Check Companies House today to confirm the dissolution status and whether the company can still be contacted through a liquidator or former directors. If nothing is done, the usual result is that emails and complaints go unanswered and the practical routes to a refund or repair narrow quickly. Start gathering proof of payment and the timeline, then decide whether to pursue the payment provider route, a claim against a director only where appropriate, or restoration to the register if the debt is worth it. If money was paid by card, act promptly because the card route is often the fastest way to recover funds.
A dissolved company cannot normally be chased through its old customer service channels, but there are still UK routes that can work depending on how payment was made and what stage the dispute reached. The next steps depend on whether the company was struck off, went into liquidation, or was dissolved after insolvency. Getting the status right first prevents wasted time and misdirected complaints.
What the problem is
This problem shows up in the UK when a purchase, service, subscription, or repair goes wrong and the business then disappears from day-to-day trading. It often affects consumers and sole traders who paid a limited company for work that was not finished, goods that never arrived, or a refund that was promised but not processed. The warning signs tend to appear after a complaint has already been raised, when replies slow down, phone lines stop working, or a partial response arrives that never turns into action.
It commonly lands at an awkward stage: the dispute is already underway, evidence exists, and the customer is expecting a final answer or a repayment date. Sometimes it happens just after a deadline in the business’s own complaints process, or after a “final response” that offers a small goodwill amount but does not fix the main issue. By the time the company is shown as dissolved, the usual frustration is that there is no obvious person left to deal with, even though the loss is real and documented.
Why this happens
In UK cases, dissolution can happen because the company was struck off for failing to file accounts or confirmation statements, because directors chose to close a business that has stopped trading, or because an insolvency process ended with the company being dissolved. Some businesses stop responding once they decide the cost of dealing with complaints is higher than the reputational risk, especially if trading has already slowed or moved to a new brand. Where there are multiple complaints, staff may be told to limit contact, delay refunds, or direct people to generic inboxes that are no longer monitored.
The practical reason disputes get stuck is that a dissolved company is no longer operating as a normal legal target for everyday complaint handling, and any remaining money or assets are not controlled through the old customer service team. A typical organisational response pattern is that messages are acknowledged once, then the business goes quiet while the status changes in the background.
There is also a timing issue: payment providers and delivery networks have their own windows and evidence requirements, and those processes do not pause just because the trader disappears. When the company is dissolved, the easiest recovery routes are usually the ones that do not rely on the company cooperating, such as card chargeback or a credit card claim where available.
Your rights or position
In practical UK terms, the strongest leverage usually comes from the payment route and the paper trail, not from trying to restart a conversation with a company that has ceased to exist. If payment was made by credit card, the card issuer may be the most realistic route for recovery because the claim is handled through the lender’s process rather than the trader’s goodwill. If payment was made by debit card, a chargeback request can still work where the evidence is clear and the request is made promptly.
If the dispute is about a service that was not provided, goods not delivered, or a refund refused, the key is to frame the problem in a way the payment provider recognises: what was paid for, what was received, and what was promised in writing. Where the company went through insolvency, the practical position often shifts to registering as a creditor, but that can be slow and may not produce a payout. Where the company was simply struck off, restoration can be an option, but it is usually only worth considering if the amount is significant and evidence is strong.
Threats and repeated chasers rarely add leverage at this stage. What tends to work is choosing one route, presenting clean evidence, and meeting the process deadlines.
Official basis in UK
The most relevant official basis for many consumer disputes where a company dissolves is the credit card route under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which can make the card provider responsible for a breach of contract or misrepresentation on qualifying purchases. In practice, this means the claim is made to the card issuer with evidence of what was agreed and what went wrong, and the issuer investigates without needing the dissolved company to respond. This route is often used for non-delivery, cancelled services, or work that was paid for but not completed, and it can still be pursued even when the trader has stopped trading.
Use the official overview to check whether the purchase and payment method fit the criteria and what evidence is normally expected: GOV.UK guidance.
Evidence that matters
Evidence needs to show a simple story that can be verified without the trader’s cooperation: the contract or agreement, the payment, the failure, and the attempt to resolve. In UK disputes involving dissolved companies, the most persuasive evidence is usually the original order confirmation, the payment record, and any written promise of delivery, completion, or refund. Screenshots can help, but they should be backed by emails, invoices, bank records, or card statements where possible.
Also collect proof of the company’s status change, such as a Companies House screenshot showing “dissolved” and the dissolution date, because it explains why direct contact failed. If there was a complaints trail, keep the final response, any reference numbers, and the dates of contact attempts. If goods were involved, keep delivery tracking, photos of what arrived (if anything), and any engineer reports or quotes if the dispute is about faulty work.
What not to do is send original documents away or rely on a single screenshot as the only proof of payment. Avoid rewriting history in later messages; inconsistencies are a common reason payment providers slow down or reject a claim.
Quick checklist
- Order confirmation or signed quote showing what was agreed
- Card or bank statement showing the payment amount and date
- Emails or messages promising delivery, completion, or a refund
- Companies House status screenshot with the dissolution date
Common mistakes
Three common mistakes are waiting for the trader to “come back online” after dissolution, submitting a claim with missing dates or unclear amounts, and sending multiple overlapping claims to different routes that contradict each other.
One thing not to do yet is pay a third-party “recovery” firm upfront to chase the dissolved company before the payment provider route has been tried.
What to do next
Confirm status
Check the company record on Companies House and note whether it is dissolved, in liquidation, or in administration, and record the key dates shown. If an insolvency practitioner is listed, use the contact details on the official record rather than any old email addresses from the trader’s website. This step prevents sending evidence to the wrong place and helps decide whether the next move is a payment claim or a creditor registration.
Pick recovery route
If payment was by credit card, use the card issuer’s official disputes or Section 75 route through the issuer’s website or app, or by the number on the back of the card. If payment was by debit card, use the bank’s official chargeback process, again through the bank’s own disputes channel. If payment was by bank transfer, PayPal, or finance, use that provider’s official complaints process and be ready for stricter evidence requirements.
Where the dispute is already at the stage of a refused refund, it can help to align the wording and evidence with the same core issue rather than arguing about the company’s closure; see how a Refund refused by company situation is usually framed when the trader stops cooperating.
Use official process
Submit the claim through the provider’s official form or complaints route only, found in the “disputes”, “chargeback”, “card purchase problem”, or “complaints” area of the provider’s website or app. Prepare the key information before starting: transaction date, amount, merchant name as it appears on the statement, what was promised, what happened, and what resolution is being requested. Upload or attach evidence in a single, tidy set where possible, with a short timeline that matches the documents.
Provider checklist
- Transaction details exactly as shown on the statement
- Order/contract and any refund or delivery promises
- Proof of non-delivery or non-completion (tracking, photos, messages)
- Companies House status screenshot and date
The normal response timeframe is an acknowledgement within a few working days and a decision or update within a few weeks, depending on complexity and whether further evidence is requested. If there is no response after the provider’s stated timeframe, escalate by making a formal complaint through the same provider’s official complaints channel and ask for a final response in writing; if the provider still does not engage, move to the provider’s external escalation route described in its final response letter.
One sentence describing a typical UK outcome: Many UK disputes of this type are resolved when the card provider accepts the evidence and processes a refund without needing the dissolved company to reply.
Change strategy
If the payment route is not available or is rejected, reassess whether restoration is proportionate to the loss and the evidence available. Restoration can be slow and is usually only sensible where there is a clear debt, a realistic prospect of recovery, and a reason to believe assets or insurance exist. If an insolvency practitioner is involved, register the claim as a creditor using the practitioner’s official process and keep expectations realistic about timing and payout.
Related issues on this site
If the dissolved company is also refusing to use an ombudsman or trade scheme while it was still trading, the pattern often overlaps with Company refuses alternative dispute resolution, especially where the business stalled after a partial response. If the dispute is tied to an insurer’s handling of a claim connected to the failed work or loss, an Insurance excess dispute can become relevant once the payment-provider route has been exhausted and the remaining argument is about who pays what.
FAQ
Struck off timing
For struck off company dispute timing, the key is acting quickly through the payment provider because delays can reduce the options available. Keep the dissolution date alongside the purchase timeline.
Director contact
For contacting directors after dissolution, messages sometimes reach someone but often do not lead to payment without a formal route behind it. Use written contact only and keep it factual.
Bank transfer paid
For bank transfer paid dispute recovery, the bank may only help in limited situations and will usually ask for clear evidence of fraud or a specific error. Preserve all account details and the exact payment reference.
Partial work done
For partial work done refund claims, the evidence needs to separate what was delivered from what was paid for but not provided. Photos, dates, and any snagging lists help keep it clear.
Before you move on
Write down the dissolution date, the payment method, and the exact outcome being requested before starting any claim, because the wording and evidence need to stay consistent from start to finish. Time pressure can show up as being pushed to accept quickly by a payment provider’s deadline or a “final offer” message that arrives late in the dispute.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — If the company dissolved mid-dispute, include the payment method, the Companies House status date, and what the business promised in writing.
