a bold move, as it could have been sued for defamation had it got any details wrong.”

Read full report here, page 13 and 14: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_int/safe_shop/fair_bus_pract/green_pap_comm/responses_followup/consumer_org/cons_assoc_uk.pdf

November 24, 2011

Michael K Rowan director for MPH ENGINEERING LIMITED and EMBASSY EXECUTIVE CARS LTD

Our research into the active involvement of Michael Kieron Rowan into Bray Engineering Ltd continues. The same man that was director of Nationwide Engine and Gearbox Distributors Limited trading as Heathrow Engine Centre back in 1994 and who under it’s ownership was accused of VAT fraud in the region of £7m as posted in our earlier post is director of two other companies:

1. EMBASSY EXECUTIVE CARS LTD

Appointment Date: 28/01/2011
Position: Director
Occupation: Company Director
Company Status: Active

Address:

U25 MILL HOUSE WINDMILL CENTRE
WINDMILL LANE
SOUTHALL
UB2 4NJ
GB

Companies House Documents show that Elaine H Rowan was the previously appointed director.

2.MPH ENGINEERING LIMITED

Appointment Date: 20/02/2006
Position: Director
Occupation: Company Director
Company Status: Active

Address:

U25 MILL HOUSE WINDMILL CENTRE
WINDMILL LANE
SOUTHALL
UB2 4NJ
GB

Mr Rowan was spotted in handcuffs in the Sky News Report earlier this year, he was also spotted in the Bray Engineering Ltd offices working hard at his job at their Clock Tower Road operations in October this year.

November 21, 2011

The reconditioned-engines.co.uk website is viral throughout the internet

The http://www.reconditioned-engines.co.uk website is widely spread throughout the internet with hundreds of adjacent links that work to pull customers in from every possible angle. The amount of money involved in developing, maintaining and making these websites high in Google searches is in the range of tens of thousands and more every year.

If you or someone you know needs a reconditioned or remanufactured or completely new engine.

Do your research before you send your car to any garage.

Search for reviews, ask for the name of the company, look carefully at the terms and conditions, DO NOT SEND MONEY ahead of the work being done. WHEN IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT NORMALLY IS.

Bray Engineering Ltd and it’s predecesors have won hundreds of customers, earned hundreds of thousands of untaxed, not declared income from scamming thousands of people over 30 years through brilliant masterminded marketing materials.

Information about the domain name http://www.reconditioned-engines.co.uk

Domain name: reconditioned-engines.co.uk currently maintained and managed by www.i-m-k.co.uk.

Registrant:
Ian Greener and Mark Smith

Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant’s address:
70c High Street
Whitstable
Kent
CT5 1BB
United Kingdom

Registrar:
Ecommerce Interests Ltd. t/a Nimbus Hosting [Tag = NIMHOST]
URL: http://www.nimbushosting.co.uk

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 12-Jan-2005
Renewal date: 12-Jan-2013
Last updated: 10-Aug-2011

Ian Greener and Mark Smith are domain name registrants, frequently referred to domain owners of http://www.reconditioned-engines.co.uk.

November 18, 2011

VAT fraud at Heathrow Engine Centre now known as Bray Engineering Ltd

In 1994 three directors of Heathrow Engine Centre have been charged with VAT fraud alleged to be in the region of £7m, posted on http://community.invisionpower.com/topic/207194-warning-heathrow-motors-do-not-use/page__st__80, a community page for customers of Heathrow Engine Centre with reviews dating back to 2006.

Michael Rowan, Karmal Bhullar and Melvyn Frankal, directors of Nationwide Engine and Gearbox Distributors Limited trading as Heathrow Engine Centre, were charged in June, said a Customs and Excise spokesman.

Rowan, Bhullar and Frankal are free on bail awaiting a committal hearing likely to be held on 3 December.
Heathrow Engine Centre ceased trading on 30 September and is being prepared for liquidation according to engineering director Bhullar (see Motor Trader 10 October page 1).
The future of the business is unclear, as it is not known whether the firm will be sold or liquidated. “I’ll let the receivers sort that out,” Bhullar told Motor Trader.

17 years later, the same Michael Rowan is active at Bray Engineering Ltd office at Clock Tower Road.

Of course, Heathrow Engine Centre went in to liquidation, reformed under Brent South Trading Ltd. This company also went into liquidation and re-formed under Bray Engineering Ltd.

If you want to read the reviews on the community page click here.

November 17, 2011

Stop reconditioned-engines.co.uk!

Since we started this blog we have been in touch with many previous and current victimis of Bray Engineering Ltd. We know that the authorities are investigating it, we know they are aware of it. But we need your help in raising awarness for future victims.

We lost our cars, we lost our money. We went through sleepless nights, received threats and abusive behaviour from them. This should not be tolerated in the society we live in today.

We don’t want the same to happen to future victims.

Pledge our support by Liking one of the Facebook Pages on the right campaigning against them.

Send your stories to us so we can publish them.

Get in touch with us on stopbrayengineering@gmail.com

November 6, 2011

Ealing Gazette urges customers to get in touch with criminal investigations team

Article in Ealing Gazette published on June 1st 2011

‘A DEDICATED email address has been set up for people who believe they were victims of a Southall garage accused of intimidating and defrauding customers. Read More…

November 6, 2011

Independent Newspaper article May 2011 – 11 arrested in police garage raid

Article published 19 May 2011 in Independent Newspaper, 11 people were arrested at Bray Engineering Ltd garage in Southall. ‘Paul Dockerill, 45, and his son Martin, 23, both from Guildford, who were at the garage, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and assault.’

Read whole article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/11-arrested-in-police-garage-raid-2286347.html

November 6, 2011