1:38 pm, April 14, 2026
Adverts for motor finance compensation which used ‘used edited, unauthorised clips’ of journalist Martin Lewis have been banned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The adverts in question were from claims management company Conclusive Financial Ltd – which also trades as PCP Refunds – and used not only clips of Lewis but also the FCA logo without permission.
The firm was told to remove the advertising and update, or take down its website until it complied with the FCA’s rules.
Conclusive has since removed the banned adverts.
In a press release, the FCA said it was ‘concerned’ that in some of Conclusive’s adverts there was the statement that customers would receive £1,846 compensation for motor finance claims. However, there was no explanation of how this figure was calculated.
The watchdog was also unimpressed at how Conclusive promoted a ‘No Win, No Fee’ service on its websites, without a proper explanation of the fees, including any exit fees, people would be charged.
It also did not tell consumers that they could make claims for free to their lender or to the Financial Ombudsman Service without the need to use a claims management company (CMC).
The FCA has repeatedly warned that customers do not need to use CMCs for motor finance compensation.
On March 30, the watchdog finally published the details of its free redress scheme, estimating that 12.1m consumers will get cash with the average payout amounting to £830. You can read more about the announcement here.
Commenting on the adverts ban, Alison Walters, director of consumer finance at the FCA, said: ‘Consumers should be wary of adverts that overpromise or give the impression they are endorsed by the FCA or well-known individuals. We will take swift action where rules are being broken.
‘Our scheme is free and people don’t have to use a CMC or law firm. If they do, it’s important that they can trust them.’
The FCA issued advice to customers already engaged with Conclusive saying that should they feel as though they have been misled, they should ‘complain directly to Conclusive’, and if ‘they are unhappy with the outcome, they can refer their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service’.
