Returning Hitachi Capital lease car with damage - how much for end of lease charges?

Tykey

Hi all, looking for advice please.

I have a vehicle that is coming to the end of its lease with Hitachi Capital in two weeks. It's been a 4 year lease and is in pretty decent condition, well under the mileage, so I wasn't expecting much in the way of end of lease charges. That is, until yesterday...

I returned to the car in a car park to find dents in the driver-side doors, front and back, where another vehicle has clearly hit it leaving the space next to mine. It's on the swage line, so doesn't look like an easy repair.

I've had a quick look online and gathered a quote from a mobile dent removal company, and it's come back as approx. 5 hours work, £618 including VAT.

My question is, any idea what kind of charges might be levied for the damage? Do they charge for the estimated cost of repairs (even though it's unlikely it will be repaired I guess, they will just go to auction with the damage?). Or do they charge an amount to cover the depreciation of the value caused by the damage? I suppose what I'm asking is, presuming I can even get it booked in somewhere to repair in time, what is going to cost me less? The repairs, or taking a risk with the charges?

Many thanks in advance for anyone who has previous experience.

Grey_Critic

Unlikely they will use a Dings & Dents firm it will be a bodyshop and I would guess a lot more than you have been quoted. Leasing companies are in business to make money and they will have a residual value - dings and dents effect that so you will be charged.

forgotmyname

I would assume they choose the most expensive option whether they fix it or risk less money at auction.

Probably cost it as a respray of that entire side.  £618 would probably be money well spent.

Money_Grabber13579

You aren’t the only one that gets left with damage from a considerate driver!

https://youtu.be/BEFjrGdEAYQ

neilmcl

Tykey said:

Hi all, looking for advice please.

I have a vehicle that is coming to the end of its lease with Hitachi Capital in two weeks. It's been a 4 year lease and is in pretty decent condition, well under the mileage, so I wasn't expecting much in the way of end of lease charges. That is, until yesterday...

I returned to the car in a car park to find dents in the driver-side doors, front and back, where another vehicle has clearly hit it leaving the space next to mine. It's on the swage line, so doesn't look like an easy repair.

I've had a quick look online and gathered a quote from a mobile dent removal company, and it's come back as approx. 5 hours work, £618 including VAT.

My question is, any idea what kind of charges might be levied for the damage? Do they charge for the estimated cost of repairs (even though it's unlikely it will be repaired I guess, they will just go to auction with the damage?). Or do they charge an amount to cover the depreciation of the value caused by the damage? I suppose what I'm asking is, presuming I can even get it booked in somewhere to repair in time, what is going to cost me less? The repairs, or taking a risk with the charges?

Many thanks in advance for anyone who has previous experience.

Find another dent removal co., that sounds way too expensive for a few dents. I had a couple of dents on my driver's door done for around £100 from Dent Devils.

Tykey

Grey_Critic said:

Unlikely they will use a Dings & Dents firm it will be a bodyshop and I would guess a lot more than you have been quoted. Leasing companies are in business to make money and they will have a residual value - dings and dents effect that so you will be charged.

Yes, I expect to be charged if I return it "as it". It's just unclear on if they charges levied are what it would cost to repair (potentially a lot more if they charge for a respray), or just what's attributed to the loss in value due to the damage.

My understanding is end of lease cars are rarely actually repaired anyway - they just charge for the damage and send them to auction anyway.

Tykey

Money_Grabber13579 said:

You aren’t the only one that gets left with damage from a considerate driver!

Wow...could've been the same guy who did mine. It certainly looks like it was done in "two hits".

Tykey

neilmcl said:

Tykey said:

Hi all, looking for advice please.

I have a vehicle that is coming to the end of its lease with Hitachi Capital in two weeks. It's been a 4 year lease and is in pretty decent condition, well under the mileage, so I wasn't expecting much in the way of end of lease charges. That is, until yesterday...

I returned to the car in a car park to find dents in the driver-side doors, front and back, where another vehicle has clearly hit it leaving the space next to mine. It's on the swage line, so doesn't look like an easy repair.

I've had a quick look online and gathered a quote from a mobile dent removal company, and it's come back as approx. 5 hours work, £618 including VAT.

My question is, any idea what kind of charges might be levied for the damage? Do they charge for the estimated cost of repairs (even though it's unlikely it will be repaired I guess, they will just go to auction with the damage?). Or do they charge an amount to cover the depreciation of the value caused by the damage? I suppose what I'm asking is, presuming I can even get it booked in somewhere to repair in time, what is going to cost me less? The repairs, or taking a risk with the charges?

Many thanks in advance for anyone who has previous experience.

Find another dent removal co., that sounds way too expensive for a few dents. I had a couple of dents on my driver's door done for around £100 from Dent Devils.

Never had to use a SMART repair before, so I wasn't sure if that was in the ballpark. They were just the first local ones I found online, so I'm getting another couple of quotes. Will give Dent Devils a go, thanks.

I've attached an image of the damage. As I said before, on the swage line so I understand it's a more difficult (i.e. more expensive!) repair.

AdrianC

That looks above localised PDR to me. They may even need new skins. I'd expect the financier to be putting that above the fixed-charge band and into recharging the actual cost.

Tykey

Another thing I need to consider, I've heard of lease companies saying that repairs aren't done up to scratch (excuse the pun) and then trying to charge for a full respray anyway.

The_Fat_Controller

If you regularly use a particular car dealer, ask the service or sales manager who they use to remove dents from their trade-ins.
I was buying a new car and selling my old one privately, but even so the sales manager got his "dent guy" to repair an annoying dent for a discounted price.