LeasePlan Admin Fees

MaebyJade

Hi,

I’m just going through the process of getting a new lease car through LeasePlan. Whilst going through the contract T&Cs I noticed the below term;

“an administration fee of up to £25.00 (inc VAT) each time we receive and process a fixed penalty, fine, congestion or other charge in connection with the Vehicle or its use. In addition if we pay suck charges on your behalf you shall reimburse us in respect of the such payment”

Couple of question if there is anyone in the know or is a Leaseplan customer;

1. Is charging for forwarding on letter normal? I currently have a lease car direct with Audi and they don’t charge anything.

2. Does this cover private parking tickets? If I am not mistaken these are ‘invoices’ and not a fine. My worry is I have to pay £25 regardless of whether the a fine/invoice/ticket was issued correctly or not, or if I successfully appeal it.

3. Similar to the above, will they just automatically pay it without giving me a chance to appeal? And if they pay it and I successfully appeal, would I get a refund? I have read that once a private parking ticket is paid, it’s notoriously difficult to overturn or get a refund.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Coupon-mad

I would email to tell them that whilst you understand their clause is intended to be about real penalties and fines and is fair enough, you intend to add a line before signing, that says they are not to charge £25 for any PRIVATE 'parking charges' and are certainly not authorised to pay such scam 'charges' under any circumstances because you will always appeal them and simply need your name and address given to the PPC to allow you to handle it.

To be clear, you will take full responsibility for appealing and dealing with any liability for such scam charges, as long as the lease firm tells you about them (and does NOT pay them), such that it will not be the lease firm's gift to pay it under any circumstances.

Say you want clarity and will not be signing anything that says they can pay private parking charges which are pretty much always a scam and often not even POFA-compliant, so unable to hold the lease firm liable anyway.

MaebyJade

Thanks Coupon-mad. I've replied to them with what you advised and asked if they could change the contract so that it excludes private parking invoices. I'll update when the reply but I have a feeling they won't budge.

KeithP

MaebyJade wrote: »

...I have a feeling they won't budge.

Then shopping elsewhere is one option.

Make it clear you are considering that and it may encourage them to do the right thing.

Coupon-mad

Change your lease car provider then. Not joking, this would be a deal breaker for me.

Fruitcake

Check if the lease Co is a member of an ATA such as the BVRLA. That institute in particular has told its members not to pay a private scamvoice but to pass it on to the hirer/lessee.
Unfortunately it does not preclude an admin charge to do so, but I would suggest £25 is excessive.
I would also suggest that the whole thing with regards to private scamvoices, especially paying it without consulting the hirer/lessee first constitutes an unfair contract term as it removes their right of appeal, including the right to an independent appeal as per the ADR Act 2015.

AS above, change your lease company if they won't play ball.

MaebyJade

Thanks guys. I've emailed them so still waiting to hear back. I've checked and LeasePlan are a member of BVRLA. In the meantime, I'll get back to trying to shopping around in case they refuse to budge on the matter.

Again, really appreciated the advice.

MaebyJade

Got the below reply, which doesn't really answer my question! Anyway, I rang and asked. Their response was that with private parking invoices, they would forward on my details to the parking company, at an admin fee of £18 (the fee is non-refundable regardless of the appeal being successful or not). Then if the parking company contacts/chases LeasePlan again in relation to the same PCN they will pay the invoice and recharge back to me (plus an additional £25 admin fee for paying it). Definitely going to shop elsewhere now. £18 non-refundable fee for giving my details out to parking company is criminal. On top of that with some of the cowboy parking firms out there, they will no-doubt be aware of LeasePlan policy in relation to PCN and will chase them again just knowing they get paid (regardless of whether in charge is correct or not). Good luck claiming your money back then, that's not to mention being £43 down due to admin fees.

One question I do have, I paid a lease processing fee of £198. I assume that will be refundable without a problem?

"In answer to your question this is not something we are able to setup per request as per the contract so where applicable fines may be paid and recharged by LeasePlan as the registered owners of the vehicle."

The_Deep

This is not a fine, a penalty, or a parking charge. It is an invoice frpm a disreputable ex clamper for damages for an alleged breach of a contract. It is meaningless unless a judge decides it has merit. The hire company are on very dodgy ground trying to charge for this. If they persist complain to Trading Standards.

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams so consider complaining to your MP.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies