I know what's wrong with my car. Why should I get my car inspected?
We check the car to the same standard as the lease company, they won't overlook anything, and neither will we. We are specifically looking for things that might cost you a lot of money, or lots of small areas of damage which might add up and push you over the charges threshold. Simple things that people often forget like the spare key or the locking wheel nut can result in a large bill.
One of the best reasons to have your car inspected is that we supply you with a detailed report, so you have an exact record of the condition of your car before you send it back. Should you incur charges and disagree with them, the report is ammunition you can fight back with.
How long does an end-of-lease inspection take?
The standard inspection takes about 30 minutes, and we do it with you. You heard it right, we get you to help us do the inspection. This way you are fully involved in the process, and we will start explaining things as we go along. We are here to help you, and you are likely to have plenty of questions, so allow more than the 30 minutes.
If you don't want to get involved, we also have a drop-off-and-go service.
Are you BVRLA members?
Not any more. We used to be associate members (full membership is for leasing companies) and we have been trained by the BVRLA to their standards. However, we are here to look after lease customers and don't see ourselves as part of 'the lease industry'. We are fully independent.
Should I just get it all done for peace of mind?
Absolutely not! This is one of the most common mistakes people make. You shouldn't spend money you don't need to spend. Your lease contract allows for a certain amount of wear-and-tear.
Can you do end of lease car repairs?
We can do most minor repairs, otherwise we can point you in the right direction.
Can you refurbish my scuffed wheels?
One of the things that gets people worried about returning their car is they noticed they have scuffed the wheels, it is perhaps the issue we are asked about most. But do you really need to really repair them? The cost of refurbishment is often similar or greater than the recharges you are likely to incur.
Deciding whether you should do them really depends on what other damage is on the car and what the total bill will be. If the rest of the car is in good condition, they might not charge you at all. There is a threshold, under which they won't charge you.
Do I need to get my lease car valeted before return?
Your car needs to be clean enough to do the inspection, and if the car is excessively dirty or has smells or stains, there can be recharges. However, the car doesn't need to be returned in concourse condition, and we wouldn't recommend spending a lot of money having your car valeted.
What happens at the end of a lease?
The lease company will send somebody to collect the car. Either they will carry out an inspection or it will be inspected later. If there is damage, wear or missing items, over and above a certain value, they will send you a report with the bill.
For the most part, their charges are fair. As we already mentioned, the recharges for scuffed wheels are generally about the trade price for having them refurbished, whereas if you did have them repaired you would pay retail prices. On the other hand, should you have worn a hole in the carpet, the cost to you to pay to repair it could be one fifth of what they might charge for the cost of replacement. It's best you take control before the car is returned.
Can I dispute end-of-car-lease charges?
You certainly can, and many of our customers have done so successfully. However, it's hard to do when you don't have the car and all the 'evidence' is on the inspection report supplied by the lease company. It is far easier to dispute if you have a report of your own which details the condition of the car prior to return.
It hasn't been our experience that lease companies are out to get you or make unfair charges, but sometimes mistakes happen. For example, we once had a customer receive a recharge for a missing locking wheel nut. They were able to successfully dispute this because when we had checked the car it was present. The independent inspector who had checked the car on behalf of the lease company had simply missed it. As by this point the car had already gone off to auction, so it was a matter of their report versus our report.
Ingmaras Keleras
Gary Smith