When your lease is coming to an end, there are a few things you may be thinking about. Below, we’ll answer our most frequently asked questions about the end of a vehicle lease contract so that you’ll feel more confident about the process.
1. What happens at the end of my lease contract?
2. How to prepare your lease car or van for a smooth collection
3. What happens if I wish to cancel my contract?
4. What’s the cancellation notice period?
What happens at the end of my lease contract?
With short-term leasing, you can opt to end your lease after the minimum 28 days have expired. But because it’s a rolling 28 days, you have the option to lease for longer or swap to another make or model if you wish, and there are no additional charges to pay either.
Of course, at some point the time will come when your lease period ends and when this sad moment arrives, we expect the car or van that you lease from Flexed to be either returned by yourself or arrangements made for the collection of the vehicle by us.
Delivery and collection are not included within standard contracts; however, this can be arranged for wherever you are in the UK. To find out more, please call 0800 311 8290.
Whatever length of time you decide to lease for, when the vehicle is ready to be returned, we expect it to be in a fair condition (according to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) guide).
Your lease car or van must be returned with:
- Original key (and the spare if applicable)
- Any handbook or paperwork related to the vehicle should be present
- The vehicle must be in a clean, satisfactory condition that complies with the BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines
To ensure everything is okay with your returned vehicle, an inspection will be carried out both internally and externally to look for damage of any kind that could be classed as not covered by the BVRLA guide, and if anything is found, charges may be payable by yourself.
The mileage will also be checked to make sure you’ve stayed within your agreed mileage allowance. Again, if it’s determined that you’ve exceeded your allocated allowance, you’ll be charged a small fixed fee for every mile over that you’ve covered in your lease car or van.
End of your Lease
As our Personal or Business Lease contracts are classed as Personal Contract Hire (PCH) or Business Contract Hire (BCH) agreements, the car or van you lease cannot be purchased by yourself at the end of your contract, therefore the vehicle must be returned when your agreement comes to an end.
If you look after your lease car or van whilst it’s in your possession by ensuring it’s kept clean both inside and out, and any damage you know won’t be covered by the BVRLA guide is repaired to an excellent standard before the vehicle is returned, the end of lease process is simple and straightforward.
The best advice when your lease contract is coming to an end is to check over the car or van yourself to make sure everything is in good order. You could even ask for a second opinion from a friend or family member just in case you miss something. Always inspect the vehicle in good, clear light to avoid missing any faults.
It might be a good idea to have the car or van valeted ready for its inspection. This will help in removing any light body marks such as scuffs and will also ensure that both the inside and out are lovely and clean.
Don’t forget to check all four tyres too – look for any damage that might not be covered under the BVRLA guide to avoid extra charges.
If you’ve chosen to have a private registration plate fitted to your lease car, then it’s your responsibility to ensure it’s put onto retention in advance of the lease contract ending and the vehicle being returned. This process can take as long as six weeks, so thinking about this in good time is advisable.
Also, if you’ve carried out any kind of modifications to your lease car or van, such as adding company decals or having a tow bar fitted, these must be removed without causing any damage to the vehicle before the inspection.
It might sound obvious, but remove all personal items from the vehicle before it’s due to be returned, making sure to check the glovebox and seat pockets and don’t forget to remove any keys not related to the vehicle from your keyring!
Please click here to find out more about our car leasing services and fantastic offers for both Business and Personal customers, or give us a call on 0800 311 8290 and speak to a member of our friendly team.
You can also drop us a quick email to talk@flexed.co.uk,or chat with a member of our team NOW using our online ‘We Are Here!’ service – we’ll gladly answer any leasing questions you may have.
How to prepare your lease car or van for a smooth collection.
When the time arrives for you to return your lease car or van as your contract nears its end, it’s important that you make all the right preparations before the vehicle is collected, so that the inspection and collection run as smoothly as possible.
So that our customers experience a hassle-free vehicle collection, Flexed would like to take this opportunity to go over a few important things that will help with the preparation process and assure a smooth and pain-free handover.
Before inspecting the vehicle yourself, clean it both inside and out so that any issues can be spotted easily and rectified before our inspection is carried out. Make sure the interior is valeted and any rubbish is removed.
How to Keep Your Car Looking Good
To help keep your lease vehicle looking good, we recommend regular cleaning both inside and out whilst in your possession. A good exterior polish carried out a few times a year can help keep the paintwork in tip-top condition.
Once your lease car or van is clean both inside and out, you should inspect the vehicle very carefully to look for any damage that isn’t covered under the BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines – not repairing any such damage may result in extra charges at the end of your contract.
It’s recommended by the BVRLA that you inspect your lease vehicle around 10 to 12 weeks before the end of your contract (on a 12-month term) to avoid charges and to give you enough time for any repairs to be carried out.
As well as checking the interior and exterior of your lease vehicle, a proper check of the tyres is advisable. Check the wheels, trims and tyres for any signs of damage and make sure that all the tyres are legal.
Make sure the interior smells fresh and that all the controls are working, as well as checking the upholstery for stains, tears or burns.
Pre-Inspection Checklist
Our inspection will be carried out in daylight, so make sure you carry out a full inspection in a good light so nothing is missed. Why not use our handy checklist below?
- You might want to ask a friend or relative to check over the vehicle as well, just in case you’ve missed something.
- Make a list of the things that need rectifying and remember to have them repaired by an authorised agent. Before any repairs are carried out, please inform your finance provider.
- Make sure that both sets of keys are ready to be handed over and that all documentation/manuals related to the lease vehicle are there.
- It may sound obvious, but the vehicle must be in a legal, roadworthy condition before it’s collected. There must be no warning/alert lights or messages coming up on the dashboard.
- Before your lease vehicle is collected, remove all your personal items from inside and remember to remove any keys not related to the vehicle from the key holder. If your lease car or van has a built-in sat nav or media system, make sure you erase all personal information before the vehicle is collected.
- If you’ve made any modifications to your lease car or van, such as the placement of a personalised number plate, the fitting of a tow bar or roof rack or wrapping with your company decals, please ensure that these are removed prior to collection, making sure that doing so leaves no damage behind.
- The removal of a personalised number plate will require you contacting your finance provider and may involve an administration fee. This process is best carried out around six weeks before your contract is due to end (on a 12-month lease).
The Inspection
- Our vehicle inspection and collection will be carried out on a day and at a time that fits in with you. You will be notified in advance as to when your lease vehicle is due for return, giving you plenty of time to prepare your lease vehicle for a smooth collection.
- On the day your lease vehicle is collected, a thorough check will be made of the interior and exterior, plus the mileage will be noted and recorded along with the overall condition on a Vehicle Condition Form.
- It’s important that you check the details on the form before you sign it, to make sure everything written down is correct. You will be provided with a copy of the form to keep.
- To help ensure a smooth collection of your lease car or van, our advice is always to plan ahead and make the right preparations in good time.
Please click here to find out more about our car leasing services and fantastic offers for both Business and Personal customers, or give us a call on 0800 311 8290 and speak to a member of our friendly team.
You can also drop us a quick email to talk@flexed.co.uk,or chat with a member of our team NOW using our online ‘We Are Here!’ service – we’ll gladly answer any leasing questions you may have.
What happens if I wish to cancel my contract?
At Flexed, we specialise in short-term leases that enable our customers to lease a car, van or pickup for a minimum of 28 days and after which it’s entirely up to yourself as to whether you return the vehicle, ‘roll on’ for longer or swap to another model or make.
Sometimes in life circumstances can change and this can lead to a customer wanting to cancel their contract. If you sign up for a 28-day contract with Flexed but wish to cancel early, you can do so but you must provide two weeks’ notice to the intended date of return.
The vehicle you lease must be returned in the same condition it was in when you collected it or had it delivered, so we advise all customers look after their lease car or van whilst it’s in their possession, no matter how short a time you may have it.
Both the interior and exterior must be free from any damage that’s not covered under the BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines and the mileage covered must be within your agreed mileage allowance or you could be expected to pay excess mileage charges.
One of the benefits of a 28-day rolling contract with Flexed is that if you do wish to cancel a 28-day rolling contract, we will refund any unused days that you’ve paid for. This refund only applies after the initial 28-day period at the start of the contract, after this you are free to cancel at any time (providing you follow the required notice agreements as mentioned above).
If you’ve leased a vehicle with us on a fixed contract, the end date is set as per your signed agreement. If you would like to cancel your contract and return the vehicle sooner than your agreed date, you are allowed to but you might be charged an early cancellation fee.
What’s the cancellation notice period?
To cancel your 28-day contract, please email talk@flexed.co.uk to book your cancellation. There is no notice period.
For fixed contracts though, the end date is set as per the signed agreement. Should you wish to return the vehicle sooner, an early cancellation charge may apply.
About Us
All of our vehicles are less than 12 months old, with 85% being less than 6 months old. They’re maintained regularly and well looked after, ensuring they’re safe and ready for our customers to lease.
Our entire fleet is changed every six months to ensure that our customers always have the latest models to choose from.
If you’re new to short-term leasing and not sure what to expect or how the whole process works but would like to open an account with us, getting started is quick and easy.
You’ll have to fill in the appropriate form depending on whether you wish to lease as a Business or Personal customer. The form only takes around 5-10 minutes to complete. You will be credit checked and a decision made by our own in-house finance department based on the information/documentation provided and the result of your credit check.
It normally only takes 24 hours (weekdays) for a decision to be made, so you could be driving off in your chosen lease car or van within a matter of days!
Our rolling 28-day contracts are the flexible way to lease a car or van without tying you into anything long term. YOU get to decide how long YOU want to lease for once your minimum 28 days is up, plus you can swap to another model or make as many times as you like without having to pay any additional charges.
Basically, our flexible service allows you to increase or decrease the length of your lease at any time, with only a 28-day commitment.
We have a superb range of quality cars to choose from including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, Volkswagen and Volvo, many of which are in stock at point of order.
Take a look around our website NOW and get in touch if you can’t see the exact model you’re interested in leasing. We’ll do everything we can to find the right vehicle for you – call 0800 311 8290 or email: talk@flexed.co.uk