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East Dunbartonshire, a Scottish council area with a population of 108,900 (ONS Census 2021), has seen an estimated 10,291 drivers potentially affected by motor finance mis-selling issues between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 (calculated using ONS Census 2021 population data and FCA estimates).
How Motor Finance Mis-Selling Affected East Dunbartonshire
Motor finance agreements, including
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP), were widely sold by local dealerships in East Dunbartonshire. Dealers such as Arnold Clark East Dunbartonshire, Peter Vardy East Dunbartonshire, Eastern Western Motor Group East Dunbartonshire, and Macklin Motors East Dunbartonshire have been active in the area. These dealerships offered a range of finance options to residents who were looking for car financing solutions.
Major lenders operating in East Dunbartonshire during this period included
Black Horse (Lloyds Banking Group),
MotoNovo Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
Santander Consumer Finance, Barclays Partner Finance, and
[Alphera](https://mlj.org.uk/lenders/alphera-financial-services) Financial Services (BMW). These lenders provided finance agreements to customers through local dealerships, often with
[discretionary commission](https://mlj.org.uk/glossary/discretionary-commission-arrangement) arrangements that may have influenced the type of financing offered.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into motor finance agreements following concerns about discretionary commission arrangements used by many lenders. Discretionary commissions are payments made to dealers for recommending specific finance products over others, which could potentially lead to customers being sold more expensive or less suitable finance options.
According to the FCA’s findings, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across the UK (FCA estimate), involving a total of £7.5 billion in mis-sold finance arrangements (£829 average per eligible agreement per agreement) (FCA estimate). This investigation covered the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, impacting thousands of drivers like those in East Dunbartonshire.
How East Dunbartonshire Residents Can Check Their Finance Agreements
East Dunbartonshire residents who suspect they may have been mis-sold a motor finance agreement should review their documentation carefully. Key dates to consider are from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, as this is when the FCA identified issues with discretionary commission arrangements.
Documents to gather include:
- Finance agreement documents
- Receipts and invoices from the dealership
- Any correspondence with the lender regarding the finance agreement
Residents should look for signs that their finance plan was more expensive than necessary or that a different arrangement might have been more suitable. If any discrepancies are found, they can take steps to address them directly.
East Dunbartonshire residents do not need to use claims management companies to complain about motor finance mis-selling. Instead, they can contact their lender directly and request a review of the agreement at no cost. Major lenders such as Black Horse, MotoNovo Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, Santander Consumer Finance, Barclays Partner Finance, and Alphera Financial Services should be contacted through official channels.
"You can complain directly to your lender for free" and "You do not need a
claims management company." If the initial complaint does not resolve the issue, residents can escalate their case to the
Financial Ombudsman Service (
FOS), which provides an independent review of financial disputes at no cost.
Sources and References
- Office for National Statistics Census 2021
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
Car Finance Compensation in Your Area
The FCA confirmed that 12.1 million motor finance agreements across the UK qualify for compensation. The FCA-estimated scheme average of £829 per eligible agreement per agreement, totalling £7.5 billion in redress. If you took out PCP or HP car finance between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, your agreement may be eligible regardless of where you live in the UK.
The final deadline to complain is 31 August 2027. You can complain to your lender directly for free. You do not need a claims management company.