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Jonathan Westwood

Chief Compliance Officer

Jonathan Westwood | Author

Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

Eduardo Rodrigues

Content Writer

Eduardo Rodrigues | Author

Claudia Tuñón

Claudia Tuñón | Author

Isobel Coughlan

Isobel Coughlan | Author

Joseph Law

Bumper Content Writer

Joseph Law | Author

Alastair Shephard

Alastair Shephard | Author

Congratulations to the team at John Clark VWPC Dunfermline, who’ve won Bumper’s Dealership of the Month for July 2021.

The team’s commitment to providing their customers with the best possible experience was exceptional, and it was great to see that offering Bumper has become an integral part of their aftersales process.

Joining Bumper earlier this year, the team at Dunfermline have helped nearly 50 customers split their repair bills and drive away happier and safer.

Well done to the team at John Clark VWPC Dunfermline!

Dealership of the Month: John Clark VW Dunfermline

’s aftersales payment services across its network of 160 dealerships in Scotland and England.

The rollout covers the in-store and online digital payment of servicing, accident repairs and MOTs as well as parts and accessories on the group’s Autoparts eCommerce platform.

Bumper’s payment solutions have also been embedded within Arnold Clark’s video health checks to ensure all customers are offered complete payment flexibility and convenience.

Aftersales customers will be offered the option of

Bumper’s interest-free Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) services

 under the Arnold Clark Easy Pay banner, enabling them to spread costs over three months (£50 to £5,000), six months (£250 to £5,000) or 10 months (£500 to £5,000).

Additionally, the deal provides a Pay-Now option for customers choosing to settle the full balance of aftersales work online. This service works via SMS or email, giving customers a convenient and secure way to pay for their repairs remotely.

Jack Allman, CCO and co-founder of Bumper, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with 

, one of the biggest and most progressive franchised dealer groups in the UK.

“We’ve been working closely with the Arnold Clark team for a number of months to create a seamless finance platform. The launch marks one of the most integrated rollouts of our payment platform, creating faster approvals and less administration for busy workshops, while offering customers more convenience and flexibility in how they settle their bills.”

Commenting on the partnership, Scott Grant, Arnold Clark’s group aftersales director, said: “We are really excited to be working with Bumper to help further digitalise our aftersales processes. We have been impressed by the speed of the rollout, along with the support and reporting capabilities of their platform.”

Bumper, formerly Auto Service Finance, provides an interest-free digital payment platform for vehicle repairs and services, enabling owners to spread their costs. The multi award-winning UK fintech company delivers an instalment financing solution using proprietary AI-enabled technology to facilitate real-time lending decisions.

Bumper enables dealerships and garages to sell a larger proportion of red and amber work, reducing workshop downtime with no risks or liabilities, while also creating greater customer loyalty.

Co-founded by CEO James Jackson and CCO Jack Allman, Bumper is rated 89 in the 2021 FT 1000 listing of Europe’s fastest-growing companies as well as the ninth fastest growing fintech business. Bumper works with 2,500 franchised dealers, over 700 garages and major car brands across the UK and Republic of Ireland, helping over 100,000 drivers to fund their servicing and repair bills.

Bumper is based in Sheffield and London, with a tech development centre in Ankara, Turkey.

Arnold Clark partners with Bumper to digitalise aftersales payments

Bumper has announced a major expansion of its partnership with CitNOW which will see its Buy-Now-Pay-Later platform embedded in vehicle health check videos sent to aftersales customers across Europe.

The service has been launched in the UK, where it is already available at over 700 sites, and will debut shortly in Germany and Spain followed by other European countries.

The integration with CitNOW Workshop, the widely-used eVHC tool, will enable customers to approve repair work online and arrange interest-free monthly payments at the same time on a single web page.

“This significant new integration with CitNOW will help relieve the workloads of busy workshop teams and enhance the conversion of aftersales revenue opportunities, while delivering a convenient and seamless digital customer experience,” said Jack Allman, Bumper co-founder and CCO.

“Customers receiving eVHC videos will now see what work needs to be authorised, how much it will cost and choose whether to split the bill over interest-free monthly instalments. Furthermore, as all of this can now be done digitally, it will free up service advisors to help those customers in need of greater attention.”

Commenting on the rollout Rab Fyfe, director of product at CitNOW, said: “Both Bumper and CitNOW provide similar dealership benefits in the workshop which help drive sales and efficiencies and deliver improved customer satisfaction. We already share a large customer overlap, so by working together we can help workshops achieve higher invoice values through increased parts sales, making this a natural partnership.”

This latest move marks the next stage of Bumper’s expansion into other European markets, following its launch into Ireland in April 2021, its first territory outside of the UK.

Bumper provides an interest-free digital payment platform for vehicle repairs and services, enabling owners to spread their costs. Formerly Auto Service Finance, the multi award-winning UK fintech company delivers an instalment financing solution using proprietary AI enabled technology to facilitate real-time lending decisions.

Bumper enables dealerships and garages to sell a larger proportion of red and amber work, reducing workshop downtime, with no risks or liabilities, while also creating greater customer loyalty.

Co-founded by CEO James Jackson and CCO Jack Allman, Bumper is rated 89 in the 2021 FT 1000 listing of Europe’s fastest growing companies as well as the ninth fastest growing fintech business. Bumper works with 2,500 franchised dealers, over 700 garages and major car brands across the UK and Republic of Ireland, helping over 100,000 drivers to fund their servicing and repair bills.

An innovator and market leader, CitNOW supplies video and digital communications tools to over 6,000 automotive retailers (including 92 of the UK’s 100 largest car dealer groups) with over 10,000 users and 43 vehicle manufacturers. Its app-based video and image management platform helps dealers build stronger, more transparent and more productive customer relationships.

CitNOW's contactless communication tools improve processes in both sales and aftersales, helping to increase customer loyalty, stock turnover and revenue. In 2020, CitNOW helped retailers in 64 countries create more than ten million videos – an average of more than 27,000 every day.

Bumper partners with CitNOW to embed interest-free payments in eVHCs across Europe

With travel restrictions still in place, many of us will be considering a UK-based getaway this summer.

However, wear and tear caused by long journeys in heavy traffic, often with excessive baggage, can cause issues.

If your vehicle is not in tip-top condition, the added stress can lead to large repair bills and pose a threat to your safety.

 before driving off to your big summer getaway.

 found that unsafe tyres contributed to 521 accidents in 2018.

legal minimum for tyre tread depth is 1.6mm

. Without this depth, your car cannot properly grip the road.

Tyre pressure can also be an issue. Underinflation and side wall damage can even cause a blowout.

 noted 459 accidents caused by faulty brakes.

Worn brake pads, mechanical faults, and leaking fluid can all contribute to brake failure.

Faulty brakes can land motorists with a hefty fine and penalty points or worse cause a serious collision.

If you're wondering about the cost to replace brake pads and discs, then read more here.

 reported there have been 64 fatalities due to defective brakes since 2013.

Faulty steering racks, loose driving belts, and damaged hydraulic pipes can all cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle.

 reported 200 accidents in 2018 were caused by a fault with the steering. It is important this is checked regularly.

Get your car safe and summer-ready with Bumper.

Choose from 1000s of approved dealerships and garages and split the cost into monthly instalments, completely interest-free.

 of your next repair, MOT, or service bill.

3 vehicle checks to carry out before your summer getaway

Fuel economy is often the last thing on drivers’ minds but with fuel prices rising higher than ever this summer you may want to pay closer attention.

In this guide, Bumper breaks down what fuel economy is, how it’s calculated, which cars are the most fuel-efficient, and what habits may be costing you more on the road.

Fuel economy is how far your vehicle can travel in relation to the amount of fuel used. This is measured in miles per gallon (MPG).

If your car gets 40 MPG, that means you’ll be able to drive 40 miles on one gallon of fuel. The average for UK cars is 37.8 MPG.

Hybrids can usually achieve a longer range. For example, the 2016 Prius can achieve around 50 –55 MPG.

A metric used most frequently in the US is MPGe. This represents the number of miles an electric vehicle can travel using the equivalent energy produced by a gallon of petrol – 33.7 kilowatt-hours of battery power.

A study by What Car? which simulated motorway, rural and town driving, found the top 10 most fuel-efficient cars to be:

What could be causing my vehicle to use more fuel?

Changing your oil frequently can reduce fuel consumption.

For newer vehicles (registered after 2013), new technology and improved fuel consumption mean you should only have to change your oil every 7,000–10,000 miles.

For older cars, oil changes should be carried out around every 3,000 miles.

A study by Automotive Service Excellence revealed that worn spark plugs can reduce your fuel economy by up to 30%.

If your MPG begins to rapidly decrease, there’s a good chance your spark plugs are at fault.

Fuel injectors are responsible for delivering fuel to your engine. If a leak occurs and less fuel makes it to the engine your fuel economy will decrease.

If you're worried about expensive replacement parts or repairs, 

you could benefit from 0% interest car repair financing with 

 and pay for car repairs in instalments in easy-to-manage monthly payments.

Oxygen sensors monitor the mixture of air and fuel. The incorrect mixture will decrease the efficiency of your engine.

Air conditioning is being used too frequently

 too frequently can harm your fuel efficiency, as unnecessary strain is placed on the engine.

Opening a window instead of using the air conditioning can help alleviate some of this stress, although it’s not advised to keep your windows down on the motorway as this causes additional resistance.

Turn off your engine where possible. Allowing your engine to idle in slow-moving traffic or outside school gates can be a big drain on fuel, so keep this to a minimum.

You can reduce your fuel consumption in a manual car by using the most appropriate gear. Both overworking and underworking the engine can have a negative effect on your fuel economy. When driving up a steep incline, use a low gear; when travelling fast on the motorway, use a high gear.

Common driving habits impacting fuel efficiency include driving too fast, accelerating too quickly and sudden braking.

Make sure to drive slowly with the flow of the traffic, and not just 

 Leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front, and allow the gears to naturally slow your vehicle.

Generally, keeping your car maintained with a regular service is a good way to reduce fuel consumption and improve fuel economy.

Bumper works with 1,000s of dependable dealerships across the UK and enables you to split your car repair bill into manageable chunks – interest-free.

You can apply to get pre-approved for any potential 

Look after your car and your bank balance – find out more about how Bumper works, and get your car repairs sorted today.

 has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

Reducing Fuel Consumption: A Complete Guide for Drivers

Bumper is pleased to announce the Dealership of the Month Award goes to 

The award is presented to one of the top-performing garages leveraging Bumper’s interest-free finance to create a better customer experience.

The Motherwell team have embraced offering Bumper (branded as Arnold Clark EasyPay) with open arms since joining earlier this year.

Ricardo Fishbourne from Bumper, who presented the team with their trophy said, “Congratulations to the whole team at Arnold Clark Motherwell Motorstore, they’ve fully embraced the new Arnold Clark EasyPay (Bumper) system and have collectively provided a fantastic digital experience for their customers' payments.”

Craig Scott, Group Aftersales Development Manager added "With the company only recently switching over to the new Bumper platform, it’s great to see so many branches embrace this system. The ability to offer our customers 0% repayment plans is a critical part of our Aftersales experience, and the team at Motherwell have shown just how easy it is to promote our EasyPay options."

Well-done to the team at Arnold Clark Motherwell Motorstore!

Dealership of the Month: Arnold Clark Motherwell Motorstore

Wheel bearing replacement typically costs between £170 and £400. 

Wheel bearings let your car’s wheels rotate with minimal friction. They are vital for safety and must be replaced immediately if they fail.

Unsure when wheel bearings need replacing? Concerned about the cost? Or just want to know how they work? Here’s a simple guide to wheel bearing replacement costs and other common FAQs.

How much does it cost to replace wheel bearings? 

On average, it costs between £170 and £400 to replace wheel bearings in the UK. 

Wheel bearing replacement costs vary as labour rates differ between garages. Some bearings cost more but take less time to fit. Luxury cars usually have higher parts prices.

 to split the fee into interest-free monthly repayments.

Costs for different types of wheel bearings

You can estimate your wheel bearing cost depending on the type you buy. Here’s a quick overview of the different price brackets: 

Wheel bearing replacements are the same for most vehicles, so parts are usually affordable, and most garages know the job well. Parts cost £30 to £250, plus labour.

It’s usually cheaper to replace a bearing on a non-driven axle, as fewer parts need removing. On most front-wheel drive cars, the rear bearings cost less. The final price depends on the parts your car requires.

Cost of wheel bearing replacements by car type 

Wheel bearing replacement costs vary depending on whether your car is front-wheel, rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. 

The table below shows the typical price ranges.

Wheel bearing replacement costs by location

The cost to replace a wheel bearing in the UK varies based on location. Urban areas with higher demand and overheads tend to have higher prices, but this rule isn't always fixed. 

Below is a breakdown of average costs by city:

Wheel bearings allow car wheels to rotate with minimal friction. Made of races and balls, they handle the forces of bumps and turns.

Modern bearings often come as modular units for easy replacement, while older designs may require hydraulic presses to remove and fit them.

Wheel bearings last between 75,000 and 100,000 miles. The total lifespan depends on driving frequency and road conditions. They don’t need regular replacement, but will wear over time.

Consider having them checked at your next service, as all cars eventually need wheel bearing replacement due to standard wear and tear.

It’s good practice to replace all four wheel bearings at once, but it’s not mandatory.

Usually, only the worn or damaged bearings are replaced, unless your vehicle has very high mileage or shows widespread wear. Some garages may suggest you replace them in pairs. 

A droning noise that grows with speed often signals a failing wheel bearing.

Finding the exact one requires further checks. See below for how to examine wheel bearing issues.

Noise is usually the best way to identify a worn wheel bearing. 

In modern cars, a passenger can listen from different seats. Louder noise when braking often indicates a front bearing issue.

Once you know the general location of the faulty bearing, you can pinpoint the side. 

Drive at 40 mph or more on an empty road and drift left and right. Noise when drifting left suggests the right bearing, and vice versa.

While a mechanic will be best placed to properly diagnose your wheel bearing issues, there are some symptoms to look out for. 

Here are four signs drivers need to know: 

Worn wheel bearings often produce a constant droning or scraping noise. 

Because they support the wheels, noise may change with speed. If the sound stays the same at different speeds, it’s likely not the bearings.

Faulty bearings generate extra friction, making the wheel hotter after driving. 

You can carefully check for a warmer wheel, as this may indicate a bearing issue. However, avoid touching parts immediately after heavy braking, as they may be extremely hot.

Worn bearings allow wheels to move side to side, affecting steering and causing uneven tyre wear.

If your car pulls or feels unstable while steering, and you notice other signs, have the bearings checked promptly.

Excess wheel play when pulled during an MOT often signals a failing bearing. 

You can test this yourself with care, but a garage can check it quickly and safely, often as part of a free wheel alignment or bearing inspection.

Garages, such as Halfords, offer free alignment and bearing checks

Wheel bearings usually give warning signs before failing, but ignoring them can be dangerous.

The wheel hub, held by the hub nut, keeps the wheel and hub on the axle. If a bearing fails completely, the hub cannot hold the wheel, which can detach, causing loss of control and a serious risk of injury.

Yes, replacing wheel bearings is essential for passenger safety and vehicle performance. 

Worn bearings can cause noise, uneven tyre wear, and even wheel detachment, so timely replacement protects both your car’s value and those on the road.

Can you drive with a damaged wheel bearing?

Driving with a damaged wheel bearing is risky. You shouldn’t unless you’re driving to the garage.

In severe cases, the wheel could detach, creating a serious safety hazard. It may also cause damage to the wheel axle and hub.

Wheel bearings may last a long time, but any new noise or symptom should be checked promptly. This guide has covered how much to replace wheel bearings and common questions.

When in doubt, consult a professional mechanic for a safe solution. Never tamper if you’re not sure what you’re doing!

Don’t face last-minute repair costs alone. 

you can split the cost of repairs into monthly payments at no extra cost. 

Apply online for up to £5,000 and choose from 1,000s of trusted repairers. 

How Much Does It Cost To Replace Wheel Bearings?

¿Cuánto cuesta cambiar los rodamiamento de un coche?

Wie viel kostet der Austausch von Radlagern?

Bumper’s Dealership of the Month award for September 2021 goes to Dees Ford Croydon.

The Croydon team have achieved their highest month on record with Bumper, offering customers the option to spread the cost through interest-free PayLater plans.

Having joined Bumper back in 2015, the site has always ensured Bumper is a central part of their customer service process, and it shows in their reviews:

"I would definitely recommend this service to all my family and friends. Big thank you to Ben and the staff at Fords who hooked me up to Bumper."

"Lovely customer service from the young lady that dealt with me, very helpful!"

Well done to Ben, Sam, Jordan and the rest of the team at Ford Croydon for your top performance!

Dealership of the Month: Ford Dealership makes Bumper a central part of customer service

Find all the latest industry news and handiest car repair and service tips on the Bumper Blog. Want to get the Bumper view on something? Let us know and we’ll drop a blog post on it as soon as we can.