I don't know who is selling

First step today

Look for the seller’s business name and a geographic address. If the page doesn't say, note that as a gap.

What to keep

• Screenshots of the "About", "Contact" and terms pages, and the website footer, with the website address showing.
• Any business name, company number, VAT number or address you can find, and where you found it.
• A note of anything missing, such as no address, only a PO box, or no email.
• For marketplaces, a screenshot of the seller's profile, including whether it says business or private.
• Your order confirmation and receipt, and a note of how you paid.
• Copies of every message between you and the seller.

Your next steps, in order

Before you pay

1. Pause if you can't find a business name and a geographic address. That's a gap worth noting.
2. Check the register. If the seller names a UK company, you can search for it for free on the Companies House register.
3. Check whether it's a business or a private seller. Buying from a private person usually gives you fewer rights. For example, there's no 14-day cooling-off period.
4. Check where they're based. If the seller is outside the UK, your rights might be different, and getting help can be harder.
5. Keep your screenshots even if you walk away. They still help a report.

After you've paid

1. Ask the seller in writing for their full business name and geographic address. You'll find a template below.
2. If something has gone wrong with the order, see our other guides, such as "My order never arrived" or "It's broken or not what I ordered".
3. Talk to your card provider if you can't reach the seller or they won't help. Chargeback or Section 75 may be options, but neither is guaranteed. See Citizens Advice: Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal.
   • Buy now, pay later: if you used a regulated buy now, pay later plan taken out on or after 15 July 2026 (where the lender is a different business from the seller), Section 75 can apply in the same way as a credit card.
4. Report it. Reports help enforcers spot patterns.
   • Citizens Advice consumer service (England and Wales) can advise you and pass your report to Trading Standards. In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland. In Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline.
   • The UK International Consumer Centre may help if the seller is based outside the UK.
   • The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) can't take up your own complaint, but it acknowledges every report.

Who can help

• Companies House register (free search): find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk
• Citizens Advice consumer service: citizensadvice.org.uk, 0808 223 1133 (Welsh: 0808 223 1144)
• Advice Direct Scotland: consumeradvice.scot, 0808 164 6000
• Consumerline (Northern Ireland): nidirect.gov.uk, 0300 123 6262
• UK International Consumer Centre: ukicc.info
• Competition and Markets Authority: gov.uk report a problem to the CMA

A message you can send

Copy this, fill in the gaps and send it to the seller yourself.

Subject: Your business details, order [number]

Hello,

On [date] I [ordered / am thinking of ordering] [item] from your [website/listing] for £[amount].

I couldn't find your full business name or the geographic address where your business is based. Please send me:

- your full business name (and company number, if you have one)
- the geographic address where your business is based
- an email address I can use to contact you

If possible, I'd be grateful for a reply within 14 days. This isn't a legal deadline, just a polite request so I know where things stand.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Related slop

How the ASA has ruled on similar claims

Published ASA rulings on ads that the ASA checked against the same advertising rules. Each outcome is the ASA's finding about that ad.