Valeting for Leased and
Contract Hire Vehicles

Avoid Lease Return Penalty Charges

Many people who lease or contract hire a vehicle, tend to forget that the car isn't theirs, and that one day the car leasing company will want it back. This is when many people wish they had paid more attention when reading the small print on their contracts!

Although the lease or hire company do not expect to get the car back in perfect condition (they do allow you some "Wear & Tear"), they will charge you for excessive damage. The problem is that your idea of 'excessive' may differ wildly to that of the lease company!

Don't forget that the lease company needs to sell your car before they get their profit and so need it back in a salable condition. Most lease companies adhere to the industry guidelines as published by the BVRLA/RAC/AA, as to what constitutes 'Fair Wear & Tear Standard' and what is chargeable. , noting the areas of damage and charging you at the cost of repair, or for the cost of devaluation that the damage has on the car. And here lies the problem and the solution!

So what kind of things can you be charged for?

The answer is just about any kind of damage, from excessive or rusty stone chips, small dents, scuffs, scratches in the paintwork, chips or cracks in the windscreen or lights, holes in the dash left by car phones or GPS systems, tears in upholstery, cigarette burns... even stained seats, excessive soiling and odours. They will also charge you for missing spare keys and tools. Just about anything that devalues the car.

So you can see why it is often the case that penalty charges can easily amount to a bill which exceeds £600.

Our Lease Return Service

We carry out an inspection using the same industry guidelines as the lease companies, so we know exactly what the inspectors are looking for and what kind of damage will incur penalties.

Using smart repair and other specialist valeting services, we are able to fix many of these problem areas at a fraction of the cost of the penalties, replacement parts or body shop repairs, often saving our customers hundreds of pounds.

Are the lease inspectors out to get you?

We recommend you keep on top of the problems which could incur penalties with an annual check-up and valet. Damage such as rips in seats can deteriorate over time, so can scratches and stone chips if not treated. Regular inspections can stop these minor problems from costing lots of money later. For more information about avoiding the pit-falls of car leasing, please read our free car lease guide.

We offer a range of Lease Return Services to suit your need and designed to save you money:

Basic Lease Return Valet
Your car needs to be clean before you return it to the lease company - you may be charged for excessively dirty cars. You car also needs to be clean before it can be inspected, after all, you can't see the damage if it is covered by dirt and this is the reason that lease return inspectors pay special attention to cars returned dirty. [more]

Other Valet Services
If you car requires a little more than our Basic Lease Return Valet, then you can choose services from our standard valet menu. Our staff are trained to help our customers choose the right services for their curcumstances, this includes for lease return - so you can be assured that you would only be advised to select the services you actually need. [more]

Premium Lease Return Service (Full Service)
This is the easy option - just bring the car to us and we will appoint you a personal advisor who will take care of virtually everything. Once we have inspected it, we will advise you of all the work that needs to be done. The Lease Return Valet is included in the prices as is our famous steak meal. [more]

Lease Return Inspection (Self Catering)
The business of lease return is very complicated and involved and we end up spending hours advising our customers and answering the dozens of questions they have. And so we have devised what we have nick-named the 'self catering' option... this is nothing to do with the steak meal available in our premium service, it basically means that we do the inspection and supply a report, but we don't answer as many questions about the details, because you will know them already. This is because you educate yourself on the process before you ever phone us. We have put just about everything you need to know into our guides to returning your car, so you can still take advantage of our years of experience and we will still guide you through the process, except it will be done via the website rather than through a personal advisor.
We feel this is the very best option for most people. All you need to do is start following our 6 Steps to returning your car.

Fleet Management and
Driver-to-driver Exchanges
We have year of experience in dealing with fleet cars and can cater to most fleet manager's needs, including driver-to-driver exchanges. We think we offer a great all-round service but if you think there is something we need to add to our service so that you would be willing to use us, then call us and we will make an appointment to come and see you.

	The Fair Wear & Tear Guide is available online for £10.00. This Guide contains important information and advice about the kind of wear and tear you will be charged for and how to avoid it. Writen in association with the RAC and AA

Valeting Articles: Index Page A list of articles on various car care and car valeting subjects

Article: Car Leasing - There's no escaping the cost of high mileage.
Lease return penalty charges for excess mileage can be a real headache, we look at some ways to minimize mileage use and avoid recharges .

Car Leasing Article: Car Leasing Explained
Who takes responsibility for the devaluation on your leased car?