First Merchant Finance Limited: FCA regulated?

On the register, but not FCA authorised

This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.

Registered for 11 years
No FCA actions
Active company since 1998

What does this mean?

Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.

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

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

020 7935 4146
Address

36 Seymour Street, London, W1H 7JF, United Kingdom

In the full report: 3 background checks

When firstmerchant.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 020 7935 4146 is
Who else gives the postcode W1H 7JF

Other names (2)

If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.

First Merchant Limited Trading name: A name it trades under now.
First Merchant Finance Plc Former name: A name it was registered under before.

Past FCA permissions and consumer protection

Money-laundering registration only
This firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

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

Company number: 03553430 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 27 April 1998 (28 years old)
Registered office: 36 Seymour Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 7JF
Nature of business: Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified (SIC 64999)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Rosaleen Mary Collyer-Hamlin	Director	Nov 1947	27 Apr 1998	5 other companies
Anthony Richard George Collyer-Hamlin	Director	Oct 1946	27 Apr 1998	7 other companies
Richard Anthony Collyer-Hamlin	Director	May 1974	31 Jan 2003	4 other companies
Warren James Collyer-Hamlin	Director	Sep 1977	1 Jan 2006	1 other company
Rosaleen Mary Collyer-Hamlin	Secretary	Not published	27 Apr 1998	5 other companies

Other companies run by these 4 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: 7
closed down: 6
run together: 5

In the full report: all 7 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 4 directors sit on each board, and since when
Any that went into liquidation or administration
The 5 companies these 4 directors run together
All 5 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

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

Key events (5) All events (10)

2025

13 January 2025

Changed its registered name from "First Merchant Finance Plc"

FCA register

2016

6 April 2016

Anthony Richard George Collyer-Hamlin became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
Rosaleen Mary Collyer-Hamlin became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2014

11 December 2014

Registered with the FCA

FCA register

1998

27 April 1998

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 10 events

All 10 events in its history (5 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 4

Firms connected to First Merchant Finance

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

connected firms: 2
share its postcode: 2

In the full report: all 2 connected firms, named

How each is linked: the same postcode (2)
Who links each one: the named directors, with dates

Get the full report on First Merchant Finance

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

7 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
All 10 events in its history
2 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is First Merchant Finance Limited FCA authorised?

First Merchant Finance Limited (FRN 659558) is registered with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations only. That is anti-money-laundering supervision, not FCA authorisation, and the FCA does not supervise the firm's conduct.

What is First Merchant Finance’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 020 7935 4146 and the website firstmerchant.co.uk for First Merchant Finance. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is First Merchant Finance a scam or clone?

First Merchant Finance is genuinely on the FCA's money-laundering register, so it is not an outright fake, but registration is not authorisation, and scammers impersonate registered firms too. Verify contact details against the register before sending money.

Is my money safe with First Merchant Finance?

Money you hand to First Merchant Finance is not protected by the FSCS. Money-laundering registration carries no compensation scheme, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

Who owns First Merchant Finance?

Companies House lists 2 people with significant control of First Merchant Finance: Mr Anthony Richard George Collyer-Hamlin (25–50% of shares) and Mrs Rosaleen Mary Collyer-Hamlin (25–50% of shares).

Who runs First Merchant Finance?

Companies House lists 4 directors of First Merchant Finance: Rosaleen Mary Collyer-Hamlin, Anthony Richard George Collyer-Hamlin, Richard Anthony Collyer-Hamlin and Warren James Collyer-Hamlin.

How long has First Merchant Finance been in business?

The company was formed on 27 April 1998.

Does First Merchant Finance use any other names?

It trades as First Merchant Limited. It has previously used the name First Merchant Finance Plc.