End of Lease/PCP inspection - don't fear it!

[moonstone]

Today my wife's Audi Q3 was finally inspected and collected by BCA. This is the fifth lease car that we've had. The end of lease inspection and charges got me thinking about the whole industry that has sprung up around the fear of end of PCP/Lease collection and how it's actually ripping people off.

Wheel refurb companies, smart repair companies and bodyshops... There are more than a few who are marketing themselves as an end of lease/PCP specialist. One I saw recently is actually called Paint-My-Lease car.

Four out of the five inspection and collections were with BCA and the other one was with Mannheim. In every single case it would have been much more expensive for me to pay to have the damages fixed than what the charges were at the end of the inspection. The bill this time? £21 quid! Car had more than a few dings as well kerb marks on the two front alloys. The guy was only interested in one particular scratch on the rear quarter panel.

I remember my E92 M3 went back with a pitted back bumper from where I had reversed into a wall when parking (don't ask!). Bodyshop wanted £400 to respray the bumper. BCA charge was £120 and BMW FS didn't even bother charging it (presumably because my mileage was a fair bit lower than my limit).

I always make sure that the car going back is immaculately presented, right down to fresh tyre gel and well cleaned inside. Maybe that gets me on the right side of these guys. The Mannheim inspection was for the Maserati and he had the longest list - one item was uneven tyre wear (a characteristic of that particular car) but FCA Financial services didn't charge for it.

The scale of charges that these guys have for various things definitely seems to be much cheaper in my experience than what's you pay a bodyshop or alloy refurb place to sort, so my advice, if you're ever in this position is don't bother getting them fixed and see what happens. Worst case - you get charged cheaper than what it would have cost you to put right yourself, best case - they don't spot it in the first place.

 

[StuartK]

Shows that people are scared of the unknown.

 

[Derekh929]

I only see this getting far worse and manufacturers putting pressure on to recoup monies lose when cars trade values far lower than their locked in GFV.

 

[moonstone]

I only see this getting far worse and manufacturers putting pressure on to recoup monies lose when cars trade values far lower than their locked in GFV.

Well those five lease cars are over a period of 15 years, so not much has changed during that time. Less of an issue with PCP because you can just flog the car and settle the outstanding to avoid any inspection ever taking place.

 

[cossie1]

I used to do these inspections for a living.

Most of the lease companies were pretty sensible about what was fair wear and tear and what would be covered as a smart repair, some would even except cracked bumpers as smart repairs.

However if the car had previously had a "bad" smart repair (obvious that it had been smart repaired), then it did have to be listed as repair and repaint, as they wouldn't allow a smart repair to be smart repaired again.

There were also a couple of lease companies that blatantly took the piss, small trolley ding and they wanted it listed as repair and repaint, scuff on the wheel was a new wheel, that sort of thing.

I inspected 1 car had a scratch on the roof, and that company wanted it listed as replacing the roof panel as it also had a small ding in it (clearly from a stone hitting it), it was a 5 year old vectra ffs and both could have been smart repaired easily.

There was also a saxo iirc that was about 10 - 12 years old that some scruffy cunts had clearly bought and not looked after, however the company that financed that was one of the ones that took the piss, it was mainly trolley dings and the odd scuff, nothing too major but it was pretty much every panel, so the finance company did try and bill them for repair and repaint every panel on the car (which was far more than the car was worth even if it had been mint). I doubt they got very far though as it was clearly going back as they couldn't afford the payments for the car as it was.

 

[moonstone]

I used to do these inspections for a living.

Most of the lease companies were pretty sensible about what was fair wear and tear and what would be covered as a smart repair, some would even except cracked bumpers as smart repairs.

However if the car had previously had a "bad" smart repair (obvious that it had been smart repaired), then it did have to be listed as repair and repaint, as they wouldn't allow a smart repair to be smart repaired again.

There were also a couple of lease companies that blatantly took the piss, small trolley ding and they wanted it listed as repair and repaint, scuff on the wheel was a new wheel, that sort of thing.

I inspected 1 car had a scratch on the roof, and that company wanted it listed as replacing the roof panel as it also had a small ding in it (clearly from a stone hitting it), it was a 5 year old vectra ffs and both could have been smart repaired easily.

There was also a saxo iirc that was about 10 - 12 years old that some scruffy cunts had clearly bought and not looked after, however the company that financed that was one of the ones that took the piss, it was mainly trolley dings and the odd scuff, nothing too major but it was pretty much every panel, so the finance company did try and bill them for repair and repaint every panel on the car (which was far more than the car was worth even if it had been mint). I doubt they got very far though as it was clearly going back as they couldn't afford the payments for the car as it was.

Interesting to you get your perspective from the other side of the table. Of all the ones I've had, I only had one that I would describe as a jobsworth and that was the guy from Mannheim. He spent well over an hour going over the car and had a big list, some of which was just nonsense to be honest. Its interesting that even the finance/leasing companies don't automatically go with the opinion of the inspection report.

 

[cossie1]

It was Mannheim that I used to work for lol.

As said every finance company had there own list of what was acceptable fair wear and tear and then a list of criteria for what damage should be listed as.

But there were about 30 of us going around the country inspecting cars (I was averaging 500 - 600 miles a day for 18 months) back then (this was back in 2006/7), some guys were fairly lenient and others were a proper jobsworth. No idea how many they have employed doing it now.

 

[boba fett]

Great info and great read, but I would never finance a car as you undoubtedly already know. Done it once to get the wife into her dream car (that we could not otherwise afford at the time) and never again.

 

[moonstone]

It was Mannheim that I used to work for lol.

As said every finance company had there own list of what was acceptable fair wear and tear and then a list of criteria for what damage should be listed as.

But there were about 30 of us going around the country inspecting cars (I was averaging 500 - 600 miles a day for 18 months) back then (this was back in 2006/7), some guys were fairly lenient and others were a proper jobsworth. No idea how many they have employed doing it now.

I didn't even know they did it to be honest. I though BCA had the monopoly.

 

[moonstone]

Great info and great read, but I would never finance a car as you undoubtedly already know. Done it once to get the wife into her dream car (that we could not otherwise afford at the time) and never again.

Horses for courses innit.

 

[boba fett]

Horses for courses innit.

Indeed it is Stone

 

[Schmeel]

Today my wife's Audi Q3 was finally inspected and collected by BCA. This is the fifth lease car that we've had. The end of lease inspection and charges got me thinking about the whole industry that has sprung up around the fear of end of PCP/Lease collection and how it's actually ripping people off.

Wheel refurb companies, smart repair companies and bodyshops... There are more than a few who are marketing themselves as an end of lease/PCP specialist. One I saw recently is actually called Paint-My-Lease car.

Four out of the five inspection and collections were with BCA and the other one was with Mannheim. In every single case it would have been much more expensive for me to pay to have the damages fixed than what the charges were at the end of the inspection. The bill this time? £21 quid! Car had more than a few dings as well kerb marks on the two front alloys. The guy was only interested in one particular scratch on the rear quarter panel.

I remember my E92 M3 went back with a pitted back bumper from where I had reversed into a wall when parking (don't ask!). Bodyshop wanted £400 to respray the bumper. BCA charge was £120 and BMW FS didn't even bother charging it (presumably because my mileage was a fair bit lower than my limit).

I always make sure that the car going back is immaculately presented, right down to fresh tyre gel and well cleaned inside. Maybe that gets me on the right side of these guys. The Mannheim inspection was for the Maserati and he had the longest list - one item was uneven tyre wear (a characteristic of that particular car) but FCA Financial services didn't charge for it.

The scale of charges that these guys have for various things definitely seems to be much cheaper in my experience than what's you pay a bodyshop or alloy refurb place to sort, so my advice, if you're ever in this position is don't bother getting them fixed and see what happens. Worst case - you get charged cheaper than what it would have cost you to put right yourself, best case - they don't spot it in the first place.

Great read that!

I always wondered what the costs would be for leasing. An often was put off for fear of getting rinsed come hand back time.

What happens if you lease from main dealer. Does the car have to go back to them? or BCA/Manheim?

 

[moonstone]

Great read that!

I always wondered what the costs would be for leasing. An often was put off for fear of getting rinsed come hand back time.

What happens if you lease from main dealer. Does the car have to go back to them? or BCA/Manheim?

Still goes back to BCA etc. The dealer is just the shop that sold it to you. After that they have nothing to do with it.

The lessor (leasing company or finance company) provides the purchase price to the dealer. The dealer gives you the car and that’s their part in it finished.

 

[cossie1]

I didn't even know they did it to be honest. I though BCA had the monopoly.

they might not even be doing it anymore and it could well be BCA only now.

 

[moonstone]

they might not even be doing it anymore and it could well be BCA only now.

Mannheim did one for me around three years ago.

 

[Derekh929]

Well those five lease cars are over a period of 15 years, so not much has changed during that time. Less of an issue with PCP because you can just flog the car and settle the outstanding to avoid any inspection ever taking place.

Yes Totally PCP gives that flexibility, I worked well on my first PCP with the merc, as got good price on sale 3.5 month before contract end, was going to buy it anyway if had no been offered the great price I got.

Some great info above on this thread very enlightening from people that's been in the job