UPS pursuing me for £6k debt for imports I never made – now have CCJ against my business

Debt & Money

Hi all, I’m looking for some urgent advice about a situation that’s escalated badly.

  • Background: In August my company serviced office address received a visit from a High Court official saying my company owes ~£6,000 to UPS. This was the first time I'd became aware of the situation.
  • I checked my UPS account immediately — it showed a nil balance. I rang their helpline several times, and every time they confirmed nothing was owed on my account.
  • Despite being told this, I knew this wasn't a scam because I called the court and they confirmed it was legit. So I kept calling and emailing UPS to try to get to the bottom of it. Eventually I got through to the right person who claimed my company owed £5.4k plus collection charges for 80 pairs of leather shoes (from a company called 'Shoes 4 Crews' - looks like staff shoes) imported to the UK from the US in 2024.
  • This was a shock because I run a business solo. I’ve never imported shoes, and I’ve never arranged anything with UPS like this.

The documents I’ve been sent:

  • UPS’s lawyer emailed me invoices and shipping documentation showing my company name and VAT number had been used.
  • However, the delivery address is in Leeds (I'm in London), and the email address on file is similar to mine but not the same.
  • There’s also a phone number on the paperwork which isn't mine - I called it and it’s switched off.
  • I emailed the supplier who supposedly sent these shoes, but they haven’t replied despite repeated chasers.

What's happened since August

  • I’ve repeatedly told UPS and their lawyer this looks like fraud, which they deny.
  • I’ve pointed out that surely no business would import 80 pairs of “sample” leather shoes with an invoice value of $1,890 (according to the invoice), weighing ~560lbs, incurring £5.4k in VAT/shipping.
  • I’ve asked them to check my actual UPS account which shows no debt — they ignore this and say the balance of the other account is mine regardless.

My questions:

  • What legal steps can I take to prove this isn’t me or my company?
  • How do I dispute or get rid of the CCJ that’s been issued?
  • Is there a process for UPS or the court to investigate this as fraud rather than keep treating me as the debtor?
  • Is there anything obvious I'm missing that I can be saying or doing to get them to agree it's not me?

Any advice on next steps would be really appreciated - I feel like I’m being held responsible for some sort of money laundering / fraud scheme.

Thanks in advance.

Posted Sep 8, 2025, 1:54 PM UTC

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