Credit Style: who they are and how to deal with them
Had a letter, call or text from Credit Style? Here is who they are, whether you have to pay, what they can and cannot do, and the letters that put you back in control.
Applies to: England & Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland differ)
What to do now
- Check the letter: is Credit Style collecting for someone else, or has it bought the debt?
- If you do not recognise the debt, ask for proof before paying.
- If it is yours, reply with an affordable offer — never agree to more than you can keep up.
Who are Credit Style?
Credit Style is a debt collection agency that also holds a licence to provide legal services, so it can issue court claims in-house. It collects for consumer and public-sector clients and is a supplier on the UK government’s debt collection framework.
| Legal names | Credit Style Limited and Credit Style Holdings Limited |
|---|---|
| What it is | Firm of solicitors |
| Group | Bristow & Sutor Group |
| Based in | Sheffield |
| FCA firm reference number | 682790 (Listed by FCA as holding debt-collecting/debt-administration permission on 2 Apr 2024 (FOI11214 Annex A) — re-check live Register) |
| Companies House number | 06133356 |
| Official website | https://www.creditstyle.co.uk |
It is listed on the FCA Financial Services Register with firm reference number 682790 (Listed by FCA as holding debt-collecting/debt-administration permission on 2 Apr 2024 (FOI11214 Annex A) — re-check live Register) — check its current status on the register before you pay. You can check any firm on the FCA register.
Is Credit Style a scam?
Credit Style is a real, established firm of solicitors. Scammers do sometimes copy the names of real collectors, so if a message seems wrong, do not use the phone number or link in it. Find the firm’s contact details yourself, from its official website or the FCA register, and ask it to confirm the debt in writing. A genuine collector will put the details of the debt in writing.
Do I have to pay Credit Style?
A letter from a law firm such as Credit Style usually means the creditor is preparing for, or has started, court action. It does not change what you owe, but deadlines now matter: a letter of claim gives you 30 days to reply, and a court claim form 14 days.
- If you do not recognise the debt, or the amount looks wrong, ask for proof before paying — prove the debt or make a CCA request for a copy of the agreement.
- If you have not paid anything or acknowledged it in writing for six years (five in Scotland), and there has been no court claim, it may be statute-barred.
- If it is yours but you cannot afford what is being asked, offer what you can — the Offer Pack works out a fair amount and writes the letter.
What can Credit Style do?
Credit Style can
- Write to you, call and text at reasonable times
- Ask you to pay or make an arrangement
- Pass the account to solicitors
- Take you to court for a County Court Judgment
Credit Style cannot
- Send bailiffs or take money from your wages without a court order first
- Come into your home, or take your belongings
- Contact you excessively, threaten you, or pretend to have powers it does not have
- Discuss the debt with your family, neighbours or employer without your permission
In Scotland and Northern Ireland the court steps are different — see Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Collectors are not bailiffs. Only after a court judgment that is not kept to can a creditor ask the court for enforcement such as County Court bailiffs or an attachment of earnings. How the debt collection process works.
How to deal with Credit Style
- Open every letter and note the reference number. Add any dates to the deadline planner.
- Check the debt is yours and the amount is right.
- Ask for contact in writing if calls are too much — the writing-only letter.
- Do not agree a payment on the phone that you cannot keep. Work out your budget first with the budget calculator.
- Ask for 30 days’ breathing room while you get advice — firms should give you reasonable time.
- Keep a record of every contact in the contact log.
Contacting Credit Style
Use the contact details on Credit Style’s official website: https://www.creditstyle.co.uk. My Debt Cleared is not connected with Credit Style. We are an independent information site; we cannot see or change your account.
Complaining about Credit Style
Complain to Credit Style first, in writing. If you are not happy with its final response, or it has not replied within eight weeks, you can take a complaint about a regulated debt collector to the free Financial Ombudsman Service. For complaints about the service of a law firm, the Legal Ombudsman may also be able to help. If contact has crossed the line, read creditor harassment and use the harassment complaint letter.
Sources for this page
- legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/debt-collection-agency-launches-abs
- www.bristowsutor.co.uk/about/
- www.bristowsutor.co.uk/blogs-old/why-collaborate-the-thinking-behind-the-bristow-sutor-gro
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/search/companies?q=credit+style+limited
- www.fca.org.uk/publication/fca/foi11214-annex-a.csv
- au.trustpilot.com/review/www.creditstyle.co.uk
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation.
Common questions
Is Credit Style legit?
Yes, Credit Style is a real firm of solicitors on the FCA register (FRN 682790). Scammers sometimes copy real firms, so contact it using details you have checked yourself, not ones in an unexpected message.
Do I have to pay Credit Style?
Only if the debt is genuinely yours and the amount is right. If you do not recognise it, ask for proof in writing before you pay. If it is yours but unaffordable, offer what you can afford.
Is a letter from Credit Style a court claim?
Not necessarily. A letter of claim is a warning before court action and gives you 30 days to reply. A court claim form comes from the court itself and gives you 14 days to respond.
Can Credit Style take me to court?
Yes, if you owe the debt and do not reach an arrangement, Credit Style or the creditor it acts for can take court action. Before it does, it must send a letter of claim giving you 30 days to reply.