New ombudsman to cover car-related complaints

The Consumer Ombudsman is a new free service that will help anyone with a complaint about any product or service, including used cars, car repairs and car servicing.

Until now there has been no ombudsman to help with car-related complaints.

The service is voluntary, so not all companies are signed up to the scheme, but if the company you are complaining about isn’t a member, the ombudsman will still contact them to see if they can come up with a resolution. If they can’t, the service will continue to offer advice.

If the company is signed up with the ombudsman, its decisions are legally binding.

To contact the Consumer Ombudsman click here to go to their online contact form.

The procedure for processing the complaint is for the complainant to approach the company first, having gathered evidence of the problem service or product. The company then needs to be given time to come up with a solution to the problem.

If the solution is unsatisfactory, that’s when you get in touch with the ombudsman, who will then contact the company directly and try to come up with a resolution.

Should the company refuse to work with the ombudsman, you’ll get further advice about what steps to take next.

The new service is free to consumers and is an extra tool for car buyers and owners.