The Motor Ombudsman

Who is The Motor Ombudsman accountable to?

The Motor Ombudsman is accountable to the following:

• The Motor Ombudsman’s Board of Directors, which includes Non-Executive Directors from outside of the automotive industry.
• The Independent Compliance Assessment Panel (ICAP), which is made up of members from within and outside the automotive sector;
• The Ombudsman Association (OA).
• The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) as the ADR certification body appointed by government.
• The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)’s Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS).

How does The Motor Ombudsman remain independent and impartial?

The Motor Ombudsman operates as an independent entity, and all decisions made by Motor Ombudsman adjudicators and ombudsmen are impartial at all times.

The Motor Ombudsman remains impartial by:

• Having a balanced Board of Directors, which includes Non-Executive Directors from outside of the automotive industry.
• Having its processes and case outcomes reviewed three times a year by the Independent Compliance Assessment Panel (ICAP), where the majority of Panel members are from non-automotive backgrounds.
• Meeting the standards set by the Ombudsman Association’s membership criteria, namely Independence; Fairness; Effectiveness; Openness and transparency; and Accountability. In addition, The Motor Ombudsman adheres to the OA’s Service Standards Framework, a ‘roadmap’ used to embed good operational practice across the organisation.
• Being a certified provider of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), where The Motor Ombudsman is audited every year by the Chartered Trading Standards institute (CTSI), the organisation that oversees ADR providers for non-regulated sectors in the UK, e.g. the car industry.
• Having each of its Codes of Practice audited annually by CTSI to ensure that they remain compliant with the stringent requirements of the Consumer Code Approval Scheme (CCAS).

In addition, The Motor Ombudsman:

• Reviews evidence and the facts of a dispute presented by consumers and businesses in equal measure, meaning there is never any element of bias or one party being favoured over another.
• Is fully transparent as to how impartial decisions are reached through the publishing of anonymised case studies on this website and within The Motor Ombudsman’s Annual Compliance Reports.
• Is not influenced in any capacity by the payment of annual accreditation fees by businesses.

Why aren’t all garages, dealerships, vehicle manufacturers and warranty providers in the UK accredited to The Motor Ombudsman?

Under the 2015 Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations, it is voluntary, rather than mandatory, for businesses to be accredited to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, such as The Motor Ombudsman. However, businesses are still required to signpost a consumer to an ADR body in the event of an unresolved dispute, but they do not have to use or sign up to that scheme. They just need to inform the consumer of their intention.

Businesses that voluntarily choose to adhere to a Code of Practice are visibly demonstrating their commitment to high standards of work and service to their customers, and are showing that they are willing to act both transparently and fairly.

In addition, some businesses may not be accredited to The Motor Ombudsman, as they may not meet the stringent standards to be a part of one or more of The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes. Every business that becomes accredited to a Code of Practice is required to meet pre-assessment criteria.

How many businesses are accredited to The Motor Ombudsman?

Over 7,500 UK businesses are accredited to The Motor Ombudsman. These are across our four Motor Industry Codes of Practice. You can read more about the types of business that are signed up to our Codes here.

Where are Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses listed?

All existing Motor Ombudsman-accredited businesses are listed on this website as follows:

• Independent garages, bodyshops, repairers and franchise car dealerships accredited to the Service and Repair and / or the Vehicle Sales Codes are listed on The Motor Ombudsman’s Garage Finder.

• Vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) accredited to the New Car Code can be found here.

• Vehicle warranty providers accredited to the Vehicle Warranty Products Code can be found here.

What types of businesses can be accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice?

There are currently four main types of businesses that are accredited to The Motor Ombudsman’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved Codes of Practice.

They are:

• Independent garages (Service and Repair Code / Vehicle Sales Code);

• Franchise car dealerships (Service and Repair Code / Vehicle Sales Code);

• Vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) (New Car Code); and

• Vehicle warranty providers i.e. for extended warranties (Vehicle Warranty Products Code).

The Motor Ombudsman’s four Codes of Practice evolved from those used by its predecessor Motor Codes, and are as follows:

• First launched in 1976, and endorsed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in 2004, the New Car Code ensures that vehicle manufacturers supply new cars and warranties to consumers responsibly.

• The Service and Repair Code, introduced in 2008, ensures that consumers receive an honest and fair service when visiting an accredited business’ premises for work or repairs on their vehicle.

• The Vehicle Warranty Products Code, which aims to aims to provide guidelines for the supply of automotive warranties, including coverage of both insured and non-insured Products, was unveiled in 2009.

• The Vehicle Sales Code was launched in 2016, and became the first Code of Practice of its kind to cover the sale of both new and used cars.

What are Codes of Practice?

In unregulated sectors such as the motor industry, Codes of Practice and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) are vital mechanisms to help protect consumers and improve standards businesses operate to.

Codes of Practice are a set of comprehensive guidelines or clauses, which businesses commit to abide by. They range from the use of clear and accurate advertising, to not carrying work on a customer’s vehicle that has not been agreed.

Thousands of businesses, including vehicle manufacturers, warranty product providers, franchised dealers and independent garages, are accredited to one or more of The Motor Ombudsman’s four Codes of Practice. The accreditation of a business to The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice is entirely voluntary, which differs from a regulator, where it is mandatory for businesses to be signed up. Businesses that voluntarily choose to adhere to a Code of Practice are visibly demonstrating their commitment to high standards of work and service to their customers.

The Motor Ombudsman is the only body that has four Codes of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), which drive even higher standards of work and service, and provide consumers with added protection, peace of mind and trust during the vehicle purchase and ownership experience.

When looking at a dispute brought to The Motor Ombudsman, an adjudicator or ombudsman will refer to the Codes to see if there has been a breach of one or more of these clauses, alongside relevant consumer legislation. This is so as to determine the appropriate outcome, and award where applicable.

How do private sector and public sector Ombudsmen differ?

Private and public sector Ombudsmen can be defined as follows:

1. Public sector Ombudsmen are tasked with resolving consumer complaints outside of the court system about a government department, local council or organisation that provides local services. Examples include the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), and the Housing Ombudsman.

2. Private sector Ombudsmen are tasked with resolving consumer complaints outside of the court system that relate to a commercial business that is accredited to an Ombudsan scheme. Examples include The Motor Ombudsman or the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Who regulates the motor industry?

In unregulated sectors such as the motor industry, Codes of Practice and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) are vital mechanisms to help protect consumers and improve standards businesses operate to.

Thousands of businesses, including vehicle manufacturers, warranty product providers, franchised dealers and independent garages, are accredited to one or more of The Motor Ombudsman’s four Codes of Practice.

The accreditation of a business to The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice is entirely voluntary, which differs from a regulator, where it is mandatory for businesses to be signed up.

Businesses that voluntarily choose to adhere to a Code of Practice are visibly demonstrating their commitment to high standards of work and service to their customers, and are showing that they are willing to act both transparently and fairly.

The Motor Ombudsman is the only body that has four Codes of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), which drive even higher standards of work and service, and provide consumers with added protection, peace of mind and trust during the vehicle purchase and ownership experience.

The Motor Ombudsman is approved by the Ombudsman Association (OA), and is required to meet their standards of indepedence, impartiality and transparency. In addition, The Motor Ombudsman is certified by CTSI as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider.

It is worth noting that The Motor Ombudsman is neither a trade association or a consumer watchdog.