consumer credit activity

any one of the following activities carried on by a licensee, firm, payment service provider or electronic money issuer:

1. (a) providing credit or otherwise being a creditor under a regulated consumer credit agreement;
1. (b) the bailment or (in Scotland) the hiring of goods or otherwise being an owner under a regulated consumer hire agreement;
1. (c) credit brokerage in so far as it is the effecting of introductions of:
   1. (i) individuals desiring to obtain credit to persons carrying on a consumer credit business; or
   1. (ii) individuals desiring to obtain goods on hire to persons carrying on a consumer hire business;
1. (d) in so far as they relate to regulated consumer credit agreements or regulated consumer hire agreements:
   1. (i) debt-adjusting;
   1. (ii) debt-counselling;
   1. (iii) debt-collecting; or
   1. (iv) debt administration;
1. (e) the provision of credit information services; or
1. (f) the operation of a credit reference agency;

where at the time of the act or omission complained of:

1. (g) the licensee, firm, payment service provider or electronic money issuer was:
   1. (i) covered by a standard licence under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (as amended); or
   1. (ii) authorised to carry on an activity by virtue of section 34(A) of that Act; or
   1. (iii) in accordance with regulation 26(2) of the Payment Services Regulations or regulation 31 of the Electronic Money Regulations, was not required to hold a licence for consumer credit business under section 21 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974; and
1. (h) the activity was carried on in the course of a business of a type specified in accordance with section 226A(2)(e) of the Act:

and expressions used in the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (as amended) have the same meaning in this definition as they have in that Act.