Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Hippo Vehicle Solutions Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5494482 of 2025-07-08T00:00:00+00:00. Service failures generally complaint against Hippo Vehicle Solutions Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5494482 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2025-07-08T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Hippo Vehicle Solutions Limited |
| Product | Motor finance (PCP / HP) |
| Claim type | Service failures generally |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | None ordered. The ombudsman declined to impose a settlement, leaving it to the parties to continue discussions on resolution terms. |
Summary
Ms S ordered a used car on hire purchase on 18 January 2024, stressing that timely delivery was important as she did not have a car. She expected delivery within a few days but the car was not delivered until 6 February 2024, causing her to incur approximately £800 in car hire and taxi costs. HMF offered to waive the delivery fee as a gesture of goodwill, but Ms S sought compensation for her additional costs. The ombudsman found that HMF's terms of business did not guarantee a specific delivery date and only provided remedies if delivery was delayed beyond 28 days from the estimated date, which did not apply here. The complaint was not upheld.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that HMF's terms of business did not guarantee a specific delivery date but only committed to making 'every effort' to deliver by an estimated date. The website information and Ms S's own recollection that she was told HMF 'aims' to deliver within 72 hours supported this interpretation. Contractual remedies for late delivery only became available after 28 days from the estimated delivery date, and Ms S's car was delivered well within that threshold. While Ms S incurred costs, the ombudsman considered that HMF's offer to waive the delivery fee was a reasonable gesture and declined to impose a settlement.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hippo Vehicle Solutions Limited, all decisions | 14 | 11% |
| Service failures generally, all decisions | 32,767 | 33% |
| Motor finance (PCP / HP), all decisions | 19,456 | 38% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website