Expert Consumer Lawyers – Helping you challenge unfair finance agreements
We help UK clients pursue refunds for mis‑sold finance agreements through a No‑Win, No‑Fee arrangement. Contact us to find out whether your agreement may be unfair.
Important Update
October 2025
Current Position
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on 1 August 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has now released its consultation paper — CP25/27 – Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme.
This paper sets out how a potential nationwide compensation scheme could operate for customers who took out car-finance agreements involving undisclosed Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs).
While the FCA consultation is open, most new and ongoing complaint investigations remain temporarily paused.
Timeline and Next Steps
- The FCA’s consultation runs until mid-November 2025.
- A final decision on the scheme’s structure is expected in early 2026, with any payments beginning later that year.
- Lenders’ deadlines to issue final complaint responses have been provisionally extended to 31 July 2026.
- Consumers who already complained to their lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) remain protected under the current pause — they will not lose their place in line.
CA Consultation – Key Points
Under the current proposal:
- The scheme would cover regulated hire-purchase and PCP agreements entered between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
- Redress would focus on cases where commission linked to DCAs was not properly disclosed to the customer.
- Typical compensation is projected to average around £700 per agreement, although some may receive more or less depending on their specific loan terms and commission level.
- The FCA is considering repayment of the commission and related interest as the likely remedy.
- Customers will be able to access the scheme directly through their lender or FOS at no cost, without using a solicitor or claims-management company.
All figures and timeframes are provisional and may change once the FCA publishes its final rules in 2026.
Supreme Court Clarification
The Supreme Court confirmed that:
- Fixed-fee commission (where the dealer’s commission is set and not linked to the customer’s interest rate) does not generally give grounds for redress.
- Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs), where a dealer could adjust the customer’s interest rate to increase their own commission, can still create an “unfair relationship” under section 140A of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
- The ruling did not award automatic compensation — it provides the legal foundation for the FCA’s proposed redress process.
What This Means for Our Clients
Our legal teams continue to progress all existing client matters already lodged.
For anyone who has not yet submitted a complaint, making an early complaint ensures you are included when the FCA’s scheme goes live.
We remain ready to review each case once the FCA confirms the final redress process in 2026.
Our Fees – Simple & Transparent
We act on a No Win, No Fee basis.
If your case succeeds, our fee is up to 36% (including VAT).
Example: If you receive £1,000 in compensation, our fee would be £360, leaving you £640.
Your Authorised Law Firm for Consumer law
At Locksley Law, We help clients challenge unfair car finance practices and pursue compensation where they are eligible. Under the Supreme Court ruling of 1 August 2025, only agreements involving Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) may form the basis of a valid claim, while fixed-fee commission agreements are excluded.
Our role is to simplify the process, explain your options clearly, and provide professional representation you can rely on. We operate transparently under the highest regulatory standards, legal fees capped at 36% including VAT if your claim is successful.
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Our Comprehensive Range of Legal Expertise
Discretionary Commission Claims
We review car‑finance agreements for evidence of unfair practices associated with Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs). A DCA occurs where a broker can adjust a customer’s interest rate to receive a higher commission from the lender. The Financial Conduct Authority prohibited DCAs in 2021.
Other Finance-Related Concerns
Following the Supreme Court ruling of 1 August 2025, while non-discretionary (fixed-fee) commission claims are more limited in certain contexts, borrowers may still pursue case-specific ‘unfair relationship’ claims under the Consumer Credit Act where factors such as high commission or inadequate disclosure are relevant. These issues are not part of the FCA’s redress process and may not result in compensation. In some situations, they can only be challenged through separate legal routes and outcomes are uncertain. If you believe you were misled about your finance agreement, our team can review the documents and advise whether there may be grounds for further action.
Important: Claims relating to balloon payments, hidden charges or other non‑DCA issues are not covered by the FCA’s redress scheme. Eligibility depends on individual circumstances and may require separate legal action. Outcomes cannot be guaranteed. Please refer to our full disclaimer below.
Mis-Sold PCP & HP Claims
Reclaim hidden commissions and unfair costs from your car finance deal
Find Out If You Have a Claim – Contact Us Today!
If you believe your car finance agreement involved unfair charges or hidden commissions, our team is here to help. We’ll review your case, explain your options clearly, and guide you every step of the way.
Use our free check today to see if you are eligible for a claim.
Please note that our free check is an initial assessment only and does not guarantee that your claim will succeed. Eligibility depends on your individual circumstances and the terms of your agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our primary area of expertise is in Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) claims and wider motor finance disputes. We assist clients who believe they may have been misled, pressured, or charged hidden fees in connection with their car finance agreements. If you think this might apply to you, we can review your circumstances and advise whether you may be eligible to bring a claim. We may also advise on other consumer and financial services disputes where appropriate
A Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) claim may arise if the terms of your finance agreement were unclear, or if important information was not properly explained to you at the time you entered into the agreement. Issues can include undisclosed commissions, unexpected charges, or terms that may have created an unfair relationship under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Where this applies, you may have the right to bring a claim, and we can review your circumstances to advise whether it is appropriate to proceed.
You may have grounds to bring a motor finance claim if, during the finance process, you were given unclear or misleading information, placed under undue pressure, or not told about certain charges or commissions. We can help by locating and reviewing your agreement, checking the details, and advising you on whether your circumstances meet the criteria for a potential claim. Every case depends on its individual facts and the supporting evidence.
We operate transparently under the highest regulatory standards.
If your claim is resolved through a redress scheme:
Our fees comply with Solicitors Regulation Authority rules and are capped accordingly. We will deduct between 18% and 36% (inclusive of VAT) of the amount recovered (e.g., “If you recover £700, our fee would be between £126 and £252 depending on your case”). If you don’t recover anything under the scheme, you pay us nothing.
If your claim goes to court and succeeds:
We cap our deductions for our fees and expenses – they will never be more than 30% plus VAT of what you win.
If your does not succeed:
You don’t pay us for the work we’ve done. If the claim is issued to court, we arrange insurance to cover expenses and costs. If you lose, you don’t pay the insurance premium. You only pay the premium if you win.
Once your complaint has been submitted to your lender, they typically have 8 weeks to respond. However, under the pause imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) while they investigate motor finance complaints, lenders are not required to respond to motor finance commission complaints until after 4 December 2025.
The FCA announced on 3 August 2025 that it will consult on an industry-wide scheme to compensate motor finance customers who were treated unfairly. The consultation will be published by early October and the FCA will finalise any scheme in time for people to start receiving compensation next year. Timelines may change if the FCA extends or alters the pause. We will update you as soon as we have further information.
Compensation is not guaranteed and depends on the outcome of the FCA’s review.
We take all concerns seriously. If you are unhappy with our service, please first raise your concern with the person handling your case, or contact our senior management team. We will review your complaint in line with our internal complaints procedure and aim to resolve it promptly.
If you remain dissatisfied, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, who deals with complaints about poor service.
You must normally bring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving our final response.
Your complaint must also usually be made within one year of the problem happening or one year of you becoming aware of the issue.
The Legal Ombudsman has discretion to extend these time limits in exceptional circumstances.
Legal Ombudsman contact details:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
If your concern relates to professional conduct (for example, dishonesty, misuse of money, or discrimination), you can also raise it directly with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems.
We will always try to resolve complaints ourselves first, but you can go to the Legal Ombudsman if you’re not satisfied. Our full complaints procedure is available on our website: locksleylaw.co.uk/complaints-procedure.