Advantage Finance Limited: FCA regulated?

Authorised by the FCA

This firm is on the FCA register and authorised to carry out regulated activities.

Authorised for 21 years
Your funds are protected by FSCS
No FCA actions
Active company since 1999
768 Ombudsman complaints in January–June 2025

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

Website

advantagefinance.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Phone number

01472 233200
Address

Unit 7, Acorn Business Park, Moss Road, Grimsby, South Humberside, DN32 0LW, United Kingdom

In the full report: 3 background checks

When advantagefinance.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 01472 233200 is
Who else gives the postcode DN32 0LW

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Give regulated advice FSCS may apply
A claim for unsuitable advice is itself FSCS-protected, up to the limit that applies to the product you were advised on.
Manage or trade investments FSCS may apply
Eligible investment and pension claims are typically FSCS-protected up to £85,000 per person, depending on the product and your circumstances.
Sell or arrange insurance FSCS may apply
Eligible insurance claims may be FSCS-protected, often 90%, or 100% for compulsory or long-term cover.
Lend or arrange credit No FSCS cover
Consumer credit is not covered by the FSCS, so there is no compensation scheme if the firm fails.
Complaints Ombudsman, free
You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

Show FCA detail (11 permissions)

Advising on investments (except on Pension Transfers and Pension Opt Outs)
Advising on P2P agreements
Arranging (bringing about) deals in investments
Assisting in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance
Credit Broking
Dealing in investments as agent
Debt Adjusting
Debt-counselling
Entering into regulated credit agreement as Lender (Excluding high-cost short-term credit, bill of sale agreement, and home collected credit agreement)
Exercising/having right to exercise lender's rights and duties under a regulated credit agreement (excluding high-cost short-term credit, bill of sale agreement, and home collected credit agreement)
Making arrangements with a view to transactions in investments

Financial Ombudsman complaints

Ombudsman complaints

new complaints, January–June 2025: 768
upheld, against a 31% median: 16%
about banking and credit: 768

A bigger firm gets more complaints simply because it has more customers.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number: 03773673 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 14 May 1999 (27 years old)
Registered office: 2 Stratford Court C/O S&U Plc Cranmore Boulevard, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4QT, England
Nature of business: Credit granting by non-deposit taking finance houses and other specialist consumer credit grantors (SIC 64921)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Anthony Michael Vincent Coombs	Director	Nov 1952	14 May 1999	30 other companies
Graham Derek Clifford Coombs	Director	Nov 1952	14 May 1999	31 other companies
Keith James Charlton	Director	Nov 1965	9 Apr 2002	1 other company
Beverley Ann Burton	Director	Aug 1961	5 Oct 2006	None
Alan Tuplin	Director	Apr 1969	5 Oct 2006	None
James Murdoch	Director	Jul 1967	1 Feb 2007	1 other company
David Sandiford	Director	Nov 1969	6 Feb 2017	None
David William Vessey	Director	Apr 1987	6 Feb 2019	None
Nicholas David Greensides	Director	Feb 1987	6 Feb 2019	None
John Antony Downing	Director	Apr 1981	6 May 2020	None
Lynn Downing	Director	Apr 1981	17 Jan 2023	None
Karl Donald Werner	Director	Apr 1972	5 Dec 2023	2 other companies
Chris Keith Freckelton	Director	Jan 1989	8 Aug 2025	9 other companies
Jack Edward Clifford Coombs	Director	Sep 1987	12 Oct 2026	1 other company
Manjeet Kaur Bhogal	Secretary	Not published	30 May 2025	–

Other companies run by these 14 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies: 56
closed down: 31
is FCA-registered: 1

In the full report: all 56 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 14 directors sit on each board, and since when
Any that went into liquidation or administration
The one on the FCA register
The 16 companies these 14 directors run together
All 25 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

Advantage Finance’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (5) All events (42)

2016

6 April 2016

S & U PLC took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

2013

1 April 2013

Regulated by the FCA from this date

FCA register

2005

14 January 2005

Regulated by the Financial Services Authority from this date
Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

1999

14 May 1999

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 42 events

All 42 events in its history (5 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 34

Firms connected to Advantage Finance

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Advantage Finance. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firm: 1
share a director: 1

In the full report: the connected firm, named

How it is linked: shared directors (1)
Who links it to this firm: the named directors, with dates

Firms like Advantage Finance

Other firms of the same type (lender), nearest first.

In Grimsby

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Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.

Get the full report on Advantage Finance

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

56 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
All 42 events in its history
1 connected firm, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Advantage Finance Limited FCA authorised?

Yes, Advantage Finance Limited (FRN 307864) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since January 2005 and works as a lender. The FCA has placed no limits on its permissions.

What is Advantage Finance’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 01472 233200 and the website advantagefinance.co.uk for Advantage Finance. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is Advantage Finance a scam or clone?

Advantage Finance is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.

Is my money safe with Advantage Finance?

Its FCA permissions do not allow it to hold or control client money. It depends on the product, but eligible claims may be protected by the FSCS. You can also refer complaints about Advantage Finance to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.

Who owns Advantage Finance?

Advantage Finance is owned by S & U PLC, which holds 75–100% of shares, since 6 April 2016.

Who runs Advantage Finance?

Companies House lists 14 directors of Advantage Finance: Anthony Michael Vincent Coombs, Graham Derek Clifford Coombs, Keith James Charlton, Beverley Ann Burton, Alan Tuplin, James Murdoch and 8 more.

How long has Advantage Finance been in business?

The company was formed on 14 May 1999, and has held its current FCA authorisation since January 2005.

How many complaints does Advantage Finance get?

In January–June 2025, the Financial Ombudsman Service received 768 new complaints about Advantage Finance, and upheld 16% of those it decided.