The Renault Master, a popular choice for commercial vehicles, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. Many customers who financed their Renault Masters through these agreements may have been impacted by a widespread issue involving
discretionary commission arrangements, which can affect thousands of agreements and result in significant overcharges.
## How the Renault Master Was Typically Financed
Renault Master vans were often financed using Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Hire Purchase (HP) finance schemes. Under PCP agreements, customers would typically pay monthly instalments ranging from £20,000 to £45,000 over a term of 36 to 60 months. At the end of this period, there was often a balloon payment due, which represented the residual value of the vehicle if the customer wished to own it outright.
Common lenders for Renault Master finance agreements included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. These lenders played a crucial role in facilitating these financing options for customers seeking commercial vehicles like the Renault Master.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation uncovered that many motor finance arrangements during the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024 involved discretionary commission payments. Dealers and lenders were incentivised through these arrangements, leading to potential overcharging of customers who financed their vehicles. The investigation found that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across various makes and models had been affected by this issue, resulting in an estimated total loss of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) for consumers, with the average customer losing around £829 (FCA estimate).
The core issue lies in how discretionary commissions were structured and paid out to dealers during the financing process. These arrangements often led to inflated finance agreements, causing customers to pay more than necessary.
## How to Information about agreements covered by the FCA scheme is affected by these issues, there are several key things you should look for in your contract documents:
-
Relevant Dates: Ensure that the start date of your finance agreement falls within the FCA investigation period (6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024).
-
DCA Reference: Look for references to "Discretionary Commission Arrangements" or similar terms in your documentation. If you see any mention of DCA, it is likely that your agreement was impacted.
-
Finance Details: Review the finance details provided by your lender and compare them with typical PCP or HP agreements for Renault Master vans during this period.
If you find these indicators, it may be worthwhile to seek further advice on how to proceed.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
Many customers are unaware that they can address any concerns directly with their finance provider without needing to involve a
claims management company. Common lenders for Renault Master vehicles include Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. These companies have customer service departments dedicated to handling complaints.
Here’s how you can complain:
1.
Gather Documentation: Collect all relevant documents related to your finance agreement.
2.
Contact Your Lender: Reach out to the lender directly via phone or email. Explain that you believe there may be an issue with discretionary commission arrangements and request a review of your case.
3.
Follow Up: If you do not receive a response within a reasonable timeframe, follow up politely but persistently until you get a resolution.
You do not need a claims management company to handle this process. Complaining directly to your lender is free and often more straightforward than involving third parties.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimate: 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026), £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) total loss, FCA-estimated scheme average of £829 per eligible agreement.
- ONS Census Data for relevant dates and statistics related to vehicle financing in the UK.
Based on 67,155 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Renault Master has a pass rate of 72.5%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Master has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Master pass rate is in line with the overall Renault average of 74.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 127,911 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 72.5%
- MOT failure rate: 27.5%
- Tests analysed: 67,155 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 127,911 miles
- Renault average pass rate: 74.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.