Car Dealer Recommends: Real world testing launched for motor trade products

Car Dealer Magazine has launched a rigorous real world test of motoring products and services to give dealers an insight into the very best.

As the only motor trader publication able to test products in a live environment at its own used car dealership, the Car Dealer Recommends programme aims to give independent advice on what’s hot and what’s not.

Products and services will be subjected to live testing for a period of a year with reviews taking place a minimum of three months after they went live at the Clever Car Collection dealership.

Tests rank the products in eight categories to give them an overall score out of 100 – only those that achieve more than 90% get a coveted Car Dealer Recommends badge of honour.

Editor-in-chief James Baggott said: ‘When we launched the Clever Car Collection we planned to showcase how AI can help across a dealership but we quickly found that we were also getting unique insight into the suppliers to the motor trade too.

‘We’ve been using a huge variety of them across the business and have first hand insight into what works for a dealership of our size and why other dealers might love them too.

‘We’ve decided to launch these detailed reviews to give other dealers a guide to great products.’

The first product to be subjected to our testing is dealer management software system DealerKit. The software is the first to achieve Car Dealer Recommends status scoring an impressive 97/100. 

You can read the full test of the software here.

The Car Dealer Recommends test ranks products in the following categories: 

  • Concept & Innovation
  • Ease of Use & Integration
  • Performance & Results
  • Pros & Cons
  • Marketing & Presentation
  • Support & Training
  • Value for Money
  • Would We Recommend It?

Baggott added: ‘I’m delighted to see DealerKit win the first Car Dealer Recommends badge of honour. It’s a superb product and one that really has helped change our used car dealership for the better.

‘I’m very much looking forward to testing more great products and giving dealers our opinion on them. I love sharing things that have helped make our business better.’

Any motor trade suppliers that wish to take part in this testing programme can submit a request to the Car Dealer team via sales@blackballmedia.co.uk.

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Car Dealer Recommends: Dealer Management System DealerKit tested and rated – does it get our seal of approval?

Car Dealer Recommends is a new, independent test of motor trade products in real life car dealer conditions.

Tests take place over an extended period of time and scores are handed out in eight categories. These are used to score a product out of a 100.

A score of more than 90% gets a coveted Car Dealer Recommends award, only handed out to the very best products or services offered to the motor trade. DealerKit is the first product to face our testers – here’s what they had to say.

DealerKit is a dealer management system designed and built by car dealers. The founders run their own used car business and built the software to use in their showroom. They soon realised it was worth sharing with the motor trade and spun it out into its own business around three years ago – and we’re glad they did.

We’ve tested the software for more than a year at Car Dealer Magazine’s dealership, the Clever Car Collection, and have found it invaluable for a number of reasons. It is intuitive and easy to use and features a number of highly innovative features, including an AI tool that scans receipts and invoices so they can be stored for exporting to accountancy software later.

There are loads of tools in the system we love using – especially the way it handles customer leads. These come in from all portals to a central hub where you can deal with them all in one place. When a lead arrives from, say Auto Trader, you get a text message to say it’s arrived. This means you can jump on to the system straight away to deal with it.

All leads are kept in one place and you can easily track the conversions you, or others, have had with customers. It lets you email them or text them via the software and when customers reply you get another text notification. It’s a brilliant way of staying on top of leads and helps us react quickly. 

We started from scratch with DealerKit, but before that we were using spreadsheets to keep track of costs and reconditioning fees – and everything else we did at the dealership.

DealerKit helps across your dealership and that starts with advertising your cars. The system feeds all of the major advertising portals and your website and becomes the hub for your advertising. You simply upload the pictures, words and details about your car in one place and it feeds it out to all the portals. We currently use it to feed Auto Trader, CarGurus, Motors/Cazoo and our own 67 Degrees website.

Uploading cars is easy and simple to follow. So far we’ve trained two new starters on the system and they find it a doddle to use too. Changes to cars are quick to make and we love the fact it seamlessly integrates with Auto Trader for pricing, so it can help you pick Great, Good or Fair prices with ease at the click of a button.

It tracks leads on cars, how long you’ve had them in stock and all expenses are stored in one simple place so you can see your margin on each car’s display page.

The only thing it really lacks is a mobile version or app. Some of the manipulation needed to message customers on your phone is hard work. We get around it by having templates stored on our phone for replies to cut and paste, but we’re promised a solution is coming soon.

The amount of time DealerKit has saved us is huge. While we’ve mentioned the way it deals with leads and advertising cars, one of the behind-the-scenes but incredibly useful functions is its ability to export all expenses to a variety of different accountancy software.

We use Xero and it integrates with that platform seamlessly to send it details of deals and importantly help work out our VAT return. Our bookkeeper and accountants love it as it makes their life much easier and now it has the AI invoice reading trick up its sleeve, it’s even more efficient.

The other real bonus is the way it creates deal paperwork. When you sell a car you stack the deal via the system – it already has the customer information stored thanks to the fact it has ingested the lead and it creates all the invoices and handover documents you need, complete with your company logo and details on them.

You can then email a copy via DealerKit or request a remote signature, which the customer can do on their phone. It’s really very clever.

We have honestly found very few downsides to using DealerKit. Our day starts and ends on the platform as it helps track deals, advertise cars and chat to customers.

We love the clever workflow tracking function that lets you keep an eye on a car’s progress through your business. Different departments can log in and update the car when it has been through valeting or the workshop and at a glance you can see what has, and crucially, hasn’t been done.

It’s also useful when buying a car. You can upload the purchase simply, including costs, and it comes with an appraisal tool that allows you to mark up defects on a car and tot up the cost of putting them right. Again, this would be even better if it was available on a mobile app.

The biggest pro, though, has to be the fact it is so easy and intuitive to use. None of those working at the Clever Car Collection have any history in car sales and even then it’s been no problem getting them set up and confident on the system. 

Steps to change things are always logical and easy to find. Even simple things like unwinding a deal or buying back a car are all there and easy to find – a great example of the fact this has been built by dealers who’ve had to do all this themselves many times before.

We came across DealerKit thanks to its sales director Ian Cooper. He’s been instrumental in getting us set up on the platform and has helped at every step of the way to ensure we make a success of it. 

The team have slick videos on social media and work hard to promote their new partnerships with dealers. Check them out on social media as they’re very good at it.

Take a look at their website too and you’ll see how smart the software is – even that has been produced to their high standards. 

As they’re early in their journey, you won’t see a huge amount of marketing for the software, but, as the user base grows, expect to see and hear a lot more about this firm. 

Set-up is incredibly hands on for new DealerKit customers. Cooper visits his customers personally and spends time with your team to get the software integrated. His arrival is normally accompanied by a box of donuts too which never go amiss! 

It’s this hands on set up that makes a big difference. The team takes their time to show you how it all works and when they introduce new features are not afraid to get on a video call with you to explain what it does and how you can make the best of it. They genuinely care that you’re making the most of their system.

There are many features in the software we don’t use. It has very powerful reporting tools that we simply scratch the surface with, but it’s good to know a lot of that functionality is there if we need it. It can generate stock lists, key number reports, profit and reconditioning numbers in seconds, plus lots more.

I especially like the heat map that tracks where in the country your cars have been sold to which helps you spot trends and areas where you really penetrate particularly well.

For a dealership of our size, the monthly cost is around £149, which I think is quite frankly staggering value for money. For the lead handling, advertising simplicity and deal building documentation it’s worth the money alone.

It’s perfect for a new dealer just starting up, but equally for larger enterprises where all the reporting functionality and workflow tracking will be more important, we feel it will be equally great value for money.

DeakerKit has become a lynchpin of the Clever Car Collection. We use it daily and love the way it helps keep us informed. Our favourite part has to be the lead notifications – getting a text message as soon as one arrives, wherever it may have been generated, is vital so we can react quickly. 

We’ve also been impressed at the constant innovation from the team. They are often rolling out new technology and tweaks that genuinely make dealers’ lives better.

We’ve also chatted to several other car dealers who have moved across to the platform and they’ve all said they wished they made the move sooner. 

We heartily recommend the product and it wins our first Car Dealer Recommends title with a score of 97/100.

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Dealer group Waylands extends brand portfolio after buying two sites from HSH Motor Group

Dealer group Waylands has extended its brand portfolio after acquiring new sites in Cardiff and Bristol.

The car dealer yesterday (Jul 9) announced it has wrapped up deals to acquire a Honda, Omoda and Jaecoo site in the West Country, as well as a standalone Honda site in the Welsh capital.

The two premises were previously operated by HSH Motor Group, with the acquisitions taking Waylands to 16 representation points with their brand partners.

The firm also represents Volvo, Polestar, Kia, Honda, Omoda, Jaecoo and MG across the Thames Valley and M4 corridor.

Confirming the latest news, John O’Hanlon, CEO at Waylands, said: ‘We are delighted to continue our expansion of the group through partnership with Honda, Omoda and Jaecoo.

‘All of these brands are bringing exciting new EV and hybrid offerings to our customers on top of established product ranges. Their innovation, specifically in the development of hybrid powertrains, is particularly exciting.

‘We are delighted to partner with new manufacturers and develop these relationships further.’

He added: ‘We also look forward to welcoming 74 colleagues to Waylands and working with them to continue to build on their success at these sites.’

Waylands’ head of marketing and digital Vicky Hart will be among the guests at our upcoming Car Dealer Podcast Live event, which takes place on September 24.

Limited tickets for the show can now be purchased using the cart below, and with the party continuing late into the night the option to add on a hotel room is available too.

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Drivers impacted by Citroen and DS airbag recall could be owed compensation – lawyers

Drivers impacted by the recent Citroen and DS airbag recall could be entitled to compensation amid talk of potential group action.

That is according to group litigation specialists Bond Turner, which says that motorists may also qualify for complementary hire cars while their own vehicles are off the road.

Thousands of owners of DS3 and C3 models were told to stop driving their cars immediately on June 20 over faulty airbag fears.

Car Dealer then reported earlier this week that Citroen and DS dealers are now being put under ‘immense pressure’ to fix cars – with some telling customers it could be NEXT YEAR before their cars are fixed.

Bond Turner estimates that around 120,000 motorists have been impacted by the recall, with some delays potentially invalidating drivers’ insurance policies.

The firm’s director, and group claim expert, Rachael Wong now says that Citroen failed to act reasonably despite ‘knowing of issues with the now defunct airbag manufacturer Takata for years.’

‘A vehicle is an essential tool to many in their daily home and/or working life,’ Wong said. ‘The practical reality is that; without a vehicle people cannot continue their daily lives as normal or at the very least, are caused intolerable inconvenience.

‘Citroen and Stellantis have known about the problems around these airbags for many of years – and knew or ought to have known that they would have to recall these vehicles and replace the airbags.

‘They have failed to plan for this eventuality and therefore drivers have now been left without a vehicle, and not knowing when they might be able to drive them again.

‘At the very least the manufacturers involved need to compensate owners for the inconvenience and out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of being restricted from using their cars.

‘We have been approached by drivers who have been told their insurance is no longer valid to drive their vehicles – and they could even be unable to drive the car to their dealership to get a repair. Or, alternatively, are being charged by the dealer to collect the car.

‘Others have said they have been told by the garage that there is shortage of the replacement airbags and so garages are not able to offer a reasonable timeframe for the recall to be dealt with.

‘It is simply unacceptable that the manufacturers of vehicles that contain these airbags have known about these problems for a number of years, but have failed to replace them or arrange non-urgent recalls in the UK before now.’

At present, the recall only impacts C3 and DS3 drivers, but Bond Turner believes more recalls could now follow.

The firm says that the Takata-manufactured airbags ‘were not limited to Citroen and DS’, meaning other brands could now be sweating.

The Stellantis spokesperson said: ‘The company’s focus is on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible.

‘Working hand in hand with our Citroen retailer network we are working to maximise the number of vehicles we can repair every day.

‘To increase our repair capacity further, work is ongoing on introducing additional airbag replacement sites at convenient locations as well as repair at home options.

‘It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term.

‘However, we are deploying a variety of options to support mobility, recognising that every driver will have individual requirements, and that priority needs to be given to customers with the most urgent needs.’

Customers can check if their car is affected on the Citroen website or phone the recall helpline on 0800 917 9285.

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Bosses praise ‘resilience and adaptability’ as dealer group Cars2 announces small dip in profit

Bosses at Cars2 have praised the dealer group’s ‘resilience and adaptability’ after the firm announced a small dip in profit.

Accounts recently published via Companies House show that the Yorkshire car dealer made a pre-tax profit of £4.03m in the 12 months to the end of last December.

The result represents a decline of just under 2% with directors admitting that wider political and economic uncertainty had an impact throughout the year.

Despite this, the Car Dealer Top 100 retailer did enjoy a rise in turnover, with revenue soaring from £191.56m to £207.59m – the first time the outfit has broken through the £200m barrier.

Elsewhere, return on sales remained high at 2% – the same level as in 2023 – and new car registrations rose by 14% on the previous period despite a ‘declining market’. Meanwhile, in the used car market, volumes rose by 7% on 2023.

The year also saw the group take on a Omoda and Jaecoo site in Wakefield, with the brands joining Hyundai, Seat, Nissan, Renault, Dacia and MG in the Cars2 stable.

Despite the success, directors did hit out at uncertainty caused by the ‘moving Government policy’ in relation to EVs.

Writing in the accounts, director Allan Otley said: ‘During the past year, Cars2 Ltd has continued to demonstrate resilience and adaptability in an evolving retailing marketplace.

‘The uncertainty caused by the moving government policy in the transitional period to a fully electric vehicle (BEV) new car market impacted on consumer affordability and resulted in a decline in the new retails market.

‘Revenue for the year real broke the £200m mark for the first time at £208m, reflecting growth of over 8% compared to the previous period.

‘Despite inflationary cost challenges, and a mid-year general election, our strategic initiatives have enable us to maintain strong operational efficiency, a consistent management team and to deliver excellent consumer service.’

The year also saw Group2 go on a recruitment drive in order to increase its aftersales offerings to customers.

As a result, staff numbers swelled from an average of 239 to 266 with wages and salaries totalling an increased £9.12m.

Despite the small dip in profit, directors remunerations also rose from £835.66m to £927.81m.

Looking ahead, bosses now say the firm is now well placed to navigate future challenges, thanks to its ‘strategic vision and operational and marketing strength’.

Otley added: ‘Looking ahead, Cars2 remains focused on sustainable growth and market expansion, especially with existing brand partners to offer the cost saving benefits of scale.

‘While we recognise the uncertainties posed by current market conditions, high interest costs and regulatory changes to a 100% BEV new car market, we are confident that our strategic vision, operational and marketing strength will enable us to navigate future challenges.

‘Our priorities for the coming year include the continued integration and expansion with our brand partners and the completion of our site redevelopment at Huddersfield to open our all-new Renault-Dacia showroom.’

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Chery on the Chinese cake: Omoda and Jaecoo owner to launch new UK car brand

Chery International has become the latest Chinese car brand to announce plans to launch in the UK.

The outfit already has a presence in Britain via its ownership of Omoda and Jaecoo but will now add its own standalone brand to that stable.

Chery will officially launch later this summer with two new SUVs, both of which have been ‘optimised for the local market’.

While, prices and specifications are yet to be confirmed, bosses say the new models will be sold via a ‘UK-wide dealer network’ over the coming months.

The new brand will be sold via a traditional franchised dealer model, leaning heavily on sites which already represent Omoda and Jaecoo.

Gary Lan, Chery International’s UK CEO, who also leads both Jaecoo and Omoda, said: ‘Chery’s introduction to the UK market this summer not only shows Chery’s commitment to growth, but also reflects our confidence in the UK automotive sector, and the appeal of our vehicles to local buyers. Expect the same innovation, style, technology focus, and exceptional value.’

Farrell Hsu, Chery UK country director, added: ‘The Chery brand is recognised globally as a trusted choice for families, fleets, and anyone who values cabin space, long range, and quality at a cost-effective price.

‘We’ve been working behind the scenes, learning from our experience with other Chery International-derived brands in the UK, and have taken this time to refine and refresh our approach to this important market.

‘We look forward to sharing more details on Chery’s UK introduction soon.’

The first model from Chery UK will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this week in the First Glance paddock.

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JLR announces major decline in sales as Trump tariffs and older models stall deliveries

JLR has reported a major slump in sales with President Trump’s US tariffs having a major impact on deliveries 

The British marque has announced that retail sales slid by 15.1% to 94,420 units in the three months to June, with bosses also pointing to the planned wind-down of older Jaguar models.

The Midlands-based carmaker also saw wholesale sales drop to 87,286 units – a 10.7% decline on the same point last year.

The company said the significant fall in sales was partly driven by the pause in shipments to the US in April after President Trump’s administration introduced new tariff plans.

In April, the US government said it would launch an additional 25% tariff on car imports into the US, in an effort to encourage more car production within the country.

However, the US and UK have since agreed a deal which would see a lower 10% tariff applied to the first 100,000 UK-manufactured cars imported into the US each year.

UK cars imported to the US beyond this threshold will however face a 27.5% tariff.

JLR halted new shipments to the US in April but restarted exports in early May amid hopes that a trade deal for the sector would be struck.

The car firm said on Monday that wholesale sales in North America dropped by 12.2% year-on-year after the pause.

Wholesale sales in the UK plunged by 25.5% after the market was particularly hit by the ‘planned cessation of the legacy Jaguar models’.

Jaguar stopped selling new cars in the UK late last year as it shifts its production to new electric models, which are set to go on sale in 2026.

JLR reported that Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender models therefore represented 77.2% of all wholesale volumes, compared with 67.8% a year earlier.

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Big Motoring World killer walks free as victim’s mother sobs while describing ‘immeasurable pain’

A Big Motoring World sales executive who killed his colleague in a horror 100mph crash has walked free from court with a supervision order.

Car Dealer reported last year how Ivan Zailac, 24, ploughed into a 26-tonne truck at well over double the speed limit killing passenger Stephanie Nye-Diroyan, 21, in Enfield, north London, on 23 October 2022.

The pair had worked together at the used car supermarket’s Enfield site, where Nye-Diyoran was employed as a finance administrator.

Another colleague was FaceTiming them at the moment of impact and heard a scream before connection was lost, jurors heard.

Zailac was left suffering from amnesia and doesn’t remember the details of what happened after suffering a brain injury in the collision and subsequent psychiatric issues.

He sat at the back of court between his parents laying on his mother or father’s shoulder and had to be lifted up by them to stand when the judge came into court.

Zailac had been been ruled unfit to stand trial so the jury had to formally decide whether he did the act alleged, namely causing Ms Nye-Diroyan’s death by dangerous driving.

The jury then found he did carry out the act and Judge Sarah Munro, KC, has now ruled that Zailac will be supervised by a nominated social worker and the Hillingdon mental health team for two years.

‘This is the only way your mental health can be restored in order for a decision to be made as to whether there are further legal consequences for you to face,’ the judge said.

Prosecutor Frederick Hookway told the court that the Crown intends to put Zailac on trial if he recovers.

He said: ‘The objective of this order is for the improvement of the defendant’s mental health not only for his own sake but for the future of these proceedings.

‘The crown do intend to reinstitute these proceedings when and if appropriate.’

Mother’s ‘immeasurable pain’

Among the most heart-breaking moments of the proceedings came when Nye-Diyoran’s mother sobbed as she read her victim impact statement in court.

She told the hearing that she had been left feeling ‘incomplete’ following her daughter’s death and accused her killer of ‘showing no remorse’.

In a powerful statement, she said: ‘Stephanie was my only child. The pain of losing her is immeasurable and every day without her feels incomplete.

‘From a young age she was an incredibly happy chid always. Her inquisitive mind and thirst for learning shaped her joyful spirt.

‘Her laughter was contagious, she was well mannered, respectful and deeply empathetic. She had a natural ability to sense others feelings and comfort them with her kind and thoughtful nature and she is remembered fondly by everyone who knew her.

‘Stephanie and I shared a special unbreakable bond, she was my best friend and our connection was based on mutual care and support.

‘Our weekends were filled with quality time together after working long hours.

‘In her professional life Stephanie worked at Big Motoring World for over two years, she started as a reception manager and the week before she was killed was promoted to the finance team.

‘Her dedication, work ethic and commitment to her team was apparent to everyone around her.

‘Stephanie was the best of us and the love she gave will never be forgotten. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew her.

‘Over two years after losing her I am still fighting in court and I am still struggling to understand how the person responsible for her death has shown no remorse or taken any responsibility for his actions.

‘The lack of accountability from those who caused the death and the pain from the injustice makes the loss even more unbearable.

‘I have tried to do everything I can to pursue justice. No amount of time or legal proceedings will ever bring Stephanie back but I will keep fighting in the hope no other parent will ever have to face this dreadful loss without the accountability that is so desperately needed.’

The victim’s aunt Michelle Diroyan said they were ‘closer than any family could be’ and remembered making fancy dress outfits for her niece to wear to school, including an Amy Winehouse outfit where she won first prize.

Her grandmother Sheila Ballis, added: ‘We did so much together. She loved and enjoyed all life had to offer her and I was so proud to call her my granddaughter.

‘We used to call her the class clown as she was always the one to make us laugh.

‘All of this is because she was a passenger in a vehicle whose driver had no regard for the speed limit, taking our Stephanie’s life and destroying our lives too.’

‘Rarely do we deal with cases as tragic as this one’

In her summing up of the case, Judge Munro described Nye-Diroyan as a ‘wonderful young woman’ who had ‘lived life to the full’.

She added that the court’s power’s were limited due to Zailac’s mental state but said that both the killer and his family had shown ‘very considerable remorse and guilt’ in the reports she had read.

She said: ‘This court deals with many, many cases where lives have been taken at the hands of others but rarely do we deal with cases as tragic as this one.

‘Stephanie’s joyful life was snuffed out in an instant. Her mother will never recover from her grief and as a result of losing her beloved daughter her life will never be the same again.

‘What’s clear to me is that Stephanie lived life to the full. She had her whole life ahead of her and would undoubtedly have shone in her working and personal life.

‘She was a wonderful young woman who was taken away from everyone far too soon.

‘Perhaps the only comfort is from Stephanie making the most of every moment for her life, that she lived life to the full and had so many best nights of her life- but far too few.’

Addressing Zailac she added: ‘On 23 October 2022 you were driving a powerful three litre BMW lent to you by your father.

‘This court has noted the severe distress upon your father, no doubt living with the guilt that he lent you that car on that night.

‘You suffered physical injuries including a traumatic brain injury and psychological consequences and at this stage you were found unfit to be tried.

‘Therefore my powers are extremely limited and that is obviously extremely frustrating and distressing for Stephanie’s mother and family.’

Dr Gourinath Tokachichu, a consultant psychiatrist, earlier said Zailac ‘hasn’t got the emotional strength at this stage to engage in any kind of discussion about the court case’.

‘Because of this, his mental disorder is ongoing and his symptoms are ongoing, and sometimes getting worse’, he added.

Dr Tokachichu suggested Zailac is suffering from a treatable post-traumatic stress disorder condition.

Zailac, of Greycote Place, Ruislip, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and the jury found he carried out the act.

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New advertising campaign will promote Cazoo as a ‘challenger’ in used car marketplace

Motors has launched a new advertising campaign to ramp up consumer interest in its Cazoo used car marketplace.

The new adverts are animated and have been created to promote Cazoo as a ‘challenger marketplace building on its high consumer awareness, but with a strategic focus on increasing buyer consideration’, said Motors.

The advertising has already launched on YouTube and will shortly roll out on TikTok along with other social media platforms.

It takes place alongside other Cazoo sponsorship activities with the British Motor Show and Brentford Football Club.

Motors marketing director Lucy Tugby said: ‘Since acquiring the Cazoo brand in 2024 we have completed a successful pivot from digital retailer to challenger marketplace.

‘We promised we would support our dealer partners with strategic investment to unlock the value of the Cazoo brand for them and that is what we are now delivering.

‘Our ad campaign across YouTube and TikTok will be supported by live activations, PR and influencer engagement and ongoing platform innovation – all with one clear objective: to build a trusted and highly considered used car search brand.’

Motors said the advert uses three animated scenarios – featuring Dracula, Bigfoot and an alien family – to show how Cazoo enables everyone to find the car that perfectly fits their needs.

Tugby added: ‘At Cazoo, we are challenging the dominance of the current market leader. Our mission is to help people find the right car for them. This integrated campaign will support our new positioning and build the emotional connection needed for car buyers to choose the all-new Cazoo.

‘We are being forensic about how we invest. It’s not about spending big; it’s about spending smart to deliver optimum value to our dealer partners. This is a digitally-led, insight-driven approach that will build long-term brand equity and drive measurable impact for our partners.

‘Our adverts on YouTube and TikTok, both powerful channels for engaging in-market consumers, will reach them from the start of their car buying journeys.

‘We’re using animation and original characters to build a distinctive Cazoo World that makes car search exciting, intuitive and memorable by starting with the specific needs of buyers. It’s about standing out from the crowd while driving customer consideration and delivering on our Right for You messaging.’

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More than 23 million consumers expect payout in mis-sold car finance scandal

More than 23 million people expect to be win compensation for mis-sold car finance a new survey has found, as Brits awaits a pivotal Supreme Court ruling that could release tens of billions in potential payouts.

A new poll by law firm Slater & Gordon found that 45% of people believe they could be entitled to a payout over a car finance agreement taken out between 2007 and 2021, totalling some 30 million packages for cars, vans and motorbikes.

In recent months, companies such a Close Brothers, Lloyds, Barclays and Santander have put £1.7bn aside to cover the claims, but credit rating firm Moodys has previously said the total bill could reach £30bn.

Slater & Gordon quizzed 4,000 people for the survey and found that confidence for payouts is high.

Some 40% said they would consider a legal challenge if their claim isn’t successful, with the survey revealing widespread distrust of banks and lenders to check records and hand out compensation.

Adverts from claims management firms across TV, radio and social media are buoying consumers’ expectations, while the survey’s findings could place further pressure on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Last month, the watchdog outlined the factors it will be using to consider implementing a formal redress scheme, and urged customers not to approach law firms.

A formal redress scheme would oblige lenders to compensate customers and skirt claims management companies.

According to The Times, Slater & Gordon has 200,000 customers interested in compensation and would back a redress scheme if the FCA introduced one, but urged the need for its to be carefully constructed.

Slater & Gordon CEO Elizabeth Comley said: ‘The public have very high expectations on the car finance scandal. They rightly expect to be compensated for their losses.

The FCA is trying to put things right but there’s a risk that a redress scheme leaves many people disappointed and keen to challenge the process. That sort of backlash would be bad for everyone — the scandal would drag on for years, the courts would be inundated with challenges and the public would be denied the clear resolution they want.’

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