Claim-Smart Limited
If you bought a Volkswagen Group car on PCP finance for personal use between 2007 and 2024 from a car dealer, you could be eligible for compensation.
If your PCP was arranged through Volkswagen Financial Services, Audi Finance, SEAT Finance or Škoda Financial Services between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, you may be able to complain about commission that wasn't properly explained to you.
You can complain to Volkswagen Financial Services yourself for free, or Claim-Smart can help you find your agreements and manage the complaint for you.
How To Claim Mis-sold PCP Finance
STEP 1
Use our online check tool to see if you’re eligible to make a claim against your lender.
STEP 2
If it looks like you may have a valid PCP claim, we will submit one on your behalf.
STEP 3
Wait for the outcome with payments due to start in 2026
STEP 4
If your claim or complaint is accepted, you’ll get the compensation you deserve.
How do I know if I have a PCP car finance claim with VW?
If you purchased an VW using car finance between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, you may be eligible for compensation.
Like most VW drivers, they purchased their polo, golf, T-Roc or Tiguan in a showroom or through a dealership, but very innocently didn’t realise that the broker was adding an undisclosed commission.
Following a ruling by the FCA, it was deemed that these hidden and discretionary bonuses were unlawful and now customers may be eligible for compensation on average of £829, although some may be higher or lower than this.
You would be eligible for compensation if:
-
The VW was purchased between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024
-
The Audi was purchased using PCP or HP finance
-
The vehicle was used for personal use, not for business purposes
-
First hand, second hand or used is fine
-
The car was paid off in full or not
You may want to investigate further if:
-
The agreement was arranged through a dealership.
-
The car finance agreement started between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
-
You were not clearly told how the commission structure worked.
-
You accepted the finance without comparing multiple lenders.
Claim-Smart is a firm of financial mis-selling specialists - and we are helping clients with potential compensation claims against Volkswagen Financial Services and other providers.
We are here to help process your claim in the best way possible so that it is approved and you can receive the compensation you are owed. We do not require you to have any previous documents or proof of ownership, since we can help locate this for you.
What car brands fall under Volkswagen Financial Services?
-
Volkswagen
-
Porsche
-
Bentley
-
Lamborghini
-
SEAT
-
CUPRA
-
Škoda
Can I make a claim against Volkswagen Financial Services?
Yes, you can certainly check your eligibility for a PCP claim against Volkswagen Financial Services - and it is free to do so.
The FCA states that there are 12.1 million motor finance agreements that may be eligible for redress and the average compensation could be around £829 per vehicle.
Whilst buying an Audi using Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) is one of the most popular methods, many customers paid commissions without their knowledge.
Currently the FCA have given motorists until the 31st August 2027 as a deadline to submit a complaint against all car finance providers that could be liable (but this date may be amended in the future).
If you have not made an application yet, our team at Claim-Smart will be delighted to assist you every step of the way.
Is my Audi, SEAT or Škoda PCP with Volkswagen Financial Services?
It's likely, because Volkswagen Financial Services provides finance for Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, CUPRA, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
So a PCP on a Golf, an Audi A3, a SEAT Leon or a CUPRA Formentor could all lead back to the same lender, even though the paperwork may only show the car brand's name.
If you're not sure, your credit report or old bank statements should show which company took your monthly PCP payments.
There's one exception. VWFS says Porsche agreements taken out before 1 July 2010 were financed by Black Horse, so those complaints go to Black Horse instead, and our Black Horse finance claims page covers them.
If you drove an Audi, our Audi PCP claims page covers that brand in more detail.
Our list of lenders you can make a car finance claim against may help if you're still unsure who your lender was.
Could the dealer have earned hidden commission on my Volkswagen PCP?
Possibly, car dealers were often paid commission by the lender for arranging PCP finance, and the question is whether that was properly explained to you.
Having had a Volkswagen Finance PCP doesn't automatically mean it was mis-sold, as each agreement is looked at individually.
When you bought the car, the salesperson usually acted as a credit broker, which means they arranged the finance between you and VWFS rather than lending the money themselves.
Under a discretionary commission arrangement, or DCA, the dealer could also set your interest rate within a range, and a higher rate earned them more commission.
So, what that means in reality is that two people buying the same T-Roc on PCP in the same week could have been offered different rates, depending on what the salesperson chose.
Neither would necessarily have known why, or that the other person was paying a different price from them.
Our guide on how to tell if your car finance was mis-sold explains some of the other situations that might qualify for compensation too.
How do I make a PCP claim car finance against Volkswagen?
You can make a Volkswagen Finance PCP claim by filling in the motor finance commission complaint form on the VWFS website. It's free, and you don't need a claims management company to help.
If your paperwork said Audi Finance, SEAT Finance or Škoda Financial Services, mention that too. Explain that you think commission may not have been properly explained to you and ask VWFS to review the agreement under the FCA's scheme.
Lost your documents? That's pretty common, and you can still make a PCP claim without paperwork.
People who come to Claim-Smart have often had several VW Group cars over the years and want every agreement checked, or would rather not deal with the process themselves.
Why is Volkswagen Finance challenging the FCA's compensation scheme?
Volkswagen Financial Services says it supports compensation for customers who lost out, but has challenged how the FCA's scheme decides whether there was unfairness and how compensation is worked out.
VWFS is one of four parties to bring a challenge, along with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Crédit Agricole Auto Finance and the consumer group Consumer Voice.
On 1 July 2026, the Upper Tribunal suspended the parts of the scheme that make lenders calculate or pay compensation. The case will be heard in February 2027 where a final verdict will hopefully be reached.
That pause applies to every lender, not only VWFS, and the FCA doesn't expect payments to start until 2027 at the earliest. Our guide to the partial suspension of the FCA scheme explains what this means for you.
If your agreement qualifies, the FCA currently estimates an average payment of around £829 per agreement, though this could change after the court case. Our guide on how PCP claims are calculated explains what affects the amount.
However, it’s still worth noting that VWFS is still reviewing complaints while the case goes on, and has started writing to some customers to say they aren't owed compensation.
If VWFS hasn't contacted you, the current deadline to complain is 31 August 2027.
Principal reason for making a claim from a lender
One of the main reasons you may be entitled to redress is that the lender did not fully disclose to you the details of the commission they were paying the person who sold you the car, or the dealer/broker who introduced you to the lender.
You were not informed that you could have saved a lot of money by taking out the loan if you simply went directly to the lender
Other reasons you may have a claim against a lender:
You felt pressured at the time into buying a product or committing to a service
The bank, broker or lender failed to advise you of the financial risks
You were promised something that was not delivered
The bank, broker or lender did not fully disclose details of all applicable charges
What can you do if you were a buyer and potentially affected:
Claim-Smart will act on your behalf to determine if you are owed any compensation.
If we represent your claim for you and you receive compensation, we will charge you
a fee in accordance with our Terms & Conditions. This will never exceed 36%
(inclusive of VAT). If you cancel your agreement with us after the 14 day cooling off
period, we will charge you our reasonable costs for any work carried out on your
behalf. Please see our T&Cs for more information.
However, it is important to note that you do not need to use us or anyone else, to make your
claim or complaint to your lender. You can do this yourself for free. If your claim or complaint is
not successful on the first instance you can refer it to the Finance Ombudsman Service
yourself, again for free.
*We work on a 'No Win, No Fee' basis which means you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds. A fee of 18–36% (including VAT) applies only on successful claims, and a cancellation fee may apply after the 14 day cooling off period.
However, if you choose to make a claim you should be aware that the FCA is currently consulting on a redress scheme, so lenders do not have to make any payment until after the FCA has completed this process. This is currently scheduled to be completed in early 2026 and the complaint handling pause ends 31 May 2026 so we believe payments, if any, from lenders will not start until several weeks after that date.
The FCA periodically issue important statements on vehicle finance mis-selling and discretionary commission arrangements.
For the most current information on regulations and timelines please refer to this link.
How can Claim Smart help you with your claim against Volkswagen Financial Services?
Why Use Us?
No-Win
No-Fee*
You do not need to pay anything upfront to check whether your agreement could qualify for compensation.
We only get paid if your claim is successful.
Fee %
£1 – £1,499( 30%)
£1,500 – £9,999 (28%)
£10,000 – £24,999 (25%)
£25,000 – £49,999 (20%)
£50,000 or above (15%)
Specialists In Car Finance Agreements
Our team understands how dealership-led finance agreements were structured and what to look for when working out if compensation is owed.
Help Recovering Missing Information
Many consumers no longer know their agreement number or lender details. We can help explain what information may still be useful to help you raise your complaint.
No Legal Jargon
We keep things simple, so you understand what happens at every stage.
Support Throughout The Process
From your first enquiry through to updates on your complaint, our team is on hand to guide you every step of the way.
At Claim-Smart Limited we combine innovation with experience to deliver results that matter. Please click on the “Make Your Claim” link and let us guide you towards a successful resolution for your mis-sold PCP finance agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Read the letter carefully, because it will explain why and whether you can accept the decision, object to it, opt out of the scheme or go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Accepting usually ends that complaint, so check any deadline first. Our guide on what to do if your car finance claim is rejected explains each option.
VWFS says it will tell customers who aren't owed compensation by 18 November 2026 if the PCP began on or after 1 April 2014 and they complained by 30 June 2026.
For PCPs that began before 1 April 2014, where the complaint was made by 31 August 2026, the date is 18 January 2027. Customers who may be owed compensation won't hear about it until the legal case is over.
VWFS says its emails come from commissionsqueries@vwfs.co.uk, show as VWFSGB Commissions Queries and carry a password-protected PDF. If you're unsure, check the contact details on the FCA's list of lenders before replying.
No, the FCA has warned that volkswagenpcpclaims.co.uk and audipcpclaims.com use VW's trademarked names without permission and aren't FCA-authorised.
Claim-Smart is authorised by the FCA under reference number 935960, which you can check on the Financial Services Register.
VWFS says Porsche finance before 1 July 2010 was provided by Black Horse, so your complaint should go to Black Horse rather than VWFS.
Yes, VWFS reviews each PCP agreement separately and sends a separate letter for each.
Our guide on claiming for more than one vehicle explains how this works.
oing as normal. That includes the final balloon payment if you decide to keep the car.
Probably not, because vehicles used for business purposes aren't covered by the FCA's scheme.
There's no need, as VWFS says it is reviewing every agreement and will contact you with any update.
It's worth getting in touch if your contact details have changed, and our guide on how to check the status of your PCP claim explains when else it might help.
You to make your claim or complaint for free without using a Claims Management Company. If your claim or complaint is not successful on the first instance you can refer it to the Finance Ombudsman Service yourself, again for free.
Claim-Smart Limited, Company Registered in England Number: 12824729
Registered Office: Claim-Smart Limited 91, Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0EF
We are a claims management company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that registration is recorded on the Financial Services Register under FRN: 935960
Registered with the Information Commissioners Office under reference number: ZB696380
Our VAT number and insurance details are available upon request.
We aim to be inclusive and offer an accessible service Please contact us if you require this information in another format. If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email info@claim-smart.co.uk Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Phone: 020 3307 5218
Opening Hours: Mon-Friday 9AM-6PM (applications can be made anytime)