Complaints handling policy at Sturgess Motor Group

Purpose and Scope

Whilst we aim to achieve a high level of service this policy is designed to provide guidance on the way in which Sturgess Motor Group receive and manage complaints. In the event of a complaint we want to help resolve it 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, by speaking to a member of our staff or a manager in the relevant department.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. To this end we attempt to ensure that:

• 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 24 hours with a view to reaching a resolution within 10 working days. If your complaint relates to a Hyundai vehicle and we are unable to resolve your complaint, we will escalate it to HMUK.
• 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? This includes communicating with us regarding Discretionary Commission Arrangement investigations.

To help us attend to your complaint promptly please provide the following:

About you: your name and full contact details (including any previous addresses if you have moved house since the vehicle purchase)

Vehicle details: Vehicle Registration Number, Make & Model

Dealership details: the dealership where you bought the car and the date of purchase (if applicable)

Documents: copies of your point of sale documents (invoice) and for finanical complaints you should also include a copy of your credit agreement.

Date: Any other relevant dates and times

Complaint: a clear statement of what your complaint is about and the resolution you require.

How to contact us?

Customer Care Manager, Sturgess Motor Group. Austral House, Coventry Road, Broughton Astley, Leicester, LE9 6QD

Tel: 0116 4787777

Email: customercare@sturgessgroup.com

For financial complaints onlywhere we are operating under the FCA permissions of Automotive Compliance, please also send your complaint in writing to:

Automotive Compliance Ltd, The Factory, 44 Alfred Street, Gloucester, GL1 4DD

Telephone: 01452671560

E-mail: complaints@automotive-compliance.co.uk

Complaints about Discretionary Car Finance Commission Arrangements (DCAs)

On 11 January 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced their intention to review historical motor finance discretionary commission (DCA) arrangements across the motor industry.

As part of the review, the FCA has paused the 8-week deadline for firms to provide a final response to relevant customer complaints.

The pause will apply to complaints about motor finance agreements where there was a discretionary commission arrangement in place between the lender and the intermediary or broker (car dealer).

This pause was originally scheduled to end on the 25 September 2024; however, it has now been extended until the 04 December 2025.

The purpose of the pause is to ensure that complaints are dealt with fairly and the outcome of the FCA’s review will decide what action needs to be taken on relevant complaints, such as customer compensation.

A relevant customer complaint must meet the following tests:

• It must be about a regulated credit agreement taken out between 6 April 2007 and 28 January 2021.

• It must have financed the purchase of a vehicle (including Hire Purchase Agreements, such as Personal Contract Purchases).

• There must have been a DCA in place between the lender and the intermediary or broker (the car dealer); and

• The complaint must have been received between 17 November 2023 and 04 December 2025 inclusive.

Complaints Process

You can refer your complaint to us as normal. During the period while the FCA review is ongoing, there will be a few changes to the usual complaints handling process and your complaint will be subject to longer than usual complaints handling timescales. This is due to the pause which the FCA introduced with immediate effect from 11 January 2024.

Please note:

• If you have a relevant DCA complaint, you will not receive a final response from us within the usual 8-week deadline. This is because the FCA has extended the deadline, and, as a result, most relevant customer complaints will not receive a final response until 04 December 2025 at the earliest.

• If you currently have a DCA complaint in progress with us, the 8-week deadline has been paused and will resume on 04 December 2025.

• If we sent you a final response to your complaint between 12 July 2023 and 25 September 2024 inclusive, or if we send you a final response to your DCA complaint between 26 September 2024 and 29 April 2025, and you remain unhappy, you will have longer to take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Usually, you have six (6) months from the date of our final response to refer your complaint to the FOS, however you now have up to fifteen (15) months from the date of our final response or 29 July 2026, whichever is the later, to refer your complaint to the FOS. If we send you a final response to your DCA complaint between 30 April 2025 and 29 January 2026, you will have fifteen (15) months from the date of our final response to refer your complaint to the FOS.

• If your complaint does not relate to a discretionary commission arrangement (DCA), the revised complaints handling timescales do not apply and the standard Complaints Procedure will be followed.

• For full details of the temporary complaints handling timescales and how the rules affect you, please visit the FCA’s dedicated webpage for consumers at https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/car-finance-complaints

If you have a complaint about a Discretionary Car Finance Commission Arrangement (DCA)

You can notify us of your complaint through the following channels.:

By Post: Automotive Compliance Ltd, The Factory, 44 Alfred Street, Gloucester, GL1 4DD

By Phone: 01452 671560

By Email: complaints@automotive-compliance.co.uk

If you are not sure if you have a discretionary commission arrangement (DCA) complaint, you can ask us to check. We will aim to find out and respond to your enquiry as soon as possible.

On receipt of your complaint, we will carry out a detailed review and we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five (5) working days.

We will keep you updated, as appropriate, while the FCA carries out its review and during the period the pause for responding to customer complaints about discretionary arrangements (DCAs) is in place.

For further information, you can visit the announcement on the FCA’s website.

Visit FCA Website

What to do if you remain dissatisfied?

We aim to resolve complaints at the earliest possible opportunity.

If a non-financial services related dispute arises that cannot be resolved between us within a reasonable timescale you may refer the dispute to the free independent Advisory and Conciliation Service operated by the Motor Ombudsman, the government-backed, self-regulatory body for the motor industry. For details of this service you can call their dedicated Code Advisory and Conciliation Service Consumer Advice Line on 0843 910 9000, submit an enquiry or complaint via the website www.TheMotorOmbudsman.org/ or write to:

The Motor Ombudsman Ltd, 71 Great Peter Street, London, SW1P 2BN.

If your complaint relates to the sale of a financial product and you feel that it has not been resolved to your expectations you have the right to refer your case to Financial Ombudsman Service.

To contact the FOS you can phone them on 0300 123 9123 or email:complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk or alternatively you can write to the them at the address below:

Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

Data Protection

All complaints received are treated with confidentiality and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018. 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.

Quality Controls

Complaints are analysed for the identification of systemic or recurring problems including the time taken to resolve them. This helps us to better understand how we can improve our service to our customers. Where problems are identified consideration will be given to the action needed to address these problems.