About us

About us
Who are First Response Finance?

Who are First Response Finance?

At First Response Finance, we believe in getting you back on track, regardless of why you’ve been knocked off course. We specialise in helping people with thin or poor credit files secure the vehicle they need to get from A to B through Hire Purchase finance. If you’ve been turned down elsewhere or are looking to rebuild your credit profile, we’re here to help. Whether you’re looking for a car, van, or motorbike, we work with over 2,750 FCA accredited dealerships across the UK, meaning you’ll never be too far away from a new set of wheels!

We’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, over which time our processes have been continuously evolving to put our customers at the heart of everything we do - things like evolving our best in class technology to help give you a decision, quickly. We’re also backed by Itochu, who have consistently featured in the Fortune Global 500 list of corporations, meaning you can be rest assured that you’re in safe hands.

If you’re looking for a car finance provider you can trust, then we may be the ones for you. 

Our achievements

Our achievements

We’ve won a number of awards for our customer service - including being named Best Car Finance Provider five years in a row at the Consumer Credit Awards, as well as being recipients of the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service award in six of the last seven years. Our customers have rated us as Excellent on Trustpilot and we’ve also won a number of industry awards, with our service being recognised numerous times at the Car Dealer Power Awards

300,000+

customers trust us with their vehicle finance

4.9/5

rated by customers on Feefo

X6

winner of the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award

Our reviews

Don't just take our word for it, hear from our customers below...

Average Customer Rating

4.9/5Feefo logo
Independent Service Rating Based on 2,267 verified reviews. 
Read all reviews

"Mixed really, but not dishonest"

I’m going to write this factually and honestly because my first review 5 years ago was actually refused by FEEFO because I didn’t provide a receipt. 🤷 for a PCP 😂 —- This time round has been somewhat difficult but they were supportive in the end. I had an original agreement back in 2019/20. Unfortunately was made redundant and missed a couple of payments during redundancy, I did find a job within 18 weeks of being made redundant and continued with a payment plan. However FRF defaulted me without any real working with me and laid their damage then. They wouldn’t refinance me on the car I had taken out with them that was falling apart. Every application over a 5 year period was declined even though I was making payments under their payment plan of £100 per month down from £200 per month. Roll on those 5 years with no help from FRF, I settled my finance agreement and thought ide just risk asking them for another one. They actually to my surprise said yes. But here comes the snag… They were very dictating to what I could get and gave me only a £7,000 limit. I had a disposable set out in my agreement in the end of over £11000 per month after bills but would only let me pay £300 a month on finance in a £7000 limit. I had previously paid them over £11,000 for my previous car and the £7000 limit was abit of a ‘control’ tactic as they advised me they knew nobody else would touch me due to my default with first response finance 4 years ago. Backed into a corner really and had to be told what car I could get In the end I chose a model down from the actual model of car I wanted due to me going and finding one and them turning around and saying we won’t finance that type of car for you sorry. (13 plate X6) I managed to get them to agree to an X4 and they were very speedy and responsive from there. So I’ve yet to see how this agreement relationship turns out. Just thought ide be totally honest. I don’t necessarily think first response are bad at all - I do think they could really improve on their ‘support’ with customers when it comes to early difficulties but I suppose they are a business and ‘business goes to be done!’ 🤷 Let’s see how it’s goes. Still forever grateful to be able to get another car as without them, ide still be working my original finance car due to it breaking completely a 2 years ago!

Christopher Stanford - 1 day ago
How we work

How we work

First, we focus on our people.

We have a very thorough recruitment process to ensure that we're hiring people with values similar to our own.

Our people then improve and deliver our service.

We invest heavily in training and have constant ongoing development sessions so that our employees are skilled and well-equipped to service you in the best way they can.

Profit comes naturally.

We see profit as an outcome of providing excellent products and services - if we do these things well, profit will take care of itself.

We reinvest our profits back into the business, and the cycle continues. We also recognise the importance of giving back to our local communities. For every single finance agreement we write, we donate to two charities, Trussell Trust and Magic Breakfast, raising over £100,000 in the process. 

Customer driven

We put our customers at the heart of every decision we make, always striving to deliver the kind of service we would expect ourselves. 

Open and honest

We communicate clearly and transparently with our customers, taking responsibility when things don’t go to plan and always being open to feedback so we can improve their experience.

Team player

We work collaboratively across our teams to deliver the best outcomes for our customers, recognising that different perspectives and strengths help us serve them better.

Winning attitude

We believe great service is built through learning and improvement. When things don’t go perfectly, we reflect, adapt, and do better - so our customers benefit every time.

How we look after your information

How we look after your information

When applying for any financial product, you'll be asked to supply personal information about yourself in order for a company to make an informed decision about whether or not their services are right for you. At First Response Finance, we handle this process securely, so that you can have peace of mind during what may be a stressful time. 

We're listed as data controllers with the ICO and handle your data in conjunction with our Privacy Policy. Essentially this means that we collect and use your data to assess, provide and manage your finance, and we will only share it with carefully selected third parties where it’s necessary for your agreement, required by law, or to prevent fraud - not to sell it for marketing to unrelated companies.

 

From finance experts to car matchmakers

From finance experts to car matchmakers

We're proud to announce the launch of our new brand Motopeople

Motopeople is our new car dealership, based in Nottingham. We've applied our ethos, care, and “go the extra mile” attitude, into selling cars.

At Motopeople, every car is prepared to the highest standards, making sure that every used car is ready before it reaches the forecourt. We’re just normal people having straightforward conversations, helping you find a car that’s right for you.

Our aim at Motopeople is simple: brilliant service, great cars, and an experience that actually feels good from start to finish.

First Response Finance is a responsible vehicle finance lender, and all decisions are made in the best interests of the customer; based on credit scores, status, and income at the time of application. We'll never approve an application if we believe you might struggle with repayments.

Get independent advice on money, finance products, debt management and budgeting through Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper.