Car warranty provider and maintenance and ownership service MotorEasy has been accredited by The Motor Ombudsman to its Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved vehicle warranty products motor industry code of practice.

It means MotorEasy has become one of 12 businesses to gain accreditation to the CTSI-approved code.

MotorEasy’s founder Duncan McClure Fisher said: “Our decision to apply for accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman was driven by our recognition of its unrivalled automotive sector-specific experience and expertise. By being a part of The Motor Ombudsman, this gives our customers the added peace of mind that we are following recognised best practice guidelines in the provision of our products and services. In addition, motorists also have the reassurance that they have an impartial organisation to refer to in the unlikely event that we are unable to resolve a dispute through our internal complaints procedure. More importantly, this will be at no charge to them.”

The motor industry code of practice for vehicle warranty products was launched in 2009 to drive up standards beyond those required by law for the provision and term of automotive warranties.

This includes service contracts (guarantees and extended warranties), guaranteed asset protection (GAP), roadside assistance and return to invoice (RTI) insurance, amongst other insured and non-insured products.

The code details a series of commitments that all businesses agree to adhere to as part of their accreditation. These are namely, accurate and clear advertising and consumer communications, the provision of advice and information in-line with the customer’s needs, the writing of product literature in plain English, compliance with all regulatory requirements laid down by the Financial Conduct Authority, and the supply of additional consumer protection above and beyond the business’ legal obligations.

The Motor Ombudsman’s managing director and chief ombudsman Bill Fennell said: “By expanding the number of warranty providers within our Code portfolio that meet our strict accreditation criteria allows us to offer even greater coverage in this sector of the market where millions of consumers purchase an extended vehicle warranty or insurance product every year. We look forward to working closely with MotorEasy, and to continue growing our base of accredited businesses as we go through 2017.”