Discretionary Commission
Resolving Customer Complaints
Complaints Regarding Commission Disclosure
If your complaint specifically relates to commission disclosure on a finance agreement arranged on a vehicle sale dated 27th January 2021 or prior:
Please email your complaint directly to compliance@group1auto.com
Alternatively you can write to us at The Compliance Department, Group 1 Retail Limited, 1st Floor, Unit 3140 Park Square, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park. B37 7YN.
Effective 11th January 2024, in accordance with the FCA’s recent announcement, if your complaint relates to the above, 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 a fixed associated commission model, we will provide you with our final response as soon as possible but no 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.
In the event that we establish your finance agreement had an associated discretionary commission model, we will acknowledge this promptly, and under the revised rules, we will provide you with our final response by 21st November 2024. This is to allow us to take into consideration the FCA investigation findings and any recommendations.
If you received a final response from us on or after 12th July 2023, in the event your finance agreement related to a discretionary commission model, you can expect correspondence from us, advising you of the extension of your FOS rights from 6 to 15 months. For the same period, we will also write to you to let you know if your finance agreement related to a fixed commission model and to confirm that your right to escalate to the financial ombudsman remains at 6 months.
Any complaints of this nature received on or after 21st November 2024 will need to be responded to in final by us within 8 weeks, and if dissatisfied, you will have the right to refer to the Financial Ombudsman for 6 months.
These timeframes have been summarised by the FCA as follows:
| GROUP | SCENARIO | TIME TO REFER COMPLAINTS TO THE FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN |
| A | Consumer was sent a final response to their DCA complaint during the period beginning with 12 July 2023 and ending with 10 January 2024 (ie before the pause took effect) but has not referred their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman and the 6 months have not yet expired. | Within 15 months of the date the firm sent its final response to the complainant. |
| B | Consumer is sent a final response to a DCA complaint during the period beginning with 11 January 2024 and ending with 20 November 2024 (ie 8 weeks after the end of the pause). | Within 15 months of the date the firm sends it's final response to the complainant. |
| C | Consumer is sent a final response to a DCA complaint on or after 21 November 2024. | Within 6 months of the date the firm sends its final response to the complainant. |
Please note you are legally entitled to raise a complaint with us on this subject three years from when you were made aware that your finance agreement had an associated discretionary commission model.
To enable us to manage your complaint effectively, it would be helpful if you could provide us with your vehicle registration number, make and model, and the retail centre details where you purchased the vehicle along with the date.
If you require further support with raising your complaint, please contact us for assistance. If you would like the assistance of a third party, such as a family member or friend to help you raise your complaint with us, please provide their details to us with your authority in writing for data protection purposes.
You can find the full FCA policy statement explaining the reason for the review and the pause to us responding to a complaint relating to a discretionary commission model here.
