Are you BVRLA members?
Quick answer: No -- we are no longer BVRLA members. We were previously associate members, but as we are not a leasing or rental company the fees offered little benefit. We are members of the Retail Motor Industry Federation and part of their Trust My Garage scheme under the IGA.
The short history
For several years we were associate members of the BVRLA, and during that time we undertook their training for lease return inspections. That gave us a direct line into the standards the industry uses -- in particular the Fair Wear and Tear Guide -- and the training has stayed with us. We still inspect, advise, and repair cars against the same BVRLA standards a lessor's own agent will apply on hand-back day.
Why we stopped being members
The BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) is a trade body for companies that lease or rent vehicles. That isn't us. We're a specialist preparation and repair workshop, and the associate route was designed for suppliers selling into member fleets.
The BVRLA's core audience is fleet operators, and we are not a lessor or rental company, so much of the membership's value did not apply to us. The fees were expensive for the scale of our business, and the main tangible gain was access to BVRLA guide books. Crucially, the inspection training does not lapse when the membership does -- we still work to the same Fair Wear and Tear standards.
What we are members of
We are members of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and part of their Trust My Garage scheme, which sits under the Independent Garage Association (IGA). Trust My Garage is a consumer-facing code of practice for independent garages. In practical terms that gives you an independent complaints route and a published code of conduct we commit to follow.
Does BVRLA membership matter when choosing an inspector?
Less than many drivers assume. A BVRLA badge tells you a company is plugged into the leasing trade -- it does not tell you the individual walking round your car has hands-on experience with SMART repair or alloy refurbishment. What matters on inspection day is:
- Works to the fair wear and tear standards the lessor will apply.
- Measures each defect against the correct threshold rather than eyeballing it.
- Tells you whether to leave, repair, or challenge each mark.
- Gives you a dated, photographed report you can use to question any later recharge.
How we work to BVRLA standards without the badge
Every car we prep for hand-back is walked the same way a BVRLA-accredited inspector walks one. We score each panel, wheel, glass surface and interior area against the published fair wear and tear thresholds, photograph the defects, and write them up. If a mark is a sensible candidate for a SMART-repair we say so; if it's within fair wear and tear, we say leave it. For the process end-to-end see what do you look for on an end of lease inspection.
Every car we prep for hand-back is walked to the BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear Guide -- the document every major lessor works from. The report is written for you, not the leasing company, with photographs and measurements you can use if a post-hand-back charge looks wrong. We give honest leave-or-fix calls rather than chasing perfection; that usually costs less than the alternative. We also check the service pack and flag missing service book stamps or gaps in service history that can trigger extra fees on return.
Common misconceptions
"Non-BVRLA firms can't inspect lease cars" -- untrue. Membership is trade affiliation, not a licence to inspect. "BVRLA sets the recharge prices" -- no. Each lessor sets its own prices; the BVRLA publishes condition standards, not bills. And "non-members can't challenge a recharge" -- you can always dispute a charge. Evidence matters, not letterheads.