money
British motorists living in France may be eligible for car compensation
Find out which vehicles qualify and how much drivers could receive
Published
British residents in France may be eligible for compensation after a UK court approved a £55.87 million compensation fund for inflated vehicle shipping costs
The Competition Appeal Tribunal approved the scheme in 2026, following settlements with shipping companies operating a cartel that increased the cost of transporting new vehicles into the UK.
To qualify for compensation, motorists must have bought or leased at least one eligible new car or van between October 18, 2006 and September 6, 2015, for their own use.
Drivers that have bought or or leased a car between September 7, 2015 and December 31, 2019 may also be eligible for compensation.
Eligible brands include Ford, BMW, Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen.
The compensation scheme excludes vehicles made by 36 manufacturers, including Audi, Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, Porsche, Seat, Škoda and Volvo.
You can see your car qualities by entering the brand of the vehicle you bought between 2006 and 2015 here.
Motorists may still qualify even if they have since sold the vehicle or returned it at the end of a lease.
Businesses that bought or leased eligible vehicles for their own use may also qualify.
How much could drivers receive?
Compensation is calculated according to the number of eligible vehicles claimed:
£25 for the first vehicle
£5 for each of the second to sixth vehicles
£2.50 for each additional
However, the amounts could be adjusted if fewer people than expected make valid claims.
The fund is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The claims window is expected to run for six months from November 2026, but could close earlier if the money runs out.
What must people living in France do?
People who were domiciled outside the UK on October 5, 2026, need to actively opt in to the settlement by November 6, 2026, if they wish to claim compensation.
They can do so by emailing optin@cardeliverycharges.com or sending a letter by post to Car Delivery Charges, PO Box 13260, Braintree, CM7 0PL.
Those wanting to opt in should provide their full name, email address and postal address, and confirm that they wish to opt in to the settlement in the case Mark McLaren Class Representative Limited v MOL (Europe Africa) Ltd and Others.
Those domiciled in the UK on October 5 are automatically included and do not need to opt in. They can, however, opt out of the scheme by November 6.
Those opting out should email optout@cardeliverycharges.com or write to the same address, above.
Further questions can be sent to info@cardeliverycharges.com
