How to Check If Your Car Finance Was Mis-Sold | PCP Recovery UK

How to Check If Your Car Finance Deal Was Mis‑Sold

If you financed a car through a PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) or HP (Hire Purchase) agreement, you may have been mis‑sold. Dealers and brokers often added hidden commissions, inflated APRs, balloon payments, and admin fees—without disclosing them. That could mean hundreds or thousands of pounds lost. But you can reclaim that money—if you know what to look for.

This guide helps you every step of the way: we’ll explain what mis‑selling looks like, how to check your deal using expert tools, how to confirm eligibility using our free checker, and how mis‑sold car finance claim management at PCP Recovery works.

What Mis‑Sold Car Finance Looks Like

Mis‑selling happens when crucial information about your car finance is hidden or misleading. Look out for:

1. Hidden Commissions (DCAs)

Dealers inflated your APR to receive extra commission—and you weren’t told. The FCA banned this practice, but many agreements signed between 2007 and January 2021 included them.

2. Inflated Balloon Payments (PCP)

Dealers lowered monthly payments by raising the final balloon payment—leaving you with little or no equity.

3. Undisclosed Admin or Broker Fees

Extra costs were folded into the agreement, never clearly explained or itemised.

4. Front‑Loaded Interest

Your early payments went mostly toward interest—not principal. If you ended the contract early, you paid more than fairness allowed.

5. Exit Penalties & Early Settlement Fees

Clauses penalised you if you ended the agreement early—often without explanation or justification.

If you can identify one or more of these red flags in your finance agreement, it’s a strong indication you might have been mis‑sold.

Step 1: Use Our Free Mis‑Selling Checker

Head to our free online checker. With just your name, car registration, and agreement year, you’ll learn instantly if your deal ticks mis‑selling boxes.

You don’t need documents now—we’ll check for signals (PCP vs HP, dealer arranged, high APR). If your deal looks suspect, our team reaches out to help you gather the vital paperwork.

Step 2: Gather Key Finance Documents

To confirm mis‑selling, you’ll need a few documents:

  • Full finance agreement (shows APR, term, balloon payment, admin fees)
  • Credit agreement summary (statutory confirmation of key terms)
  • Payment schedule or statement (monthly breakdown)
  • Dealer invoice or finance offer (proves dealer‑arranged finance)
  • Settlement statement or early‑exit documents (show admin/exit penalties)

If you don’t have these, don’t worry—PCP Recovery specialists will retrieve them for you, using lender portals and statutory requests.

Step 3: Compare APR to Historic Rates

Your interest rate may be significantly higher than lender base rates. We compare your APR to what lenders offered for your credit profile at the time. If your rate is inflated by 2% or more, we take it as a strong red flag.

Our team uses FCA‑approved APR comparison tools and checks FCA guidelines and peer‑reviewed platforms like MoneySavingExpert. A higher APR combined with no transparency is a clear sign of mis‑selling.

Step 4: Identify Hidden Fees & Commission

Next, we review your agreement to uncover:

  • Admin or broker fees not clearly shown
  • Evidence of balloon payment hikes
  • Missing or vague finance offer details (commission should be declared)
  • Front‑loaded interest that penalises early settlement

Using commission detection software, we calculate how much more you paid due to undisclosed costs.

Step 5: Spot Common Terms & Clauses

Look for the following:

  • “Discretionary commission” (sometimes buried in small print)
  • High balloon payment lacking explanation
  • Zero negotiation legal notice on finance terms
  • Late settlement penalties or unclear exit fees
  • Vague wording around early settlement amounts

If these appear and were not explained, you have a valid mis‑selling claim.

Step 6: Talk with Experts or DIY

You can submit a claim yourself via FCA complaint rules, or use PCP Recovery’s claim management service. Here’s how both routes compare:

DIY

  • You compile documents and write the complaint
  • You submit via post or securely online
  • You chase lender responses and escalate as needed
  • You may escalate to the Financial Ombudsman and potentially a court

Expert Service

  • We handle document retrieval, analysis, submission, and negotiation
  • You use our secure platform to track updates
  • We manage lender communication and escalation
  • Everything is backed by a no win, no fee model

Most clients choose expert support because it saves time, stress, and ensures compliance.

Step 7: Build Your Claim Package

Your claim will include:

  • Detailed overpayment calculations (APR, fees, interest)
  • Copies of your finance agreement, payment schedule, and invoices
  • Reference to FCA rules and breach of disclosure
  • Formal complaint letter and statutory interest calculation

Once submitted, lenders have 8 weeks to respond. We monitor timelines, chase responses, and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if unresolved.

Step 8: Track Your Claim

Use our secure client dashboard to:

  • Upload missing documents
  • Monitor case status in real time
  • View lender responses
  • Finally, receive your compensation (usually within 8–12 weeks)

We handle the entire process—but you stay in control via your dashboard.

How Much Can You Reclaim?

Typical refunds look like this:

  • Single PCP deal – £800–£1,800
  • Single HP deal – £500–£1,200
  • Multiple agreements – £1,500–£3,500+

Refunds include overpaid interest, undisclosed admin fees, balloon payment overcharges, and 8% statutory interest.Conclusion

Mis‑sold car finance is more common than most drivers realise—but it’s entirely recoverable. By following these steps, you can confidently check your deal, compile evidence, and begin your claim. If you'd like help, PCP Recovery is here to guide you through every stage—making mis‑selling claims easy and stress-free.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I check without paperwork?
Yes. Use our free checker and we’ll retrieve documents.

Q: What finance types are covered?
PCP and HP agreements arranged via dealers or brokers—clearly stated in our checker.

Q: What if my dealer has closed?
No problem. We rely on lender records and statutory retrieval—dealer status doesn’t matter.

Q: Will claiming affect my credit?
No—it’s a compensation inquiry, not a loan or credit check.

Q: How long does the process take?
Most claims complete in 8–12 weeks; complex cases may take longer.

Q: Do I pay upfront?
No. You only pay our agreed success fee once your claim succeeds

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Note: Your personal information will be handled with the utmost care in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Our legal team, operating under the trading name of PCP Recovery, may contact you regarding potential claim opportunities using the contact information you have provided. You may opt out of receiving further communications from us at any time by emailing info@pcprecovery.co.uk.

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By pressing the “Submit and Verify My Claim” button, I confirm that I have had a vehicle on finance and that I was not aware of any commission payment being made to the dealer. I have read and agree to PCP Recovery’s terms and conditions and Privacy Policy.

I understand that in order to verify my eligibility a soft credit check will be performed through our provider, Valid8 Ltd or Valifi Ltd, which will not affect my credit score. I consent to PCP Recovery Solicitors sending a Letter of Complaint to the lenders to determine if my agreements were mis-sold and to present my claim. PCP Recovery has been provided with a copy of your electronic signature which will be applied to the Terms and Conditions and Letter of Authority. You also consent for your electronic signature being used on a Financial Ombudsman Service complaint form, if necessary.

Claim up to £5,318.25* per agreement .

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