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As my regular readers know I receive from one of my dealer contacts information that they receive from a firm of lawyers – well-known for defending dealer clients against consumers who sue for a variety of failings.

 

In the latest missive they explain what the dealer needs to do to avoid handing back a deposit paid. They used a case as an example whereby the customer had not declared that his part-exchange had not been a write-off and then couldn’t get finance anyway. The customer asked for his deposit back but when his request was declined he sued.

 

According to the lawyers the dealer did the right thing by taking the deposit THEN checking HPI only to find that at some time the car had been a Category D Write-Off. The invoice from the dealer had a statement that the car to be part exchanged had never been involved in an accident or written off by the insurers.

 

They admit that the customer probably had no idea that the car had been a repaired write off but by then the dealer had the deposit from the customer. The dealer called the sale off following which the customer heard that his application for finance had been declined.

 

Following this the customer asked for his deposit back which was refused in total. A court case ensued. The lawyers maintained that the case could not succeed as the cancelled sale  was no fault of the dealer.

 

The judge found that the dealer was able to recover any loss and expense caused by the cancellation of the deal and therefore entitled to keep the deposit. The lawyers explained that the dealer’s position was helped by the fact that they had followed advice and put into the terms included on the invoice that the deposit was not refundable.

 

They argued that as the customer had signed the invoice that he was aware that the deposit was not refundable. They even went on to say that had they carried out work on the car at the customer’s request they could have even invoiced for more.

 

I’ve seen plenty of articles from these solicitors that surreptitiously encourage dealers to act in an underhand way. It’s these areas that the FCA should be concentrating on – not APR’s.

 

So my advice is, as always, try to avoid a deposit. If you have to pay one to secure a car pay as little as possible – you may not get it back. Before paying the deposit get the dealer to carry out his HPI check to make sure that he isn’t going to use what he finds out later to hold on to the deposit. If the dealer was treating his customer fairly he should have done that before taking a deposit.

 

You should also make your finance application before paying a deposit. Again if the dealer was treating his customer fairly he would have done that as a matter of course. Having a statement included in the terms and conditions of sale saying that the deposit is non-refundable is on the edge of being illegal. The legal position, as was stated by the judge, is that the dealer can retain any costs and expenses paid over once you have signed the agreement then subsequently cancel.

 

By signing you enter into a contract so you are in breach if you cancel. However, the dealer can only recover his costs and expenses. Clearly, without saying so, the lawyers are suggesting that dealers include the term Deposit Non-Refundable as most people don’t know the law and may think that they can’t get their deposit back.

 

They are a disgrace. By Graham Hill

Car Make	Car Model	Monthly Rental From (+ VAT)	Business or Personal
Hyundai	Tucson 1.6GDi Petrol 132bhp SE Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic Paint	£214	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£177	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Metallic	£190	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 130ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£184	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£179	B&P
Skoda	Kamiq 1.0TSi 115ps SE 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint + Spare Wheel	£179	B&P
MG	1.5VTi-Tech Exclusive 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£144	B&P
Nissan	X-Trail 1.7DCi N-Connecta 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£232	B&P
BMW	X3 2.0D M-Sport 5Dr Auto in Metallic + Sun Protection (Privacy) Glass	£334	B&P
Kia	Stonic 1.4MPI 98ps ‘2’ 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£166	B&P
Jeep	Compass 2.0 Multijet II 140 Longitude 4×4 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£204	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.0TSi 115ps SE Tech 5Dr DSG Auto + Metallic	£193	B&P
VW	T-Cross 1.0TSi 95ps SE 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£219	B&P
VW	Golf 1.6TDi 115ps GT Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£195	B&P
VW	Golf 1.6TDi 115ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£212	B&P
Kia	XCeed 1.0T-GDi Petrol 118bhp 2 ISG 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£183	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps SEL Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£180	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps GT Sport 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£203	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps Sport Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£189	B&P
Audi	A4 35TDi Black Edition 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic Auto in Mythos or Daytona	£278	B&P
Land Rover	Evoque D150 S 2WD 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£287	B&P
Volvo	XC40 1.5 T5 PHEV Hybrid 262 R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£379	B&P
Volvo	V60 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£479	B&P
Volvo	V90 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£469	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£480	B&P
Volvo	XC90 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£529	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£177	B&P
Nissan	Qashqai 1.3DiG-T 160 Tekna Plus 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£250	B&P
Mercedes	A180 Petrol AMG Line 5Dr Auto + Executive Pack in Cosmos Black	£246	B&P
Mercedes	GLA180 Petrol Urban Edition 5Dr Auto	£232	B&P
Mercedes	GLA200 Petrol AMG Line Edition 5Dr Auto + Plus Pack + Night Pack	£316	B&P
Mercedes	GLC220d Sport 4Matic 5Dr Auto Various Colours	£297	B&P
Mercedes	GLE300d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr Auto Obsidium Black & Brilliant Blue	£481	B&P
Volvo	V60T5 250ps R-Design 5Dr Estate Auto in Onyx Black	£302	B&P
Citroen	C5 Aircross 1.6 Puretech 180 Flair Plus 5Dr EAT Auto + Metallic	£213	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150 Match 4Motion 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£261	B&P
Ford	Fiesta 1.1 85 Zetec (Nav) 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£148	B&P
Mitsubishi	Outlander 2.4l Petrol PHEV Design 5Dr Auto (MY20	£297	B&P
Mitsubishi	Outlander 2.4l Petrol PHEV Dynamic 5Dr Auto (MY20	£302	B&P
VW	Arteon 2.0TSi 190 Elegance 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£273	B&P
VW	Arteon 2.0TSi 190 R-Line 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£279	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SEL 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£171	B&P
VW	eGolf 35kWh Electric Vehicle 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£224	B&P
Hyundai	Ioniq 100Kw 38kWh Electric Vehicle Premium 5Dr Auto + Metallic (2020)	£225	B&P
Audi	Q8 50TDi Quattro S Line 5Dr Tiptronic + Metallic  (List £68,000)	£598	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Manual Solid	£259	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Manual Metallic	£278	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Auto Metallic	£293	B&P
Citroen	Berlingo 1.5 Blue HDi 1000kg 100ps Enterprise Van Manual + Ply Lining	£185	B&P
Volvo	XC90 2.0T8 390 Plug-In-Hybrid AWD 5Dr Geartronic + Met (List £68,000)	£530	B&P
Nissan	Qashqai 1.3DiG-T 140ps Acenta Premium 5Dr Manual Solid Paint	£194	B&P
Hyundai	i40 1.6CRDi 115 SE Nav 5Dr Estate Manual + Metallic	£222	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150ps Match 2WD 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£218	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150ps Match 4WD 5Dr Auto in Urano Grey	£248	B&P
Skoda	Kodiaq 2.0TDi SE 5Dr 5Seat DSG Auto + Metallic	£242	B&P
Skoda	Karoq 1.5TSi SEL 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£243	B&P
Citroen	C5 Aircross 1.5 Blue HDi 130 Flair 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£194	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.5TSi 150ps SEL 5Dr Hatch Manual + Metallic	£218	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.5TSi 150ps SEL 5Dr Hatch Auto + Metallic	£227	B&P
Seat	Ateca 1.0TSi 115ps SE Tech 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£183	B&P
BMW	X1 2.0i M-Sport 5Dr Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass + Apple CarPlay	£278	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.0TSi 95ps SE Tech 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Ibiza 1.0TSi 95ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£180	B&P
Honda	Civic 1.0VTEC Turbo SE 5Dr Manual Solid Paint	£194	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T4 Edition 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£269	Business
Mazda	6 2.0 Petrol Skyactiv-G 145 SS SE-L Lux Nav+ 4Dr Sal Manual – Solid Paint	£204	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 231ps SE-L 5Dr Auto in White (Metallic Extra)	£325	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 286ps SE-L 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£357	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 231ps R-Line Tech 5Dr Auto White + Keyless Entry & Boot	£433	B&P
Mercedes	CLA 200 Or 220 Petrol AMG Line 4Dr Coupe Auto	£315	B&P
Mercedes	GLE 300d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr 5Seat SUV Auto In Brilliant Blue	£520	B&P
Mercedes	GLE 350d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr 7Seat SUV Auto + Premium Pack	£614	B&P
Mercedes	GLC220d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr SUV Auto in Jupiter Red or Cosmos Black	£369	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T4 Petrol Edition 5Dr SUV Auto + Metallic Paint + Winter Pack	£287	B&P
Nissan	X-Trail 1.7DCi 150 Acenta Premium 2WD 5Dr 7Seat Manual + Metallic	£246	B&P
Hyundai	Tucson 1.6GDi Petrol SE Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£191	B&P
Kia	Sportage 1.6GDi Petrol ‘2’ Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£204	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi SE Technik 5Dr Manual Solid Paint (Metallic Extra)	£185	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi S-Line 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£210	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi Black Edition 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£203	B&P
Renault	Capture TCe Iconic 90 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£148	B&P
Renault	Capture TCe GT Line 90 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£177	B&P
BMW	320i M-Sport 4Dr Sal Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass (New Shape)	£284	B&P
Mercedes	GLC 220d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr Auto in Various Colours Pre-Reg	£343	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.6TDi 115ps SE Technology 5Dr Hatch Manual + Metallic	£182	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.6TDi 115ps SE Technology 5Dr Estate Manual + Metallic	£193	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SE 5Dr Hatch With Solid Paint	£143	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SE-L 5Dr Hatch With Solid Paint	£157	B&P
Skoda	Kodiaq 1.5TSi 150ps SE-L 2WD 5Dr 7Seat SUV DSG Auto in Energy Blue	£207	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.6TDi 95ps SE Tech Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Ibiza 1.0TSi 95ps SE Technology 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£146	B&P
Seat	Leon 2.0TDi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£170	B&P
Tesla	Model 3 Standard Plus 4Dr Auto in Pearl White (Other Colours)	£423	B&P
Mercedes	A180 Petrol AMG Line 5Dr Auto in Various Colours	£259	B&P
Audi	Q5 45TFSi S-Line Quattro 5Dr S-Tronic + Metallic + Tech Pack	£358	B&P
Audi	Q5 40TDi S-Line Quattro 5Dr S-Tronic + Metallic + Tech Pack	£349	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Sport 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£300	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi S-Line 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£333	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Black Edition 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£361	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Sport 5Dr Avant Estate S-Tronic + Metallic	£324	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi S-Line 5Dr Avant Estate S-Tronic + Metallic	£342	B&P
Land Rover	Evoque D150 2WD 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£259	B&P
BMW	X5 30D M-Sport xDrive 5Dr Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass	£507	B&P
Mini	Countryman 2.0 Petrol Cooper S Sport 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£226	B&P
BMW	730d LCI G11 4Dr Saloon Auto inc Metallic (OTR £70,000)	£545	B&P
BMW	745e 3.0 Plug-In Hybrid LCI G11 4Dr Sal Auto inc Metallic (OTR £77,000)	£605	B&P

Please Note: B&C (proof) means that if you are making a personal application you need to be able to prove with a letter that you receive car allowance from your company. You cannot have the rate as a consumer if you don’t receive a car allowance. B&C means that the same rate is available for all businesses and all consumers. The rates shown above are mainly 9 rentals in advance. For more information click the line below.

GEM Motoring Assist has suggested the current eyesight tests for drivers are ‘long out of date’, with the road safety organisation calling for tests every 10 years.

 

Neil Worth, GEM’s road safety officer, has said the Government should update laws to ensure a detailed eye examination is part of drivers’ photocard licence renewal process, which takes place every 10 years.

 

Worth said more than 3,000 fatal and serious injury collisions occur each year because of poor vision.

 

He added: “We believe it is entirely practical and sensible to require a test of visual acuity and field of view every 10 years, something that would fit in with licence renewal.

 

“Tests of this kind would not only make our roads safer, saving lives, disability and many millions of pounds through the reduction in the number of crashes, but they would also play a vital role valuable tool in the early diagnosis of many other costly medical conditions, irrespective of driving.”

 

GEM has worked with Felicity Gill, a community optometrist, who explained that she sees patients daily who are concerned about their own driving, as well astheir friends and family members’ driving experiences.

 

The most common ageing change in the eye is cataract (clouding of the lens inside the eye), with conditions such as diabetes/diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration also causing concern.

 

With drivers staying on the road to their 80s, GEM believes that regular eyesights should be mandatory.

 

Worth concluded: “There are many benefits for a driver to staying mobile as long as possible. However, safety must remain the number one priority for everyone.

 

“We also cannot ignore the greater volume of traffic and the general increase in distractions, both inside and outside the vehicle, which further point to the clear need for more regular and detailed eyesight testing.”  By Graham Hill & Fleet News

On the 15^th October the FCA published its report into the way that PCP has been sold by dealers and brokers. Unfortunately, it focused on the way that they uplift interest charges to pay themselves commissions instead of the more important areas of blatant mis-selling.

 

Here is what I said about the report.

 

I was disappointed to read the update from the FCA and see that they have made such a major issue over the commission paid for organising finance rather than the plethora of other areas that could result in mis-selling and consumers losing out.

 

We must first stop treating PCP and Personal Contract Hire as finance agreements. Even HMRC has partially recognised this by introducing two ways of recording PCP agreements. If the agreement is set up with a final payment that is below anticipated value of the car, leaving equity in the car for the customer, it is treated as a finance agreement.

 

If there is no equity planned the agreement is regarded as a ‘Service Agreement’ and attracts VAT on the monthly payments (as well as VAT adjustments on the purchase of the car and the sale of the used car).

 

Once it has been agreed that the products are not simple finance agreements we need new laws to cover them as current laws are totally inadequate.

 

Given the nature of PCP’s you cannot simply extract one part of the equation and target that one item as a way of penalising the providers, i.e. car dealers and independent brokers. The actions proposed will not benefit consumers as dealers will simply move the lost income out of the commissions paid on finance to decreased discounts or reduced manufacturer subsidies.

 

With dealer groups reporting poor performance and issuing profit warnings they have to get their income from somewhere. APR is simply part of the marketing equation. When a dealer advertises 0% APR or low rate (subsidised) APR it doesn’t mean that he receives nothing in commissions.

 

The manufacturer will simply pay the dealer out of the discounts or subsidies that the customer no longer receives due to his attraction to either low rate or zero rate APR.

 

The APR could also reflect the amount of time that the dealer spends explaining and putting the finance in place. This is certainly the case with independent finance brokers. They earn their commission out of the interest charged thereby spreading the cost for the customer rather than charge a fee.

 

The broker needs to know how and where to place the business using a panel of funders. As we know the higher the risk the higher the interest charged and often increasing the time the broker spends on the case which has to be paid for.

 

Let’s face it customers are really only interested in what they have to pay upfront and what they pay monthly. The slicing of the cake is of little interest. The downside is that if dealers and brokers lose the ability to set rates and commissions to suit the circumstances we will see wholesale shut downs of dealers and brokers – is that really good for competition?

 

It will also mean that dealers and in particular brokers will concentrate on the easy cases leaving those with tarnished credit unable to get to work or take their kids to school because they can’t get finance for a car.

 

Finally, I would say that we need new laws to cover PCP and PCH agreements. APR and monthly payments are both negotiable and walkaways. Tell a dealer or broker that you won’t pay the APR on the quotation it’s up to him if he wants to see you walk out of the door or negotiate a better deal.

 

It is possible that the dealer is using his finance commission to increase the part exchange allowance. It is a complicated calculation. What we need are laws that cover the selling of ‘add-ons’, excess mileage charges, end of contract condition when the car is handed back, what happens to your agreement if you die or are unable to drive, etc. etc.

 

We also need clarity over the anti-competition activities of dealers such as Pendragon Group and other dealers when they refuse to invoice finance companies selected by consumers to provide their finance as they are not their own finance providers or on their panel of providers. Some will invoice a 3rd party funder but charge the customer between £250 and £500 for the privilege. Now that needs attention!  By Graham Hill

European Union called on to “ramp up” hydrogen stations in the face of “severely lacking” infrastructure.

 

Car makers have urged the European Union to “ramp up” investment in hydrogen filling stations, as the current infrastructure is “severely lacking.”

 

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) says “a strategic plan for the pan-European deployment of infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles needs to be put in place”, with the organisation also calling for consideration to be given to the requirements of hydrogen lorries.

 

The majority of the focus on provision for alternatively fuelled vehicles has been around electric cars and their charging points, with hydrogen vehicles left behind.

 

Some 17 new hydrogen stations were opened in Germany last year, bringing the total number in the country to 60; that compares to roughly 25,000 EV chargers. In the UK, there are around 15,000 EV chargers, against just 17 hydrogen stations.

 

Critics of hydrogen cars point to their expense (the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai both cost upwards of £60,000) as well as their rarity and complexity. Generating hydrogen fuel, meanwhile, is also problematic, with the majority of the element captured using fossil fuels.

 

But hydrogen advocates cite the fuel’s advantages, namely that cars running on hydrogen can be refulled as quickly as models with petrol and diesel engines and offer similar range. The cars themselves produce no tailpipe emissions other than water.

 

Hydrogen generation methods, meanwhile, could in theory move away from fossil fuels in future years, just as electricty generation has, to some extent. Research by Auto Express, meanwhile, found that some organisations were covering higher mileage in hydrogen cars compared to EVs.

 

The ACEA’s director general, Eric-Mark Huitema, said: “Along with other alternatively-powered vehicles, fuel cell vehicles hold a strong potential to help make the transition to zero-emission mobility.

 

“But their ability to reach this potential depends on a network of hydrogen refuelling stations being built up right across Europe. Today, there are just 125 hydrogen stations in the EU, so there is much work to be done in the coming years.”

 

Hydrogen cars will overtake electric cars, expert claims.

 

Electric power for cars “has its limits” and cars will be hydrogen-powered from 2030, an automotive-industry expert has said.

 

Dr Felix Gress, head of corporate communications and public affairs at automotive technology firm Continental, told an audience in Germany that electric cars represent poor value for money compared to petrol or diesel alternatives.

 

“For the customers, it will be difficult to accept such a car in the market – you pay a higher price, you get less of a car, so it will be a tough sell.”

 

And, while EVs may be grabbing the headlines and industry attention, Gress predicted that focus will be reversed within a decade or so. “The fuel cell is not ready to kick in yet,” Gress added. “By 2030, we’ll see that coming, especially in passenger cars that run long distances, or trucks.”

 

Gress added that manufacturers need to focus on electric cars in order to lower their fleet emissions and meet upcoming regulations in various markets, many of which have plans to limit or ban the sale of new conventionally powered petrol and diesel cars.

 

While these motivations may be driving the automotive industry, Gress warned drivers may not actually buy electric cars large numbers, partly due to what he perceives as their inherent limitations. “The battery technology, according to our estimations, has its limits,” he admitted, adding that “it doesn’t generate enough range” for some people’s needs.

 

Circling back around to the topic of hydrogen vehicles, Gress said this was something Continental is considering. “Fuel cell is not out of reach, I would say. The question is when it would kick in. We are working on that area, too.”  By Graham Hill & AutoExpress

As the number of stolen cars fitted with keyless entry continue to hit the headlines causing drivers with the system fitted to their cars to have sleepless nights whilst others of us are paying for the cars stolen in increased premiums.

 

Some have taken to fitting steering locks each time they leave their cars but some manufacturers have started taking steps to avoid crooks being able to pick up signals coming from your ‘key’ indoors, then transmitting the signal to a colleague by the car then gaining entry to the car and driving away.

 

Ford have brought out a simple switch, whereby you can disable the keyless entry but as one owner found, having bought his desirable Focus ST just before the switch was fitted it can’t be retro-fitted.

 

But all is not lost. There are pouches and boxes that you can put your ‘key’ into that will block the signal and if you’re brave apparently you can put it in the microwave but don’t forget it’s in there as any metal could blow up your microwave or if plastic it will melt.

 

Ford, along with other manufacturers have come up with a new keyless key that uses sensor technology. Called the sleeping key fob it is still to be launched but when released Ford drivers will be able to buy the new style fobs for £65 per key (Fiesta) and £72 per key (Focus) with no mention of any other models.

 

A sensor in the fob detects that there has been no movement for more than 40 seconds and disables it so it no longer emits a signal. Whilst the new keys should have been available in May Whatcar reported that the keys were still not available in their October edition.

 

Other manufacturers are working on similar replacements so contact your local dealer for an update if you are still concerned about crooks gaining entry to your car using keyless signals.

 

By Graham Hill

Fears that Germany is heading for recession are mounting after industrial production in the eurozone’s most important economy fell sharply in July. The 0.6pc drop in factory output will put pressure on the European Central Bank to take urgent action.

 

The official data for July followed up the disclosure that total output, or GDP, in Germany fell in the second quarter. A further decline in GDP between July and September would mean that Germany is in recession.

 

The driving force behind this reduction is reported to be car manufacturing which has plummeted by 20% from its peak at the end of 2017. The main contributor has been the sharp switch from diesel and petrol to hybrid and electric vehilces.

 

A transition that the Germans have struggled to keep up with when compared to the rest of the world. And with the spotlight on their biggest producer – VW, they have also struggled to keep on top of the tougher real-world emissions tests applied to current petrol and diesel models.

 

Whilst this has generated a financial cloud over the whole of the Eurozone – when Germany suffers, everyone suffers! And it may make life a little easier when Boris finally gets round to negotiating a deal, how will this affect British buyers of German cars?

 

Well, I’ve got it wrong in the past but whereas I had predicted increases in European car costs and lease rates at the beginning of the year I hadn’t expected Germany to be on the verge of recession.

 

So this could be good news for German car buyers In the UK and good for lease rates as German producers fight to keep their factories open and maintain staff levels. This could result in some large discounts coming our way and some exceptional lease rates.

 

That may sound like a good reason to hold back your decision to take a new car but I should add that this may not be the case if we exit without a deal or if the German economy suddenly shows signs of improving so if you see a good deal, don’t delay – ‘fill yer boots’! You may never see the deal again. By Graham Hill

There are many similarities between the way that consumers are assessed when taking out car insurance and taking out finance. The main similarity is that decisions are based on either inaccurate or inadequate data and what could be described as illegally biased interpretations.

 

I will be talking more about the inadequacies of the finance systems in due course but in the meantime the following appeared in Saturday’s Mail regarding Insurance premiums.

 

Researchers at Which created a series of scenarios to see how much they would be quoted on Confused.com and MoneySupermarket.com. In one, the driver had damaged his car, but had not claimed for the repairs. Two of the cheapest quotes – from Hastings Direct and Churchill – wrongly guessed the driver had made a claim as a result and factored this into the quote.

 

When this was corrected, Hastings Direct lowered its premium by £10, but Churchill made a reduction of £207 – a cut of more than 25 per cent.

 

Which? also found that while it is compulsory to declare all recent driving incidents, not all comparison sites let you specify which, if any, led to claims, resulting in some incorrect assumptions.

 

Which? previously showed how some insurers offer discounts of as much as 15 per cent for using a dashcam, however many comparison websites did not. Seemingly irrelevant questions about lifestyle and personal circumstances also affect quotes.

 

For example, they were on average 4 per cent cheaper for homeowners and 4 per cent more for divorcees – apparently based on the assumption a divorcee is more likely to have an accident.

 

It also found that the way drivers describe their job title can influence premiums.

 

When the driver called himself a painter (working in art), his cheapest was £372, but when he listed himself as an artist, it fell to £343.

 

Which? Money editor Jenny Ross, said: ‘To beat these quirks compare different routes for buying insurance, look at various levels of cover from different providers, and shop around every year.’

 

Confused.com said the findings will help them work with insurers to improve their quote process. MoneySuperMarket said: ‘We work with insurers to make sure we ask the right questions, however we do not control how insurers interpret our data.

 

‘We don’t ask customers to supply the cost of a recent claim as this is often something they will not know – for example, costs may have been paid direct by an insurance firm to a garage for repairs.’

 

Hastings Direct said: ‘When the customer clicks through to our website, we do give the option to check their data which would enable them to specify further.’

 

Churchill said: ‘Anyone purchasing through a comparison website can still phone their preferred company to provide any further detail.’ By Graham Hill thanks to Which? And The Daily Mail

Number plate offences are at a five-year high, so just how easy is it to buy a dodgy plate and what is the DVLA doing about it?

The UK’s number plate system is wide open to abuse because of the easy availability of fake plates online, while the number of traffic stops for missing or dodgy plates reached a five-year high in 2018, Auto Express can exclusively reveal.

 

In two linked investigations, we asked police how many number plate offences they had issued tickets for between 2014 and 2018; separately, then we ordered three sets of number plates from online suppliers, all of which were delivered no questions asked, and would be illegal to display on the road.

 

• How to transfer a number plate from one car to another

 

Official data obtained by Auto Express via Freedom of Information requests shows that police issued 9,170 tickets for number plate offences last year across the UK, the highest figure in the past five years.

 

Number plate offences

2014    8,635

2015    7,662

2016    7,671

2017    8,247

2018    9,170

A total of 41,385 stops were made by police between 2014 and 2018, with officers issuing 11 per cent more tickets last year compared with 2017 for number plates not meeting regulations, or plates that were missing from vehicles altogether. London’s Metropolitan police issued the most tickets or rectification notices for dodgy plates (4,411) over the past five years, with Northern Ireland police issuing the second highest number of tickets (4,005).

 

What’s the penalty?

 

Motorists can be issued with a Traffic Offence Reports (TOR) or a Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS) notice (escaping a penalty if the fault is fixed within 14 days) for various offences related to number plates, including missing or obscured plates, and plates not conforming to regulations.

 

Top forces for number plate offences

Police force     Offences (2014-18)

Metropolitan   4,411

Police Servic of Northern Ireland       4,005

West Yorkshire           3,501

Humberside     2,652

North Wales    2,274

Of the 35 police forces to respond to our request, 23 provided offence codes, revealing that roughly 70 per cent of stops made for number plate offences are for driving or keeping a vehicle “when the registration mark fails to conform to regulations”. Number plates not meeting regulations could contain improperly placed characters, be made up using an unofficial font, or have colour-capped screws placed in their characters to change how the plate reads.

 

What do the authorities say?

 

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) told us that all number plate suppliers based in the UK “must be registered with DVLA and must conduct checks before supplying number plates”. The organisation added,“It is an offence to not request the required documentation from the customer [or] keep a record of the transaction, or to supply a non-compliant number plate.”

 

However, at least two of the suppliers we ordered plates from are based in Jersey and they may not be breaking the law there, because it is a separate jurisdiction from the UK.

 

The DVLA told us: “Our officers conduct intelligence-led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, to investigate and, where necessary, prosecute suppliers – including those who trade illegally using the internet.” The organisation also highlighted that drivers who alter the appearance of their plates face a fine of up to £1,000 and risk having their personalised registrations confiscated.

 

• Banned UK number plates

 

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) told us “ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] data is increasingly enabling police to identify vehicles operating on cloned plates using tools such as journey time analysis. Thisfurther informs our investigative work.” The organisation also advised that “local forces continue to offer crime prevention advice… dependent upon the particular offending seen in their locality”.

 

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Car cloning is on the rise and the DVLA is not doing enough to tackle online retailers. Buying banned registration plates in road-legal specifications is concerning, but more worrying

 

is the ability to lift a number plate off a website and copy it without any ownership checks.

 

“Ultimately, the buck stops with DVLA for not doing enough to tackle online retailers issuing plates to those who have no legal right to claim them.”

 

What we did

 

Cloned plate

 

We copied a registration from a BMW X5 (the most commonly stolen car in 2018, according to Tracker) offered for sale in an online classified ad.

 

We then ordered this number plate, LS15 ***, from Jersey-based My Showplates, and were not asked for any details aside from an address and credit card number during the ordering process. The plates arrived within two days. My Showplates did not respond to our requests for comment.

 

Banned plate

 

We bought the number plate BO19 CKS – a registration banned from the road by the DVLA for being too rude – from A1 Show Plates, a company with an almost identical address to My Showplates.

 

Despite selecting ‘Road Legal’ from a ‘Plate Legality’ menu, this banned plate arrived within two days, and we were not asked for documentation other than an address and credit card number. A1 Show Plates did not respond to our requests for comment.

 

Incorrectly spaced plate

 

NU02BER, a legitimate reg offered for sale by the DVLA, was supplied to us by Show Plates Direct. But we took out the space between the ‘2’ and ‘B’ when ordering the plate, making it illegal to display on the road.

 

We contacted Show Plates Direct, who initially claimed that it had “no such order for this registration or indeed payment from this E-mail address”. The firm did not reply when we provided an order number and explained to them that we used a different E-mail address to place our order.

 

The responsible vendor

While the three companies above sent us dodgy plates with no questions asked, one supplier acted in accordance with UK regulations.

 

• Most expensive personalised number plates

 

DVLA-approved, Yorkshire-based Number1Plates asked us to provide a copy of our V5C logbook, retention certificate or other proof of ownership, as well as a utility or bank bill. We did not send these documents, did not receive the dodgy plates and Number1Plates subsequently refunded our £25.97.

 

Why are fake plates bad news?

 

Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras may not read improperly spaced number plates, plates with incorrect fonts and those with colour-capped screws. This makes crime enforcement more difficult – although police stress that ANPR tools are becoming more sophisticated.

 

A more worrying issue is cloned plates. A criminal with a stolen car may find an identical car for sale online, get a duplicate plate made up based on the advertised car’s registration, then fit this plate to the stolen car. The advertised car won’t have been reported stolen so this cloned plate won’t activate police alerts, despite being placed on a stolen car. The number of drivers telling the DVLA that their car had been cloned has quadrupled over the past six years. By Graham Hill thanks to Auto Express

The Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing (Amendment) Regulations 2017 came into force on May 6, 2017 and drivers abroad and fleet operators, who may have either ignored them or were unaware of them would be wise to take note of them.

 

As we prepare to exit the EU it is likely we will see the Europeans take a tougher position when UK drivers are found to commit motoring offences.

 

The regulations require the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide details of the registered keeper of vehicles alleged to have been involved in certain motoring offences across the EU.

 

The details include name, address and date of birth; or legal status if the keeper is not an individual, as well as the make/model and chassis number of the relevant vehicle.

 

The alleged offences include failure to stop at a red light, drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.

 

Cross-border EU prosecutions for road offences have been unusual, rare even, but these regulations may change that situation for the better from a road safety point of view.

 

Of course, for employers, there’s the risk that they have simply added another layer of bureaucracy to operations, as well as opening employees to the risk of a foreign prosecution for offences they may deny having committed.

 

In real terms, there are some business considerations for those with a European reach. One of these could be the requirement to engage with foreign justice systems – language barriers and cultural differences may present a challenge, for example.

 

Larger operators may have been able to task in-house legal teams with managing this role, but smaller players may need to find external support – and, of course, this will come at a cost.

 

Another consideration is the interplay between employee relations and the regulations.

 

Businesses will need to ensure their employment contracts and handbooks are up to date, and that their procedures for managing employees accused/convicted of criminal offences abroad are adequate.

 

Operators should also consider their position with regards to supporting (or otherwise) accused employees with legal assistance – especially if a guilty verdict would have a significant impact on the employee’s ability to continue in their role.

 

For those travelling abroad in their own cars, it is important to have insurance cover in the case of a foreign prosecution. Not all insurance policies, even with legal cover, will defend the insured whilst abroad. Check with your insurer. By Graham Hill with thanks to Fleet News.