Who regulates the motor industry?

In unregulated sectors such as the motor industry, Codes of Practice and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) are vital mechanisms to help protect consumers and improve standards businesses operate to.

Thousands of businesses, including vehicle manufacturers, warranty product providers, franchised dealers and independent garages, are accredited to one or more of The Motor Ombudsman’s four Codes of Practice.

The accreditation of a business to The Motor Ombudsman’s Codes of Practice is entirely voluntary, which differs from a regulator, where it is mandatory for businesses to be signed up.

Businesses that voluntarily choose to adhere to a Code of Practice are visibly demonstrating their commitment to high standards of work and service to their customers, and are showing that they are willing to act both transparently and fairly.

The Motor Ombudsman is the only body that has four Codes of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), which drive even higher standards of work and service, and provide consumers with added protection, peace of mind and trust during the vehicle purchase and ownership experience.

The Motor Ombudsman is approved by the Ombudsman Association (OA), and is required to meet their standards of indepedence, impartiality and transparency. In addition, The Motor Ombudsman is certified by CTSI as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider.

It is worth noting that The Motor Ombudsman is neither a trade association or a consumer watchdog.