Vehicle return guide

What happens on the day of collection?

An inspector will contact the customer on the day before or day of arrival, providing them with an estimated time of arrival - allowing you to know approximately when they will conduct the inspection. The inspection shouldn't take any longer than 1 hour.

They'll introduce themselves, and take your vehicle's keys, any documentation and loose items from you before taking a thorough look at your vehicle's exterior and interior and mark down any damage they spot. They may use tools such as a magnetic ruler or a striped board which shows any imperfections in bodywork that may be hidden to the human eye. This is to ensure all of their findings are accurate and fair, before documenting this in their report.

Most inspectors will use an iPad or tablet to conduct the inspection, allowing them to take pictures of any damage to the vehicle to include in their report, and to help the funder/lease provider decide on whether to charge their customer for the damage. 

The inspector will also record the mileage of the vehicle, showing on the odometer at the time of the inspection. As the inspector doesn't have access to sensitive contractual information, any excess mileage charges will not be estimated at point of inspection. These will be charged via invoice or direct debit once your funder/leasing provider completes the returns process of your vehicle. 

They'll then inform you of their findings and then ask you to sign the report, which will be sent to you via email. It's important to note that this isn't the final bill from your funding provider. Most funders will process the return of your vehicle through their systems, and raise an invoice for damage charges if necessary. 

If you receive an invoice for damage outside of fair wear and tear, this will usually come alongside any information on querying or disputing the damage charges with the funder/lease provider.

What condition does my vehicle need to be in upon return?

In an ideal world, funders/leasing providers will typically want your vehicle returned as close as you can get it to when you received it. However, they understand that over time, your vehicle's condition will deteriorate. This is why they usually have a return standard, found on their website or sent in the post, which you can refer to - in order to avoid any fines for damages outside of fair wear and tear. 

However, most lease providers base their return guidelines off of the BVRLA's Fair Wear and Tear guidelines. This is an industry standard guidelines which all of the main lease funders/providers use in order to manage customer expectations upon the return of their vehicle.

BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear Guidelines

The BVRLA (The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) is an industry trade body for companies who engage in leasing, vehicle hire & rental and fleet management. Although Citygate Leasing are a leasing broker, and not a funder or leasing contract provider, we are a member of the BVRLA, who helps us uphold industry standards by ensuring transparency, compliance, and fair treatment for our customers. Through our BVRLA membership, we adhere to their Code of Conduct, providing reassurance that our processes align with best practices in vehicle leasing and dispute resolution.

The BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear Guidelines refer to the acceptable deterioration of a vehicle's condition over the course of a hire agreement, resulting in it's normal usage over time. In terms of fair wear and tear, the BVRLA set guidelines on how funders/leasing providers determine damage outside of 'fair wear and tear', helping enforce industry standards and managing customer expectations when returning their vehicle.