Millions of UK motorists and businesses are set to receive a share of nearly £56 million in compensation following a court decision addressing inflated car delivery charges.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has approved a £55.87 million distribution plan to resolve claims involving both individual consumers and commercial entities that purchased or leased new cars or light vans from 37 major vehicle manufacturers between 2006 and 2015.
Brands affected and background
Affected brands include Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota, Citroën, Renault, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia, among 24 others.
The payout follows a 2018 European Commission ruling that fined five major shipping companies - MOL, K Line, NYK, WWL/EUKOR, and CSAV - a combined €395 million (£340 million) for illegal price-fixing on vehicle transport.
Eligibility and payout details
An estimated 17.8 million vehicles bought or leased in the UK between October 18, 2006, and September 6, 2015, were affected by the secretly inflated costs. Around 80% of all new vehicles sold in the UK are imported from overseas.
Individual payouts will begin at a base rate of £25 for the primary vehicle. Claimants with multiple eligible vehicles will receive an additional £5 for each vehicle from two through six, and a minimum of £2.50 for every additional vehicle beyond that.
Recipients will be offered multiple distribution options later this year, including direct bank transfers, Nectar reward points, or optional donations to designated charities.
How to claim
Former Which? consumer expert Mark McLaren, who led the class-action representation, urged affected motorists to register through the official portal.
"Signing up now is the best way to be first in line for compensation," Mr McLaren said in a statement. "With everything now fully approved, the distribution of settlement monies can be distributed later this year."
"Those already signed up will be contacted as soon as the distribution is open and will be directed to our online claim form to get back the money you’re owed."
He continued: "We’ve done everything we can to make this process as easy as possible for those affected."
"This settlement has been secured on behalf of consumers and businesses who were overcharged for new vehicles, because of hidden agreements between companies they’d never heard, which secretly cost them money. They now deserve to get that money back."
Distribution of the settlement funds is expected to commence in the coming months. Registered claimants will be notified directly when the online claim submission portal opens.
