Your questions answered

Can I take a payment holiday?

Whilst we do not offer a Payment Holiday over and above any payment concessions previously available through a COVID19 Payment Deferral, we may still be able to help you. 

Please do not cancel your Direct Debit arrangement with us.  Instead, please contact us to discuss your concerns.  Our specialist team are on hand to explore possible solutions based on your personal circumstances.

We can be reached at customer.services@alphera.co.uk or by phone at 0370 50 50 125.

The following not-for-profit organisations can provide free, confidential and impartial debt advice and support, should you need it.

• Money Helper – www.moneyhelper.org.uk/debt-advice-locator
• Citizens Advice – www.adviceguide.org.uk
• National Debtline – www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
• Money Advice Service – www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

 

Has ALPHERA Financial Services sent me a text to ‘activate a repayment plan’?

I’ve received a message asking me to reply to a text to ‘activate a repayment plan’ during this COVID-19 pandemic. Is this genuine?

It is not genuine. During the current COVID-19 emergency we have been made aware that criminals are sending fraudulent SMS text messages to large numbers of UK consumers encouraging them to reply. We strongly recommend that our customers do not respond to them.

ALPHERA Financial Services will only ever send you an SMS text message to notify you that we have received a communication from you, such as an online form, email or voicemail. We will never request that you respond to a text message regarding your finance agreement. For customers experiencing financial difficulties due to COVID-19 who have contacted us and are awaiting a response, our team of expert advisors will contact you individually by telephone to discuss your circumstances and explain your options.

 

I have a query in relation to a payment deferral I have previously received

For information on Payment Deferrals that were granted to support customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with FCA guidance, please click here.

 

Where can I access free and impartial debt advice?

Free and impartial debt advice and money guidance is available at not-for-profit debt advice bodies. Please see:

• the Money Advice Service’s NAVIGATOR TOOL and DEBT ADVICE LOCATOR TOOL, and
• the FCA information page ‘DEALING WITH FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC’.

If you are experiencing payment difficulties we strongly recommend that you access the help that you feel best suits your circumstances. 

You can get guidance or not-for-profit debt advice through both digital and telephone services and, subject to local and national pandemic restrictions, face to face. See www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk for details.

See our COVID-19 related FAQs for more information.

 

Information relating to COVID-19

 

Payment Queries

 

I've missed a payment, what should I do?

If you make your monthly payments by Direct Debit, you should contact your bank in the first instance.  Please be advised that for all direct debit instructions we will make two further attempts to collect your instalment.  For manual payments, you can make payment via our 24hr automated Card Payment line on 0370 50 50 125. 

Please note, if you repay the arrears with a credit card you are at risk of escalating debt and additional interest charges.  Before you proceed with this method of payment you may wish to consult with one the free debt advice agencies listed below:

-Money Helper – www.moneyhelper.org.uk/debt-advice-locator

-Citizens Advice – www.adviceguide.org.uk

-National Debtline – www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

-Money Advice Service – www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

If you are unable to make the payment at this time, please contact us immediately.

It is important that you keep in contact to advise us of your personal circumstances and to discuss how your payment(s) can be brought back up to date.

Please contact us and we will be happy to discuss the options available to you. Alternatively, click here to request support via a repayment plan.

Please be advised if you choose not to maintain your monthly payments this could have an adverse effect on your credit rating and may affect your ability to obtain credit in the future.  Interest may be charged on any amounts unpaid.

 

I have received a Notice of Sums in Arrears from you even though I have agreed a payment plan or payment deferral due to COVID-19.  What should I do?

If you have had the benefit of a Payment Plan or Payment Deferral with us and since received a notice of Sums in Arrears, please don’t worry.  As stated on the correspondence sent to you regarding your payment plan or payment deferral, these are regulatory notices which are obliged to send.  We are required by law to send these to you for information purposes to keep you up to date with the current status of your agreement.

If you are currently in a payment plan or have previously taken a payment deferral with us and since received Notice of Sums in Arrears, please do not worry.  These are regulatory notices which are required by law to send to you for information purposes to keep you up to date with the current status of your agreement.  So long are you are maintaining your regular monthly payments, or any payments agreed under a payment plan, you don’t need to take any action.

 

I am unable to maintain my current payments 

If you are concerned about your ability to maintain your current monthly payments, please contact us, we may be able to assist you.

In considering the options available to you, as responsible lenders, we may ask you to provide us with Income and Expenditure information.  The quickest and easiest way to do this is via Open Banking.  Our advisors can discuss this with you in more detail. Alternatively, click here to request support via a repayment plan.

In the meantime, the following not-for-profit organisations can provide free, confidential, and impartial debt advice and support, should you need it.

• Money Helper – www.moneyhelper.org.uk/debt-advice-locator
• Citizens Advice – www.adviceguide.org.uk  
• National Debtline – www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

• Money Advice Service – www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

 

What is Open Banking? 

Open Banking is a quick and efficient way for you to provide us with information regarding your income and expenditure.  As responsible lenders, this is information we require to allow us to assess your current financial position to help us consider an affordable repayment plan.

When you agree to participate in Open Banking, you will be sent a link, either by email or SMS, which will allow you to provide us one-time access to your banking information.

Once you have identified the appropriate bank account(s) and agreed to provide the information to us, we are sent a breakdown of your average monthly income and expenditure, providing insight to the disposable income available to you each month after your essential expenditure.  We can then review this information and contact you to discuss how we may be able to assist you.

 

Can I make a payment over the phone? 

Our preferred payment method is Direct Debit.  This is one of the safest and most convenient ways to make payment and ensures your monthly payment is never forgotten or delayed.

However, for active agreements, you can make a manual payment for any outstanding amounts.  To do so, call our 24hr automated payment line on 0370 50 50 125. Please note, the card used must be registered in your name and to the home address we hold on file.

We regret we are unable to accept payment by Credit Card for any final balloon or settlement payments.

 

I can no longer maintain my payments and would like to return the vehicle

If you have a regulated ALPHERA Select or ALPHERA Hire Purchase agreement you have the right to end the agreement at any time, known as voluntary termination. You must hand back the vehicle and pay the balance to one half of the total amount due under your agreement (if you have not already paid at least one half) and in addition any arrears, excess mileage, and damage charges.  We may be able to agree a repayment plan with you for any remaining balance due. This may be subject to an Income and Expenditure review with you to ensure the plan we set is affordable for you.

Details of this right are set out in your agreement under "Termination: Your Rights" and you can see more on our Ending Your Agreement page.

 For more information on this option, you can call 0370 50 50 125 and one of our advisors will be happy to help you.

 

Will a payment plan affect my credit file? 

For Active Agreements:

Although a payment plan has been agreed, since the regular instalment is not being made, in full, on the originally agreed date, any amounts outstanding for 28 days or more will report late payment markers to the Credit Reference Agencies until such time the agreement is brought back up to date.  For the period you remain in a payment plan with us, this will be reflected as ‘an arrangement’ on your credit file.

 

For Settled or Expired Agreements: 

Providing the first payment of your plan is received within 28 days of any outstanding balance falling due, with any subsequent payments being made as per the agreed plan, no late payment markers will be reported to the Credit Reference Agencies. Should the arrangement break at any point due to non or late payment, late payment markers will be reported until such time the balance is cleared, or the payment plan reset.

 

My credit file has been impacted? 

Your credit file may be impacted if you do not maintain your payments.  We are required to report factually and therefore any payment outstanding for more than 28 days will be reported to the Credit Reference Agencies.

 

What does Default mean? 

You are in Default when you do not adhere to the terms and conditions of the finance Agreement.  An example of this would be not making your scheduled payments on time.

It may be possible to amend your regular payment date.

If you are registered with MyFinance, please log onto your account to see what changes can be made.

Alternatively, please call us on 0370 50 50 125 and one of our advisors will be happy to assist.

 

I have received a Default Notice

A Default Notice may be issued for continued non-payment and/or a breach of our Agreement terms.  Please refer to your Default Notice for details on why it has been issued and if it is possible for you to remedy any breach noted.  The notice will also stipulate the expiry date confirming how long the notice is valid for before any further action may be taken by us.

 

How can I review letters you have previously sent me? 

If you are registered for MyFinance, you will be able to view copies of any arrears communications we have sent to you since April 2022.  To register for MyFinance please visit here:  https://myfinance.alphera.co.uk/en/home.html

 

A Default has been recorded against by Credit file

A Default will be recorded against a credit file upon termination of the agreement and will remain for 6 years.

 

Following termination of my Agreement and collection of my vehicle, what happens next? 

The vehicle will be sold at auction, with the sales proceeds being off set against any liability you still owe us.  We will then write to you, providing you with a Statement of Liability which will detail the amount you are required to pay.

 

I have received a statement of Liability 

This statement outlines the amount you owe us following the sale of the vehicle.  To pay this amount or discuss an affordable payment plan, please contact us on 0370 50 50 125. This may be subject to an Income and Expenditure review with you, using Open Banking (with your agreement), to ensure the plan we set is affordable for you.

 

Will you allow me to defer my payment if I am having difficulty with making my payments?

During the Coronavirus pandemic ALPHERA Financial Services has been able to support customers experiencing temporary financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 in the form of a Payment Deferral, in line with guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Applications for new Payment Deferrals provided under the terms of FCA guidance closed on 31 March 2021 and all these Payment Deferrals were required to end by 31 July 2021

If you are in financial difficulties we have other options that may be available to support you. Please contact us on 0370 5050 150 to discuss your circumstances and how we may be able to support you.

Free and impartial debt advice and money guidance is available at not-for-profit debt advice bodies. Please see:

• The Money Advice Service’s Navigator Tool and Debt Advice Locator Tool, and

• The FCA information page ‘Dealing with financial difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic’.

If you are experiencing payment difficulties we strongly recommend that you access the help that you feel best suits your circumstances.

You can get guidance or not-for-profit debt advice through both digital and telephone services and, subject to local and national pandemic restrictions, face to face. See www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk for details.

 

Will my credit file be impacted as a result of the COVID-19 situation?

While in more ‘usual’ times, ALPHERA Financial Services has an obligation to record arrears with credit reference agencies, in the extraordinary circumstances where your current financial difficulty has been solely as a result of COVID-19, we will not record any adverse information on your credit file in relation to any payments deferred under an agreed Payment Deferral, providing you are adhering to the deferral arrangements. 

However, we and other lenders may take into account other information resulting from a Payment Deferral when making future lending decisions, including, for example, information provided by applicants or bank account information. Therefore a deferral may have some impact on future lending decisions about you.

Please be aware that we will report any other arrears in the usual way.

If you have had the benefit of a Payment Deferral granted by us under FCA guidance and would like more information on how the deferral will have affected your finance agreement with us, click here. 

 

What happens if my balloon payment is due to come out?
At the end of your finance agreement you have a number of options available if you do not want to pay the final balloon payment. 

If you would like to keep your car you can spread the cost of the final payment by arranging a refinance. Your Retailer can arrange this for you or alternative call us directly on 0370 5050 131.

If you need a shorter term solution, please call our Customer Services team on 0370 5050 123 Option 1.

If you no longer need your car you also have the option of returning it at the end of your finance agreement. Click here for more information on this process.

Please note if you have been granted a payment deferral, your balloon date will have been changed in line with the extension of your agreement. For further information on Payment Deferrals, please click here

 

I’ve not yet signed my finance agreement but I’m concerned about my ability to pay as a result of COVID-19.
For any customers who have not yet signed a finance agreement, but have concerns about their ability to make their payments for a vehicle as a result of COVID-19, we would advise you to discuss this with your Retailer prior to signing any finance agreement. 

If you are still uncertain after this discussion we would encourage you to consider postponing your decision until matters become clearer.  

I’ve signed my finance agreement. How does this impact my 14-day right to withdrawal?
You have 14 days to withdraw from the agreement starting on the day after you signed the agreement*. If you exercise your right to withdraw, you must repay the credit in full plus interest (accrued up to the date you repay) within 30 days. Details of how to withdraw and the daily amount of interest are set out on the front of your finance agreement. If you have signed a finance agreement but not yet taken delivery of the vehicle, you are able to cancel your agreement without charge.

 * you will not have the right of withdrawal if you have borrowed more than £60,260 or if your agreement is not regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

 

What are ALPHERA Financial Services’ bank details?

Our bank details are as follows:

• Bank Name: HSBC Bank PLC
• Payee: ALPHERA Financial Services
• Sort Code: 40-41-70
• Account Number: 60001961
• Reference: Please include your Agreement number as a reference

 

What details should I include when sending you funds via a bank transfer?

Please include your agreement number as your payment reference so that we can allocate the funds to your agreement.

 

What does the updated FCA guidance on Repossessions (published 27 January 2021) mean for customers?

In line with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Guidance on Repossessions issued on 27 January 2021, BMW / MINI / ALPHERA Financial Services continues to engage with our customers to ensure that any repossession activity is only undertaken as a last resort.

Any Repossession activity will be completed in accordance with all relevant Government Public Health guidelines, including with regards to social distancing and shielding.

For further information on the latest published FCA Guidance on Repossessions please visit: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/finalised-guidance/finalised-guidance-consumer-credit-and-coronavirus-updated-tailored-support-guidance-firms

 

How can I contact ALPHERA Financial Services?

If you wish to update your personal details, change a payment date, request a settlement figure or arrange a vehicle collection you can self-serve using our MyALPHERA Finance facility here.

For matters that can’t be answered via the online FAQs or MyALPHERA Finance, our Customer Support teams are working from home and are available to provide the support and service customers expect on 0370 50 50 125 (8am–7pm Monday to Friday and 9am–5pm Saturday). 

Calls are charged at the local rate, plus your phone company’s access charge.
Please be aware that we are still experiencing high volumes of enquiries as a result of the ongoing impacts from COVID-19, so telephone waiting and email response times may be longer than usual.

You can also write to us at:
ALPHERA Financial Services
Phoenix One
59 - 63 Farnham Road
Slough
SL1 3TN

Email us at:
customer.services@ALPHERAfs.co.uk

We aim to respond within 48 hours

 

ALPHERA Insurance

Following the FCA announcement on guidelines for insurance products, if you have any COVID-19 related queries or concerns regarding your ALPHERA Protect products (Branded Shortfall, Tyre and Cosmetic Repair Insurance), please contact Mapfre via email: enquiries@mapfre.co.uk

 

New Orders

Will COVID-19 delay delivery of my new vehicle?

Automotive manufacturing is an industry which relies on a global supply chain and Coronavirus has impacted different countries around the world at different times to differing extents. Whether Coronavirus will result in a delay to the delivery of your new vehicle will depend on the specific details of your order. Please contact your Retailer for advice.

 

Agreement Cancellation

I’ve signed my finance agreement. How does this impact my 14 day right to withdrawal? 

You have 14 days to withdraw from the agreement starting on the day after you signed the agreement*. If you exercise your right to withdraw, you must repay the credit in full plus interest (accrued up to the date you repay) within 30 days. Details of how to withdraw and the daily amount of interest are set out on the front of your finance agreement. If you have signed a finance agreement but not yet taken delivery of the vehicle, you are able to cancel your agreement without charge.

 * you will not have the right of withdrawal if you have borrowed more than £60,260 or if your agreement is not regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

 

Bereavement Process

What is your bereavement process?

We understand that it can be difficult to arrange financial affairs after the death of someone and we want to make this process as simple as possible. As you may already be aware, UK law only allows us to discuss any finance arrangement(s) with specific people – the Personal Representative(s) of the Estate – and only after we have seen certain documents.  

As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing exceptionally high call and email volumes across our business, but would like to reassure you that we are here to help. We would ask that you contact us via email at bereavement.support@bmwfin.com at this time to avoid you having to wait on the phone and to ensure we are able to review your query and respond to you at the earliest convenience.

What do we require?
As a first step we would require the following:
1. An original death certificate, or an original interim death certificate, or a Death Certificate Verification Form completed by a solicitor; and 
2. A certified copy of the Will (if a Will was made), or a sealed copy of the Grant of Letters of Administration. 

Where possible, we ask that you email these documents to us. Where we ordinarily require original copies of the death certificate/interim death certificate or Will, a certified copy will be sufficient. Copies can be certified by your solicitor or local Post Office. Currently, we understand obtaining such copies may be difficult so please speak with one of our team who can advise you further.

If you would like to talk to one of our advisors please contact our Bereavement Support team on 0370 5050 150 - Option 5.

For additional support at this time the Cruse Bereavement Care Freephone National Helpline is staffed by trained bereavement volunteers, who offer emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement.  Their helpline is open Monday-Friday 9.30-5pm (excluding bank holidays), with extended hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings until 8.00pm. If you feel their services may assist you at this time they can be contacted on 0808 808 1677.