Zetter Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 So the time has come to send the company lease car back and unlike last time it seems the company are intent on passing on any damage costs to us which has come as a bit of a shock to a few folks. Fortunately I am one of the later returners so forwarned is forarmed so to speak. The alloys are a bit beaten up thanks to my wife kerbing it a few times but I am going to get this sorted through the company insurance and stump up the excess. However there are a few surface scratches from various jobs at work and Tescos car parks on the bodywork. What are the collectives view on the scratch repair kits you can get. Reviews seem varied some swear by them some at them. Any experiences on if they are any good at all for minor scratch i.e. ones that are noticable if you look hard in a good light? Otherwise I am looking at someone like chips away but am unsure how much this will set me back any experiences on this? Any advice welcome (not on the wifes driving though!) Cheers Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Alloys cost around £40-£60 each to have refurbed to a good standard so going through insurance is not likely to be worthwhile and I'm not even sure you can. Regarding scratches, if you can feel it with your nail then it needs doing because it is highly unlikely to polish out but a full compound job on a colour such as silver can do wonders if they're mostly surface marks. I would only do repairs by people like ChipsAway on localised small areas of the bumper, anywhere on the main panels you really are better off getting it done properly through a body shop. Small chips on the bonnet as well as tiny marks on alloys are within general fair wear and tear so don't be in a rush to prep the car back to retail standard either. Upon hand back either try and get a full signed off appraisal from the collector or photograph each panel carefully so you have something to fall back on in case of a dispute. In practice lease hand back should be straightforward as long as you've looked after the car correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 So, you're saying that after having and using the vehicle on work business they now want you to pay for any age related damage ? But this was not stated before you took the vehicle on, not part of the contract you agreed to ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldweld Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Most body shops do SMART repairs indoors !! Mobile ones work outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted August 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 The alloys through insurance should be ok as we self insure all I have to do is pay the excess which is £150. Unfortunately the company have thrown us under the bus a bit with this one so its damage limitation really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted August 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 The alloys through insurance should be ok as we self insure all I have to do is pay the excess which is £150. Unfortunately the company have thrown us under the bus a bit with this one so its damage limitation really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savhmr Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Surface scratches I'd argue are fair wear and tear...what tdo they expect, a showroom car that's more than a few years old? That's unreasonable. Deeper visible scratches are another matter. None of these scratch repair kits work that well as they mostly consist of a surface or topcoat lacquer which do their best to hide the scratches but its never invisible without a lot of elbow grease and cut/polishing afterwards meaning that the whole panel needs doing. If you have a panel that's badly scratched you may find that its better to have it re-sprayed properly. Worht getting a few quotes for all the work, then asking your work what they'd charge you as the car is now and just take the cheaper option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) This has been a big problem with lease vehicles and actually one of the main reasons we stopped leasing. The other side of the problem that you don't mention is that the lease companies often charge grossly inflated prices for little scuffs and scrapes. My mate Mike was billed £1,700 for an immaculate BMW he returned a few years ago and he was so shocked he is still talking about it now! We used a company called Little Knocks, who were very good, to prepare the vehicles before handing them back. Their entire business seems to revolve around end of lease preparation. Obviously they are here but there must be others. http://www.littleknocks.co.uk/ Edited August 15, 2015 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 So, you're saying that after having and using the vehicle on work business they now want you to pay for any age related damage ? But this was not stated before you took the vehicle on, not part of the contract you agreed to ? Oh its in the contract all right, they just don't point it out. Strange that Frankly, its a con, a hidden charge you can do nothing about except pay it. I don't know why anyone would lease a vehicle these days. The deals to buy one are so competitive that I would say its cheaper to buy and at the end of the term its yours to keep or sell as you want Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 Oh its in the contract all right, they just don't point it out. Strange that Frankly, its a con, a hidden charge you can do nothing about except pay it. I don't know why anyone would lease a vehicle these days. The deals to buy one are so competitive that I would say its cheaper to buy and at the end of the term its yours to keep or sell as you want Sorry but it isn't a con at all, you lease or contract hire a vehicle for say 3 years and you have to return it in the condition expected of a 3 year old vehicle. There is a downloadable industry approved pdf outlining what is and isn't acceptable and having viewed it I found it more than reasonable, in fact the damage on alloys and bumpers deemed OK is well beyond what I would put up with whilst driving the car. It is true you can't treat the car like a tractor and if you do then you ought to put it right because it isn't right that someone else should foot the bill. There is a vast difference between HP and Lease C/Hire etc, and it isn't as simple as deciding to buy because the monthly payments can be double or more . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) Sorry but it isn't a con at all, you lease or contract hire a vehicle for say 3 years and you have to return it in the condition expected of a 3 year old vehicle. There is a downloadable industry approved pdf outlining what is and isn't acceptable and having viewed it I found it more than reasonable, in fact the damage on alloys and bumpers deemed OK is well beyond what I would put up with whilst driving the car. It is true you can't treat the car like a tractor and if you do then you ought to put it right because it isn't right that someone else should foot the bill. There is a vast difference between HP and Lease C/Hire etc, and it isn't as simple as deciding to buy because the monthly payments can be double or more . If that were true it would be OK, my own experience in the past has been different to that. Vehicles having an arbitary surcharge slapped on at the end of the agreement bearing no relation to the condition they were handed back in. So we stopped leasing, simple as that. Big companies who lease whole fleets probably get away with a lot more than the little man with just one or two vehicles, and there are definitely good and bad companies. It doesn't just happen with lease cars either, I stopped using a very well known hire car company at Newcastle Airport some years ago now because every time I took a car back to them the following day they wanted to charge me for something. Edited August 15, 2015 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Cheers for the advice guys. I will get a couple of quotes to get the bit done professionally. I have the fair wear and tear guide so the alloys definitely need doing along with a few surface scratches so I will get them done. The alloys are the major bit there are only 4 to 5 minor scratches that breach the fair wear and tear guide. Fortunately we are back to company cars this time so no come back on me in future unless it major issues. What's left a sour tast really is when we swapped last time the company footed repairs for a load of people I know. But as they are now moving back to company cars from personal lease they have basically left us to sort it and you have no option as the loans against you. Hey ho though next time I organise some weekend overtime I'll stick my name down as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnytheboy Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Hamsters bang on the money! I would go to a body shop and ask them to do small and local repairs, I have seen smart repairs by the man in the van rejected under the lease and the driver charged full repair costs to rectify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted August 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 well as an update turns out the alloys are diamond cut took it to a body shop and he said that the damage wasnt from curbing (sorry mrs Zetter!) but from the surface coating breaking down and a repair would be £500+. The compay have suggested I argue with the lease company and if not put it through the company insurance which sounds more like it as the excess is £150 for me to pay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 well as an update turns out the alloys are diamond cut took it to a body shop and he said that the damage wasnt from curbing (sorry mrs Zetter!) but from the surface coating breaking down and a repair would be £500+. The compay have suggested I argue with the lease company and if not put it through the company insurance which sounds more like it as the excess is £150 for me to pay! Surface coating breaking down sounds like "fair wear and tear", unless it was started off by accident damage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetter Posted August 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 (edited) Spoke to my boss and his opinion is I have done everything to sort it so I can claim any damage through expenses for the alloys so bonus! Zenith who I lease the car off basically told me to do one as they only do warranty for one year on the alloys but they would say that as its not their issue... Edited August 21, 2015 by Zetter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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