He said we were being sued by a firm called 'Business Directory' for non-payment of bills relating to promotion of the business in a magazine and online. But we could offer a payment to settle the matter out of court.

I'm guessing he picked us because our business name starts with a number, and would therefore be at or near (I haven't actually investigated) the top of any alphabetical listing of comic shops in the UK.

And I'm guessing he picked comic shops because they're notoriously hand-to-mouth, cash-poor businesses in general, therefore prone to be alarmed by financial threats. (Not yours. Yours is lovely. I'm talking about the others. Honest.)

Where he came unstuck was;

a) We don't advertise. Anywhere. We don't need to, we have more business than we can handle as is;

b) We pay all our bills in full and on time. This isn't a common practise in the comics retail biz, admittedly, but it's less stressful in the long-term, and we have the budget to do it. (See above re; 'more business than we can handle')

c) I have personally represented people in courts and tribunals, and I know that isn't the way the proceedings work.

He was good, mind – glib, articulate, and he had the dismissive, barely-polite tone of a court official down pat, so I can see some folks being taken in and flustered into making a payment, so just a word to the wise.

It might not be the same name, it might be a different court from Cardiff, but if you get any call along broadly similar lines, be wary, okay?