Frequently Asked Questions
We have compiled a comprehensive list of FAQs in order to answer your questions.
1. What is Company Searches Made Simple?
2. What is the domain address?
3. What are company reports used for?
4. What information is included in a report?
5. What company report products does CSMS offer?
6. What savings do I enjoy when buying a package product?
7. Do I have to set up an account to order a single report?
8. How do I order a single report?
9. How is a single report delivered?
10. Why set up an account?
11. How do I order multiple package products?
12. How do I access my reports?
13. How long are reports held online?
14. How long is a Package valid for?
15. What if I have an annual requirement greater than 100 reports?
16. What is Company Monitoring?
17. What monitoring products are offered?
18. Why should I monitor my own company?
19. If I have an Account for Reports can I order the Monitor package?
20. How do I order the monitoring service?
21. Where does the report information come from?
22. Do you provide reports for companies outside the UK?
23. Why doesn't my report have all the information shown in the sample report?
24. What do these CCJ (County Court Judgement) statuses mean?
25. Why use a company credit report?
26. How long does by company credit report stay in my account?
27. Do you notify me before my company credit report expires?
28. How do I know which credit report is the right one for me?
29. Why isn't the information I'm looking for on the report?
30. Why have I received a monitoring alert for changes to a company when it has only just been incorporated?
31. Why is Turnover often '0' when I know the company is definitely turning money over?
32. What does “Analysed – Non balancing” mean on the reports balance sheets?
33. Do the reports show Scottish Decrees from the Sheriff Courts?
1. What is Company Searches Made Simple?
This site provides the most cost effective (competitively priced) range of company credit reports on the web.
- Range of report packages for purchase, 1 or 1000 credit reports
- The most competitively priced credit reports on the web
- Single reports from only £1.50 + vat.
- You can buy credit reports online, very simply and very cheaply
- Report Packages - huge discounts when you buy 10, 20 or 50
- Flexi Packages are for high volume users - purchase 100 or Unlimited of any report you require
- Company monitoring service to notify you of changes in company reports and helping you to combat company identity theft.
2. What is the domain address?
www.companysearchesmadesimple.com
Company Searches Made Simple is part of The Made Simple Group - a group of online businesses dedicated to providing effective online business solutions. www.madesimplegroup.com .
3. What are company reports used for?
- Checking credit history, or the credibility of new suppliers or customers
- Researching competitors
- Assessing joint ventures or new business partnerships
- Seeing how others see you - check your own company credit report
4. What information is included in the reports?
The reports we provide are Snapshot, Standard and Fully Comprehensive. Dependent upon which report you select will depend on the level of information within the report. Generally the reports cover:
- Company information (name, reg no, office, type, incorporation date, latest accounts date, trading address, telephone numbers)
- Credit rating score, limit and date
- CCJ's and Mortgages
- 1,3 or 5 Year Summary of accounts
- Detailed Account Data (profit and loss, balance sheet)
- Key Ratios / Advanced Ratios
- Shareholder Summary
- Detailed Director Data
- Event history (changes to board, directors, accounts etc)
- Group structure
NB: Some details, such as financial account information, is only made available if it is provided by a company. If, for example, a company has not submitted their accounts to Companies House then these details will not be available on the report. This will be the case regardless of which company you choose to purchase the report from.
To better understand what you get in each report please view the Report Comparison Table
5. What company report products does CSMS offer?
- Snapshot credit report - company base data, abbreviated accounts from £1.95
- Standard credit report - Current credit rating, CCJs, 3 years accounts, Directors info from £4.95
- Fully Comprehensive credit report - Standard report plus 5 years of accounts and Group Structure from £7.95
- Non Limited Company - credit rating and limit, CCJs, Proprietor, business information from £5.00
- Directors Reports - name, address, personal details, appointments, event history from £4.00
- Company documents - Original filed documents £2.50 each.
- Company Monitor - FREE with Fully Comprehensive reports. Packages of 10 for £10.
- Flexi-100. 100 credit reports of any type you require £150 per annum.
- Flexi-Unlimited. Unlimited credit reports of any type you require £200 per annum.
All prices shown above are exclusive of VAT. Flexi-Unlimited is capped at 10,000 units.
6. What savings do I enjoy when buying a package product?
With each of our credit report products you can purchase packages of either 10, 20 or 50. Huge savings can be made when purchasing packages.
With our Flexi-100 or Flexi-Unlimited packages you can save hundreds of pounds!
View our Products & Pricing page to find specific savings.
7. Do I have to set up an account to order a report?
When you order a credit report an account is created for you via the checkout process. You access your account to view your report online, save it or print it. Reports will stay in your account online for a 90 day period.
- Search and select the company or director you require a report on
- Select the report type or package and add to your basket
- Buy - complete the simple checkout process
- The company report is automatically added to your account. You can access your account to view your report online, save it or print it. Reports will stay in your online account for a 90 day period.
9. How are reports delivered?
Reports are inserted into your online account.
This online account is automatically created as part of the initial checkout process.
If you have purchased packages you can access your account, search for a company or director and your report will automatically be added to your account.
- An account is set up as part of the checkout process.
- Reports are stored online for easy access 24/7
- Access to a range of discounted packages
- Easy access to get new reports
- Access to monitoring package
- View and manage your reports online including a full event history
11. How do I order multiple package products?
- Purchase desired package
- Complete checkout process and an account is automatically created
- Purchased reports are added to your account
- Search for the company/director you wish to review and 'add to your account'
- Your account is debited each time you add a report
12. How do I access my reports?
Login to your account via the Home Page login area. Username and password and you are in!
13. How long are reports held online?
Reports are held online for 6 months. You are automatically notified via email prior to the report expiring and being removed from your account.
14. How long is a Package valid for?
The reports purchased through a package of multiple reports are valid for a 12 month period, and must be used up within 12 months from the date of purchase.
15. What if I have an annual requirement greater than 50 reports?
We have created high level user packages - Flexi-100 and Flexi-Unlimited. If you require more than 100 reports in a 12 month period, Flexi-Unlimited provides you with unlimited access to any type of report you require, for a 12 month period.
16. What is Company Monitoring?
The Monitor service sends an alert via email every time any updates are made to a company report that you are monitoring. You will be notified of activities such as; the filing of latest accounts, board appointments and resignations, change of credit rating & limit and share capital amendments. The Company Monitoring service is included with the Fully Comprehensive company reports.
17. What monitoring products are offered?
The Monitoring Package is just £10 for 12 months. You get to monitor up to 10 companies. Company Monitor service is also included with every Fully Comprehensive report.
18. Why should I monitor my own company?
To combat identity fraud on your company. Fraud in the form of business identity theft cannot be underestimated. The Home Office states that identity fraud costs Britain 1.7 Billion pounds a year. As a director of a business you need to ensure that you have a sound understanding of what is happening with your business at all times.
19. If I have an Account for Reports can I order the Monitor package?
Yes, you can order the monitor package from your account.
20. How do I order the monitoring service?
- If you have an account, log in to your account
- Click 'Company Monitor' on the Products & Pricing page
- Add to basket and check out in the usual way
- Purchased monitors are added to your account
- Search for the company you wish to monitor and add the company to your monitored company list
21. Where does the report information come from?
Some of the key information within the reports is based on data from Companies House and therefore the information is in accordance with Companies House submission rules.
For example, new companies do not have to provide any financial information until the end of the month, 22 months after the month of incorporation (21 months for accounting periods starting after 6 April 2008), though they can provide this information earlier.
For each subsequent year accounts must be placed on public record within 9 months of the accounting year end.
22. Do you provide reports for companies outside the UK?
No, Company Searches Made Simple only provides reports for UK companies.
23. Why doesn't my report have all the information shown in the sample report?
It depends on which report you have purchased and also on some other details, such as financial account information are only made available if it is provided by a company. If, for example, a company has not submitted their accounts to Companies House then these details will not be available on the report.
24. What do these CCJ (County Court Judgement) statuses mean?
- SS - This means the CCJ has been satisfied (paid).
- JG - This means the CCJ is still an active Judgement.
25. Why use a company credit report?
Given the current climate, it's important that you check out who you are doing business with. Running company credit check reports on businesses you are about to do business with is good business practice. After all, you want to ensure that they have the funds and credibility to be able to pay for your services. It may be that you are using the company credit reports for competitor analysis; running company searches on your competitors provides you with a company report packed with valuable information about their business performance and directors and shareholders.
26. How long does the credit report stay in my account?
Credit reports will stay in your account for a 90 day period. You can access them 24/7 to view, save or print.
27. Will you notify me before the report expires from my account?
Yes. We will sent two email notifications 2 weeks prior to the date your report is scheduled to expire and be removed from your account.
28. How do I know which credit report is the right one for me?
The best thing to do is to check out our Credit Report Comparison Table this provides a clear list of the factors each report includes.
29. Why isn't the information I'm looking for on the report?
NB: Some details, such as financial account information, is only made available if it is provided by a company. If, for example, a company has not submitted their accounts to Companies House then these details will not be available on the report. This will be the case regardless of which credit report company you choose to purchase the report from.
Information, such as director and secretary information, is added to our reports after incorporation. For this reason, sometimes you can receive an alert stating there have been changes to a company, when in fact this is just our databse being updated. Occurences of this are rare and should only appear during the first few weeks after incorporation.
31. Why is Turnover often '0' when I know the company is definitely turning money over?
There is a Disclosure Threshold for small companies which means that do not have to file their turnover or their detailed profit and loss account at Companies House. Further information can be found at Companies House (Opens in a new window).
32. What does “Analysed – Non balancing” mean on the reports balance sheets?
“Analysed – Non balancing” means that the company’s Balance Sheet does not balance properly and as a result we are unable to give a rating/limit.
33. Do the reports show Scottish Decrees from the Sheriff Courts?
Yes, Scottish Decrees will be displayed in the CCJ section as per usual CCJs.