Credit Solutions (CSL) Debt Letters: Check Who Is Contacting You

A letter using “Credit Solutions” or “CSL” needs careful verification because similar names have been used by different businesses. Check the legal entity and company number before relying on an old directory entry.

The company name alone does not establish that a demand is genuine or that a debt has been cancelled.

In this easy-to-understand guide, we’ll explain:

• How to identify the business behind the letter.
• Why old company details may be misleading.
•  How to know if the debt is really yours
•  What the law says about debt collectors
•  If they can take you to court 

This guide explains how to check the account and respond without assuming that every similarly named business is the same company.

Remember, there’s always help available for dealing with debt. Let’s start exploring your options together.

Which Credit Solutions business is involved?

Companies House records Credit Solutions Limited, company number 02520932, at Capella Court, Purley, as dissolved on 4 July 2017. Those historic contact details should not be presented as a current collection service.

A separate Credit Solutions Limited, company number 11220223, was dissolved on 22 September 2020. Another company of the same name, 14685539, was dissolved on 15 April 2025. Match the company number, not just the name.

The former Arvato Financial Solutions Limited, company number SC223606, changed its name to Everyday People Financial Solutions Limited in December 2023. That is a separate entity; do not automatically attribute a CSL letter to it.

If a letter uses a trading name, ask for the full legal entity, company number, creditor and authority to collect. For regulated credit collection, check the relevant FCA permissions and contact details.

A dissolved collector or changed trading name does not automatically extinguish the underlying debt. It may still be owed to the original creditor or a lawful assignee.

Verify any claimed transfer with the original creditor through independently checked details before changing payments.

How do you know if this is really your debt?

Ask the verified sender to identify the original creditor and account. Explain if you do not recognise the debt or think the person or amount is wrong.

A new company name can follow an appointment or assignment, but any interest or charges still need a valid basis. Request a balance breakdown.

Ask for the creditor’s name, account reference, balance breakdown and evidence that you are liable. For regulated consumer credit debts, a firm must pause recovery while it investigates a dispute on valid or potentially valid grounds. A request for information does not itself cancel the debt or extend a court deadline.

A general request for a signed agreement is not a universal test of liability. Particular Consumer Credit Act requests have their own rules, and a compliant copy need not always include your signature.

Follow my ‘prove it’ guide with letter templates and get them to prove that you owe the money.

Will they make you pay?

An ordinary collector cannot force immediate payment or seize goods. A creditor may still bring a valid legal claim, so address the account and any formal notices promptly.

If the debt is valid but unaffordable, propose repayments based on essential costs and priority bills. A reduced settlement is not guaranteed; get written acceptance before paying less in full and final settlement.

For regulated consumer credit collection, FCA rules require firms to give due regard to reasonable requests about when, where and how they contact you. You can ask for letters or emails instead of calls and explain any health or accessibility needs. This is not an automatic ban on every call or required notice. Keep a record of unreasonable contact and complain if your request is not properly considered.

Can they take court action against you?

A creditor can bring a claim on an enforceable debt, with legal representatives where appropriate. That is different from being a bailiff. A collector must not pretend to have enforcement powers, but a lawful warning about possible court action is not automatically a lie.

To better understand the differences between bailiffs and debt collectors and what rights each one has, please check out the table below.

You can refuse entry to an ordinary collector and ask them to leave. If an authorised enforcement agent visits, different rules apply. Seek urgent advice about a notice or visit and contact the police if there is a threat to your safety.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

What the law tells us

The Office of Fair Trading no longer regulates consumer credit. FCA rules apply to relevant regulated activities; other debts have different rules and complaint routes. Collectors should:

• Always act fairly when dealing with debtors and avoiding using deceit or aggressive practices to try and recover the debt.
  
• Ensure that all information provided to the debtor is clear, concise and does not cause confusion.
  
• Show consideration towards debtors, especially when they are facing financial difficulties.
  
• Take the debtors’ situation into account, before determining the best course of action.

Complain to the firm first and keep copies and call logs. For an eligible regulated financial complaint, you can normally approach the Financial Ombudsman Service after a final response or after eight weeks without one, usually within six months of the final response. The Ombudsman can require a remedy or compensation; it does not impose regulatory fines. Tax, council and other non-credit debts may have different complaint routes.

Keep evidence of misleading claims about powers or identity. Verify the firm independently and raise concerns through the appropriate complaint or fraud-reporting route.

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What if the debt is unaffordable?

Get free debt advice before choosing a repayment plan or formal solution. An Individual Voluntary Arrangement is an insolvency procedure with eligibility rules, fees and credit or asset consequences; it does not include every debt or guarantee a write-off.

Staying On Top Of Your Debts

A letter may come from the original creditor, a debt purchaser or a separate collection agency. Check the business name and contact details against reliable records, and ask it to explain who owns the debt and its authority to collect. Keep earlier correspondence so you can trace any change of owner or representative.

• Robinson Way will sometimes contact you under the name Hoist Finance. 
• Cabot Financial Group recently bought Wescot Credit Services
• Credit Style communicate as both Credit Style and CST Law. 
• Lowell Financial also owns Overdales and collects debts under both names. 

PRA Group

How to Verify Current Contact Details

References

1. FCA: contacting customers
2. Ofcom: caller ID spoofing

CONC 7.3 Treatment of customers in default or arrears (including repossessions): lenders, owners and debt collectors

CONC 7.9 Contact with customers