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<\/a><\/div>\nOn Friday I was contacted by WV, whose late father unfortunately bought a number of years ago some wine from scam investment companies. She had recently received a letter (see part below) sent to her late father’s address by Storage Resources.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The letter from ‘Paul Foley, Director’ claims that Storage Resources has wine in its storage facility belonging to clients of Imperial Fine Wine Ltd. It now possible for clients to claim their outstanding funds, except for those who ‘holdings have unfortunately been sold by the director of Imperial Fine Wines Ltd’. The clients will be reimbursed through ‘Equity Partners Group’ who apparently ‘have been appointed and authorised by the Insolvency Service to assist in the sale of assets and the reimbursement of client capital. (Equity Partners Group – Tel: 0203 488 8049).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Foley explains that the delay in clients getting their funds back is because of ‘the liquidation of Imperial Fine Wines’ ‘predominantly due to the pending high court claim held against the company and its sole director (Mr Pan Wong).<\/span><\/p>\n WV was told that there was ‘\u00a343,750 from wine they have sold but I need to pay \u00a33500 to get that money. I need to pay Equity Partners Group’. She was told that the \u00a33500 would go into a escrow account was refundable once the transfer of the capital sum. WV duly received documentation from ‘Equity Partners Group Ltd’ with a letter signed by the ‘director’. WV thought this arrangement was strange so contacted me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are a number of very curious aspects to this ‘narrative’<\/b><\/span>. <\/p>\n So where start? Well let’s first have a look at Imperial Fine Wines Ltd<\/b>. The company was founded in November 2012 with Pan Pan Wong, who lives in Hong Kong, as the sole director. The company filed accounts for every year for 2013 through to 2017. On 15.4.2018 Wong applied to have the company voluntarily struck off, which duly happened on 7th August 2018. Curiously Storage Resources fail to mention that Imperial Fine Wines Ltd never traded<\/b> \u2013 all the filed accounts were for a dormant company. Thus there was no liquidation process, no high court claim either against the company or its sole director.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nor, of course, was there any wine to be sold. The \u00a343,750 cannot exist either: it is just bait for an advance fee fraud.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Now let us turn our attention to Storage Resources<\/b>. It is just as well there is no wine because Storage Resources does not have a bonded warehouse facility in Harlow.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Map of Edinburgh Way, Temple Fields, Harlow <\/i> No storage facility in Harlow \u2013 surely there must be some mistake as their website waxes lyrical over the ideal conditions they offer for storing wine. Time to compare and contrast:<\/span><\/b> <\/p>\n Storage Resources: <\/b><\/p>\n ‘Our Cellar<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Fine <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u200b<\/span>Our facility\u2019s 20-inch thick <\/span><\/p>\n \u200b<\/span>Vital Conditions<\/span><\/p>\n \u200b<\/span>The key to proper wine storage <\/span><\/p>\n \u200b<\/span>Climate: It is generally agreed Light: Light can prematurely \u200b<\/span>Vibration: Vibration can affect Security: For the utmost protection, our facility is equipped with \u00a0<\/p>\n With the exception of ‘Built in 1889 as a brandy storage warehouse’ the \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Not only have Storage Resources purloined text from 55\u02da they have also pinched their photos:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In summary Storage Resources have copied texts from three Californian storage facilities \u2013 55\u02da<\/a>, Armored Storage in Lane County<\/a> and Vinfolio<\/a> \u2013 plus just for good measure copied a text from London City Bond on deliveries. Amusingly whoever did the copying for Storage Resources forgot to take out the Californian place names such as Eugene and Lane County \u2013 somewhat of a giveaway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, the most glaring error is to have left in the Californian earthquake \u2013 the first time I was aware that Harlow in the UK was also affected by the tremors:<\/span><\/p>\n Storage Resources: 2014 Napa Earthquake \u2013 ‘only 17 were damaged’<\/p>\n Vinfolio: 2014 Napa Earthquake \u2013 ‘only 17 were damaged’ \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Equity Partners Group Ltd was founded in May 2009. Its registered office is at accountants Aston Shaw in Norwich and appears to be based in Great Yarmouth\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
plenty of businesses but no sign of Storage Resources<\/i>
A bonded warehouse would be a very substantial building,<\/i>
especially one with 20″ thick walls!<\/i><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n wine often improves with time, but ageing in the wrong conditions can
\nirreversibly compromise your collection and investment. At 55\u00b0 we
\nunderstand how the wine evolves in the bottle.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwalls and insulated interior walls are supplemented by refrigeration for
\n an ideal cellar environment. \u00a0The sturdy stone building also protects
\nwine from potentially harmful natural light and vibration.<\/p>\n
\nis providing an ideal and unchanging environment, one that allows the
\nwine to age slowly and gracefully.<\/p>\n
\n that temperatures from 55\u00b0 to 59\u00b0 allow wines to develop at an optimum
\nrate. Higher temperatures will age wine prematurely, devaluing and
\nshortening a wine’s lifespan. \u00a055\u00b0\u2019s cellar features
\nthermostat-controlled refrigeration which provides excellent air
\ncirculation (important for controlling mildew) and ensures even
\ntemperature distribution throughout.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nage wine, even when the exposure is very brief. Our stone cellar
\nprevents natural light penetration; we use low-intensity lighting
\nthroughout to provide the greatest degree of protection.<\/p>\n
\n the equilibrium and development of wine. Our solid stone walls and
\nconcrete flooring minimize movement within the cellar.
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nstate-of-the-art infrared motion detectors and security alarm systems.
\nEach locker is secured with an individual padlock and key, and all
\nconditions are monitored 24 hours a day.’<\/span><\/p>\nContrast this text from 55\u02da: <\/span><\/span>
<\/h2>\n
\nrest is a direct copy of 55\u02da<\/a>, a wine storage facility in Napa,
\nCalifornia that was established 15 years ago.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n
\n Finally what about the Equity Partners Group Ltd<\/b>? At first sight this company’s apparent involvement is a bit of a puzzle, especially as Storage Resources story about funds available from wine sold from a company that never traded. The answer is, however, simple. Just as Storage Resources has used texts from four storage companies, they have cloned Equity Partners Group Ltd and taken over its identity in a classic scam. I should stress that I am sure that Equity Partners Group Ltd and its director are innocent victims of this scam.<\/td>\n <\/td>\n \n \u00a0<\/td>\n \u00a0 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n