End of Lease Dispute

superc

I handed back my Leasys lease car on 13th August. My lease began 31 August 2023. 

A dispute was automatically raised as I wasn’t there (I wasn’t aware I had to be, it was my partner who was there when it was inspected and handed back). When I called to dispute the findings, I was told I had to wait and I would be sent the detailed inspection with photos for me to dispute anything two weeks after this. I was sent this with my last Leasys lease car. 

To date I haven’t received anything. Two of the charges were a missing key for £150 (I have this, I forgot to leave these behind as I was on holiday) and a missed service for £360. The car was serviced last November in line with manufacturer’s guidelines before it hit 10k miles. No where in the contract does it state the exact date I had to have the vehicle serviced by.

I also haven’t received payment for two credit notes raised by Leasys for overcharging me for mileage and for taking a full month’s payment when the car was handed back mid month. 

I have now received an invoice for over £900 stating they will be taking this at the end of the month but I haven’t had the chance to dispute anything or see photos of the ‘damages’. I have previously had to go to the Ombudsman about issues with Leasys where I was successful as they are a horror show of a company. 

Where do I stand with this? 

paul_c123

superc said:

......... My lease began 31 August 2023. 

.......... missed service for £360. The car was serviced last November in line with manufacturer’s guidelines before it hit 10k miles. .................

What is the make/model/spec of car?

superc

Peugeot 2008 1.2 Pure Tech 

paul_c123

The service schedule for a 2008 is minor service every 12,500 miles/12 months, whichever is soonest. And a major service every 25,000 miles/4 years.

So it looks like you were late on time, to have that service done. So you can't really dispute that, nor the missing key.

I would advise you net out the money owed on the credit notes for xs mileage and mid-month handback and pay them £150 + £360 - credit note amounts.

superc

My issue is though I haven’t received anything since the inspection for me to dispute when they said I would receive the report two weeks after. They are just going to be charging me without seeing the report. The keys/late service fair enough but that’s not the main part of my complaint. 

flaneurs_lobster

superc said:

I have previously had to go to the Ombudsman about issues with Leasys where I was successful as they are a horror show of a company. 

Why would you continue to use a company which you have formally complained about (and won) and you describe as a "horror show"?

superc

flaneurs_lobster said:

superc said:

I have previously had to go to the Ombudsman about issues with Leasys where I was successful as they are a horror show of a company. 

Why would you continue to use a company which you have formally complained about (and won) and you describe as a "horror show"?

I’m not continuing to use the company. I have moved once my lease came to the end. 

Any help with my actual issue? 

paul_c123

What did your wife sign? Maybe they miscommunicated by saying a dispute will automatically be raised if you're not there, but then if someone else signs on your behalf, there is in fact no need for a dispute. 

So for them, its a simple case of 1) they picked up an end of lease car, 2) there was a missing key, a late service and damage noted, 3) they've quanitified these and added it onto the final bill.

AIUI with these collections, they will do an assessment at point of collection, but also an assessment at arrival of the destination (which is usually the nearest of one of the large auction houses, eg BCA or Manheim). This is for two reasons: one is to be able to re-inspect the vehicle once clean and in good light indoors (a dirty car and/or rain hides a lot) and also to be able to progress any dispute they might have with the trade plate driver or delivery company (this would only be exceptionally though, for example if there were accident damage or something unusual happened during delivery).

So while its quite possible they found additional damage your wife didn't sign for, its also quite possible the inspector/driver did a "thorough job" when they initially inspected it and your wife has already agreed and signed to the damage. No dispute needed.

Also I don't think they automatically raise disputes anyway, they just go through the process they've done a million times and its up to the customer to raise the dispute. You would need to re-read the terms to see what you are bound by and if/what the process is. 

superc

I am female. My partner is male. He didn’t sign anything. The inspector said an automatic dispute is raised as I, being the policy holder, wasn’t present and I should raise any issues with Leasys. They also couldn’t send the photos, it would be Leasys that would do this and I would have to raise any disputes of the inspection with them. 

Here is the exact wording from the email -

‘Thanks for your email. As you weren't present after the inspection a dispute has automatically been raised. If you could contact Leasys to discuss the findings. Unfortunately we don't have the facility to send the pictures but they can be requested from Leasys when they received the report.’

I called Leasys and they said they would be sending the report in two weeks time (this was at the time of the inspection) and any issues I have could only be raised after they send this. 

This was never sent. This is what my issue is. 

paul_c123

Call them again.

KXL88

Did BCA not send you in advance what to expect at the end of lease inspection and collection? 

Myself I recently returned a 21 plate Audi A3, needed to print out all service records (Audi only do online, so they can't access them) from the dealer (dash actually said service due in 3 days, but it wasn't overdue), 2x keys and walked through with the inspector, showing the inspector the wheel lock key and where the handbook etc were located. Actually I haven't heard back from them at all, but saw my vehicle now back being sold at a dealer, so I'm assuming all is good. 

My previous lease car where I admit, there was some damange, panel and quite deep door dings, ended up needing to pay £400, but they didn't charge me for missed service £100 (it was 3 months overdue, but it was during lockdown). I appealed but failed. 

The car before that, back in the day, it was 1 day for inspection, 1 day for collection. Didn't know that during the inspection, had to have 2 sets of keys, so I ran back to my flat to get the 2nd set, I could have sworn the inspector put some dents in my car, and tried to show me the invisible dents, and when I said, I couldn't see any, he proclaimed, 'that's why I'm the inspector and not you.' Anyway I got a 'damage bill' of around £150, i disputed this, by calling the dispute line, where the person on the other end of the phone pulled up the pictures of the vehicle, and stated, yea, I can't see any damanges, and cancelled the bill. 

So yea the report normally arrives a couple of weeks after the car is collected, else call them (your leasing company or BCA).

Also for service generally it's 12 months or 10k (or whatever the milleage is) miles whichever comes sooner. Car dependend of course, in my 4 yr old A3, I only had to do 2 services and returned without being charged for no service. It arrived with oil for 24month / 18k mile service regime. 

Also you should be there for the inspection and collection as it's in your name no?