DS Automobiles joins Motor Ombudsman
The Motor Ombudsman has announced that DS Automobiles is now accredited to its Motor Industry Code of Practice for New Cars.
It becomes the 39th vehicle manufacturer to sign up to the Code, and joins the Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall brands in the PSA Group that currently adhere to it.
The New Car Code is one of four Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)-approved Codes of Practice managed by The Motor Ombudsman, and applies to 99% of all new car registrations in the UK. It sets out recommended operating guidelines, surpassing those required by law, in relation to both the sale of new cars by a manufacturer and the cover provided by its warranty products.
These include the use of honest and accurate advertising, the supply of cars to dealerships that are of the correct quality, that replacement parts are readily available, and a swift and cost-effective customer complaints handling process is in place.
The Motor Ombudsman saw 1,206 New Car Code cases created in 2018, equating to just 0.05% of the 2.36 million new cars registered in the UK that year. The majority of these resulted from consumer warranty claims for both the failure of wear and tear items, and perforation issues, which had been turned down by the manufacturer due to them not being covered by the agreement.
Complaints also originated from customer-facing literature that was deemed misleading, handbooks that were missing from cars, or where the contents of manuals were considered to be unclear by vehicle owners.
Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said, ‘We are delighted to be growing our portfolio of motor manufacturers that are accredited to the New Car Code. The addition of DS Automobiles to our recognised Code of Practice means that thousands more vehicle owners across the UK will have the confidence that the manufacturer of their vehicle is committed to high standards of quality and service.
‘In addition, DS Automobiles drivers will have the peace of mind that there is an impartial body to turn to for information and assistance in the rare instance that an issue cannot be resolved directly with the business.’
Alain Descat, UK Managing Director at DS Automobiles, added, ‘Joining the New Car Code underlines our desire to deliver the best possible brand experience for new and existing DS Automobiles car owners. Accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman equally provides our organisation with access to an authority in the automotive sector and an important source of expertise. This will ultimately enable us to further develop and refine internal processes, so that we can continually improve the way that we work for the benefit of our organisation and customer base.’
