Our Customer Protect warranties are now approved by the Motor Industry Code of Practice (‘The Code’).
It is an important development for us and our dealers that very publicly demonstrates the integrity and commitment of our warranty products to deliver good customer outcomes. The Code has Trading Standards endorsement, which is clear to all customers from the logo below. This further supports the value of our new standing.
You will begin to see this logo introduced to both AutoProtect and personalised warranty point of sale materials going forward.
While we have worked to the Code standards since 2009, attaining this new approved status is an important step, especially in light of the increased regulatory focus through the FCA and the launch of the Consumer Rights Act, in October last year. We can now offer our dealers a new level of credibility and I urge you to ensure that all of your dealers are aware of this very positive development.
The Code in Action
AutoProtect and our dealers are required to comply with The Code’s Code of Conduct, which largely reflects FCA requirements, but please note, The Code is secondary to the FCA and at all times, your dealers and the regulated products they provide must ensure compliance with the FCA’s required standards.
The Key Code of Conduct Points that dealers should be aware of are:
- Advertising – advertising must honestly promote our products.
- Point of Sale Obligations – consumers must be provided with appropriate advice and information regarding our products, according to their needs and to ensure that every consumer should understand the product being purchased.
- Clarity of Information – product literature will be written in plain English, clearly setting out any servicing/maintenance requirements. Please note our own branded materials already adhere to this standard, but any copy provided by dealers must also comply with this standard.
- Claims Handling – requires our procedures to be fair and ensure the customer’s claim is handled promptly.
These are already part and parcel of FCA requirements but it can never hurt to reiterate their importance.
In addition, there are required complaints management and dispute resolution steps that we will manage as required.