Frequently Asked Questions
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had previously paused the standard eight-week timeframe for handling complaints regarding Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) in car finance, with the pause initially set to end after 25 September 2024. Due to ongoing data collection challenges, active litigation, and the pending outcome of the Barclays judicial review (expected in May 2025), the FCA now plans to extend these temporary rules. Complaint handling will remain on hold until 4 December 2025, and customers will have until at least 29 July 2026 to refer their complaints to the Financial Ombudsman.
You can still submit a claim; however, it will be held pending a final decision on how car finance providers should manage these complaints. This pause ensures that lenders have sufficient time to properly review claims and deliver fair outcomes to affected customers. In the meantime, your claim will be placed in a queue for assessment. The FCA will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses.
If you do not have any information to support your claim, there is no need to worry. We will obtain all the necessary details on your behalf. Occasionally, we may need to request your loan documents directly from your car finance provider. This process typically takes between 30 and 90 days.
The amount of compensation you may be entitled to depends on several factors, including the loan amount, interest rate, date of the finance agreement, and its duration. According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in their publication “Our work on motor finance – final findings – March 2019,” a Discretionary Commission Arrangement (DCA) on a typical motor finance agreement of £10,000 could lead to consumers being overcharged by approximately £1,100 over a four-year term.* For further information, please refer to the FCA Motor Finance Final Findings, section 2.15, page 9.
If your finance agreement commenced before 28 January 2021 and you are still making payments, you may be eligible to submit a claim. However, if your car finance began after 28 January 2021, it is unlikely that you would have a claim for undisclosed commission. We can verify this eligibility for you.
Your claim is operated on a ‘No-win, No-fee’ basis, meaning if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not incur any charges. Fees are only payable if your claim is successful and will be calculated based on the value of the redress awarded, prior to any deductions for arrears. Should your claim succeed, the Success Fee will range between 15% and 30% (+ VAT), depending on the amount of compensation offered to you. If you have an outstanding balance with your lender, they may apply all or part of the compensation to settle that balance, which could result in you receiving little or no cash payment directly. In such circumstances, the Success Fee will still be payable against the total compensation amount. A cancellation fee may also be charged by a third party or panel solicitor if you cancel outside the 14-day cooling-off period. You will be referred to a solicitor who will act on your behalf and charge the applicable Success Fee.
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