Help Please - Problem with Returned Lease Car

sueh6

Hi

I was wondering if someone could help me with a problem I'm facing?

My lease car (Mercedes) was returned on the 14th December after minimal repair on the 10th December (small scratch on the bumper and 4 alloys polished). I inspected the car and it was in pristine condition; the repair was paid for and apart from driving the car home it sat on the drive for 4 days.

When it was collected they refused to inspect the exterior as it was raining and the car was 'wet'; the mileage was recorded and the interior inspected.

I have received a letter today - one month later - advising that 2 of the alloys needed polishing and they are trying to charge me £130 via a default notice on my agreement. They have included photographs which clearly show scratched which were not there when the car was collected; there is also an additional 80 miles on the clock.

Where do I stand? I know that the car was in pristine condition when returned (better than 'used') and I cannot understand why it has taken a month to contact me and also why there is an additional 80 miles on the clock.

Do I have any redress?

TIA

Sue

wobbley

Was the mileage recorded on the paperwork for the repair and alloys polishing?

marlot

Even before I opened your post, I thought - I bet its a Mercedes.

You'll find other on here with similar tales. Indeed, many of them have been charged very much more (not that that's a consolation to you).

ska_lover

Yes this is highly dodgy. I work at a well known rental/lease company - and whereas where I work now do not pull stunts like this, my former employers used to pull this kind of crap on people all the time. When they came to collect it, they should have left you checksheet in which the mileage was recorded and any damage pointed out at that time, verbally and noted on the checksheet and signed for by yourself. the extra mileage showing now may well be the drive back to the depot and the wheel damage may well have happened at this time. I would send them copies of receipts for the work you have had done - and tell them there is no way you will be paying this. These descisions are generally made by the office staff as to weather persuing a contentious damage claim and mostly wont bother as it is far more hassle in an already stressful busy job. my advise to you would be to dig your heels in properly and refuse to pay point blank, they arent going to take you to the small claims.

Strider590

This is becoming very common now, especially with the likes of motor insurance courtesy cars..... Claiming damages to the car in order to make some extra cash.

esmerobbo

Hmmm, yes Mercedes a well known problem. If they refused to check the exterior I would argue they had the opportunity. Do you still have the receipt for the re-polished wheels?

sueh6

Yes, luckily I have the receipt for the work done on the 10th and I have also kept a copy of the handover document noting mileage.

My repairer rang them this morning and was told that the repair was done done poorly; I have checked the invoice they sent me and it clearly states 'damage'. As my repairer pointed out if 2 of the wheels were not up to standard then none of them should have been!

Inactive

sueh6 wrote: »

When it was collected they refused to inspect the exterior as it was raining and the car was 'wet'; the mileage was recorded and the interior inspected.

They had the option of waiting until the rain stopped and then drying the car off, they chose not to, so their problem.

ska_lover

hi again sue, it is dodgy beyond words that they wouldnt examine the outside while you were present. have you signed the hand over document? then you have signed to say that there is no damage, as they havent noted any down.

ska_lover

part of my job is to do these vehicle inspections and there is no way that i wouldnt check vehicles while the customer is present, we have from cars to lorrys being examined in the rain every day. the fact that the car was wet is a p*ss poor excuse for not doing their job properly and is lingo for 'we will try and fk you over later''. you need to turn it round on them, ask to speak to the manager and tell him he needs to retrain his staff in their jobs. ask him if he is an member of the BVRLA, and if he has heard of the 'BVRLA fair wear and tear standard', im just reading our manual now to find anything that may help, if you want to look them up yourself its www.bvrla.co.uk They are a regulator of this kind of thing

any dents scrapes etc are easy to see if the car is wet or not, the only thing you cant always see in the rain are windowscreen chips

esmerobbo

Assuming this is a three year lease I would find it hard to believe a wheel re furbisher could not refurbish a wheel to the standard of a three year old wheel! If that makes sense?:(