Ex-Tory MP Anthony Coombs Downplays Car Finance Scandal, While His Firm Profits from Hidden Commissions

Anthony Coombs: A Conflict of Interest at the Heart of the Scandal

The car finance mis-selling scandal has rocked the industry, with lenders facing up to £30 billion in liabilities according to Moody's. Yet Anthony Coombs, a former Conservative MP and Chairman of S&U plc, has publicly downplayed the scale of harm caused to consumers.

Coombs, whose company owns Advantage Finance, recently released a trading update claiming that the harm to consumers is "marginal" and suggested that the Supreme Court should take a "pragmatic" approach to the ongoing legal fallout.

But this isn't just a case of a business executive giving his opinion — this is a direct conflict of interest. Not only does S&U plc own Advantage Finance, a firm that has provided over 250,000 hire purchase agreements, but Coombs also sits on the Executive of the Consumer Credit Association (CCA), a body supposedly dedicated to protecting consumers.

The Real Financial Damage — What Sentinel Legal Has Uncovered

£14.96 Million in Advanced Commissions

Santander paid £14.96 million to a dealer network, tied to a £75 million loan commitment. This deal created a clear conflict of interest, as dealers were incentivised to push Santander's finance products even if they weren't the best option for consumers.

£16,049 in Hidden Commissions on a Single Finance Agreement

In one case, a customer financed an £81,509.05 Land Rover, unknowingly paying £16,049.14 in hidden commissions:

• £9,781.09 in scale commission (12% of the credit amount)
• £4,279.23 in head office commission (5.25%)
• £1,988.82 as an outcome bonus (2.44%)

This means 19.69% of the total amount financed — and an astonishing 61% of the total cost of credit — was undisclosed dealer commissions. Does that sound like "marginal harm"?

S&U plc, Advantage Finance & Anthony Coombs' Influence

S&U plc isn't just another lender — it's a key player in shaping motor finance industry policies:

• Member of the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA)
• Represented on the FLA Board, Deputy Chair of the Motor Finance Division, and Chair of the Credit Risk Committee
• Operates in the subprime motor finance sector, providing hire purchase finance to over 250,000 customers

Regulatory Conflict: Who Is Anthony Coombs Really Representing?

Anthony Coombs sits on the Executive of the Consumer Credit Association (CCA) and chairs its Public Relations Committee. Yet instead of advocating for consumer redress, he is:

• Minimising the scale of financial harm, despite clear evidence of inflated interest rates and hidden fees.
• Lobbying for a "pragmatic" approach to Supreme Court rulings, likely to favour lenders over consumers.
• Downplaying the financial damage, even as Moody's estimates the industry could face £30 billion in liabilities.

This isn't consumer advocacy — it's industry protection.

Sam Ward, Director of Sentinel Legal

"Calling the harm suffered by mis-sold car finance consumers 'marginal' is disgraceful. We've uncovered cases where over 60% of the cost of credit was hidden in dealer commissions — how is that minimal harm?"

"With £30 billion in potential liabilities, lenders are scrambling to control the narrative. The car finance industry is lobbying hard to limit compensation payouts, but we aren't going to let that happen without a fight."