Office for Students

Reference number: 966743

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Introducer appointed representative

Office for Students can only introduce you to their principal, and cannot give financial advice, recommend products, or arrange deals alone.

Responsible principal firm

SME HCI Limited Reference number: 626422 Authorised View firm →
What does this mean?
  • An introducer appointed representative can only pass your details to its principal firm. It cannot recommend products, give financial advice, or arrange deals on its own.
  • Office for Students (FRN 966743) introduces customers to SME HCI Limited (FRN 626422). Any regulated advice or arranging is done by the principal, not Office for Students.
  • Example: if Office for Students refers you to a financial adviser, the advice should come from the principal firm, not from Office for Students itself.
  • Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.

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.

In the full report: 3 background checks

  • When officeforstudents.org.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
  • What kind of line 0117 931 7027 is
  • Who else gives the postcode BS34 8SR
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FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Protection through the principal firm
    Protection works through SME HCI Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
  • Complaints Ombudsman, free
    You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

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.

Firms connected to Office for Students

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Office for Students. 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
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Get the full report on Office for Students

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

  • 3 background checks on its contact details
  • 2 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Office for Students FCA authorised?
Office for Students (FRN 966743) is not directly authorised. It is an appointed representative acting under the responsibility of a directly authorised principal firm.
What does introducer appointed representative mean for Office for Students?
An introducer appointed representative can only pass your details to its principal firm. It cannot recommend products, give financial advice, or arrange deals on its own. Office for Students (FRN 966743) introduces customers to SME HCI Limited (FRN 626422). Any regulated advice or arranging is done by the principal, not Office for Students. Example: if Office for Students refers you to a financial adviser, the advice should come from the principal firm, not from Office for Students itself. Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
What is Office for Students’ phone number and website?
The FCA register lists the phone number 0117 931 7027 and the website officeforstudents.org.uk for Office for Students. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.
Is Office for Students a scam or clone?
Office for Students 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 Office for Students?
Protection works through SME HCI Limited, the principal firm responsible for Office for Students's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.

Sources and links

The full report on Office for Students

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