Can You Get a Refund on Interest Paid Through PCP?

Can You Get a Refund on Interest Paid Through a PCP Agreement?

If you financed your car with a PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) agreement, you might be wondering: Can I get a refund on the interest paid? The short answer is: Yes—if your agreement was mis‑sold. This includes cases where dealers inflated your APR, included hidden commission, imposed excessive balloon payments, or charged undisclosed admin fees. This post explains exactly how interest refunds work, how to identify whether you qualify, how the calculation is made, real-world success stories, and what to do next.

Understanding PCP Interest Refunds

Under FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) rules and Consumer Credit legislation, if your PCP deal included discretionary commission (DCA), APR inflation, or hidden fees, you legally deserve a refund. But how does that include interest? Simple: interest overpaid because of those mis‑selling practices is also refunded—and adding 8% statutory interest, your refund can significantly exceed what you'd originally overpaid.

How Interest Refunds Are Calculated

1. Identify Your Paid APR vs FCA Benchmark

Most PCP deals had dealer markup that pushed your APR above the FCA’s base rate for that period. The overpayment is the difference multiplied by the principal amount and months financed.

2. Factor in Any Hidden Fees

Dealer admin fees or balloon inflation also count as mis‑sold components. These get added to the refund base.

3. Add 8% Statutory Interest

According to FCA rules, 8% per year interest is applied from the mis‑selling date until refund is issued. This alone can significantly boost your payout.

4. Calculate Total Refund

Sum up overpaid interest, fees, and statutory interest. That’s your expected refund.

Typical Refund Ranges

Here are real payout ranges from recent PCP claims:

  • Simple APR overpayment: £600–£1,200
  • APR plus hidden fee: £1,000–£2,500
  • Multiple mis‑selling elements: £2,500–£5,000
  • Dual-deal claims: £5,000–£10,000+
  • High-value PCP: £10,000+ (rare but possible)

Refunds always include statutory interest—so even small overpayments grow over time.

Real-World Examples & Case Studies

Case Study 1: Sarah’s Hidden Commission Refund (£1,300)

In 2016, Sarah financed a VW Golf with a 6.4% APR—but the FCA benchmark was 3.9%. It turned out her dealer received a 0.5% hidden commission, which inflated her APR. After recalculation and statutory interest, she received £1,300 in 8 weeks—without a solicitor.

Case Study 2: Mark’s APR Inflation Recovery (£2,000)

Mark signed a PCP in 2014 at 6.9%. The FCA historic base rate: 3.4%. With the 3.5% markup and extra fees, his claim totalled £2,000. He got his refund complete with statutory interest in 10 weeks.

Case Study 3: Combined Mis‑Selling Refund (£3,200)

James financed a car in 2015 with multiple mis‑selling elements: dealer commission, excessive balloon payment, and undisclosed fees. We calculated a refund of £3,200, including 8% interest. Full payout came in under 12 weeks.

How to Claim Your Interest Refund (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

Use our free online eligibility checker—enter deal type, year, dealer/broker, document availability. Our tool spots red flags like inflated APR and undisclosed fees.
Time: under 24 hours.

Step 2: Gather or Retrieve Documents

Finance agreement, payment schedule, dealer invoice, and early settlement statements.
If missing, we request them using GDPR or lender portals.
Time: 1–3 weeks depending on lender.

Step 3: Submit Your Info

Upload via our secure portal or let us fetch it. We run our FCA‑approved calculators and estimate your refund.
Time: 2–4 days.

Step 4: Craft & File Your Complaint

We draft an FCA‑compliant complaint with detailed breakdowns and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if the lender doesn’t respond.
Time: 2–4 days.

Step 5: Lender Response & Negotiation

Lender responds within up to 8 weeks. If an offer comes, we negotiate for fairness.
Time: 2–4 weeks post-offer.

Step 6: Ombudsman Escalation (If Needed)

If the lender refuses or ignores, we trigger an escalation. The Ombudsman process takes 12–20 weeks.
Total time: 5–9 months in escalated cases.

Step 7: Receive Your Refund

Once accepted, the refund—overpayments + statutory interest—is deposited. Our success fee is applied afterward and we send a final statement.
Time: 1–2 weeks.

Tools & Systems We Use

  • Eligibility Checker: identifies mis‑selling indicators fast
  • Secure Client Portal: safe document upload and tracking
  • FCA‑Approved Calculators: APR, balloon, fees, statutory interest
  • Automated Complaint Generator: compliant with FCA/Ombudsman rules
  • Client Dashboard: shows you exactly where the claim stands
  • Ombudsman Escalation Platform: ensures your claim never stalls

Every step is designed for speed, compliance, and maximum refund accuracy.

Why Interest Refunds Matter

  1. Refunds restore fairness—you shouldn’t overpay due to dealer tactics.
  2. Statutory interest adds value—longer-held deals mean higher returns.
  3. No legal costs or credit risk—just your rightful money returned.
  4. Claims deadline—you typically have 6 years or 3 years from discovery.

Don’t leave interest money on the table—especially when regulations protect you.

Final Thoughts

If your PCP agreement included APR markup, balloon inflation, or hidden fees, you’re legally entitled to a full refund of overpaid interest—plus 8% statutory interest. Typical refunds range from £600 to £3,200 per deal, with higher returns possible for multi-deal or complex claims.

Using our FCA-compliant tools, secure portal, and seamless complaint workflow ensures your refund journey is fast, fair, and confidential—without legal fees or credit risk.

FAQs

Q: Do I always get 8% interest?
Yes—statutory interest is a legal entitlement on mis‑sold amounts.

Q: Will a claim harm my credit?
No! A complaint isn’t a new loan application and doesn’t impact your credit file.

Q: What if the dealer closed?
No problem—lenders keep records and facilitate refunds.

Q: Are there upfront fees?
No! Fees apply only when your claim is successful.

Q: Can I claim multiple PCP deals?
Absolutely—each deal qualifies separately.

 

On This Page

Don't miss out — Claim up to £5,318.25*

Your Personal Details

Enter your details below. This is vital to identify your potential claims

Free Mis Sold Car Finance Claims Checker

20% Complete 20%

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.

Claim up to £5,318.25* per agreement .

Where should we send your compensation details?
email icon
email icon

Claim up to £5,318.25* per agreement .

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 .

Frequently Asked Quetions

We are proud of our excellent customer reviews

We thrive on delivering exceptional service and ensuring our clients’ satisfaction. Don’t just take our word for it. Check out some of our independent reviews to see what our clients have to say.