Got a letter from Hoist Finance / Robinson Way? Here's how to respond.

No. Both are legitimate UK businesses. Robinson Way Limited is registered at Companies House under company number 06976081 and is FCA-authorised (FRN 630856) as an Appointed Representative. Robinson Way was named DCA of the Year at the 2014 Debt Collection Awards and is a founder member of the Credit Services Association. Hoist Finance UK Limited was the parent company until October 2022 when it was acquired by Lowell Group for £370 million. Being legitimate does not mean every letter is correct: balance disputes, statute-barred claims, and missing documentation are all reasons to demand proof of the debt before paying.

Because they are two brands within the same operation. Hoist Finance UK Limited was historically the debt-buying entity that purchased credit card and personal loan portfolios from UK banks. Robinson Way is the customer-facing collection brand that has been chasing those accounts on Hoist's behalf. Following Lowell's October 2022 acquisition, both are part of Lowell Group. Letters may name either or both brands depending on when they were generated and which part of the operation produced them. Your underlying legal rights are the same regardless of which name appears on the letterhead.

Lowell Financial Ltd acquired Hoist Finance UK Limited from the Swedish parent Hoist Finance AB on 25 October 2022 for £370 million. The acquisition transferred over 2 million consumer accounts (almost exclusively credit cards and personal loans) to Lowell Group. Robinson Way's 180 employees joined Lowell's UK operation, and the Salford office continues as a Lowell recruitment hub for the North West. On 14 April 2026, the company formerly known as Hoist Finance UK Limited was renamed LFUK25 LIMITED at Companies House and moved to Lowell's Leeds registered office, with its SIC code changed away from debt collection. The Hoist Finance UK brand is being wound down within the Lowell Group corporate structure.

Lowell Group, ultimately owned by Permira and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. The legal owner of the specific account depends on which Lowell entity it has been moved to since the 2022 acquisition. Possibilities include LFUK25 LIMITED (the renamed former Hoist Finance UK Limited entity, company 08303007), Lowell Portfolio I Ltd, or another Lowell Group company. Robinson Way Limited continues to handle day-to-day collection as the customer-facing brand. Whichever entity holds the debt, your underlying rights to demand proof of the debt remain the same.

Under section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980, most consumer debts become statute-barred six years after the date of last payment or last written acknowledgement, whichever is later. Some of the Hoist Finance UK portfolios that transferred to Lowell in 2022 contain older accounts that may be approaching or past the limitation period. Once statute-barred, the debt cannot be enforced through the courts. Do not phone Robinson Way or Hoist Finance to discuss dates and do not write anything that could be construed as acknowledgement, because either restarts the clock. Send a statute-barred letter instead.

Yes, but the route will most likely now be through Overdales Solicitors, Lowell Group's in-house law firm. The typical sequence is: Robinson Way demand letters, then escalation within Lowell Group, then a Letter Before Claim from Overdales under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims giving 30 days to respond. If you do not respond, a county court claim form (N1) will follow. You then have 14 days to acknowledge service and a further 14 days to file a defence. Defending the claim is realistic where the underlying documentation is incomplete or the debt is statute-barred.

Only if the debt is valid, enforceable, and not statute-barred. The current owner (a Lowell Group entity) must be able to evidence: the original credit agreement signed by you (under section 78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 for regulated agreements), a Default Notice from the original creditor under sections 87 and 88, and a Notice of Assignment under section 136 of the Law of Property Act 1925 confirming the debt was lawfully assigned to Hoist Finance UK Limited (and subsequently transferred to Lowell). If any link in that chain cannot be produced on request, the debt is not enforceable. Send a Prove the Debt letter before agreeing to anything.

Robinson Way Limited's registered office is now No. 1 The Square, Thorpe Park View, Thorpe Park, Leeds, LS15 8GH (Lowell's Leeds HQ). This is the appropriate address for formal legal correspondence. Robinson Way's operational office at Carolina Way, Quays Reach, Salford M50 2ZY continues to handle day-to-day customer service. For Royal Mail Tracked 24 service of legal correspondence (recommended for any formal dispute, Prove the Debt letter, or response to a Letter Before Claim), use the Leeds registered office to make sure the letter reaches the correct legal entity.