Car Leasing - advice please

mettlemickey

Hi,

Im looking into leasing a car.

Ive read a bit and know some of the pro's and con's. I just wonder about the handing back of the car at the end. How stringent are they on 'wear and tear'?


If the vehicle has significant damage id say its fair enough for them to charge a penalty... But where do they draw the line? For example its quite likely that a car would get the odd scratch, maybe even the odd dink over a 3 year period. You only have to park next to someone a bit careless.

Id be interested to hear your experiences any tips, advice or recommendations on leasing firms.

Thanks
MM

Hintza

They usually detail what is acceptable or not. If you have a noticeable scratch you will probably be charged for it if it is bigger than 1cm (ish).

If you have any marks on the car have them seen to before handing it back otherwise it will be £200-£300 per panel.

Scratches and dings are not wear and tear.

chrisw

They all tend to use the bvrla guide as a wear and tear standard.

http://issuu.com/bfwsn67/docs/fwt_2013_issuu_bmw_group_financial_?e=2001091/4397035

mettlemickey

Thanks for the advice guys. That's a really useful guide. I agree scratches and dings are not wear and tear. But they are very easy to come by through no fault of your own, so its good to have a clearer picture of how leasing firms will treat them.

Thanks

rhysadams

It also depends on which company it goes through as well, they all say to BVRLA standards but there tends to be a clause in the contract that says they can miss this.

The leasing companies that are owned by the manufacturers, eg. BMW = Alphabet, Volkswagen = VWFS, can be the worst for it, they want to be able to put their cars through the auction, as ex VW or BMW cars, and will charge for anything that is wrong.

There is no reason why you can;t get a franchise like Chipsaway to do your smart repairs, and also look at getting your alloy wheels done before they go back. No chips in the tyre wall either, its much cheaper for you to replace the tyre than the leasing company.

albionrovers

I'm convinced that the hand-back process is sales-related. I handed back a Honda Insight which passed the final inspection with flying colours although the car was not mint. I was then hit with a 4-part bill totalling £500. I rejected 3 of the 4 parts straight away and to my astonishment, this was accepted IF I paid the other quarter. I paid up and they left me alone. Think they hope that folk/companies will simply pay up to avoid any fuss.

Dadavester

I work for a leasing company and almost all of the finance companies adhere to the BVRLA's Fair wear and tear guide. The only one you may have problems with is Mercedes finance as they are very strict on the condition the car has to be handed back in.

If you are unsure when it comes to be handed back i would recommend ChipsAway as any repair they do will be cheaper than the charge back you would get from the finance company.

mettlemickey

Thanks Dadavester