Thousands of people in the UK have been subject to undisclosed commission on financial products they have been sold, with many customers completely unaware the commission payments existed.
If you believe a finance broker or lender has failed to disclose the commission they were earning from a loan they sold to you, the ClaimExperts group of solicitors can help you secure the compensation you deserve. Under strict consumer protection laws, a lender must always declare all fees and commissions charged to you during the transaction.
This means, if you borrowed money from a bank and they made a payment to a third party broker on your behalf without telling you, that is a secret commission. If this is the case, the lender is liable to pay back all of the fees, charges and costs relating to the original loan or finance agreement.
The ClaimExperts panel have years of experience in pursuing mis-sold financial products and consumer claims and have obtained thousands in compensation for our clients. If you believe you have a Hidden Commission Claim, get in touch today to see how our panel of solictiors can help.
What is Hidden Commission?
Hidden commissions occur when an agent, introducer, or finance broker sells you a loan or finance agreement from a bank or lender. If the agent or broker received a fee or commission for bringing you to the bank, and the bank has not informed you of this, that is a hidden, secret, or undisclosed commission. The lender or bank must inform you of ALL of the fees within the transaction. Below is a demonstration of the process: You ➔ Introducer/Broker ➔ Hidden £££s ➔ Bank It is not sufficient for the bank to inform you a commission “may be payable”. A general statement that “a commission may be paid in certain circumstances” is not adequate enough. They must inform you at the point of sale how must the commission was. If they fail to do so it is a form of fraud. Both the lender and the finance broker may be liable for potential claims. The broker in this scenario is treated as an agent of the borrower. This means that they owe a fiduciary duty to their client, including informing them of any profit they will make. In this sense, financial brokers owe some duties to their clients, such as:
- Always act in the interest of the borrower
- Never be loyal to any bank or lender
- Always disclose any profit made to their clients
- Never enter a conflict of interest
If you believe your finance broker and/or bank did not do these things, you may be entitled to hidden commission compensation.
What are the examples of Secret Commission Mis-selling?
Plevin PPI Hidden Commissions
Everyone is now aware of the mis-selling scandal of PPI, and the deadline for claiming back compensation has now passed. However, if your bank or credit card provider did not disclose any commission that was paid at the point of purchase of PPI, they could potentially be liable for a separate undisclosed commission claim if you have not already claimed PPI compensation. A big chunk of the large premiums individuals were paying were often down to paying off commission paid to your bank or credit card provider for the sale of the PPI policy. After a Court ruling, known as Plevin, the hidden PPI premiums can be claimed back, plus any interest that may have been charged.
Energy Brokers Mis-selling – Business Energy Claims
UK businesses could be owed billions through mis-sold business energy contracts. Often, these contracts are sold through energy brokers or consultants, sometimes known as third party intermediaries or TPIs. They can assist companies by sourcing gas and electricity contracts from energy suppliers. If the energy broker kept secret how much they were earning from this transaction, that is mis-selling. TPIs often tell the businesses they work under a “introducers fee”. However, many brokers will receive commission directly from the supplier they introduce you to in the form of a built in unit price they arrange. This is often not disclosed. Mis-leading statements in relation to how the energy brokers get paid are often driven by financial motives for them, and not you.
Missold Car Finance – Undisclosed Commission Fees from Brokers
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) financial plans for purchasing a car help customers obtain a motor vehicle for around 2-4 years by paying a monthly fee. Usually, customers will make a deposit of around 10%, and then an agreement is drawn up on monthly payments and any interest to be paid. However, a broker will often get a commission for using certain lenders.
Lenders have a habit of hiding this commission that is offered to their brokers. Mystery shopper investigations have shown that many are told about the commission garages receive for selling the car, but not the commission they receive for organising the finance deal. This potentially leaves the customer worse off, as credit options like this are always more expensive than paying cash up front. In this scenario, the customer’s best interests have not been at heart.
How can I start my claim?
ClaimExperts make starting your secret commission claim easy. We have a panel of experts who are on hand to talk you through the process. There is no obligation to use their service after they have performed their initial checks, and none of the checks will affect your credit score. If you are one of the thousands in the UK that might have been affected by the undisclosed commission scandal, contact one of the ClaimExperts panel today and they will be in touch to talk you through the next steps. There are no up-front costs, and any payments to us will simply be deducted from your compensation award should your claim be successful.
How can Claim Experts help?
Have you been a victim of hidden commission mis-selling? If you were subject to secret fees from your finance broker and/or bank, you may be entitled to compensation. The ClaimExperts panel of solicitors can guide you through any potential claim, and they work on a No Win, No Fee basis, so there is no risk to you. Our legal panel come from a financial services and compliance background. They have experience in bringing successful claims against those who mis-sell financial products.