Motor Ombudsman: ADR to become compulsory for all used car dealers

10 December 2021

Alternative Dispute Resolution is to be mandated for new and used car dealers, regardless of size, according to The Motor Ombudsman.

Bill Fennell, Managing Director of The Motor Ombudsman — Bill Fennell

Chief Ombudsman Bill Fennel said that while more than 90 percent of new car dealers were signed up to a dispute resolution provider, getting smaller used car dealers to sign up was ‘very hard’.

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“The government is concerned about bodies that aren’t signed up” said Fennel, explaining that the issue of dealing with consumer complaints about used cars has been of concern for many years, adding: “We are expecting an announcement from the government in Q1 next year”.

Any ADR provider, including the SMMT-run Motor Ombudsman scheme, will provide an arbitration service in the event of a complaint without either side having to resort to lawyers.