Companies House

European Economic Interest Groupings (EEIG) Search products – Refund of overpayments

Why is Companies House refunding EEIG Search Products?

As part of a recent review of our fees regulations we noticed that there was a drafting error in the European Economic Interest Company (Fees) Regulations 2004 (SI No 2643/2004). This oversight means that Companies House has not had the power to charge for the following products since 1st February 2005:

• Provision of a copy of an index page delivered by e-mail or fax or on paper delivered by post or at an office of the registrar of companies - £2.00.
• Inspection or provision of a copy document:
  - inspection using electronic subscription service - £4.00
  - inspection using searchroom terminal - £2.00
  - provision of a copy without prior inspection using electronic information service, electronic subscription service or searchroom terminal - £1.00
  - copy delivered by email or on paper delivered by post or at an office of the registrar of companies - £3.00
  - copy requested by telephone or using electronic subscription service and delivered by fax - £3.00
• Printing a screen of information using searchroom terminal or a page printed from microfiche by the applicant at an office of the registrar of companies where in either case no fee is chargeable for inspecting that information. - £0.10.
• Provision of a microfiche copy of documents relating to an EEIG received by the registrar of companies up to and including 31st December 2002.
• Provision of a certified copy of a document or extract from a document:
  - up to 10 pages (including the tenth) - £15.00
  - each page thereafter - £1.00
  - same day delivery - £50.00
  - additional fee for same day delivery by fax - £3.00

Are all the above EEIG search product fees between 01/02/2005 and 19/10/2008 entitled to a refund?

Yes - If you purchased any of the above products between 1st February 2005 and 19th October 2008, through any of our online services, our contact centre or at an office of the Registrar in Cardiff, London or Edinburgh, you are entitled to a refund.

How do I receive a refund?

We will check our finance systems and manually refund customers who we can identify as having have paid for the EEIG products.

I haven’t received my refund yet, what do I do?

We may not hold electronic payment details of your purchase and as a result have not manually refunded the overpayment. If you have not received a refund for an EEIG product you purchased by 1st December 2008, you should contact Companies House providing proof of payment.

Are there any other EEIG products that are entitled to a refund?

No - Only EEIG products listed above sold between 1st February 2005 and 19th October 2008, are entitled to a refund. There are no other circumstances under which a refund would be authorised.

What information do I need to provide in order to apply for a refund?

Applications for refunds must be in writing and should include the name and registration number of the corporate body as well as the following bank and cheque details:

Bank Account - which was used to purchase the EEIG product!
Sort Code
Cheque number - which was used to purchase the EEIG Product!
Cheque Amount
Date banked

In addition a copy of the relevant invoice slip will be required.

Please note: If you have paid for an EEIG product on behalf of a third party, legal guidelines make it clear that claimants should take steps to identify their clients in order to pass on the refund. Therefore, Companies House needs the following paragraph to be included in the written refund application if you are claiming on behalf of a client:

“I/we confirm that I/we will take all reasonable steps to identify our client(s), and return all refunded monies to them.”

Who do I contact for a refund?

Applications for all EEIG product refunds should be made in writing and addressed to:

EEIG Search Product Refund Request
Finance Department
Companies House
Crown Way
Cardiff
CF14 3UZ

Who do I contact if I have any queries?

If you have any queries please email enquiries@companies-house.gov.uk.
or alternatively telephone the Companies House Contact Centre on 0303 1234 500