Complaints Policy

1. Purpose

Southcoates Car Sales Ltd is committed to providing high-quality vehicles and customer service. We take all complaints seriously and view them as an opportunity to improve our services. This policy outlines how customers can raise concerns and how we will handle them.

2. How to Make a Complaint

Customers can submit a complaint using any of the following methods:

• In person: Visit our dealership and speak with a member of staff.
• By phone: Contact us during business hours.
• By email: Send details of your complaint to our customer service email address.
• In writing: Address your complaint to our registered business address.

Please include:

• Your full name and contact details.
• Vehicle details (if applicable)
• A clear description of the issue
• Any supporting documents or evidence

3. Acknowledgement of Complaints

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days. This may be via phone, email, or letter.

4. Investigation Process

• A designated member of staff or management will review your complaint.
• We may contact you for further information if required.
• We aim to carry out a fair, thorough, and impartial investigation.

5. Response Time

We aim to provide a full response within 14 working days of receiving your complaint.

If more time is required, we will inform you of the reason and provide an updated time.

6. Resolution

Where a complaint is upheld, we will aim to resolve the issue appropriately. This may include:

• Repair or replacement.
• Refund (where applicable)
• Apology and explanation
• Other appropriate remedial action

7. Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may request that your complaint is escalated to senior management for further review.

8. External Resolution

If we are unable to resolve your complaint internally, you may seek independent advice or escalate the matter to relevant external bodies, such as:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers
• Trading Standards
• The Motor Ombudsman (if applicable)

If your complaint relates to a financial product or service (such as vehicle finance), you may also have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). You can do this if you are not satisfied with our final response or if eight weeks have passed since you first raised your complaint.

9. Record Keeping

All complaints will be recorded and retained securely for monitoring and improvement purposes, in line with data protection regulations.

10. Continuous Improvement

We regularly review complaints to identify trends and improve our services, staff training, and customer experience.

11. Contact Details