Lenders Get Tougher Over Finance Applications

Monday, 24. October 2011

It seems that lenders in the vehicle finance sector are becoming more anal in the way that they are transacting business, requiring more information than ever before when applications are made in company names and becoming very tough about complete information and proofs when it comes to personal applications. This has led to customers Read more »

Graham Hill Explains Car Finance Issues

Monday, 26. September 2011

My blog continues to grow in stature, if you haven’t seen it you really should visit it sometime. It isn’t pretty but it contains more information than any other car finance blog in the world. As of this morning the site was number 1 on Google out of 200 million for the three word keyword expression Car Finance Blog . It has seen off it’s main rivals from Read more »

A More Relaxed Bribery Act – But Beware.

Tuesday, 19. July 2011

As of the 1st July the Bribery Act came into force. There was a great deal of concern when the terms of the Act were originally announced as it looked as though buying someone a cup of tea and a sandwich could be construed as an act of bribery. However, it seems that common sense may have played a part in the final wording of the Act following Read more »

New Accounting Standards Will Affect Lease Accounting

Monday, 14. March 2011

Last week I reported on the shambles known as the EU Consumer Credit Directive that would, without doubt, cause widespread confusion amongst consumers and small businesses (who were included in the Consumer Credit Act but not in the CCD). Trying to get the message across to customers in dealerships would result in the blind leading the blind Read more »

The Farce Known As The European Consumer Credit Directive

Tuesday, 8. March 2011

A few weeks ago I had a bet with an old friend of mine over one of the critical sectors that I believed had been omitted from the new EU Consumer Credit Directive (CCD) which came fully into force from 1st February. The question was over Hire Purchase. I knew that the sister product, known as Conditional Sale, was included but it was my understanding that Hire Purchase was excluded and was therefore simply controlled, as it always has been, by our existing Consumer Credit Act. Confused? It gets Read more »

Why The EU Consumer Credit Directive Is Pathetic!

Wednesday, 23. February 2011

It’s been a busy week this week, I attended a round table discussion hosted by Motor Finance, the journal of the industry and one for which I have written a regular column for many years. This was followed by the annual dinner of the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA), attended by 1400 guests, all movers and shakers in the finance and leasing industry. Recession – what recession? Anyway, going back to the round table, one of the main items on the agenda was the new EU Consumer Credit Read more »

Putting Back Your Lease Decision Could Cost You Dearly

Monday, 29. November 2010

I have had a number of clients put back their lease decisions until later next year which is of course their prerogative. However, as I’ve been pointing out, doing this is a huge gamble. First of all it’s important to point out that we will never return to the good old days of lots of cars sitting around in dealerships and import centres waiting for manufacturers to Read more »

New EU Consumer Credit Directive Affects New & Used Car Deliveries

Sunday, 5. September 2010

If you are about to finance a car in your own name as opposed to through a business, you will need to allow a little extra time between ordering, signing the finance agreement and collection/delivery of the new car. According to the new EU Consumer Credit Directive all agreements that fall within the terms of our own Consumer Credit Act must be given a 14 day cooling off period. In the past, if you signed the agreement on trade premises, for example at a dealership or the premises of a broker Read more »

New EU Cooling Off Period Rules

Tuesday, 9. February 2010

On the subject of the new EU Consumer Credit Directive there is a change to the 14 day cooling off period that is given to consumers when they sign the finance agreements off trade premises. Currently you can cancel an agreement if it is regulated under the Consumer Credit Act and signed away from the premises of the funder, the broker or the dealer. However, if you sign on trade premises you don’t have the 14 day Read more »