End of Lease Agreement Damage Claims

HannahMac

I have had a Fiat 500 with FCA Automative for 4 years on a finance lease deal.
I opted to hand the car back at the end of the agreement as I had already bought a new car.

They sent an inspector to inspect the vehicle and take it away as standard, but there were charges claimed for damage. Which there and then I disputed as general wear and tear within 4 years, totalling £317.05 of charges.
There were 4 bumps were very minor, obviously where somebody else has bumped their door on my car, 1 scuff to an alloy (a scratch really) and a missing key.

I can deal with the missing key as this was the fault of the Fiat garage where I purchased the car for not providing me with a spare key! (£65.05)
However I completely disagree and feel these should be classed as general wear and tear.
The car is in an immaculate condition, fully MOT'd and service'd (a week before handing it back), extremely low mileage below the limited amount, and I even had it valeted before they came to collect it.
The small bumps and scuff to the alloy are barely even noticeable! And for a 4 year old car to only have this is pretty good.

What can I do?
Or can anyone help me with a letter, or what to say?
I mean I just had the car serviced, MOT'd and valeted before handing it back, costing roughly £250, I've also had to buy a new car, and now they're looking £317 which I think is completely bazaar! Please help

AdrianC

Your contract will almost certainly be governed by the BVRLA fair wear and tear guide, which is an industry standard as to what's acceptable wear and tear.


There's a PDF version, albeit in a different finance house's branding, here.


You need to consider how the damage meets that standard, which you agreed to when you took the finance on. Everybody has different ideas of what's "pretty good" - or even "immaculate" - for a 4yo car, which is why there's a pre-agreed standard. Who is responsible for causing any damage is utterly irrelevant - you could have got them to pay for the repair at the time, if you'd identified the culprit.

System

HannahMac wrote: »

The car is in an immaculate condition, fully MOT'd and service'd (a week before handing it back), extremely low mileage below the limited amount, and I even had it valeted before they came to collect it.
The small bumps and scuff to the alloy are barely even noticeable! And for a 4 year old car to only have this is pretty good.

My 132,000 mile 8 year old Ford Mondeo has no bumps and no scuffs to the alloys. Same on my 78,000 mile 12 year old MX5. So no for a 4 year old car "only" to have those isn't pretty good. Scuffed alloys for example are caused by careless driving.

JP1978

Tarambor wrote: »

My 132,000 mile 8 year old Ford Mondeo has no bumps and no scuffs to the alloys. Same on my 78,000 mile 12 year old MX5. So no for a 4 year old car "only" to have those isn't pretty good. Scuffed alloys for example are caused by careless driving.

I am sure the OP is pleased that you are look after your car in such a nice way. However, it isnt part of the question - the damage that the OP has incurred does appear to be within the BVRLA guidelines for fair wear and tear - challenge it.

AdrianC

JP1978 wrote: »

I am sure the OP is pleased that you are look after your car in such a nice way. However, it isnt part of the question

It is, in a way, The OP is suggesting that the fair wear and tear guidelines are impossibly tight because nobody could reasonably expect their car not to sustain damage such as they think "fair".