Unfair End of Lease Charges

Kazze17

I had to return a lease car at the end of a 3 year contract. A guy came to pick up the car from my home address at 1000am.  I asked him about signing a check sheet. Because, when I had a car previously it was inspected and then i signed for it.  He said that he did not have a checklist and did not check the car in my presence. He just go in and drove away.  

Subsequently I incurred charges for a dent in the side of the car and a missing parcel shelf.  I received pictures of the car and indeed the shelf appeared to be missing, but I could not see the dent that they had circled in the pictures.  The pictures of the car was not taken in my presence or on the driveway, where it had been parked, They had been taken parked on the road.  I watched him drive off initially.  It appears that he drove back later and took the pictures.  

I raised a complaint regarding the charges with the leasing company.  It was rejected.  BVRLA also rejected the complaint about the charges, even though their own guideline state that they should be a signed vehicle checklist.  

As the car is leased through Salary Sacrifice, the charges were deducted from my wages.  

What else can I do to fight these charges?  Any advice would be appreciated.

Car_54

Why did he have to return to take the photos?

Kazze17

He did not inspect the car or take any photographs in front of me. He just took the car, adjusted the seat and drove away. But I received photos of the car from the leasing company.  In the photos the car was parked on the road not in the parking bay.  When he picked it up it was in the parking bay.  So I presumed that he drove back. 

DE_612183

Are the photos he took timestamped?

you haven't really said whether the shelf was missing and the dent in place when the car went back.

Did you ask them to provide invoices of the work done to rectify the dent?

Have you asked to see the car with t he dent in?

Kazze17

The Job appraisal sheet has the time at 11.43am.  The parcel shelf was in the car and I did not see any dent on the car, when I cleaned it the day before.  There was a scratch mark at the rear of the car, which was noted on appraisal sheet.  My mistake was not taking photos or a video of the car.
I went back to the BVRLA and they said they I should of requested to be present when the keys were handed over and that they believed that car had gone to an Auction house and had been sold
I was the one who handed over the keys, so i am confused as how they think that I was not present. 

I felt confident that the car was in good condition and clean etc.  I only drove it approximately 7600 miles during the 3 years and really looked after it. 

DE_612183

Did you tell them this?

Keep going back to BVRLA and copy everything you say to back your claim to the lease company.

The sooner they see you will not back down the better.

Kazze17

Thank you for your advice.  I have gone back to the BVRLA....fingers crossed.  

jimjames

Kazze17 said:

I felt confident that the car was in good condition and clean etc.  I only drove it approximately 7600 miles during the 3 years and really looked after it. 

If you only drove it around 2500 miles per year then you are right to say it should be in very good condition. Maybe point that out if you haven't already. If they got something wrong about the parcel shelf being missing when you know it was there then other issues might also be incorrect.

Kazze17

Thank you for your response.  My claim has been rejected again by the BVRLA as they say,  that they have already dealt with this saying that they is no further point for escalation.  

Is there an alternative to the BVRLA or do I have to go to court to resolve this?  

victor2

Unless you can back up your story with something like film from a video doorbell, I don't see how you can prove to a court when the car was collected, as you don't even have a signed document. 
All sounds very strange, that they'd just send someone to collect your car without any documentation. 
You could see if there's any reviews of the lease company with similar circumstances. If so, maybe somebody like Watchdog could be interested...

flashg67

Just to add, the lease co don't have to prove they repaired/replaced missing items - the deduction can be in lieu of this, the charge reflecting the likely loss when they sell it. The parcel shelf is odd - surely you'd know if it was missing, or are you suggesting it wasn't.?