What is Fair Wear & Tear?

Every car, no matter how well cared for, will sustain some wear and tear during its life time; it's only to be expected. And some cars will be completely abused.A lease company does not make its money from a car until it has been returned to them and sold on. To a lease company, the resale value of the car is as important as your monthly payments and interest rates – so they want it back in good condition. As I'm sure you can imagine, there are people out there who are unwilling to care for their lease cars and every lease company has its horror stories… There is the famous case of the driver who returned a car with the engine on the back seat; another driver only returned pieces of his car in a holdall! Even without these 'drivers from hell' accidents will happen and the lease company needs to recoup the effect this damage has on the resale value. Contrary to the commonly held view that these recharges are just a way for lease companies to screw extra money form their customers, our experience is that they are generally very fair, even generous.While it is understandable that lease companies charge for damage which devalues a car, a certain amount of wear is only to be expected on a vehicle which is a couple of years old and so you won't be charged for any wear or tear which is deemed to be fair.In the UK, the fair wear and tear standard is set by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, and most lease companies are members and will closely follow these guidelines. The standard is available to the general public and if you weren't issued one when you collected your lease car you may be able to buy one either through your lease company, lease broker, the BVRLA or from an independent retailer. We strongly recommend that you do arm yourself with this guide and refer to it should you notice any damage or wear to your vehicle. It is also advised that you compare this to the terms of your lease, because although most companies follow it closely, many don't follow it exactly. In the past it has been the case that some are more lenient on things like dents (especially companies like Motability who supply cars to disabled drivers) but more recently the trend has seen companies being stricter with things like smoking in cars.Although I believe the lease companies to be fair in the charges they make, it is worth noting that most of the time, the prices they charge will be based on the devaluation effect of the damage or the average cost of a bodyshop repair or replacement of parts. Sometimes it's worth just accepting the charge, for example, at the time of writing the recharge for a scuffed wing mirror is approximately Ј40+vat. But to have a wing mirror repaired or replaced and repainted is most likely going to cost you Ј60-Ј70+vat. But some areas of damage are well worth getting fixed yourself. For example, damage to a door is likely to incur a penalty of around Ј175+vat which is not an unreasonable amount for covering the cost of a bodyshop repainting the door, but does the door really need repainting?You are likely to get charged this amount even if you have chips on the door edge which are through to the metal. Touching these in before they rust with a Ј5 touch-up paint may be all it takes to avoid the penalty. If the afore mentioned door has a dent, there is a possibility that your lease company will only charge you the cost of paintless dent removal, but they may charge for a bodyshop repair which is likely to be more than twice the price. So the smart thing to do is usually to have the work done yourself, this way you can ensure that you get the cheaper option. In fairness, it's not usually such a simple choice because there is rarely just one item of damage to a car, more often there will be 3-7, and of course, you will get a cheaper price from a bodyshop for doing the lot (He may even do the wing mirror into the bargain!)But before rushing of to a bodyshop and having them respray any panel on a car that has damage, consider using smart repair services. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Small Medium Area Repair Techniques and it can be a much cheaper alternative to a bodyshop respray. It is especially useful for repairs on interiors such as scuffs on dashboards. If the damage you have is beyond smart repair, then you should possibly look for a bodyshop to do the work. It is easy to find cheap bodyshops, the problem is that some of them are too cheap! On a number of occasions we have seen lease companies charge penalties because a repair has not been properly done (and for this reason its worth noting that you should never try and save money by having a smart repair on damage that needs a bodyshop repair, you will only end up paying twice). The best way to find a good (but cheap) bodyshop is to phone a few used car dealers and see who they use. If you think your car needs replacement parts, especially interior trim, light units etc., then consider sourcing them yourself. There are many online companies that specialize and give very good prices... shop around.