MoneySavingExpert's free Car Finance Complaint tool, already used 3.3 million times, expanded to include the regulator's new forms of mis-selling and more companies

Martin Lewis says the sensible move is to put a DIY complaint in now

People who bought a car, van or motorbike on PCP or Hire Purchase should consider putting in a complaint for mis-selling now to make it easier and quicker to get compensation - and MoneySavingExpert’s free tool has been updated to help do that quickly.

The Financial Conduct Authority launched a consultation on its proposed mass redress scheme a few weeks ago and it is expected to cover around 14 million car finance agreements. Under its expanded definition of mis-selling, many people who bought a vehicle on PCP or Hire Purchase finance between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 could be in line for an average £700 payout. The free tool is now fully up to date after the FCA’s expansion and available here.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, explains: “If you’ve not complained yet, while you needn’t do owt, it's generally best to put in a DIY complaint now. While under the proposed redress scheme, firms will have to try to identify and contact all the people who were mis-sold, even if they don’t complain, and ask if they want to OPT IN. There is still a risk those who had older agreements, have moved house, or got married / changed name may miss out. 

So, I believe it’s safer to put a complaint in now (the FCA boss agreed when we spoke) and that’s easy to do via our free tool. Then you should be part of the group for whom it's all done automatically and could mean you’re paid out up to eight months quicker. That’s because once you've complained, if you were mis-sold, they must contact you to say it's being processed and give you a right to OPT OUT (so you needn't do anything more if you're happy – barring maybe give them the details of where you want to be paid).”

MoneySavingExpert’s broadened tool now incorporates Contractual Ties and Unfairly High Commissions which are now defined by the FCA as mis-selling, alongside the Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) it had before and spans more firms (as some were previously excluded as they didn’t use DCAs).

When you use the free tool you:

1. Answer a few questions about your car finance

Include your address at the time, car number plate, policy details and name of the firm if you have them.

2. We build a ready-to-send email drafted by Martin

Your details are formatted into an email, covering whether you’ve experienced any of the three forms of mis-selling, and if so, to count this as a complaint.

3. We prepare the email and fill in the right address to send it to

You can review it, check you’re happy and then just click send. (MSE does not data mine or store personal information).