Legal Information

Contents

Legal Information
BVRLA
Terms of Business
Remuneration & Commission
Disclaimer
Limitation of Liability
Complaints
Privacy Policy
What We Collect and What We Use It For
Subject Access Request
Website Security
Cookies, Google Analytics and IP addresses
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Business Transfers
Copyright Statement
Changes to this Privacy Policy
Treating Customers Fairly Policy
Consumer Duty Policy
Questions or Suggestions

 

Legal Information

Company name: Fleet Alliance Limited
First registered: Scotland
Registered Number: 235634
Registered Address: Skypark 1, 8 Elliot Place, Glasgow, G3 8EP
VAT Registration Number: 183 306 612
FCA Firm Number: 673150
ICO Registered Number: Z7736824
BVRLA Membership Number: 993

Fleet Alliance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Not all types of business undertaken are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Fleet Alliance Limited is a credit broker and not a lender.

BVRLA

Fleet Alliance is a member of The BVRLA, the UK trade body for companies engaged in the leasing, rental and fleet management of cars and commercial vehicles. The BVRLA Code of Conduct sets out the standards expected by members in all aspects of the brokering of leased vehicles. You can view this code of conduct here. BVRLA membership ensures the customer that they should expect the highest level of professionalism and integrity when using a BVRLA member.

 

Terms of Business

Understanding Initial Rental

The initial rental amount to be paid is determined by the payment profile you have selected and is not a deposit. For example, if your payment profile is 3+35, this means you will be required to pay 3 rentals as your initial rental amount, followed by 35 monthly payments of your agreed rental amount. The payment profile selected impacts the amount of the agreed monthly rental. For example, if you select a payment profile of 9+35, by paying for 9 monthly rentals as your initial rental, the cost of the subsequent 35 monthly rentals is likely to be lower than it would be if you selected a payment profile of 3+35.

Understanding Maintenance

It is important that you understand the difference between a Lender Maintained and Driver Maintained agreement.

If Lender Maintained appears next to Maintenance, the quotation includes maintenance. This means the lender will cover the cost of maintenance and servicing as outlined in the finance agreement, but you are still responsible for taking the car to a dealership/garage approved by the lender for repairs, regular servicing in line with the manufacturer’s service intervals, MOT inspections, etc.

If Driver Maintained appears next to Maintenance, the quotation does not include maintenance. You should understand that by opting for a Driver Maintained agreement you are responsible for maintaining your vehicle and that you may incur additional costs for regular servicing, MOTs and any repairs required throughout the duration of the agreement.

Tell me why a Finance Lender Maintained agreement is a good idea

All vehicles must be maintained to manufacturer standards and adhere to the specific vehicle servicing schedule. For many of the vehicle finance options offered, you have the option to cover all service and maintenance requirements. This costs extra but provides certainty on your motoring costs – no unexpected cost exposure that could adversely affect cash flow.

It is important to note that if you decide not to include maintenance in your contract (Driver Maintained), you are responsible for maintaining the vehicle at an additional cost over and above the monthly finance rental cost.

What are the benefits of choosing a Lender Maintained agreement?

  • Covers the cost of any repairs required throughout the duration of the contract term. This includes tyres, brakes, exhausts, wipers, and batteries. This is subject to BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Guidelines.
  • May include breakdown cover, roadside assistance and roadside repairs subject to the lender
  • Includes servicing and MOTs
  • Benefit from fleet purchasing power of parts and service
  • Peace of mind in relation to vehicle repairs
  • Fully VAT recoverable for businesses
  • Cost can be set against taxable profits

What are the potential risks of choosing a Lender Maintained agreement?

  • The cost of maintenance varies depending on the vehicle type, contract type and expected mileage
  • Does not cover any accidental damage to the vehicle, vandalism or windscreen breakages. These must be repaired via insurance cover
  • Does not cover driver abuse or neglect such as, but not limited to, vehicle damage as a result of the vehicle not being serviced according to manufacturer’s guidelines, or Diesel Particulate Filter warnings being ignored.

How does a Lender Maintained agreement work in practice?

The following is a typical example highlighting the price difference between a Lender Maintained agreement and a Driver Maintained agreement for an Audi A1 Diesel Hatchback 1.6 TDI SE 3dr.

Monthly Payment shown is for illustrative purposes only.

Understanding Excess Mileage

The total mileage you agree to at the beginning of your contract has an impact on the overall rental cost over the term of the agreement. The higher amount of mileage you select, the more likely you will be to have a higher monthly rental cost. It is important to select an accurate mileage amount at the beginning of the agreement in order to avoid paying rental costs for mileage that you do not use by the end of the agreement term, and to avoid paying any excess mileage charges.

Excess mileage charges occur when you go over your agreed mileage. The reason the charge is applied is that the total mileage of the vehicle is used to calculate the resale value of the vehicle. A greater mileage will affect this calculated resale value. This excess mileage charge is calculated at the end of the contract period and will vary depending on the vehicle type and the contract type. Mileage limits may be amended during your contract provided it meets the lenders criteria for doing so. Please see your contract provided by the lender for full details of the pence per mile charge that may be applicable or mileage amendment criteria.

The following is a typical example of an excess mileage charge:

Excess mileage charge shown for illustrative purposes only.


Understanding End of Contract Charges

The residual value of a car at the end of a contract is based on an assumed condition that it is close to ‘ready to retail’ and that it meets industry standard BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear guidelines. Major dents, scratches and kerbed wheels, for example, are outside these guidelines. The charges are applied to rectify these faults and will be passed onto you.

Important Notes for Diesel Vehicles

  • Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF)
    Most diesel vehicles contain a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). A DPF captures and stores soot in order to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles. Regular and sustained motorway driving at recommended speeds of over 40mph for between 10 and 50 minutes is required in order to burn off the trapped soot  (a process known as ‘regeneration’). The recommended driving style required to clear a DPF filter varies depending on specific manufacturer guidelines. If you intend to use your vehicle for urban or city-based or stop/start style driving you may want to consider an alternative fuel types such as petrol as this may be better suited to your needs. Not clearing the DPF or ignoring a DPF warning will result in vehicle damage not covered under a Lender Maintained contract, resulting in costly repairs at driver’s expense. Therefore, the selected fuel type should be considered carefully in relation to your driving style. Some petrol vehicles may also contain a Petrol Particulate Filter (PPF). This is not as common as DPF however manufacturing guidelines should be consulted in relation to this.
  • AdBlue
    Some diesel vehicles are now fitted with tanks that contain AdBlue which is a liquid fuel additive designed to reduce harmful Nitrous Oxide emissions. AdBlue is considered to be a consumable, similar to fuel. It is therefore the driver’s responsibility to ensure that AdBlue is kept topped up, and to pay any costs associated with doing so. Any damage incurred as a result of low AdBlue levels or its misuse will not be covered under a funder maintained contract or any included recovery arrangements. Finance Lender Maintained contracts do not cover AdBlue costs. However, depending of the finance lender of your vehicle AdBlue may be topped up as part of routine servicing. You should consult your vehicle handbook to ascertain whether or not your vehicle uses AdBlue and understand your responsibilities.

In-Car Connected Technology

Many vehicle manufacturers have introduced connected services to their vehicles that provide drivers with services like Wi-Fi and service reminders or bookings. However, these connected services may be disabled by some lenders as they may result in service provision from unauthorised third parties that is not in keeping with the terms and conditions of your agreement with the lender. Whilst a manufacturer may state that connected services are featured, the ability to use these features is dependent on the selected lender enabling use of them. We will endeavour to identify any connected services that may be affected at the time of order, however, this courtesy cannot be considered a guarantee that any connected services fitted as standard or optionally specified, will not be permanently disabled by the lender prior to delivery.

Impacts of Non-Payment

Non-payment of credit agreements may affect your credit rating and may result in the vehicle being repossessed by the lender or action being taken via the County Courts. This may also affect your chances of being accepted for credit in future. Alternative sources of finance may be available to you (for example, from other credit brokers or lenders, or through banks or internet aggregators).

Delivery & Availability

Vehicle availability and delivery dates are provided to you at the point of order based on estimates provided to us by our suppliers. These estimates may be subject to change and are intended to be an estimate only. We endeavour to meet these estimates and confirmed delivery dates will be provided to you once confirmed by our suppliers. In the event that a delay occurs as a result of a supplier, we do not accept liability for any losses incurred as a result.

Remuneration & Commission

Do you receive commission?

Yes, we will receive a fixed and/or variable commission which is agreed between us and the lender we introduce you to.  Fleet Alliance Limited is an independent credit broker, not a lender. We work with a range of selected lenders. The commission or fees we earn does not influence our decision on who we introduce you to.  The commission we receive is included in the price you pay.  You can ask for information about the commission we receive for introducing you to the lender, including the amount, by emailing us at any time at compliance@fleetalliance.co.uk

Customer Responsibilities

In order for us to fulfil our responsibilities to you, you must:

  • Read the documentation provided to you, and let us know if anything is unclear or does not represent your needs and requirements
  • Comply with the terms and conditions of agreements we may arrange for you.

Conflicts of Interest

If through exceptional circumstances our company, its directors or any other customers have a material interest in business you ask to be transacted for you, we will make you aware of the potential conflict of interest and we will obtain your consent before your instructions are carried out.

Cancellation Policy

In the event that an order in cancelled prior to delivery, we may charge a cancellation fee to cover any costs that may be incurred from dealers or manufacturers, or any other losses associated with processing the deal up to the point of cancellation. Cancellation fees are generally in the region of £250 to £500, however the amount charged will be dependent on a number of factors:

  • Cancellation charge applied by the dealer
  • Status of the vehicle – Is it in stock? Has it been built yet?
  • Vehicle extras – Are there customised interior and exterior colour options? Have any other extras been added at the request of the customer? Will the added extras impact the ability to resell the vehicle?

Cancellation charges will be calculated based on an evaluation of these points. A full breakdown of the calculation of the cancellation charges incurred, if any, will be provided.

Data Protection

Information provided to us may be shared with third parties in the course of credit checking and/or arranging finance. Your contact information may be used by us throughout the duration of the contract term in the event we need to contact you on matters relating to your contract and/or vehicle. We are registered and certified with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and all information held about you by our company is held in strict compliance with UK GDPR. For further information regarding your data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Our Products

It is important that you are aware of all finance options available to you in making your decision, and that you are adequately informed on all options. Please note that some finance options may not be applicable depending on your circumstances. For further information on the types of finance options available please visit the Finance and Leasing Association website or the Money Advice Service website. Prior to signing an agreement, you must ensure that the additional monthly commitment is suitable and affordable to you and will not create any undue financial hardship now or in the future should there be a change in your financial circumstances. Always consult with your lender for full terms and conditions and contract details prior to signing an agreement.

Disclaimer

Whilst this site has been compiled in good faith, Fleet Alliance Limited makes no warranty or representation that the use of this website will be uninterrupted or error free or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or bugs. To avoid any doubt, articles and other information are for general guidance only and should not be specifically relied on without taking advice.

Limitation of Liability

To the full extent permissible by law, Fleet Alliance Limited assume no responsibility or liability for any information published on this website and further disclaim all liability in respect of such information. In particular, Fleet Alliance Limited hereby excludes all liability for any claims, losses, demands or damages of any kind whatsoever in relation to any information, content or advertisements.

Complaints

If you have a complaint or would like a copy of our full procedure please contact us:

Post: Fleet Alliance, Complaints Department, Skypark 1, 8 Elliot Place, Glasgow, G3 8EP
Email: complaints@fleetalliance.co.uk
Phone: 0345 601 8407

All complaints will be responded to promptly, and we aim to resolve all complaints within 3 days where possible.

Our business is covered by the BVRLA Conciliation Service and the Financial Ombudsman Service. Any financial services complaints we cannot settle may be referred to either the BVRLA or the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman Service is a free and easy-to-use service that settles complaints between consumers and businesses that provide financial services. They resolve disputes fairly and impartially, and have the power to put things right. You can find out more about the Financial Ombudsman Service at their website.

A copy of our complaints handling procedures can be supplied upon request.

 

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us.  We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. Personal data refers to any information or expression of opinion that may allow an individual to be identified, for example, their name, address, gender etc. The term data refers to any digital, automated data or manual information gathered by a company.

We have put together the following guidelines to let you know how we hold and use the personal information you may provide to us directly or through our website. It is important that you read this policy together with any other privacy notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal data about you so that you were fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This policy supplements the other notices and is not intended to override them.

Fleet Alliance Limited are a data controller where you have direct dealings with us. Fleet Alliance Limited may also act as a data processor where you have been introduced to us by another third-party. We take our obligation to comply with UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and any other Data Protection Legislation very seriously. Should you have any questions regarding how we use your personal data, please contact compliance@fleetalliance.co.uk

What Data We Collect and What We Use It For

We will only ever ask you for personal data when it is needed for any services you have enquired about or asked us to provide, or for participation in other activities in which you are taking part on the website or to respond to your requests for information such as:

  1. Posting comments on a news articles or blog posts
  2. Filling out forms on our website
  3. Subscribing to our newsletter or marketing
  4. Contacting us by phone, email, SMS text messaging or social media to avail of our services, request more information or make a complaint

Personal data will generally only be collected directly from you. However, sometimes we may collect your personal data from another person, for instance, a fleet manager, where the nature of your business with us necessitates this or if you are using our fleet management software. We do not collect any sensitive data, except where a physical or mental health vulnerability is disclosed directly to us during the process of an order.

If you contact us through this website we will retain the content of your e-mail, any contact details provided, and your e-mail address to respond to your message and handle any follow up. If you contact us via phone, your phone call may be recorded.

How Will Fleet Alliance Use My Personal Data?

Your data will be used to;

  • process orders and fulfil any contractual obligations with you that arise from those orders
  • send you ongoing contract communications, critical in-life contract services, notifications, and any other important information about products and services you may request from us
  • communicate fleet management services
  • send marketing communications which you may unsubscribe from at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our emails or OPT-OUT on SMS messages.
  • Provide customer service and assistance where necessary
  • Notify you about changes to our service

We process your data on the basis of legitimate interest as it is necessary for us to be able to communicate with you and fulfil our contractual obligations with you in the offering of our services. Marketing communications will only be sent to you with your prior consent to receive such communications.

We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it as detailed above, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so, or we will seek your consent if required.

How Is Personal Data Stored At Fleet Alliance?

Fleet Alliance have existing physical, technical and organisational systems in place to ensure the safeguarding of personal client data. Personal data in physical and digital formats is stored in data centre locations within the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Personal data stored in marketing and communication platforms or email archives may be stored in EU or US locations, however these are compliant with UK GDPR and Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) frameworks. Fleet Alliance have adopted strict confidentiality and data protection policies in relation to your data which all staff must adhere to and acknowledge annually.

Your data will be stored in line with our data retention policy or until you request the deletion of your data. In some cases we will be bound by legal and tax regulations and will be unable to delete this personal data until the required period of time has passed.

Personal data you provide is generally stored either for the duration of your contract with us or for 7 years in order to comply with HMRC requirements or in the event of an Ombudsman complaint. Information such as bank statements or bank details are removed as soon as we no longer have a need for these. Your personal data will be removed from our marketing database within one week if you decide to unsubscribe from this service.

Who will you share my data with?

There are times when we require to share the personal information we learn from you with other parties. However, the information we hold on our clients is an important part of our business and it is not our business to sell or rent this information to others. We may however share personally identifiable information about our clients in the following situations:

  1. To communicate to selected third parties or suppliers in order to process your order or fulfil our contractual obligations with you, for example, to our select panel of finance providers or approved dealerships. Fleet Alliance aim to ensure that these third parties have sufficient data security measures in place when handling your data, and our monitoring of these measures will be enhanced according to our UK GDPR plan.
  2. When you sign up to our newsletter, your information will be stored on the servers of our marketing platform supplier.

We use other companies and individuals to perform functions in certain situations on our behalf such as:

  1. Posting comments on a news article or blog post
  2. Signing up to our newsletter
  3. Exchanging emails with you using a Microsoft platform
  4. Sending SMS notifications
  5. Taking payments via the WorldPay platform

These agents only have access to information required for that purpose and may not use it for any other purpose.

Fleet Alliance may also share your information where we believe we have a legal obligation to do so. This may include sharing information about fines or penalties.

Subject Access Request

Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

  1. Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it;
  2. Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected;
  3. Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it.  You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below);
  4. Object to the processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or a legitimate interest of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground;
  5. Request the restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal data about you, for example if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it;
  6. Withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal data in rare situations where we rely on your consent as our legal basis to do so; and
  7. Request the transfer of your personal data to another party.

If you would like to make a Subject Access Request for any personal information we may hold about you, you can do so by writing to the following address: Compliance Manager, Fleet Alliance Ltd, Skypark 1, 8 Elliot Place, Glasgow, G3 8EP.

Website Security

Fleet Alliance will take all reasonable steps to protect your data. All information received by us through our website is retrieved and stored using secure technology. Our website host maintains a safe and secure environment for your personal information and uses up-to-date technology with a view to protecting that information against loss, misuse or unauthorised alteration. We only allow authorised personnel access to personal information you provide.

We also receive and record information by tracking user traffic patterns throughout our pages to maintain a record of the movements of visitors to our site such as the page visited and the information, activity or service requested.

Cookies, Google Analytics and IP Address

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect some information about your device through the use of cookies. A cookie is a small data file that the website creates as you perform actions on certain pages of this website. The only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply. A cookie can’t read data from your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. We use cookies to enhance our website’s performance by personalising your experience on our site or making use of our website more convenient, such as:

  1. Logging into DISQUS to leave a comment on a news article or blog post
  2. Allowing you to download multiple white papers with a single registration

These cookies are not used to record personal information or to associate personal information your supply with any other parties. You can refuse cookies by turning them off on your web browser however in certain circumstances this may affect the performance of this website. For more information about how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.

We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use our website. Find out more about how Google uses your personal information here:  https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here:  https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Fleet Alliance may collect your IP address for the purposes of systems administration and to audit the use of our site. We do not link IP addresses to individual user information and gather IP addresses anonymously, however, users may be identified by their IP address where it is necessary to enforce compliance with the websites terms of use.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

The ICO is the governing body responsible for enforcing UK Data Protection legislation. Should you wish to receive more information from them or submit a complaint, you can do so by visiting https://ico.org.uk/.

Business Transfers

We are continually trying to expand and improve our business and we may sell or buy businesses or assets in these transactions. Client information is generally one of the transferred business assets in these situations and in the event that Fleet Alliance Limited or substantially all of its assets are acquired, client information may be one of the transferred assets. Where we deal with other companies etc. as above, we require those companies to comply with our privacy policy. We may also require to release information where required to do so by law. Other than in the above situations we will give notice on this site when your personal information might be shared with third parties and you will have the opportunity to decide not to share that information.

Copyright Statement

The contents of this website (including all website design, text, graphics, their selection and arrangement and all associated material) are copyright of Fleet Alliance Limited or its content and technology providers except in so far as individually stated on particular material or items. Without affecting our own or third party rights under copyright, you are not permitted to copy, alter or reproduce content for commercial purposes and must credit Fleet Alliance Limited at all times.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may edit this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on the site.

 

Treating Customers Fairly Policy

At Fleet Alliance we pride ourselves on being a leading UK fleet management provider whilst offering the best combination of advice, products, competitive pricing and outstanding service.

Our aim is best set out in our mission statement:

Our mission is to be the best leasing and fleet management company in the UK by developing our employees personally and professionally, reducing fleet costs and the carbon footprint of our clients, the result of which is ethical and sustainable growth.

These words reflect the culture and philosophy that is central to our activity. We recognise, however, that to fulfil this objective we must:

  • Encourage our core values of Engagement, Trust, Fairness and Respect through charitable work, community involvement and environmental practices.
  • Invest in the training and development of our staff to ensure they are competent and focused on the importance of treating every customer fairly
  • Monitor correspondence and activities to ensure that every customer enquiry is treated consistently and that any advice given is in the customers’ best interests
  • Continually assess and improve the services we provide to ensure we can meet changing requirements
  • Provide documentation to clearly and unambiguously explain how our fleet management solutions and products work
  • Empower our staff to ensure any concerns raised by a customer are immediately addressed

We constantly monitor our ability to achieve these standards through:

  • Regular training and appraisals to assess individual performance
  • Benchmarking performance against quality standards
  • Internal and external audits
  • Customer satisfaction surveys

Fleet Alliance abides by the six customer outcomes set out by the FCA in relation to Treating Customers Fairly:

Outcome 1: Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.

Outcome 2:Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.

Outcome 3: Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.

Outcome 4:Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.

Outcome 5:Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.

Outcome 6:Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change a product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.

 

Questions or Suggestions

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding these policies or believe we are not properly adhering to them please send an email to info@fleetalliance.co.uk