Do the lease company make mistakes?
Quick answer: Yes -- lease companies, collection drivers and inspectors can all make mistakes. When they do, the charge usually lands on you, so your best defence is your own dated photos, video and a written record of the car's condition before hand-over.
There are procedures in place to keep things fair, but when something goes wrong it tends to roll downhill and end up on your doorstep.
If a driver collects the car, they will do a basic condition report -- a quick walk-around to note any obvious signs of damage. It is not a thorough inspection. The car is then usually taken to auction, where it may sit in the car park for days before an inspector arrives to do the formal report.
Things can happen between you relinquishing the car and that inspection. We have had enquiries from people charged for damage that, they say, was not there when they handed the car over. At that stage there is little we can do. Unless you have documented the condition of your car shortly before hand-over -- with enough photos and video to serve as evidence -- the lease company holds all the proof.
Our reports have been used to successfully dispute recharges. The lease inspector who documents the car does not decide what to charge; that is done by someone in an office looking at photos. Sometimes the inspector's photos show damage in a bad light and make it look worse than it is. Our photos and paintwork-correction-focused report might describe a piece of damage as slight and superficial, while they are looking at an image that makes it look serious. They will generally err on the side of caution and charge for the worst case. Providing your own photos and report may change their mind.
We have also had customers billed for things like a missing wheel-nut key, because the inspector was looking in the boot while it was in the glove compartment. Our video showing that the key was in the car saved one customer a £500 charge.
Another common cause of disputes is not getting things in writing. We have heard of people calling the lease company and asking whoever answers the phone for an opinion. Everybody has an opinion; that does not mean it is correct. Complaining that you spoke to Polly, and Polly said you would not be charged, carries little weight -- especially if Polly's advice was less than stellar. Always back up phone calls with an email, and where possible with photos and video of the scratches or marks in question, plus any cosmetic-repair work already completed.
Lease companies can make mistakes. But generally they are very good, and they certainly aren't out to get you.