End of Lease Checks

[Trickdick]

Picking up my new S90 in a couple of weeks - can't wait.

My current vehicle is due to go back to the lease company soon. The car is in excellent condition having had one of the wheels repaired to get rid of some cosmetic damage, and I have arranged a collection date.

I wanted an estimation of the time the car would be collected but the lease company said they could only specify the day. I then went on to say (in jest) it would need to be in daylight, but they told me it may not be the case as the car would not be assessed when collected - it would be driven to a central assessment centre before that was done. Needless to say, I'm more than a little concerned about this. I wanted signoff of the vehicle whilst I am present, just in case there is any subsequent damage whilst in transit (stone chips, cracked windscreen etc).

Has any one had experience of this sort of collection service? I have had several leases in the past and always had the car signed off in my presence.

Thanks for your help

[adambsmith]

Originally Posted by Trickdick

Picking up my new S90 in a couple of weeks - can't wait.

My current vehicle is due to go back to the lease company soon. The car is in excellent condition having had one of the wheels repaired to get rid of some cosmetic damage, and I have arranged a collection date.

I wanted an estimation of the time the car would be collected but the lease company said they could only specify the day. I then went on to say (in jest) it would need to be in daylight, but they told me it may not be the case as the car would not be assessed when collected - it would be driven to a central assessment centre before that was done. Needless to say, I'm more than a little concerned about this. I wanted signoff of the vehicle whilst I am present, just in case there is any subsequent damage whilst in transit (stone chips, cracked windscreen etc).

Has any one had experience of this sort of collection service? I have had several leases in the past and always had the car signed off in my presence.

Thanks for your help

I think I had this issue too and also when returning hire cars.

I find taking loads of pictures (and perhaps a slow walk around video) is a good plan so you can dispute (if needs be) any damage that is notified to you.

I make sure the hire car/lease co see that I am doing it too.

[iain cooper]

certainly doesn't seem right to assess vehicle without your presence ?

as you say anything could happen in the interim period.

Iain

[Turboman6680]

When I had my Octavia collected by BCA (British car auctions) they inspect at the time and give you a ipad generated refurbishment invoice.

Piece of absolute nonsense and nothing but hassle with BCA.

On the plus side, I'm getting my S90 this Wednesday and too, can't wait :-)

[Williemaykit]

My previous car was "inspected" and collected by British Car Auctions (BCA). BCA collect on behalf of a lot of manufacturers and finance companies

The experience wasn't the best. The first collection didn't happen and the car wasn't collected for a couple of weeks after the PCP deal had finished. Luckily I had emailed them as BMW invoiced me for holding onto the car. Thankfully the invoice was cancelled.

The inspection was very straight forward. Most finance companies will use the BVRLA guidelines for wear and tear. BVRLA has a standard list of charges for damage (BMW's charging matrix is in the link but it is based on BVRLA). I would use that information to assess what you have to do.

The inspection was relatively straight forward. The inspector checked the car, odometer, etc and took some photos. He mentioned that Mercedes Benz go as far as checking paint depth but BMW were a lot more relaxed about it. The report gets emailed you and he shows you a list of charges based on the BVRLA matrix above.

It is up to the finance company whether they charge. They will factor in the age of the car and the cost of the damage to determine whether to pursue it or not.

[Chief inspector]

My last XC60 went to BCA. They only do a cursory inspection at the pickup, it stated a full inspection happened at the auction site under controlled light. They definitely used a paint thickness gauge as I had some paint done the year before that was 100% perfect and they flagged it all as substandard. My car had been detailed since it was flawless with over spray, so they must have gauged it. They picked up on a dent that wasn’t there at collection (doored) and stone chips that fell below the BVRLA threshold.

I contested it all and didn’t spend a penny. They didn’t correct it, it was sold at the next auction and on Arnold Clarks forecourt 2 days later and sold by the weekend. They didn’t even list it properly as it had a load of extras they didn’t mention, and AC just copied it verbatim.

So much for a rough car!

[Williemaykit]

Funnily enough my last car also ended up at Arnold Clark. They managed to sell within a couple of weeks of auction

[MCV60]

My neighbour's car was inspected under head torch and collected in the dark.

[al dm]

Originally Posted by Williemaykit

My previous car was "inspected" and collected by British Car Auctions (BCA). BCA collect on behalf of a lot of manufacturers and finance companies

The experience wasn't the best. The first collection didn't happen and the car wasn't collected for a couple of weeks after the PCP deal had finished. Luckily I had emailed them as BMW invoiced me for holding onto the car. Thankfully the invoice was cancelled.

The inspection was very straight forward. Most finance companies will use the BVRLA guidelines for wear and tear. BVRLA has a standard list of charges for damage (BMW's charging matrix is in the link but it is based on BVRLA). I would use that information to assess what you have to do.

The inspection was relatively straight forward. The inspector checked the car, odometer, etc and took some photos. He mentioned that Mercedes Benz go as far as checking paint depth but BMW were a lot more relaxed about it. The report gets emailed you and he shows you a list of charges based on the BVRLA matrix above.

It is up to the finance company whether they charge. They will factor in the age of the car and the cost of the damage to determine whether to pursue it or not.

My last two VW Touaregs have been inspected and picked up by BCA. Both times, the inspection was one day and the collection another. Last car, nobody showed on the inspection day and I had to chase them. I told them I didn't want to have to keep the car insured and they re-imbursed me for a month's insurance.

I have found them very fair. I keep my cars very well, but there are always some cosmetic damages. However their prices are good - prime example being alloy wheels if they are kerbed or scratched. BCA charged £36 a wheel for refinishing which is amazing compared to getting a call out service. (This is for VW - Volvo may be different).

The last Touareg I had lost one of the keys and on the assessor's report it was listed as a c.£200 item ( I don't remember exactly), but on the final bill it was listed as zero. Which was nice.

One thing I will say though is they are picky about tyres. They found an (illegal) gouge out of a tyre sidewall that I had not seen and charged me for a new tyre. It was the same price as the best online price I could find for the same tyre, without fitting or balancing.

So all in all, I have had a decent experience with them. It's always a pain when a lease comes to an end and you know you are going to get hit with charges though.

On a positive note, the last two inspections I have had, the inspector has said it's been a pleasure to inspect your car as it's very well maintained. Then he's shown me photos of the state of the cars some people hand back. Last one was a high end Mercedes with an estimated turn in cost of over £30K. Ouch....

[Bash D Bishop]

My Navara was collected by IT Fleet Services. At first they would only give a specific day but I refused to accept this and stated I could not keep my diary clear for an entire day. They then offered me a 'pm' slot with a call one hour before the collection driver arrived. It was stated that the condition appraisal would be done at the time and I'd be given a damage report to sign and agree. There were 3 things I expected to be picked up: a chip on the edge of the rear light cluster (non impacting), a mark on the tailgate 'spoiler' (I had revered in to a branch) and some stone chips on the bonnet.

They were true to their word and the collection driver did arrive. At 16:30. In Scotland. In January. It was rather dark and he didn't have a torch.

He did full inspection of the interior and tyres but never looked at the wheels or bodywork. I signed the report showing zero damage and they took it away. The driver said that if damage was subsequently found then the liability was with IT Fleet services.

A week later I saw it listed at the Manaheim Auction in Haydock. The 3 areas I expected to be highlighted in the collection report were on the sale report.

Personally, I would deny any liability for any damage not agreed with me at the point of collection. If they wanted to try their luck in court then I'd be happy take up the challenge.