Compliance & risk management
Executive View: The issue is that we're battling a rational consumer
The Government's aims for zero carbon motoring will need to do more to convince a general public which is happy to be greener if it doesn't cost them more money or time, notes AM's regular columnist Professor Jim Saker, president of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
Executive View: Lack of SAF accreditation is a deal-breaker for FLA car loans providers
Dealerships risk a halt to their car loans provision in 2025 if they've not put staff through the Specialist Automotive Finance accreditation programme, warns Lisa Watson, sales director at Close Brothers Motor Finance.
FCA's Nikhil Rathi on what car loan commission review expects to find
The Financial Conduct Authority has found "issues" in the ways that motor finance was offered or incentivised in the past and the ongoing review will determine the breadth of those issues, and what system of redress will be needed. That's according to FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi.
Executive View: The reality of 'customer first' in automotive
Mike Todd, chief executive of Volkswagen Financial Services UK, says the automotive sector needs to ensure the Consumer Duty standard remains a driving force for continual improvement as it looks to meet the changing demands of customers.
Garages seek help to deter drivers leaving with safety issues unresolved
Motor industry organisations have reacted to suggestions that dealerships and garages should be able to do more to deter motorists from driving off in a car or van that has unresolved safety-critical faults identified by vehicle technicians.
Executive View: Can dealers cope with a flood of queries on historic car loans?
Steve Salvin, chief executive of Milton Keynes-based tech firm Aiimi, discusses how motor retail companies can ready their data for an influx of Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) from consumers hoping for a payout from historic car loans.
10 Minutes With...Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman at The Motor Ombudsman
AM interviews Bill Fennell, head of The Motor Ombudsman, who discusses the heighted regulatory scrutiny, the watchdog's plan to introduce artificial intelligence to manage an ever-increasing case load and the ombudsman's role in the adoption of EV technology.
Why the Financial Ombudsman Service rulings prompt a FCA probe into discretionary commission car loans
Two recent car loan misselling cases heard by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) against Black Horse Motor Finance and Barclays Partner Finance have been mentioned by the FCA as particularly influencing its decision to dive deeper into this issue.
5 Minutes With... Alex Royall, director, Alphera Financial Services
In this latest '5 Minutes With' interview, I ask Alphera Financial Services director Alex Royall about some of the work UK motor retail is doing ahead of changing FCA regulation, including affordability checking when a consumer wants to buy a car.
News insight: car dealers' data obsession has cybercriminals circling
Car retailers have been told “there is no silver bullet” in the fight to avoid potentially devastating data-grabbing cyberattacks as high-profile AM100 businesses continue to recover from hits on their digital systems.
Fixed rate finance model makes franchised car retailers 'transparent and fair'
The future of franchised retailers’ motor finance FCA ruling on discretionary commissions has lead to greater transparency, but few dealers are reporting any noticeable variation to income as a result.