Complaints Procedure

Purpose and Scope

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:

our standards;
how to complain;
how to contact us;
what to do if you remain dissatisfied.

What is a complaint

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.

Our standards

We treat all complaints seriously, whatever format they are received in.
You will be treated with courtesy at all times
We will deal with your complaint promptly. An acknowledgement of your complaint will be sent to you within 5 working days.
We aim to reply to you in full within 4 working weeks.
If we are unable to reply in full within 4 working weeks we will keep you updated and let you know when we expect to be able to reply in full.
Complaints received are logged and analysed for business improvement.

How to complain

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.

What information is required when making a complaint?

Please provide the following:

Your name, and contact details;
Vehicle registration, make and model, if applicable;
Nature of the complaint;
Dates and times, where known;
Copies of any supporting documentation, if available.

How to contact us

Please address your complaint to the Caffyns dealership where your complaint originated. Their contact details can be found on our Company Website.

What to do if you remain dissatisfied

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

Alternatively, as we’re a member of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), who are approved by Government as a Consumer ADR body under the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015, you can refer the matter to them. They offer a prompt and free Conciliation Service for members and details of this can be found on their website at: www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/guidance/using-bvrlas-conciliation-service. You can get in touch with them by either emailing complaint@bvrla.co.uk or writing to British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, River Lodge, Badminton Court, Amersham, HP7 0DD

Regulated/Financial Products Complaints

Caffyns Public Limited Company t/a GoLease is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (their registration number is 313486). Therefore if you have a complaint related to the finance proposal or the leasing finance product that you’ve been provided, you can also register a complaint to ITC Compliance. Please find ITC’s complaint policy below.

Our Commitment to You

Our aim is to provide you with excellent customer service. Occasionally, we may fail to meet your expectations, mistakes can happen, and when they do, we will try to put things right as quickly as possible. This document tells you about how we deal with any complaints you may have and aims to demonstrate our commitment to customer service.

If you have a Complaint

We define a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction, whether oral or written and whether justified or not. Your complaint will be taken seriously, and we will make every effort to resolve the problem straight away. To help us deal with your complaint as speedily as possible it would be helpful if you could provide us with as much information as possible about the regulated insurance or finance product purchased at an early stage. You can notify us of your complaint through the following channels:

In Writing: ITC Compliance Ltd, 3 Monarch Court, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FH

Telephone: 0845 177 2266 or 0117 440 3700

Fax: 0845 177 2255

Email: complaints@itccompliance.co.uk

What happens if your complaint cannot be resolved right away in the organisation?
There may be times when we need to carry out further investigations and will not be able to resolve your complaint straight away.

Once received, your complaint will be investigated and dealt with in the following way:

By Day 7
We will try to provide you with a full reply. If this is not possible we will confirm who will be looking into your complaint.

By Day 28
Your complaint will have hopefully been investigated and a full response provided to you at this stage. However, if for any reason we are still unable to provide a full response by this time, we will contact you with an update of the current situation.

By Day 56
In the unlikely event that your complaint has not been resolved at an earlier stage, we will write to you with a final response.

If you are still dissatisfied

If you wish to pursue your complaint further, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of receiving a final response. They shall conduct an independent review of your complaint to establish if it should be upheld or rejected. The Financial Ombudsman Service is there to act as impartial adjudicator and is responsible to the Financial Conduct Authority.

You can find out more about the service by contacting:

The Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London, E14 9SR.

Tel: 0300 123 9123.

Web: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

If you have any queries about our complaints process, please contact:

ITC Compliance Ltd, Complaints Department, 3 Monarch Court, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FH.
Tel: 0845 177 22 66 or 0117 440 3700

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 11^th January 2024, in accordance with the announcement by the Financial Conduct Authority, if your complaint relates to the finance commission disclosure before 27^th 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 29^th January 2026. This is due to the extended pause announced by the Financial Conduct Authority on the 24^th 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 12^th 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 29^th 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

BVLRA

You can get in touch with them by either emailing complaint@bvrla.co.uk or writing to British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, River Lodge, Badminton Court, Amersham, HP7 0DD

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.