Helpline recovers losses for car owners and protects businesses
In-house service manned by RAC-trained, IMI-qualified, independent customer service experts.
Free conciliation service to secure £350,000, this year, in money-back for car owners.
Motor Codes subscribers protected from an £800,000 bill for unsubstantiated claims.
Motor Codes, the Trading Standards Institute-approved garage scheme, has released half-yearly results from its advice line service. Figures show an exceptionally low level of consumer detriment amongst new car buyers and car servicing customers of Motor Codes subscribers.
From a combined total of 424 FastTrack and standard conciliation cases (the free mediation services offered by Motor Codes), in the first half of 2013, £174,000 was secured in pay-outs for car owners. This suggests just a £350,000 consumer detriment, within its network, for the year. Compared with a £20 million business referral figure – work gained by Motor Codes subscribers through its website – this implies an extremely high level of customer service. The total number of calls taken by the advice line in the first six months of 2013 was 6,753.
Motor Codes was founded off the back of a government claim that the car service and repair industry was ripping people off to the tune of £4 billion every year – a claim consistently refuted by Motor Codes advice line manager, Holly McAllister:
“The volume of calls now coming through our advice line service, balanced with the comparatively low number of refunds that we have to secure for people, sends a strong message: that you’re likely to have a safe, stress-free garage experience if you choose a Motor Codes garage.
“There are more than 7,600 committed Motor Codes subscribers across the UK and what we can confidently say is that you remove the risk of a rip-off, if you do business within this network. Our advice service provides the extra reassurance that people need.”
As well as money recovered for the public, the Motor Codes figures show another side of the story. That of a significant business benefit for its subscribers. So far this year, false claims worth £390,000 have been rejected by Motor Codes, providing significant financial protection for garages already feeling the pinch in a tough and competitive climate.
Substantiating its figures, Motor Codes reports the activity of its advice line to Trading Standards Institute, as part of the requirements of the network’s approval status. Demonstrating the confidence that the regulators have in the service, the advice line is a formal partner of Citizens Advice, taking calls relating to new car warranties on a referral basis.
“What the figures show”, Holly adds, “is that now, more confidently than ever, we can tell people that if a garage doesn’t show a Trading Standards Institute-approved logo, don’t risk using it.”
The advice line is 020 7344 1651.
