As an Appointed Representative (AR) of ACL, we are required to adhere to this document and adopt the policy statements it sets out, or to incorporate them into your own policy statements. The Document is to be used in conjunction with the ACL Complaints Handling Academy Module.
“Any oral or written expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, from, or on behalf of, a person about the provision of, or failure to provide, a financial service or a redress determination, which alleges that the complainant has suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience.”
Customers can deliver complaints directly to the Dealership or to ACL (full contact details are included within the IDD).
Regardless of which method used the procedure followed in both cases is the same and each complaint is investigated and processed in line with the documented ACL Complaints Handling Module where full details and best practice advice can be found.
“If a customer is unhappy regarding the provision of a ‘regulated product or service’ including all general insurance products (GAP Insurance, Cosmetic Repair Insurance, etc.) and finance that was offered or sold by yourselves” they may have grounds to complain.
All complaints are taken very seriously, and the following process actioned before any final decisions are made.
If a complaint is delivered to your Dealership, you must inform the ACL Complaints Department either by phone on 01452 671560 or by E-mail at Complaints @automotive-compliance.co.uk.
If it is a regulated complaint, you will be asked to fill in the details online through the TCF Manager system which will be acknowledged by E-mail and copied to the ACL Complaints Handling Team.
If it is a non-regulated complaint the Team will still provide guidance on an individual basis.
All complaints are time stamped on arrival and will be assessed by a member of the team who will consider:
Dependent on the outcome of the above ACL will either take the claim onboard and deal with it in the appropriate manner or reject the claim.
If the claim is rejected, they will discuss it with you and together agree the subsequent actions.
All valid regulated complaints are investigated thoroughly by Senior ACL Management before any final decisions are made. The aim is to review and resolve all eligible claims by close of business on the third working business day.
If this is achieved, then a “Summary Resolution” communication is then promptly sent out to the complainant by post or E-mail stating the outcome of the investigation.
If for any reason a complaint cannot be resolved in three days and requires further investigation, an acknowledgment letter or e-mail is sent to the complainant within 5 days of receiving the complaint.
Dependent on the claim, more information may be requested from the Dealership, an investigation will take place and if a decision is reached within Eight weeks it will be signed off by an ACL Director and communicated to the complainant.
If a decision is not reached the complainant will be notified why.
If the complainant accepts the decision that has been reached, they will be asked to complete an “Acceptance Form” and return this to ACL.
If the complainant is not happy with the outcome (because a complaint has been rejected or it is taking longer than eight weeks to resolve) then they have the right to refer their complaint directly to the “Financial Ombudsman Service.”
N.B Failure to abide by the Regulatory Requirements for Complaints Handling could lead not only to Reputational Damage for a Business, but also Financial Penalties and Severe Regulatory Sanctions and even Loss of Employment for Individuals.
It is not unknown for Company Directors to be given Personal Heavy Fines where total disregard to a complainant’s situation has seen them suffer a financial or material loss!
We (Dealership) are committed to the highest standards of customer care in compliance with the FCA’s overriding Consumer Duty policy designed to deliver good outcomes for retail customers and our own Dealer Standards.
To help achieve this we have chosen to become Appointed Representatives of Automotive Compliance to ensure that we meet all the FCA’s regulatory requirements with regards to the sale of either Consumer Credit or General Insurance Products.
All customer complaints are taken very seriously, and all Regulated Complaints are investigated thoroughly by ACL Senior Management using a clearly defined process before any final decisions are made.
Our senior management team are committed to working with ACL in an honest and open manner regarding any such complaints and agree to stand by any decisions/ resolutions made on our behalf.
