Ever heard of the Motor Ombudsman? Trust us, if you’re ever in a dispute in the car industry, these are the ones you’ll be going to.
What is the Motor Ombudsman?
To put it simply, the Motor Ombudsman is a certified Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider who can help you when it comes to disputes that have arisen between consumers and Code-accredited businesses.
They are a fully-impartial body that focuses all their energy purely on the automotive sector. If you have a dispute between yourself and a business, that relates to a car, these are the ones that can help sort it out for you. You’ll be so glad for their help and no doubt will be thanking you’re lucky stars that they even exist.
Whether you’re buying a car or having it serviced, the Ombudsman can provide you with advice. Of course, there are some steps that you’ll need to take if you’re looking for their help with a dispute, and we’re here to guide you through those.
Who has signed up the Ombudsman?
Over 7,500 businesses have registered with this amazing service. From independent garages to major dealerships, you can always look up to see exactly which businesses, in your area, are signed up. To do this, you just need to check out their website where you can search by postcode for his.
What does it do?
The Motor Ombudsman basically works under four codes, new cars, sales, vehicle warranties, and servicing repairs. These four codes mean higher standards of work and service are required, and they also provide us as consumers with that added bit of protection. So you can have peace of mind during your new car purchase of your car service.
How to make a complaint
The Motor Ombudsman has a process for making a complaint and it’s pretty straightforward too.
Step 1: Check that the business is signed up to one of the four codes
You can do this by checking the Ombudsman’s Garage Finder. You just need to type in the business name or postcode. It’s as simple as that.
Step 2: Contact the business to let them know why you are unsatisfied
Doing this will give them a chance to resolve the issue you have. You can advise them how you would like things to be put right and then allow the business eight weeks to provide you with their final answer.
If after that point, they have provided you with their answer and you’re still not happy, take your complaint straight to the Ombudsman.
Step 3: Steer over to Knowledge Base to see if your query is there
Let’s say the business has responded to you and you’re not happy, or maybe they haven’t bothered responding to you at all, check out the Ombudsman’s Knowledge Base to see the next steps.
This is a cracking piece that has answers to the most frequently asked questions. It can be a good idea to check this before going any further to see if your complaint can be dealt with by the Ombudsman.
Step 4: Still unresolved? Complete a case creation form
You can complete a case creation form, which will provide the Ombudsman with all the information about your dispute.
Where will I find this form? You’ll find it within Knowledge Base, as well as useful information about the service as a whole.
What happens when the Ombudsman has received your case?
Fill out the form and let the Ombudsman get to work. They will review all the information to see whether your case is something that they can help you with.
It’s then out of your hands. You’ve done all that you can do, and if the Ombudsman decides that they are able to help you, they will be in touch to let you know. If they do, they may also ask if you can provide them with some evidence in support of your case too.
Who’s got the power?
Believe it or not, the Motor Ombudsman doesn’t hold any legal powers. So what can it do? This means that the best thing that it can do for you, is to provide you with free and impartial advice. What’s not to love about that?
