A. Introduction
Vehicle Contracts believes that conducting business in a way that is client focused is fundamental to its activities as a regulated firm in accordance with FCA Principle 6 - “A firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly”
In consequence the firm is committed to the FSA’s Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) initiative and aims to ensure that its standards, systems, controls and ethos comply with these requirements. The key personnel in charge of this strategy are the Directors ( Rob Harris and Geoff Phillips)
Our standards of business are aligned to the regulatory principle of Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) and will deliver the following outcomes:
Outcome 1: Customers can be confident that they are dealing with a company where the fair treatment of customers is central to its culture.
Outcome 2: Products are designed to meet the needs of identified customer groups and are targeted accordingly.
Outcome 3: Customers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
Outcome 4: Customers receive advice that is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
Outcome 5: Customers are provided with products that perform as they have been led to expect and the associated service is both of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
Outcome 6: Customers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint. We have set out below how we aim to ensure these principles are embedded in our approach to dealing with our customers.
B. Summary of our key policy statements
- TCF1 - We must always ensure that our employees are aware of, and adhere to, our Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) Policy.
- TCF2 - The Compliance Director will ensure that due consideration is given to TCF matters and attend relevant management meetings, where changes to strategy, policy and process are discussed.
- TCF3 - In order to ensure our clients receive suitable advice, advisers must ensure they fully understand their needs and objectives based on a formal analysis of their personal and financial circumstances.
- TCF4 - We must keep clients fully informed in a clear and fair manner that is unambiguous and not misleading, before, during and after the point of advice and/or sale.
- TCF5 - We must deliver services with clarity and transparency.
- TCF6 - We must ensure that clients understand any risks associated with the services offered.
- TCF7 - Whilst is accepted that we will endeavour to avoid mistakes where possible, we are committed to moving quickly to correct them.
- TCF8 - The company and its individuals will not make any decisions that would knowingly lead to a risk of poor customer outcomes.
- TCF9 - All employees of the company must adhere to our Conflict of Interest Policy, and if there is a conflict of interest, we will inform our clients as soon as possible once we become aware of it and manage that conflict by putting our clients' interests before our own.
- TCF10 - Training at induction and subsequent refresher training and development will be undertaken.
- TCF11 - All employees of the company must adhere to the Remuneration policy which is designed to ensure that our remuneration practices are consistent with our aims of delivering fair outcomes for our clients.
- TCF12 - We ensure there are no unreasonable barriers over which we have control for clients to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint at any time.
- TCF13 - If we receive any complaints, we will deal with them in accordance with regulatory rules and guidelines.