The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (the regulator that regulates loans in the consumer motor finance sector) is reviewing the historical use of ‘discretionary commission arrangements’ between lenders and motor dealers who act as credit brokers (for example, we act as a credit broker when we arrange some loans with consumers). Generally, discretionary commission arrangements were arrangements where the broker was allowed by the lender to adjust the interest rates they offered customers for car finance and the broker’s commission was linked to the interest rate that was set. The review is not focused on any particular dealer or lender, but is a review of the motor finance sector generally. Whilst it carries out its review, for complaints that could be affected, the FCA has introduced a temporary pause to the 8-week deadline that we usually have to respond to complaints. This pause started on 11 January 2024 and will continue until 25 September 2024. Following the pause, we will have the remainder of the 8-week deadline to provide customers affected with our final response. For complaints that could be affected, the FCA has also implemented an extension to the usual 6-month period that complainants have to escalate their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Complainants will have 15 months to escalate their complaint to FOS instead. This pause only impacts complaints where the credit agreement was taken out before 28 January 2021 and involved a discretionary commission arrangement. Complaints not affected by the pause will continue to be dealt with in accordance with our usual processes. For further details about our complaints processes, you can refer to our Complaints Policy below. If you have a complaint that may be affected by the review, we will let you know and explain the consequences of this. If you would like any further information about the reasons for the pause and extension, you should visit www.fca.org.uk/car-finance-complaints.
Initial Contact: You can initiate a complaint by getting in touch with our customer service team via email at customerservice@shellymotors.com, or by calling us at 020 3130 6713. You can also write to us at Customer Service Department, Shelly Motors, Longmead Industrial Estate, Felstead Road, Epsom, London, KT199QG.
Details: In your complaint, please provide as much detail as possible. This should include your contact details, any relevant dates, information about the vehicle or service in question, and the reason for your complaint.
Upon receipt of your complaint, we will follow these steps:
Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it.
Investigation: Our dedicated complaints resolution team will thoroughly investigate your case, which may involve contacting you for further information.
Resolution: We will aim to resolve your complaint and respond to you with a final decision within 15 working days of receiving your complaint. If we need more time to investigate, we will inform you of this and let you know when you can expect a full response.
If you are not satisfied with our response, or if your complaint has not been resolved within eight weeks, you may escalate the issue to the Motor Ombudsman. The Motor Ombudsman is an automotive dispute resolution body in the UK and will provide a free, impartial, and binding service.
You can contact the Motor Ombudsman at 0345 241 3008 or via their website at www.themotorombudsman.org.
Under the UK Consumer Duty Legislation effective from July 31, 2022, you have certain rights as a consumer, including the right to be treated fairly and respectfully. We at Shelly Motors strive to uphold these rights in all our dealings and services. If you believe that we have breached these duties, please inform us about the situation and we will investigate internally.
We take all complaints seriously and view them as an opportunity to learn and improve our services. We are fully committed to the principles and practices outlined in the UK Consumer Duty Legislation and continue to strive for excellence in all areas of our service.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our complaints procedure. Your satisfaction is paramount to us at Shelly Motors.