Just to put my opinion across.
Just handed my van back to Vanarama after 4 years. Gave me wrong date so I got over charged for end of contract.
Had it in a body shop for all minor scratches and dents. I've got OCD and I really looked after it by the way
Final bill £541
I would never lease again. I've just bought a new van. If you've got good credit history I'd get a loan and purchase the newest van you can afford.
Unfortunately it happens more often than you are told about. Its the Lessors cash cow as the expression goes. This is the time when they can find any excuse to find faults and bill for it. Look how the holiday car rental companies are playing the game to their advantage in Spain and Portugal. Its similar here.
This is why its so important to get a copy of their 'fair wear and tear' booklet so you know what the return vehicle is being judged on/by.
http://www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/guidance/returning-your-leased-vehicleFor example, at one time Enterprise would charge for every little stone chip, but their current standards (last time brother in law hired a posh car from them for the weekend) say any scratches or marks smaller than a 20p piece would be seen as fair wear and tear.
Sadly, it also depends on who does the return vehicle's appraisal. Some are more linient than others in the same company.
I certainly agree with you to get a copy of the final signed appraisal at all costs. As a last resort you have to get a photocopy and ask the appraiser to sign and date that copy in ink so nothing can be added to their documents later.
Good on you for arguing the spare key story. That's a favourite one.
The other one was servicing. At one time it could only be serviced at a garage authorised or approved by the finance house. So that would be at the main agent's workshop and not Kwik-Fit around the corner. I think things have changed, but they can still claim the service was not done to the manufacturers specifications - an interim service for example, and penalise to customer for that. Unfortunately, this sort of thing usually occurs after the next lease vehicle has been signed for so you are stuck for the duration of the next lease.
In all due honesty, I would stay away from Contract Hire in our business, and consider a lease where you can afford to pay the final payment and take ownership of the vehicle when the lease is up like Dazmond is doing. We often had customers increase the monthly payments to make the final balloon payment smaller. If a van was sold to a builder, then the majority of lease deals where a final balloon payment of £1.00 due to the nature of the way that industry in general used to treat their vans. (Much like window cleaners and leisure batteries
)