Renault Battery Lease Hostage

born_again

So you end up with a lease that cannot be complied with, other than paying the monthly fee forever.

65 plate 22Kwh battery, to buy the lease was just over £800 (EVM on u-tube selling a zoe)  3 Oct 2025

LeaseCompanyHostage

born_again said:

So you end up with a lease that cannot be complied with, other than paying the monthly fee forever.

65 plate 22Kwh battery, to buy the lease was just over £800 (EVM on u-tube selling a zoe)  3 Oct 2025

If the only way out of the lease is to buy the battery then that's definitely a scam. Now if they ever do find a Renault dealer willing to remove the battery, insist that it's my cost to have the battery removed and sent to them (I've heard that'll be at least £450) and there really is no economical route for me to get a judgement that it's unfair that I have to pay to have the non-working car transported many miles past multiple closer Renault dealers to one that'll do the work and the cost of transport will be £250+, then sure, if they offered a £800 buy out it would be the best route from a money/stress point of view. But, it'll still be a scam.

Right now I don't have a route forward. Mobilize have only said 'contact your local Renault dealer'. We have phoned and emailed, multiple times, telling them the ever growing list of dealers who say they can't do it. The last call today finished with 'we will respond to your email', based on evidence to date, they won't, certainly not with anything useful. Renault haven't called back, after saying they will, the second time they haven't. They are supposed to be contacting more dealers to find one that does the removal. Today I spent 20minutes on hold waiting to speak to someone, gave up.

Herzlos

Can you pay the battery buy out now and then submit a money claim online for it back because the contract unfairly forced your hand?

That could be argued to be the best way to resolve the issue whilst minimising your losses. 

LeaseCompanyHostage

Herzlos said:

Can you pay the battery buy out now and then submit a money claim online for it back because the contract unfairly forced your hand?

That could be argued to be the best way to resolve the issue whilst minimising your losses. 

Possibly. I'd need them to actually provide a quote that is in someway manageable. December 2024 we enquired and they wanted £2,053. I'm not yet prepared to risk that.

I had a brief look at if I did buy the battery, how could I sell it and recoup some money. I didn't immediately find any information about how to do that.

born_again

LeaseCompanyHostage said:

Herzlos said:

Can you pay the battery buy out now and then submit a money claim online for it back because the contract unfairly forced your hand?

That could be argued to be the best way to resolve the issue whilst minimising your losses. 

Possibly. I'd need them to actually provide a quote that is in someway manageable. December 2024 we enquired and they wanted £2,053. I'm not yet prepared to risk that.

I had a brief look at if I did buy the battery, how could I sell it and recoup some money. I didn't immediately find any information about how to do that.

Sell it on ebay, tout round HEVRA dealers to see what they will offer.

Herzlos

Can you sell the car as-is, either as spares/repairs or as a running car? Someone may well buy it for the battery. 

I'm assuming since you say it's 10 years old it's the 22kwh battery as the 40kwh came out in 2016. 

I can evbreakers (no affiliation) selling a battery for £1400 + VAT: https://www.evbreakers.com/product?pid=Renault+Zoe+Battery+Pack+22kWh+High+Voltage+Conversion+Solar&sku=20023

They also presumably buy broken Zoes.  

Then buy out the battery lease with the proceeds (or let them take it over). 

LeaseCompanyHostage

Herzlos said:

Can you sell the car as-is, either as spares/repairs or as a running car? Someone may well buy it for the battery. 

I'm assuming since you say it's 10 years old it's the 22kwh battery as the 40kwh came out in 2016. 

I can evbreakers (no affiliation) selling a battery for £1400 + VAT: https://www.evbreakers.com/product?pid=Renault+Zoe+Battery+Pack+22kWh+High+Voltage+Conversion+Solar&sku=20023

They also presumably buy broken Zoes.  

Then buy out the battery lease with the proceeds (or let them take it over). 

Thanks for the info. If mobilize finance offer me a reasonable buy out price I might consider it.

Latest developments are that Renault customer service said Wednesday that Lookers Carlisle can remove the battery and they had booked me an appointment on 4th November.
I asked for a number to speak to the Carlisle service department directly, reminding them that Newcastle booked me in then cancelled and they'd told me Hartlepool could do it but Hartlepool said they couldn't. 2 days pass and no response.
On Wednesday I tried calling Carlisle myself, ended up talking to a call centre in Newcastle who couldn't answer my questions and couldn't see any record of the booking but assured me they'd get Carlisle to call me. 2 days pass, no call
Today I managed to get through to Carlisle, but sales, servicing were busy, lady said she'd get them to call back. No call

If these guys can indeed do the battery removal, then I'll have to pay to get the vehicle there, pay for a transporter. At that point I'll definitely have suffered a hidden cost of this ridiculous lease agreement and will look at making a claim through small claims court.

born_again

Take the easy way out.
Ebay or such sale as Spares & repair. Let the new owner have the fun.

Ectophile

Looking at a sample lease agreement, is it possible to get the entire vehicle transported to RCI's UK office?  Dump it there and hand over the keys.

forgotmyname

What is the process for selling it with regards to the battery lease?  What happens if you sell it and the
new keeper decides they do not want to pay the lease?