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Companies Investigation Branch

What we do not do

What we CANNOT investigate

We cannot investigate unincorporated partnerships or sole traders.
(These often have names such as ‘Joe Bloggs & Co.’ and do not have the letters Ltd. or Plc. after their name).
We cannot investigate companies which do not carry on business in either England, Wales or Scotland.
We cannot investigate companies which have been dissolved.
(The Registrar of Companies will be able to tell you if a company has been dissolved).
We do not investigate companies which are in compulsory liquidation - this is the responsibility of the Official Receiver.
(Either the Registrar of Companies or the Insolvency Service can tell you if a company is in compulsory liquidation).

What we DO NOT do

It is important to note that we cannot assist you in the ways described below. However, if you have any information to suggest that the company may be involved in a pattern of misconduct (for example, you are aware of others in the same position) we may be able to put a stop to it if you provide us with details.

We cannot help you resolve any differences you have with a company, such as a dispute over the quality of goods or services provided.
(This would routinely be a matter for Trading Standards, or a relevant trade or professional body. Help and advice may also be available from Consumer Direct www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or telephone 08454 04 05 06).
We cannot help you to recover any money that you are owed.
(Our enquiries are not an alternative to any legal remedies that may be available to you).
We cannot intervene in any dispute between a company and its shareholders. In particular, the fact that some shareholders are unhappy with decisions made by the directors is not a basis for an enquiry.
(It is the job of the directors to manage the company and for the shareholders to vote on the appointment of the directors and any resolutions required to be passed by shareholders. Remedies may be available to shareholders under the Companies Acts or through the courts if they are unhappy with the decisions made by the directors or any failure to act).
We cannot intervene in any dispute between the company’s directors.
(It is the job of the directors to manage the company and resolve any disputes between them, taking appropriate legal action where necessary).
We cannot give you any advice or guidance on what course of action you could or should take if you are in dispute with a company.
We cannot comment on whether or not a company is reputable, or provide you with references (credit, or otherwise) for a particular company.

Please note that our investigations are confidential. We can neither confirm nor deny than an investigation is taking place, and by law we cannot provide you with any details of what we find. We will however take action or make the information available to other regulators and enforcement agencies if we have any concerns.

For further details please refer to the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Other Information