Author: Aimee Turner
A judge has given permission for around 15,000 Scottish drivers to pursue a US-style class motion compensation claim against AM100 dealership group Arnold Clark over a dark web data breach in 2023. Lord Sandison has allowed 1000’s of consumers to bring group proceedings on the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest civil court, after hearing evidence earlier this 12 months over how the Scottish automotive dealership had did not protect customers’ personal information. Court backs Scottish claims route In the newest case, a person called Robert Adamson applied to the Court of Session to boost the motion for himself and the opposite drivers…
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned a series of misleading adverts from claims management company Conclusive Financial Ltd, which trades as PCP Refunds over concerns it misrepresented motor finance compensation and used unauthorised endorsements. The regulator said the adverts featured edited and clips of consumer champion Martin Lewis and used the FCA logo without permission, creating the impression of official backing. Conclusive was required to remove the adverts and update or take down its website until it complied with FCA rules. The firm has since removed the banned material. Misleading finance adverts banned The FCA also raised concerns about its…
Yorkshire-focused AM100 dealer group DM Keith has acquired Europa Sheffield, strengthening its presence in South Yorkshire and expanding its aftersales capabilities within the region. Sheffield footprint grows Following the transition, the Sheffield dealership which is situated in Suffolk Road, will retain its existing aftersales operations including Mercedes-Benz Approved Servicing while adding recent vehicle sales from Changan alongside its existing Subaru offering. The move also introduces Europa Sheffield’s specialist Mercedes-Benz servicing capability to the group’s aftersales offering in the realm for the primary time. Dougal Keith, managing director of DM Keith, said: “When the chance presented itself to accumulate Europa, I saw a incredible dealership in a powerful location…
Latest LCV registrations edged up in February but ongoing economic uncertainty, constrained supply and cautious fleet investment proceed to shape a used van market where demand is selective and costs remain under pressure, reports Ken Brown, LCV Valuations Editor, Cap HPI At 14,641 units, February 2026 latest LCV registrations increased by 165 vehicles (+1.1%) compared with February 2025. While this modest increase is welcome, the continuing weakness in latest LCV registrations largely reflects ongoing economic uncertainty, which continues to weigh heavily on business confidence. It seems that many fleet operators are deferring investment in latest vehicles unless it is completely obligatory. The…
March delivered a robust performance for the used automotive market with faster sales and easing prices helping to spice up dealer activity, in keeping with the newest Market View from Cazoo & Motors. Automotive supermarkets led the charge, increasing sales volumes by 24% month-on-month and 25% year-on-year, while franchised dealers recorded a 17% monthly uplift and a 7% annual rise. Independent retailers saw a 7% monthly increase, although sales were down 8% compared with March last 12 months. Buyer demand accelerated significantly in March, with average days to sell falling to 25, down from 30 in February and 32 in January. Franchised…
Ministers are reported to have launched a review of electrical automotive sales quotas, raising expectations that the UK could soften one in every of its flagship net zero policies as industry pressure intensifies. Based on The Times, Government officials have begun early work on a revised approach to the zero emission vehicle mandate, with discussions underway between manufacturing industry chiefs and civil servants. One senior industry source told the newspaper that extensive discussions were now going down between bosses and civil servants. One other said that carmakers had been asked for detailed production plans for future battery electric and plug in hybrid models…
Because the UK financial watchdog readies to publish the motor finance redress scheme, AM charts how a regulatory concern over commission disclosure evolved into some of the significant financial and operational risks facing automotive dealers and lenders. The story begins with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) long-standing concerns over discretionary commission arrangements, where dealers and brokers could determine customer rates of interest. The regulator banned these models from January 2021, however the foundations of today’s redress debate were already being laid. On the time, the move was positioned as a forward-looking intervention to enhance transparency and fairness in motor finance. Nonetheless,…
Motability Operations and Nissan have agreed a strategic partnership to explore how Vehicle-to-Grid technology could reduce running costs for electric vehicle drivers. Motability is the most important fleet operator within the UK, chargeable for around 800,000 cars at anyone time, including around 35,000 wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). The collaboration will concentrate on the British-built Nissan Leaf and goals to reveal how EVs can assist lower household energy bills while supporting the broader energy system. V2G targets lower running costs Vehicle-to-Grid technology allows electricity stored in an EV battery to be exported back to the grid in periods of peak demand, corresponding…
If there’s one word I hear greater than some other when talking to brokers, dealers, or funders, it’s affordability, writes Helen Thorne, spokesperson for the Leasing Broker Federation (LBF). Not electrification, not supply constraints, not even PCP resets – though, in fact, these matter. Affordability has turn into the organising principle behind how people buy, finance and use vehicles. When household budgets are under pressure and business confidence shrinks to sceptical cautiousness, customers are looking less at badges and more at monthly costs, flexibility, and predictability. The assumptions that shaped automobile buying for a decade, including brand loyalty, depreciation curves…
Vauxhall has revealed pricing and specification for the brand new Astra and Astra Sports Tourer, with the manufacturer introducing a price parity strategy. In a move the brand says is exclusive within the family automotive segment, the Astra hatchback and Astra Sports Tourer estate will probably be available at the identical on-the-road price across every trim level, meaning customers can select the larger Sports Tourer estate without paying a standard premium over the hatchback version. The Astra Sports Tourer offers as much as 1,634 litres of load capability with the rear seats folded down, compared with as much as 1,339 litres within…