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DIY Lease Return Inspections
When you return your car, your lease company or
a subcontractor will carry out a lease return inspection to assess damage
and wear for which you will be charged. To avoid these charges we strongly
recommend that you have your own inspection to indentify problem areas
so that you can get them fixed before the final return. Follow the simple
steps outlined below:-
1) Five weeks before your car is due to go back, you should
take steps to prepare it. It needs to be very clean so that it can be
inspected, but it also needs to be returned in a clean condition under
the terms of your contract - if you haven't cleaned your car regually
inside and out, we suggest having it professionaly valeted.
 2)
Next, carry out your own appraisal of your car using your BVRLA
Fair Wear & Tear Standard guide to assertain what damage and
wear is acceptable. Make sure you read the print,
and don't just look at the pictures which are the worst case not the
least. You can also
use our handy online
guide and out printable check-list  .
If your car is completely free from damage, or you feel
that the damage you have is fair wear and tear, then you have nothing
to worry about. All you have to do is to keep your car in this condition
until the inspection date.
If you do it your self, you will need to properly clean
the car and use your BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear Standard to check for
damage etc (there is a checklist and descriptions in the book (Go by the
description, not the pictures.) - we also have a checksheet
you can print out).
Once you have found all the problems you will need to
get them fixed. It may be the case that you can replace damaged trim and
things like wing mirrors yourself after sourcing them from a dealership,
a used parts dealer or on ebay. But we would recommend getting any other
areas of damage done by a professional. You can either find a company
like Clean Image that can do most of the work, or you can find individual
companies and book them.
If there is anything you are unsure of,
you can pop in to Clean Image. Or take a picture using your camera
phone and MMS us a picture to 07939 507500, or e-mail it to
, we give free advice and are always happy to help. Better still,
you can ask your questions on the Car
Care Forum.
If this all seems to much like hard work, you
can book your car in at Clean Image (contact)
we will either do an appraisal with you, or you can leave the car
with us and we will do a full inspection using our checklist based
on the Fair Wear and Tear Standard, after which you will be given
a full report and recommendation for any work that needs to be undertaken.
Either way, the car will need to be clean for
us to inspect it. You can clean the car yourself, or you have have
our lease return valet,
or any valet from our standard menu. |
In addition to this, you will also need to ensure that
you have all your keys, manuals, service book and all items that you may
have taken from the car. See your BVRLA
Fair Wear & Tear guide for details.
REMEMBER - address this 4-5 weeks ahead of your lease
return date, do not leave it till the last moment, you may need to book
your car in for repairs.
Where to go and what to take
Once you have had your car prepared for return, you should follow the
following steps.
- Find out where to go, and get directions
if need be. If the lease company is visiting you, you won't need to
worry about this.
- Allow time for the inspection, some
companies will do the inspection and charge you there-and-then on a
hand-held computer. But other companies will send a driver who will
do a comprehesive check, but this isn't the inspection... that will
be done later and the details sent on to you. Either way, you may want
to be there for the duration so allow yourself between 30min and an
hour.
- They will expect your car to be properly
clean inside and out. If it isn't, we have been told that they
will assume you are using the dirt to hide something, so they will inspect
the car twice as carfully once it has been cleaned, often at your expense.
- Make sure there is some fuel in the tank
(most contracts specify quarter of a tank) don't fill the tank up!
- If you are going to be collecting a new car
you may need to take proof of ID.
Things that people often forget
- The master key and/or spare key (at the back of the kitchen drawer?)
Peugeots also have a credit card sized key card.
- Remove CDs from deck and multi-player (check boot).
- Empty personal items from glove compartment, map pockets centre console,
rear centre console, sun visor pocket, hidden pockets and check the
spare wheel area.
- Dartford Tunnel tags and parking permits (both on screen).
- Ladies shoes.
- The car park change that you keep in the ashtray.
- When you hand the car keys over, don't forget to remove your front
door key and personal key rings.
PDF: Lease Return Checksheet
A checksheet based on the kind used by vehicle lease return inspectors.
This checksheet will help you to assess your car, so you can do your own
inspection before the real one, find the problems and get them fixed.
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