1. Our Commitment
It is the aim of Mercury Vehicle Solutions Ltd, trading as carleasing-online.co.uk, to provide a very high standard of service to every client. It is important to us that all complaints are resolved as quickly as possible and to the complete satisfaction of our clients.
This procedure explains how we will deal with any complaints, the timescales we will follow, and what you can do if you are not satisfied with our final response. Our complaints handling procedure aligns with the FCA's Dispute Resolution rules (DISP 1.5 and DISP 1.6), the BVRLA Code of Conduct, and the Consumer Duty cross-cutting rule of consumer support.
2. How to Make a Complaint
If you have a complaint about any aspect of our service, we want to hear from you. To help us investigate and resolve your complaint as quickly as possible, please contact us using one of the methods below. Where possible, please include your customer reference, the name of the person you have been dealing with, and a clear summary of your concern.
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 0151 356 5629
- Post: Carleasing-online, Unit D1 Stanlaw Abbey Business Centre, Dover Drive, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 9BF
The contact details shown on the Financial Services Register and within this Complaints Policy are kept aligned so customers can be confident the address is correct.
3. How We Will Handle Your Complaint
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and without escalation wherever possible. The timescales below set out the maximum periods we will work to, in line with FCA DISP rules.
- Acknowledgement: We will send you a written acknowledgement within 5 business days of receiving your complaint (DISP 1.5). Where your complaint is resolved by the close of the next business day, a written acknowledgement may not be required, but we will keep our records.
- Investigation and updates: A senior, suitably experienced member of staff who has not been directly involved in the matter will investigate your complaint. We will keep you informed of the progress of our investigation in writing.
- Holding response: If we are not in a position to issue our final response within 4 weeks of receiving your complaint, we will write to you to explain why and tell you when we expect to provide our final response (DISP 1.6).
- Final response: We will issue our final response in writing within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint (DISP 1.6). The final response will summarise our findings, any remedial action we propose, and your right to refer the matter elsewhere if you are not satisfied.
4. Vulnerability and Reasonable Adjustments
If you have a disability, are in financial difficulty, or your personal circumstances mean you need our service to be delivered differently to make a complaint, please tell us and we will make reasonable adjustments. We may, for example, communicate by phone rather than in writing, provide larger-print materials, or extend timescales where appropriate. This is part of our commitment under the FCA's Consumer Duty.
5. If You Are Not Satisfied with Our Final Response
If you are not satisfied with our final response — or we have not provided one within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint — you have the right to refer the matter to one or more of the following independent bodies. These services are free of charge to customers.
BVRLA Conciliation Service
We are a member of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), Membership No. 2237. The BVRLA operates a free, impartial conciliation service for unresolved complaints relating to leasing brokers, approved by Government as a Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body. You must refer your complaint to the BVRLA within 12 months of our final response.
- Address: British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, River Lodge, Badminton Court, Church Street, Amersham, HP7 0DD
- Telephone: 01494 434747
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.bvrla.co.uk (online complaint form available)
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
If you have a regulated contract with us and are not satisfied with our final response, you may be eligible to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You must do so within six months of the date of our final response. When we send you our final response, we will also provide you with a copy of the Financial Ombudsman Service's explanatory leaflet.
- Address: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9SR
- Telephone: 0800 023 4567 (free from landlines and mobiles) or 0300 123 9123
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk
You may also be able to refer your complaint to the FOS within six years of the event you are complaining about, or within three years of the date on which you became aware (or ought reasonably to have become aware) that you had cause for complaint, whichever is later.
6. Our Internal Records and Oversight
All complaints are recorded on our Complaints Register. We undertake root-cause analysis to identify trends, themes and any systemic issues. Complaints management information is reviewed monthly by our Compliance Oversight (SMF16) function and is reported to the Board on a quarterly basis. This forms part of our wider Compliance Monitoring Plan and our Consumer Duty outcomes monitoring.
7. Questions About This Policy
If you have any questions about this Complaints Handling Policy, plea