This policy is designed to provide guidance on the way in which Caffyns plc receive and manage complaints. We want to help you, our customer, to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible.
This policy covers:
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction whether justified or not. Sometimes a problem can be resolved quickly, simply by speaking to a member of our staff or a manager in the relevant department/branch. However, if the member of staff considering the matter believes that a more substantive review will be required in order to respond to the issues raised, your complaint will be considered under the formal complaint procedure.
Complaints can be made and received in a variety of ways; by phone, e-mail or letter, but where possible complaints should be made in writing, so that the details of the complaint are clear and complete.
Please provide the following:
Please address your complaint to the Caffyns dealership where your complaint originated. Their contact details can be found on our Company Website.
We aim to resolve complaints at the earliest possible opportunity. If you remain dissatisfied you can write to Caffyns plc at their Head Office, and address your complaint to the Company Secretary in the first instance.
Head Office
Caffyns plc
4 Meads Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 7DR
Telephone: 01323 730201
Email: complaints@caffyns.co.uk
If your complaint cannot be resolved we will refer you to the Motor Ombudsman. They can be contacted via their website at https://www.themotorombudsman.org/. Complaints can be made online using the enquiry form or telephone at 0345 241 3008 (option 1). Alternatively you can write to them at:
The Motor Ombudsman
71 Great Peter Street
London
SW1P 2BN
United Kingdom
Products regulated by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Please provide:
Details of your name and address
Your agreement number or policy number
Details of how we can contact you
A clear description of your complaint
Details of what you would like us to do to resolve your complaint
Copies of all relevant supporting documentation
What happens next?
We will acknowledge your concerns within 5 working days to let you know we are looking into your complaint and clarify any points where necessary. We will take into account all of the available evidence, relevant laws or regulation, as well as guidance from the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Within 4 weeks of receiving your complaint
We hope to have completed our investigation and to have provided you with our final response in writing. In some instances we may need more time to respond, and if so we will write to you with an update.
Within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint
In most cases we will have written to you with our final response before the end of the eight week timeframe. If for any reason we need more time, we will contact you to explain why and to let you know when you should expect our decision.
Our Final Response Letter
This letter will detail what we have found, what we plan to do and how we came to our decision.
Should you remain unhappy with how we dealt with your complaint or our final decision regarding your finance or insurance complaint and you wish to take it further, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to look into your complaint for you. This service is independent, impartial and will not charge you to review your concerns.
The Financial Ombudsman Service will not review your complaint until we have issued our final response letter and you will need to consult them within 6 months of the date of our final response.
Contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service are below:
Address: The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR
Telephone 0800 023 4567 or 0300 1213 9123
Email complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Commission Related Complaints
If your complaint relates to there being a discretionary commission arrangement (DCA) related to your purchase, this should be submitted to the lender. Please see below:
VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT VWFS commissionclaims@vwfs.co.uk
Volvo Volvo Car Financial Services CustomerRelations@vcfsuk.co.uk
Santander commissionclaims@santanderconsumer.co.uk.
Vauxhall ukcustomercare@stellantis-finance.com
Lotus commission.uk@ca-autobank.com
MotoNovo vqt@motonovofinance.com
Pinnacle finance info@pinnaclefinance.co.uk
Effective 11th January 2024, in accordance with the announcement by the Financial Conduct Authority, if your complaint relates to the finance commission disclosure before 27th January 2021, we will review all complaints, establish whether your finance agreement had an associated discretionary or fixed commission model, and acknowledge promptly.
In the event we establish your finance agreement had an associated fixed commission arrangement; we will provide you with our final response as soon as possible but not later than 8 weeks. Should you be dissatisfied with our final response, in accordance with the normal rules, you will have 6 months to refer to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
If we establish your finance agreement had an associated discretionary commission arrangement, we will acknowledge this promptly, and under the revised rules, we will provide you with our final response by 29th January 2026. This is due to the extended pause announced by the Financial Conduct Authority on the 24th September 2024, and to allow us to take into consideration the findings and any recommendations of the investigation the Financial Conduct Authority are currently undertaking.
If you receive a final response from us on or after 12th July 2023, in the event your finance agreement related to a discretionary commission agreement, your right to escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service is extended until the later of 29th July 2026 or 15 months from the date of your final response letter.
As with any other finance or insurance complaint, to enable us to manage your complaint effectively, your vehicle registration number, make and model, and the date it was purchased.
You can find the full FCA policy statement explaining the reason for the review they are undertaking and details regarding the pause to us responding to a complaint relating to a discretionary commission arrangement by using this website link https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/car-finance-complaints
DATA PROTECTION
If you would like someone else to deal with your complaint on your behalf (for example a friend or relative) this is not a problem. However, in order for us to correspond freely with them, you will need to provide your authority for us to do so. We cannot deal with any third party on your behalf unless we are satisfied that you have actually instructed them in the matter.