When the vehicle, its equipment, or accessories are not used, maintained, or cared for as agreed at the commencement of the lease, end-of-lease charges apply. The fees cover the expense of repairing damage or replacing goods such as keys or service records that have gone missing.
They can still be applied at the end of the lease in cases where the leasing company decides (for commercial reasons) not to repair damage or replace missing equipment before the vehicle is sold. Customers are not charged for any refurbishment that occurs as a result of regular wear and tear at the conclusion of the lease.
Customers can arrange for any damage that is beyond the agreed-upon returned standard to be repaired before returning the vehicle, as long as the repairs are completed to a professional quality by a reputable repairer who can give a fully transferable warranty.
You must be informed of what to expect when the vehicle is collected. Some leasing companies may arrange a full vehicle inspection and condition report when the vehicle is collected from the arranged location. Other leasing companies will collect the vehicle from the arranged location and complete the full inspection later at the leasing company's nominated site. It is advised that you are present when the vehicle is collected.
During the collection process, you and the representative from the leasing company must check and agree on the vehicle's condition. All readily evident damage to the vehicle will be noted on the vehicle collection sheet and both parties should sign the documentation or hand-held device.
In the case of a dispute about the condition or damage to the vehicle, customers have the right to pay for an examination of the evidence by an independent qualified engineer, eg. an engineer who is not linked to the original inspection and agreed by both parties.
The engineer's decision will be binding for both the customer and the BVRLA member. If the engineer finds it in the customer's favour, the BVRLA member will refund the reasonable cost of the examination to the customer.
On occasion, disagreements will arise between customers and BVRLA members which cannot be settled directly. Unresolved disputes can be referred to the BVRLA by the customer and/or the member involved.
If you’re worried about wear and tear on your car, consider one of our insured car leasing deals which include car maintenance cover for both personal and business leasing.