Authenticated By Ltd Enters Administration
Authenticated By Ltd has entered administration under Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986, as recorded in The Gazette on 2 November 2026. The appointment was made in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, Insolvency & Companies List (Chancery Division), under court reference CR-2026-008322.
The company, registered under company number 11767589, traded under retail mail order and online commerce classifications. The formal entry into administration imposes an immediate statutory moratorium under paragraph 43 of Schedule B1, restricting all enforcement, winding-up actions, and asset repossessions by unsecured creditors without the consent of the administrators or leave of the court.
Gazette notice details
- Company name: AUTHENTICATED BY LTD
- Company number: 11767589
- Notice type: Appointment of administrators (Notice 2410)
- Notice publication date: 2 November 2026
- Court: High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, Insolvency & Companies List (ChD)
- Court reference: CR-2026-008322
- Appointing party: [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
- Administrators and contact details: [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
Case timeline
| Date | Step | Source |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 2026-10-27 | Notice of appointment of administrator filed | Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions |
| 2026-11-02 | Administrator Appointed (Gazette notice 2410) | The Gazette |
The record shows that a notice of intention or appointment was initially recorded at the Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions on 27 October 2026. The formal appointment was advertised in The Gazette on 2 November 2026 under case number CR-2026-008322.
Company snapshot
Public filings on the Companies House register show the following operational details:
- Incorporation date: 15 January 2019
- Registered office: Suite 15a Stone Cross Place, Stone Cross Lane North, Warrington, Lancashire, England, WA3 2SH
- Current corporate status: Active (administration notice filed)
- Nature of business (SIC): 47910 (Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet)
Directors and ownership
Companies House register entries detail several changes to the board and shareholding structure since incorporation.
Current officers
- Mark Dowds: Director, appointed 1 October 2025. British nationality, resident in Northern Ireland, born May 1970.
- Andrew James Ducker: Director, appointed 24 September 2026. British nationality, resident in England, born February 1963.
Former officers
- Imran Ahmed: Director, appointed 15 January 2019, resigned 1 October 2025. British nationality, resident in England, born March 1981.
- Nohman Sultan Ahmed: Director, appointed 15 January 2019, resigned 1 October 2025. British nationality, resident in the United Kingdom, born July 1987.
- Rizwan Ahmed: Director, appointed 15 January 2019, resigned 1 October 2025. British nationality, resident in England, born September 1978.
- Mitchell Felix Doust: Director, appointed 1 October 2025, resigned 15 September 2026. Australian nationality, resident in the United States, born April 1984.
Persons with significant control (PSCs)
- Reform Clothing Limited (NI674281): Corporate entity with significant control notified on 1 October 2025. Holds 75% to 100% of shares, 75% to 100% of voting rights, and the right to appoint and remove directors.
- Undercover Brothers Ltd (09469512): Corporate PSC notified on 15 January 2019; ceased to hold significant control on 1 October 2025.
What administration means for creditors and customers
This section contains general commercial and insolvency information and does not constitute formal legal advice.
When a company enters administration, executive management powers transfer to the appointed insolvency practitioners. The statutory objective of administration is set out under paragraph 3 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986: to rescue the company as a going concern, or, failing that, to achieve a better result for creditors as a whole than an immediate liquidation, or to realise property to distribute funds to one or more secured or preferential creditors.
Unsecured trade creditors face an immediate freeze on litigation. Creditors should submit a formal proof of debt to the administrators once contacted. Suppliers who have delivered goods on credit terms should urgently examine their contracts for valid Retention of Title (ROT) provisions.
Creditor response checklist
1. Locate and verify contracts: Assemble all master services agreements, purchase orders, standard terms, and delivery notes.
2. Check security and charges: Perform a company charge check to understand what fixed or floating charges exist over the debtor company's assets.
3. Assess Retention of Title: Notify the administrators in writing immediately if goods delivered remain unpaid and identify items currently located at the company's premises.
4. Submit proof of debt: Provide invoices, statement of account, and VAT breakdown to the administrators once formal communication details are confirmed.
5. Review bad debt relief: Instruct finance teams to assess eligibility for VAT bad debt relief under HMRC guidance once statutory requirements are satisfied.
Practical scenario: managing retail supply risk
Consider an online wholesale supplier that provided £42,000 of packaged goods to an e-commerce retailer 30 days before administration. The supplier's contracts contain an all-monies retention of title clause.
When an administration notice appears, the supplier must notify the administrators before inventory is processed, transferred, or sold under ordinary trading protocols. If the supplier conducts a prompt check on the Companies House charges register and cross-references existing debentures, they can evaluate whether a floating charge holder has priority over unsegregated stock. Clear serial numbers and distinct packaging documentation will determine whether the administrators release the physical inventory or treat the balance as an unsecured claim.
Corporate intelligence vs manual registry checks
Traditionally, legal practitioners and credit managers learn of an administration days after the event. Manual workflows require checking Companies House filings, monitoring the daily court cause lists, ordering Central Registry searches by telephone, and scanning statutory notices in The Gazette.
By the time paper filings appear on Companies House, recovery windows often narrow. A formal winding up search verifies court records before notices hit public registers, revealing petitions and notices of appointment. Implementing automated systems such as free company monitoring allows risk teams to detect filings, director resignations, and court notices instantly, rather than relying on retrospective reviews.
For credit teams and commercial suppliers
Credit controllers, suppliers, and procurement teams must conduct counterparty risk reviews prior to executing extensions of credit or completing large wholesale transactions. Failing to conduct a winding up petition search or missing an administrator appointment notice leaves trade creditors exposed to unrecoverable supplier debt behind secured debenture holders. Real-time alerts prevent the release of further credit orders once a petition or appointment notice has been lodged.
FAQ
Can creditors demand immediate payment from Authenticated By Ltd?
No. The administration triggers an automatic statutory moratorium under Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Creditors cannot initiate or pursue legal proceedings, enforce judgments, or seize company property without administrator consent or permission of the High Court.
How do suppliers reclaim unpaid stock?
Suppliers holding contracts with valid Retention of Title clauses must contact the administrators immediately. You must provide copies of the signed terms, invoices, and evidence confirming that the specific unpaid goods can be identified at the company premises.
What is the role of the appointed administrators?
The administrators act as officers of the court and agents of the company. Their duty is to manage the company's affairs, business, and property in the interests of the creditors as a whole, rather than the directors or individual shareholders.
Where can I check if other legal petitions were filed?
You can run an official court search across the High Court and regional business lists. Conducting a regular winding up search enables counterparties to identify pending petitions or notices filed prior to formal Gazette advertisement.
What happens to existing customer orders?
Whether outstanding orders are fulfilled, refunded, or treated as unsecured claims depends on the trading strategy determined by the administrators. Affected customers must monitor formal correspondence issued by the administrators.