Motor ombudsman: what does success look like?

[Garrycotic]

A warranty is a financial product. I wouldn’t recommend using the MO if you can use the FO. I got a hefty payout from VW when it started to look as though the FO was going to find in my favour.

FO? Who/what is this please?

 

[Up10]

A warranty is a financial product. I wouldn’t recommend using the MO if you can use the FO. I got a hefty payout from VW when it started to look as though the FO was going to find in my favour.

That's interest. Would you care to expand on the type of issue you got resolved and how you went about the process?
Completely understand if you don't feel like it's appropriate.

 

[LemonDrop]

FO? Who/what is this please?

Its the Financial Ombudsman.

 

[LemonDrop]

That's interest. Would you care to expand on the type of issue you got resolved and how you went about the process?
Completely understand if you don't feel like it's appropriate.

In a nutshell: I took a minor issue with the All-In warranty to the FO. VW were claiming that the FO didn't cover ANY issues with the all-in warranty as it wasn't actually a warranty at all. Yes you read that right. When it looked as if the FO was going to rule that is IS an actual warranty and therefore they could look at my case, VW paid me 'compensation' which was too much to turn down. I suspect because they did not want to set a precedent.

 

[stoobthealien]

FOS (or the financial ombudsman) have a lot of teeth and from the perspective of someone who works in financial services they are generally pretty feared (and any time you go to them the firm you complain about has to pay for their fees!) - quite often a financial firm will try to resolve a complaint you have first as they don't want to have to hand you off to FOS who more often than not find in the customer's favour. So if you've bought a vehicle on finance or if the warranty is administered by VW financial services then I'd suggest that route - you need VWFS to give you a final deadlock letter before you're allowed to go there in order to show they aren't willing to go any further.

 

[Garrycotic]

Its the Financial Ombudsman.

Thank you. Subsequent post clarifies the follow up question I had. Many thanks both, wouldn't have helped in my case, but useful to know