How to complain against a company or limited liability partnership

How to complain to Corporate Complaints

You can make a complaint against a company or limited liability partnership by:

• using the online complaint form
• email at enquiry@cib.gsi.gov.uk
• post

The postal address is:

Corporate Complaints Team
Insolvency Service
3rd Floor Cannon House
18 Priory Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6FD

You should provide as much information as possible and keep hold of any supporting documentation which may be requested at a later stage.

After a complaint has been made

Receipt of your complaint will be acknowledged in writing. Your complaint will then be assessed to consider:

• whether Company Investigations has the power - the legal capacity - to investigate
• whether the alleged misconduct is sufficiently serious to merit an investigation

In support of your complaint you may be asked to provide more information or background research. At this stage, officials at the Corporate Complaints Team do not approach the company or tell its directors that a complaint has been received. For more information, see the page in this guide on what a company investigation involves.

Corporate Complaints Team aims to consider 90 per cent of all complaints within two months of receipt.

It is important to note that Corporate Complaints team:

• help complainants resolve any differences they have with a company
• help complainants resolve issues about goods or services provided (or not), or recover money owed to them by a company
• intervene in any dispute between a company and its shareholders
• resolve internal disputes within the company

Corporate Complaints team are not allowed to comment on the reputation of a company or give references for a particular company. They do not give legal advice. Where appropriate, you may wish to consider seeking independent advice from other organisations or from a legal professional. There may be fees involved so ask about these at the outset.

Anonymous complaints

If you make a complaint anonymously this could reduce the likelihood of any type of investigation taking place as Corporate Complaints will not be able to obtain further information from you or discuss any concerns you may have.

Complaints are treated in the strictest confidence. Whether or not an investigation is undertaken, the identity of the complainant and the nature of the complaint are not disclosed.

Feedback on a complaint

As all investigations are confidential, no direct feedback is given to a complainant on the progress of a complaint. This includes the decisions as to whether or not to investigate. Where an investigation leads to follow-up action being taken against a company, or those responsible for its management - eg winding up the company in the public interest or prosecution or disqualification of one or more of the company's responsible officers - the results may become public knowledge or be reported in the press.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• What a company investigation involves
• How to complain to Corporate Complaints
• Investigations by Company Investigations
• Possible outcomes after an investigation by Company Investigations