Serious questions are being raised about the business practices of Be Forward Co., Ltd., a Japan-based automobile exporter, after a foreign customer wired more than $112,000 USD for a vehicle that was never delivered, never shipped, and never received, more than two months after full payment.
According to bank records and documented correspondence, full payment was sent on October 28, 2025, and acknowledged by BeForward the following day. From that point forward, the buyer received repeated assurances that the transaction was “in progress,” but no shipping confirmation, bill of lading, or delivery documentation was ever provided.
Despite its name, critics say the transaction appeared to move in only one direction: forward for the money, but nowhere for the car.
No Shipment, No Delivery, No Proof
At no point did the customer receive the vehicle.
No shipment departed Japan.
No bill of lading was issued.
No delivery occurred.
Despite receiving full payment, BeForward did not claim until December 2, 2025 that the vehicle had “arrived at their yard” on November 28 — a statement that was never supported by photographic evidence, yard records, or third-party verification.
Over the following weeks, BeForward repeatedly stated that the vehicle was “waiting for inspection,” “waiting for booking,” or “waiting for ETD confirmation,” without providing concrete proof that export arrangements had actually been completed.
Contradictory Timelines and Escalating Delays
On December 15, BeForward stated that the vehicle had arrived at its yard on November 30 and that booking had been applied for.
On December 19, BeForward stated that the vehicle would not ship until January 15, 2026 — nearly three months after full payment.
That same day, BeForward acknowledged that the official Export Certificate listed June 14, 2026 as the scheduled export date, dismissing it as “just a due date,” while offering no written confirmation of an earlier departure.
As of publication:
- The vehicle has never been shipped
- The vehicle has never left Japan
- The customer has never received the car
- No binding shipping documentation has been issued
Despite full payment and continuous follow-ups, BeForward failed to ship or refund the vehicle for more than two months.
Refund Refused Despite Cancellation Window
As delays continued, the customer formally requested cancellation and a refund on December 23, 2025. BeForward refused, stating that the vehicle could not be returned to the original supplier.
The buyer disputes this explanation, noting that the contractual relationship exists solely with BeForward, not with any third-party supplier, and that internal sourcing issues should not override buyer rights.
The purchase agreement permits cancellation up to seven business days prior to shipment. At the time the refund was requested, BeForward had stated that shipment — if it occurred at all — would not take place until January 15, 2026, placing the cancellation clearly within the permitted window.
As of publication, no refund has been issued.
A Pattern, Not an Isolated Case
This case has drawn heightened attention due to the large number of online complaints and warnings from other international buyers reporting similar experiences with BeForward, including prolonged delays, refund disputes, poor communication, and uncertainty surrounding vehicle availability.
Across automotive forums and consumer review platforms, buyers describe confusion over whether vehicles are actually secured, delays attributed to unnamed third parties, and difficulty obtaining clear shipping confirmation after payment.
Critics argue that foreign buyers face limited recourse when disputes arise, particularly when large wire transfers cross jurisdictions and vehicles remain under the exporter’s control in Japan.
Growing Calls for Accountability
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of oversight within Japan’s used-car export industry and whether existing safeguards adequately protect overseas buyers sending large wire transfers abroad.
Consumer advocates warn that unresolved cases like this risk damaging Japan’s reputation as a high-trust trading partner — particularly if exporters are perceived to be able to accept full payment, delay shipments indefinitely, and refuse refunds without consequence.
Foreign buyers who believe they may have been affected by similar conduct are being urged to report their experiences to relevant Japanese consumer-protection and law-enforcement authorities, including filing formal complaints with Japanese police and national regulatory agencies responsible for cross-border commerce and fraud prevention.
The customer involved has stated that unless the matter is resolved immediately, additional documentation and correspondence will be released publicly to assist journalists, regulators, and other potential victims in assessing the scope of the issue.
