Motor Ombudsman’s online Knowledge Base records one million views

The Motor Ombudsman’s Knowledge Base online resource has achieved one million views since launching in January 2019.

Knowledge Base is designed to make it ‘quicker’ and ‘easier’ for motorists to resolve their query or complaint in relation to buying and owning a car prior to submitting a dispute to the Motor Ombudsman.

The reference tool has grown in popularity during the past 36 months, according to the Motor Ombudsman, consistently breaking records in terms of the number of people accessing its Q&As.

The most popular subjects in the last three years relate to the return of a vehicle within 14 days of purchase, whether a consumer is entitled to a refund for a deposit paid to secure the purchase of a vehicle and understanding the Consumer Rights Act and how it affects the car buying process.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of the Motor Ombudsman, said: “We are delighted to start 2022 by celebrating such a key milestone for our online Knowledge Base.

“It is encouraging to see first-hand how valuable this resource has proved for consumers during the past three years, and how it has become a ‘go-to destination’ for motoring-related information.”

Topics have been chosen in response to common queries received by the organisation’s dispute resolution team.

Automotive Management (AM) Live served up a packed agenda of seminars and presentations in three theatres focussing on key aspects of the car retail business.

Among the most recent consumer legislation changes reported by AM are new terms on buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) finance products introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which have resulted in late payment fees being refunded to customers.

Fennell added: “In order to maintain the relevance of the Knowledge Base, we will continue to introduce new categories in line with the most frequent concerns raised by consumers.

“This will allow us to help even more motorists with their queries prior to submitting a dispute to the Motor Ombudsman.”

In addition to the listed articles, around 90,000 consumers have used the dedicated search bar throughout the last three years to find answers on a specific subject.

Aside from the words ‘warranty’, ‘recall’ and ‘service’ emerging as some of the most frequently entered search terms, queries have also been raised by consumers on an array of issues.

These have included what action can be taken following a vehicle repossession, what to do when being charged a vehicle storage fee by a business, and how to resolve the seating in a new car being uncomfortable.

Knowledge Base features 10 categories encompassing more than 180 question and answer-style articles. The topics covered range from the Motor Ombudsman’s four Motor Industry Codes of Practice and dispute resolution to car ownership, distance sales, and electric vehicles (EVs).