A spokesperson told The Telegraph this week: “We offer a free, easy-to-use service that helps thousands of people resolve disputes each year.

“While professional representatives have an important role to play and some consumers make an informed decision when engaging them, consumers are and will continue to be free to complain to us directly, and those who do so may keep any reward we give them. .”

Claims management companies regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority can receive a 30% share of compensation payments, with a maximum charge of £10,000.

Those that are unregulated and separate law firms may take an even bigger cut.

PCP Claims UK charges customers a fee of 40% plus VAT. While this is detailed on the FAQ page of their website, a prominent subheading on the site’s old home page read: “Claim for free now!”

The company was contacted for comment and within an hour the website was offline.

Meanwhile, MyClaimCentre, which bills itself as “the UK’s number one claims management company”, charges a success fee of up to 50 per cent. He was approached for comment.

Law firm Bott & Co, which has around 75,000 car finance claims on its books, charges interest rates of up to 29 per cent. The firm said the average payout for car finance claims is £1,600, meaning a customer of this size would have to part with £464 of their compensation.

Coby Benson, a solicitor at the firm, said: “So far the only truly successful claims have been those in which law firms are instructed.

“In the days of PPI, consumers could get three to four times more compensation if they went to court and used a lawyer, rather than claiming themselves. We anticipate the same here.

“A consumer could get £500 if they do it themselves or get £2,000 if they use a solicitor and be left with £1,280 after deducting fees. Obviously, consumers would have preferred to inform the lawyer and receive the latter.”

Advertisements for many other companies abound on social media and online, and their “no profits, no fees” message is only spelled out in the fine print.

Jenny Ross, editor of Which? Money, said: “While it may be right for some claimants – who may have particularly complex issues to resolve – to seek help from professional firms, it is in no way essential for a claim to be upheld.

“If you use a claims management company, make sure they are authorized by the FCA or statutory regulators by searching the relevant register.”

James said: “You don’t need to become an expert to make a complaint. There are several free online tools that have templates that show you what to do. “Do not use a claims management company.”