🎙️ BBC Radio 4 Lifts the Lid on Motor Finance Scandal – And Exposes FCA & FOS Complicity

The truth is out — and it’s damning.

The BBC Radio 4 documentary has done what regulators failed to do for years: reveal the scale, depth, and intent behind the motor finance commission scandal that has cost consumers billions in additional interest payments.

This exposé doesn’t just point the finger at lenders and dealerships.

It also exposes how the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and the FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service) were made aware of the problem as far back as 2015 — but instead of taking action, they seemingly tried to shut it down.

👉 Read our breakdown of how motor finance commission worked

🛑 The Regulator and the Watchdog: Early Knowledge, No Action

Long before the scandal made its way to headlines and courtrooms, both the FCA and FOS were alerted by consumers and representatives about what was happening.

❗ A Whistleblower Came Forward

A whistleblower — having been told by a dealership about what had happened to his mother’s finance agreement — provided detailed evidence of:

• Dealers manipulating finance interest rates to maximise commissions.
• Lenders (including a recorded Black Horse telephone call) knowingly allowing and encouraging this.
• No disclosure of the commission, despite clear FCA rules requiring it when impartiality was compromised.

But what did the regulators do?

🔇 The Response: Delay, Deflect, Dismiss

When presented with evidence, the FCA did not launch an immediate investigation. Instead:

• It initially acknowledged receipt but made no commitment to act.
• It failed to escalate the matter internally.
• It eventually stopped engaging with the whistleblower altogether.

This is not a case of being unaware. This is a case of being willfully passive — or worse, deliberately silent.

🤐 FOS Also Looked the Other Way

The Financial Ombudsman Service, which had the power to intervene in individual complaints and spot systemic issues, also failed to act.

• It received the same evidence.
• It was shown real-life examples of manipulated commission structures and non-disclosure.
• But instead of investigating the core issue, it focused on case-by-case technicalities, allowing lenders to avoid meaningful scrutiny.

In fact, after initial communications with the whistleblower, FOS also ceased further dialogue.

💬 Why This Matters: Evidence of a Regulatory Cover-Up?

When both the regulator (FCA) and the dispute resolution body (FOS) are made aware of a systemic practice causing financial harm, they have an obligation to act.

Instead:

• They closed ranks.
• They cut off communication.
• They failed in their statutory duty to protect consumers.

This documentary now confirms what many suspected: the regulators knew — and they tried to sweep it under the carpet.

🧾 The Scandal Exposed

As more and more complaints and claims started being submitted, the regulator was forced to act.

The evidence is now overwhelming and the scale of the scandal has the potential to eclipse PPI, with the regulator now admitting that up to 99% of all motor finance agreements sold to consumers between 2007 to 2024 having been subject to some form of undisclosed commission.

Let’s cut to the chase, commission is only in place to incentivise dealerships to propose certain finance agreements to consumers, generally more expensive than the consumer actually qualified for.

We’ve uncovered dealership documentation, commission brackets, finance interest inflation, and FCA breaches that mirror exactly what the BBC documentary has now confirmed.

The only difference is it has now been broadcast to the nation.

⏳ A Reckoning Is Long Overdue

This scandal is not just about lenders offering commission (bribes) and dealerships taking it.

It’s about a regulatory ecosystem that, when given the opportunity to protect consumers, chose silence.

• Consumers lost.
• Lenders profited.
• Regulators looked away.

But now — thanks to brave whistleblowers, persistent campaigning and increasing legal pressure — the lid has been blown off.

📢 If You’ve Been Affected, Don’t Wait

If you have had motor finance between 2007 to 2024 it is likely that you may have:

• Paid an inflated interest rate.
• Paid for the undisclosed commission via your monthly payments.
• Been misled — and be owed compensation.

We’re helping consumers fight back.

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