Lease Return Inspections

Why will my lease company charge me?
The lease company will lose money on your car if it is not returned in an acceptable condition, so they make charge-backs to cover their costs. Sometimes you are charged for repairs, sometimes they will charge you for devaluation. These can come as a nasty shock to people returning their lease cars, especially if the bill runs into thousands of pounds.

Will they notice the damage?
A few years ago lease companies were not so picky when inspecting your a car when it was returned, and would let you off so not to upset you and keep a customer, but with the used car market has become really competitive and lease companyies were loosing millions so something had to change. They can't afford to not charge for damage because even a minor scuff can mean the difference between a car selling for the correct price and not selling at all.

How we can save you money?
You can bring your car to us for a free inspection, we will go round you car making suggestions and quoting for any work that may need to be completed, we aim to keep your repair costs to a minimum by only repairing the area that needs repairing. Because we know how long a repair takes and can repair damage a lease company would say needs replacing we give people huge savings.

Why pay you not the lease company?
We are bodywork specialists and know exactly what needs to be done to repair damge - we do it everyday. An inspector from a lease company has to look at everything from a worse case situation and charge as such. Our aim is to save you money and we have done that for so many companies and individuals. So the answer is it wont cost you as much.

When should I start to think about repairing damage to my car?
You should start to think about the condition of your lease car 10-12 weeks before the return date - this gives you time to assess the car - and book an appoinment to have all the work completed at a time that suits you.

What do the Leasing company expect?
General
The vehicle must meet MOT standards and have been serviced according to the manufacturer's servicing schedule. The stamped service book must be available for inspection. All other vehicle documents must be present. A Full set of keys must be returned as originally supplied. The vehicle must be significantly clean to allow a full inspection.

Paint, Body, Bumpers and Trim
The should be no rust or corrosion on any painted are e.g. painted bumpers, body panels and door mirrors. Relative to the vehicles age and mileage the following is acceptable:scratches up to 25mm. dents up to 10mm(provided no more than two per panel and the paint surface has not been broken) small areas or chipping(including door edges)

Windows and Glass
On the windscreen, light scratching is acceptable if it is not in the drivers line of sight. Chips, holes and cracks are not acceptable. Lights must work. Missing, cracked or damaged door mirrors are not acceptable.

Tyres and Wheels
All tyres must meet minimum UK legal requirements and comply with manufacturers recommendations or type, size and speed rating. Scuffs up to 25mm on wheel trims and alloy wheels are acceptable. The must be no damage to sidewall or tread.

Vehicle Interior
Upholstry must be clean and odourless woth no visable burns, tears or staining. All seats originally supplied must be present and intact. Holes and other damage left by the removal of accessories such as car telephones must be neatly repaired.

Tools, Equipment and Accessories.
All original equipment accessories and controls must be present, intact and operate correctly. A full set of keys including master and spares should be available at return.

The above information was supplied by the BVRLA's Fair wear and tear standard guide - please note although this is seen as the industry standard you may find your leasing company has their own rules/regulations we suggest you as them for a copy of their guide.

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