Two connected Manchester-based tech companies have been shut down following concerns they were running a direct debit scam.
Manchester-based companies Affinity Technology Solutions Limited and RCSR Tech Limited, which claimed to protect people online and enhance their social media image, were both wound-up at the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 18th March.
Affinity claimed to offer a service called IDSafeGuard which protected their customers’ online identity, while RCSR claimed to provide a service called ReportCurve which it said boosted a person’s online and social media footprint.
However, individuals reported that they had monthly subscription fees of around £29.99 removed from their bank accounts for services they had never subscribed to.
Complaints were also made that the two companies would not cancel the unwanted subscriptions or offer refunds to customers.
“Numerous complaints were made that Affinity and RCSR were tricking consumers into monthly subscriptions for products they did not want or were entirely unaware of,” said David Usher, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service.
“Indeed, from our investigations, it is not clear that either company provided any of the services to their unwitting customers.
“Both Affinity and RSCR completely failed to co-operate with our investigations, leaving us with no option but to take this robust action to stop the companies from trading in the future and protect the public from further financial harm.”
The two companies were incorporated within two days of each other in February 2020 and had the same registered office in South Manchester.
Both were described on Companies House as providing business and domestic software development.
Both have also failed to file required accounts at Companies House.
Investigators are said to have contacted the official directors of both Affinity and RSCR as well as the individual believed to be in actual control of the companies. All of them failed to comply with the investigation.
The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of both firms.