May 2014
With lease car returns you are personally responsible for any damage beyond Fair Wear and Tear (see below) whether the vehicle is a company car, a privately leased vehicle or a car leased through Motability.
As a member of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association we are fully qualified to give advice on lease car returns, potentially saving customers over £600 in charges.
Ideally we would appraise your vehicle 10-12 weeks before it is returned, allowing us time to rectify any unacceptable wear and tear or damage.
Things for you to check
Service schedule – ensure the service record is stamped and returned with the vehicle. If the service schedule is incomplete you could be charged for both the cost of any missed services and the loss of vehicle value.
Vehicle mileage – if it looks as though you might exceed your agreed mileage you may want to consider reducing your daily mileage before the limit is reached.
Documentation – ensure all documents and items supplied with the vehicle are present, including:
Livery – remove any badges, labels or advertising stickers unless you have a prior agreement with the leasing company. We are able to expertly remove any advertising stickers.
Equipment – check that everything that came with the vehicle, from spare wheels and jacks to emergency warning triangles are present and in good working order
Mechanical – ensure any obvious problems are rectified and that your tyres are within the legal limit and that lights and indicators work correctly.
Things we will check
Our free lease car returns check takes 45 minutes and we will inspect the condition of the vehicle bodywork, interior, glass, wheels and trims. We will then provide an End of Lease Vehicle Condition Certificate in strict accordance with the BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard. If any work is required we can provide you with a free quote that will be at least 50% cheaper than a lease recharge. Our work is usually carried on in one day and we have a free courtesy car available (subject to booking).
Fair Wear and Tear
‘Fair wear and tear occurs when normal usage causes deterioration to a vehicle. It is not to be confused with damage which occurs as a result of a specific event or series of events such as impact, inappropriate stowing of items, harsh-treatment, negligent acts or omissions.’
Disputes
In the event of a dispute with your lease company about the condition or damage to the vehicle you have the right to pay for examination of the evidence by an independent qualified engineer, eg an engineer who is unrelated to the original inspection and agreed by both parties. The engineer’s decision will be binding on both you and the BVRLA member. If the engineer finds in the customer’s favour the BVRLA member will refund the reasonable cost of the examination to the customer.
