Company selling ‘sub-standard’ pet supplies from China shut down
Hundreds of negative online reviews have been posted reporting poor-quality products and a failure to provide refunds
-
Consumers complained Funnyfuzzy UK Co., Ltd had misled them either by providing defective or sub-standard goods, not sending the items, or failing to offer refunds
-
The company, which shipped all its items from China, also filed false dormant accounts and failed to register for VAT
-
Funnyfuzzy has now been shut down after investigations by the Insolvency Service
A company selling online pet supplies from China has been shut down after consumers reported being unable to obtain refunds for sub-standard goods.
Funnyfuzzy UK Co., Ltd was wound-up at the High Court in London on Tuesday 19 November.
Insolvency Service investigators were concerned that in addition to supplying customers with sub-standard products including dog beds and sofa covers, the company had filed dormant accounts despite evidence of more than £2.5 million passing through its PayPal account.
Cheryl Lambert, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Consumers rightly expect that products they have paid good money for are as advertised. They should also be able to ask for refunds if they are not satisfied with what they receive.
Funnyfuzzy failed to adequately co-operate with our investigations, offering no explanation for online complaints from numerous customers that it had sold them low-quality or defective goods.
The company also disguised its real trading by filing dormant accounts, putting itself at an advantage over businesses following the rules and paying the tax required of them.
Companies registered in the UK are expected to file accurate accounts and trade in a manner which is transparent. Funnyfuzzy failed on both counts to do this which is why it has now been shut down and prevented from trading in the future.
Insolvency Service investigations into Funnyfuzzy began in December 2023.
The company claimed it was not trading in its own right but carrying out business in the name of FF US.
Investigations contradicted this account, with evidence uncovered that Funnyfuzzy had operated PayPal and Shopify accounts since May 2021, one month after it was set up on Companies House.
The company also used Amazon and Stripe payment methods and stated that it had received no complaints.
Trustpilot reviews of Funnyfuzzy contradicted this account, with around two thirds of reviewers giving the company one star for its service and products.
Funnyfuzzy also did not register for VAT and filed dormant accounts for 2022 and 2023. This was despite more than £2.58 million passing through its PayPal account since it opened, alongside substantial sums in other currencies.
The company had no presence at its registered office on Brighton Road in South Croydon and claims that it had a warehouse in Leicester were not supported by any evidence.
Martin Swain, Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement Liaison at Companies House, said:
Improving transparency over UK companies and delivering a more reliable register on Companies House to underpin business activity is a key priority.
As this case demonstrates, the government is committed to taking action against companies responsible for filing false accounts and misleading the public.
Enforcement action such as this by our partners at the Insolvency Service will help us improve the accuracy of the information on the register and protect innocent people from scams.
All enquiries concerning the affairs of Funnyfuzzy should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.
Further information
-
Funnyfuzzy UK Co., Ltd (company number 13336978)
-
The Insolvency Service can investigate complaints about corporate abuse by live companies. This may include serious misconduct, fraud, scams or dishonest practice in the way the company operates. Further information on our live investigations can be found here