Write a review

Close Brothers: Car Finance reviews

Name: Car Finance
Rating: 2.05 (64 reviews)

View other Close Brothers products

1.81

Based on 64 reviews, last reviewed 17th Feb 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

300% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

22%

2 star

71%

Latest highest rating:

5

Always been fairly priced with good support for all... Always been fairly priced with good support for all services they offer. Reviewed on: 24th September 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Avoid Close Brothers Finance! Avoid Close Brothers Finance! FCA investigation underway into their unfair practices! Close Brothers deliberately delay customer complaints and evad... Read more Reviewed on: 17th February 2025

Read all reviews See your review

About this product

Close Brothers offer car finance for both new and used cars, vans and motorbikes across the UK. If you've taken out a car finance policy, you too can leave a Close Brothers car finance review below.

Close Brothers Car Finance reviews (64)

Review of the Close Brothers, Car Finance:

Avoid these con artists!

Financed a car for my elderly, disabled mother and it’s not road worthy, in fact it’s dangerous. Timing chain, head gasket and leaking oil all over the brakes and onto the engine and floor to name but a few issues. Had the car assessed at 2 garages and both have said it needs a complete engine rebuild and is not safe to drive. Close brothers finance took 3 months to arrange with the dealer to have the car back to repair and it’s come back with more issues than it left with. The dealer is a very unpleasant man and clearly a con artist, his online reviews are absolutely dire, a finance company shouldn’t even be working with this “trader” at all. Now the car is back and deemed dangerous close brothers are ignoring my elderly mothers calls at all costs and have offered no help at all. This car needs rejecting and a replacement found. My next call is to trading standards and the financial ombudsman in regards to both close brothers and the original dealer to try and get this dealt with. Reviewed on: 19th April 2024

Can't even open an email

Covid issue. Contacted them three times via email (and got the automated response, we will be in contact but it might be a little longer than usual, fine). They didn't open a single email... Let alone read it?! They only got in contact when I missed a payment. I cancelled the DD because I had to, I had also informed them I was going to do this as I had heard nothing. Email comes through asking me to call them urgently, I do, they have no idea why I am calling despite having selected numerous options... Well that's certainly something. Girl on the ohone is unable to help properly, tries to force me into a breathing space. She is told no this is what's happening now. Nope complaint filed. Phone call the next morning despite asking them to call in the afternoon. Feel like I take three steps even further back. More trying to force me into something I don't want and thinks that they can?! Nope. You couldn't open and read an email, I am not trusting you at all. Useless customer service that only served to agitate. It is a bit more involved but I don't want to write a 2000 word essay. Reviewed on: 28th May 2020

Asked for a 3 month payment break due to Covid and they blacked my credit rating

Wrote to close Brothers asking for a 3 month Covid related payment holiday. They acknowledged receipt of my letter yet marked me on my credit history as having failed to meet my payments. The lowest of the low, in a world pandemic when I was left without a penny these scum bags marked my unblemished credit rating with 2 non payments. Avoid them at all costs ! Reviewed on: 14th May 2020

Friendly and Helpful

Very easy experience, good app that you can use. Friendly on the phone. Very clear terms and payments. Flexible approach. Would be great if all finance lenders could take their approach. Reviewed on: 28th April 2020

Avoid they have no compassion

Wow how did this company get such a good rating, right ok let's tell the truth, i came to them two months ago and paid no problem yet they were very VERY expansive, anyway i tried to ring them two days before thr payment was due fir this month to inform them i was going to struggle to make payment on time this month as my benefits wasn't put in on time due to the job centre messing u my payment but they have done it manually and its going to take three days meaning its gonna be the 29th not 28th my payment goes in, easy you may think, but no, i tried calling on the 26th three times, first time i was on hold waiting to get through to them for 54mins then finally it got answered but someone answered and put the phone down on me, now this just really annoyed me so i tried again and 40mins went by and because i had an appointment with my psychiatrist i had no choice but to end the call but i try again two hours later hoping it would be quieter, this being 430pm, but nope, how nieve i was,43mins went by but i lost reception so had to give up, so next day comes (27th) and yet the same thing, on hold for 46mins before i had to give up and go to my hospital appointment for my cancer appointment, so after i got out of here i tried again but i jut couldn't handle the stress at this point and gave up after 34mins, after receiving bad news i just couldn't have handled it. Anyway 28th comes and i ring them to beg for them to take it on the 29th but after 40odd mins i finally hear a voice, not one i could have hoped for but still a person, i explain my situation and he said ti me nope thair isn't anything we can do you have to pay your £49 plus a £30 late payment fee, baring in mind it was the same day he still said even if i pay it today the day it was due I still have to pay the £30 charge, so i explain ti him that I'm on benefits and i only get 610 a month 500 of which goes on rent leaving me with £110 to pay insurance and electric,gas and food but he just wouldn't budge saying he wouldn't take the charge off even this once and when i asked to speak to a manager he said that they wouldn't take it off ether so it's pointless, he then went on to basically say that if i want to change insurance and finance company i could, now remember this is the final pay before Xmas so they are willing to take all my money off me which would leave me having to go to a food bank fir my Xmas dinner, which i wouldn't be able ti do due ti my mental health anyway, ive got suicidal depression which has been made worse with this and its really pushed me over the edge and when come to kill myself ill make dam sure they get the credit it the news papers for it, i mean what does this £30 pay for, ive had no emails calls texts or letters infavt it was only by chance i found out, so it ain't that, so be carful with them everyone if your cash goes in late and they try to take it expect a £30 charge on top even the same day without warning, they are willing to throw away a £600premium fir the sake of £30 and lose a customer plus whoever reads this and finds out what they are really like when u need help and do u know he even tried to get me to fob the payment off on someone else to pay it now I'm pretty sure they can't do that and ill see be going to the press about my problems here just mark my words, thair should legally be a time scale in which you have to pay a dept if you miss it before they can charge like 24-48hours like America do meaning it gives people a chance if something goes wrong like most insurance companies do but not close brothers nope its like a set up to fail situation, so avoid at all costs everyone, this probably won't even get a reply anyway, look at thr other review websites and see for yourself merry Xmas everyone i hoe you have a better one then I'm gonna have starving freezing no electric or gas Reviewed on: 30th November 2019

RIP off merchants!

Top load car finance with interest. And charge £350 ADMIN fee to set finance up! RIP off!!! Avoid avoid avoid No stars given at all! Reviewed on: 21st November 2019

Callous and scammers

Took car finance out years ago they ripped me off threw mis sold ppi. I explained to them about my disability and why I didn't claim soon enough. I had a strong case, they refused my circumstances and I had to go to financial ombudsman, the ombudsman asked them to consider but they refused. The staff are callous and nasty. J.g. Reviewed on: 2nd August 2019

Insurance

One good company Cip insurance More information from first time Reviewed on: 3rd July 2019

Worst Car Finance Company Experience Ever

Our complaint with this company is now into it's 9th month. The vehicle financed came with what we believe to be fraudulent documentation and was mis-described. The FSA Ombudsman has upheld part of our complaint but we must proceed with court action for the rest. You can read my complaint and see the documents (when uploaded) via a link on Close Brothers own Facebook page or go to:- Close Brothers Motor Finance?... Read This First. on Facebook where you can like, share, comment or add your own experiences. Reviewed on: 10th June 2019

Worst Car Finance Company Experience Ever

We have an ongoing complaint of some 9 months regarding the supply of what we believe to be fraudulent documentation for our vehicle. Part upheld by the FSA Ombudsman and now having to proceed with court action. I've submitted full details on their own Facebook page or you can go to :- Close Brothers Motor Finance?...Read This First' where you can like, share, comment or add your own experience. Reviewed on: 10th June 2019

Simple application process

Quick decision to drive away with payments to suit my lifestyle Reviewed on: 8th April 2019

Do you have a different Close Brothers product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Alternative products

Car Finance
from Arnold Clark 2.79 from 11 reviews
Car Finance
from carfinance247 2.79 from 9 reviews
Car Finance
from Zuto 3.05 from 111 reviews

There's still more to see!

Close Brothers has a range of products available. Check the ratings of each product to find the right one for you. View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub

Close Brothers: Car Finance reviews

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

300% increase in 1 star reviews

Latest highest rating:

5

Latest lowest rating:

1

About this product

Close Brothers Car Finance reviews (64)

Avoid these con artists!

Can't even open an email

Asked for a 3 month payment break due to Covid and they blacked my credit rating

Friendly and Helpful

Avoid they have no compassion

RIP off merchants!

Callous and scammers

Insurance

Worst Car Finance Company Experience Ever

Worst Car Finance Company Experience Ever

Simple application process

Do you have a different Close Brothers product?

There's still more to see!

Join Smart Money People

News, guides and insight from our team

UK money news stories - 24 July 2024

Your Money, Your Voice: Have your say

Our latest research - customers see little impact of FCA's Consumer Duty one year on

Consumer credit awards winners 2024