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I leased a POLO for 2 years for my daughter.At the end of the lease, the car was in immaculate condition and had only 9000 miles on the clock. The front wheel trims were scuffed, I replaced them, the 2 year service was due, I had it done, I replaced a couple of bulbs and had paint repairs on a couple of small scuffs to the front bumper, minor and very tiny dents on the doors (hardly visible and certainly not photographable). I was confident the car would pass any inspection. At the end of the inspection I was given an estimate for £1700 plus VAT from the Inspector to 'put the car right'. I immediately took it to two garages for an independent inspection - both agreed with me the car was in good condition and had a very small amount of use - which they considered fair wear and tear. I have had leased cars for many years (including VWs) and have never, ever, had to pay back one penny in 'refurbishment'. The inspector said I needed two new tyres at the front - the VW dealer I subsequently took the car to for their opinion, disagreed and said the tyres were legal. Sensing I was in for a battle and the inspector was on a commission earning exercise - I took the car to a well known and well respecred body specialist and had every tiny imperfection taken out. On reinspection, the inspector noticed a speck of dirt inside the paint on the bumper (seriously I am not making this up) where the car had had a minor paint repair. He said they would have to redo the paintwork, insisted on new tyres for the front and new wheel trims for the back. In all I spent £1515 getting the car to their very high standards. I have just received an invoice for £134 to cover the rear wheel trims and a new front tyre!! The wheel trims at the back were very very lightly marked and the tyre was legal even according to the VW dealer. I have refused to pay it on principle. I am prepared to go to Court if I have to to defend this. Can anyone tell me how I trace the lease car so that I can see if they had the 'refurbishsment' work done, which I dont believe they did. I would love to hear from anyone with similar end of lease experiences. I have pictures, as do the other two garages I asked to give me a report. The car was collected and the man who collected it commented on its pristine condition.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 21/08/2009 at 02:04
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This end of lease scam is the reason why I don't lease cars.
It doesn't matter whether they had the work done or not - they would claim that it was reduced in value by that amount.
You need a copy of the BVRLA assessment guide - it shows what's acceptable and what's not (though its not legally binding on lease operators). It sounds like your firm is not following the guide. You need to ask them why not.
Try looking here: www.lingscars.com/returnadvice.pdf
Edited by Marlot on 20/08/2009 at 09:07
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At the end of the inspection I was given an estimate for £1700 plus VAT from the Inspector to 'put the car right'.
I strongly feel we need to know who the leasing company is. Unless this is a complete pack of lies then the whole story is just horrendous.
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I run a small leasing brokerage and am pretty sure I am able to guess which leasing company has levied these charges.
Too many leasing companies have been doing artificially cheap deals over the last couple of years and have consequently lost fortunes, they are trying to do whatever they can to recoup losses. Some companies have pulled out of the vehicle leasing marketplace completely, the market is narrowing and prices are increasing.
The end-of-lease "scam" is in fact a contractual requirement, I always advise customers to put the car in good condition before returning it and if the vehicle is physically close enough I will inspect it myself. There is no onus on the leasing company to actually carry out the work for which they have charged, although I accept this is difficult to swallow.
A good idea is to imagine it is your own car and you are selling it. In order to maximise your revenue it is advisable to ensure it is in good condition.
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