Forum menu
I'm going to make a fortune when I invent a device that lets you slap someone around the face over the phone.
My old car was booked in to be collected by the lease company today. The collection company insist that someone is around to sign for it and give them the keys, but don't do Saturday collections and the work car park is a secure compound they can't get access to.
Instead I left it at the Vauxhall dealership I where I bought it, where the sales manager was entrusted with the keys, V5, and service history in a big white envelope with the registration number written on it in two inch high letters.
Phone call from collection bloke: "We found your car in the car park but no one knows where the keys are. So we went home. That'll be £250 for the failed collection, please."
I rang the dealer: "Keys are here on the desk, no one been in."
Had he bothered to go and ask anyone bar the receptionist, he'd have been handed the keys. Can't exactly have a go at the dealer because they did me a favour, but for crying out loud, how thick do you have to be to give up when the keys are about 20 feet away? Apparently he never ventured past the front door to ask anyone higher up in the organisation.
Do I:
A) Pay up.
B) Ask for a detailed breakdown of exactly why it's cost them £250 to miss the collection.
C) Refuse to pay at all.
Knobs. Much faffing with insurance company now because the insurance lapses at midnight and it's not going to be collected until Thursday.
Better than randomly turning up and taking a Land Rover half full of kit.
They were supposed to say when they were coming, instead they rang as they left whilst we were 40 miles away.
How about our lease company, due to collect five minibuses from two sites, and drop off five new ones booked for 9:30 am.
They call at 9am
"Err, we just looked at the addresses. Aviemore and Loch Tay"
"Yes, that's correct"
"Well, we are all in Doncaster, and our drivers can't do that all in one day"
"Ok, so what's the plan?"
"we charge you for a missed collection....."
🙄
Hate to say it but you didn't follow their instructions, what do you expect? It's your job to get the keys to the collection company.
The collection person could spend ages asking all kinds of people if the keys are around but why should they? They have a system in place for a reason and they told you what that system is.
£250 is a lot of money and I can see you made an effort to get the matter sorted but you tried to do it on your terms. And unfortunately that was your mistake. Might have to suck it up.
collection bloke was from 'the agency'
I've always made sure I arrange collection and delivery when I'm not at work, it seems to avoid situations like these.
If you told them the car was there and the keys were with the reception/sales manager then I'd go after them. If they had your phone number and didn't call then thats bad. Do they assume you sit on the doorstep until they appear and hand them the keys? Would they knock on your door if it was at home?
It would seem common sense to either leave an item for collection on reception or at least tell the receptionist of it's existence and location . Having said that it would be equally sensible to ask the receptionist to make an enquiry in the circumstances described.
Personally I'd say too right it's a missed collection the collection company failed to collect what was there to be collected that's £250 they owe me for hastle insurance and loss of use of new car. I would really go for that in mat_outandabout's example.
Unless you gave the lease company the name of the person with the keys (sales manager) i cant see how you can complain if they went into the place where you left the car and asked reception, the place where you ask about stuff.
I've always made sure I arrange collection and delivery when I'm not at work, it seems to avoid situations like these.
They only collect Mon - Friday during the day, and won't give a more accurate time than "8am - 8pm".
Frustratingly I asked the sales manager to pass the message on to the receptionist but obviously this didn't happen; equally I can't really go in there and whine about it because they did me a favour in the first place.
My gut instinct is agreeing with steavers. Might see if they'll go half way since it was their idea to leave it with the Vauxhall dealer.
Presumably the collection company had your phone number?
I mean, one would have thought this type of minor problem was foreseeable by a 'car collection company' and could have been resolved quickly and easily...
note in the window saying where the keys are ?
[i]his type of minor problem was foreseeable by a 'car collection company'[/i]
entirely.
Hence little attempt to resolve the problem on the day and the standard £250 charge 😉
Flaperon - Memberit was their idea to leave it with the Vauxhall dealer.
That should make it pretty simple shouldn't it?
[i]Apparently he never ventured past the front door to ask anyone higher up in the organisation.[/i]
Did you tell the collection company which member of staff had the keys? If not then you would think reception would be the logical place to leave them, thats where I would ask. I wouldn't then wander round the place asking everyone if they had keys.
Scam or lazy. Certainly taking the p***. The car was there, as agreed; it's fairly obvious that the keys are going to be there too, it doesn't take too many brain cells to work that out. The company has an issue with its driver, and owes you an apology.
If it was their idea to leave it with the dealer, I would be having it out with them (the lease people, not the dealer) and refusing to pay.
He found the car so it shouldn't have taken too much effort to find the keys.
And he had your phone number so could have easily called & said that he was at the dealer & couldn't find the keys, where did you leave them?
Have you contacted the dealer about it? Are you sure he even turned up, or could it be one of those cases like Royal Mail where they stick a 'no one in' slip through the door while you are watching them out of the window?!
A bit poor from dealer.
As above though, the lease company collection person should, having found the car, given it a good few minutes of effort (ask everyone you can find!) to locate the keys AND/or called you.
I briefly worked collecting lease cars for a large manufacturer, I quit after a short time as I couldn't sink as low as the lying bastards I worked for..
Any excuse to rip you off was fair game..
OP- it is your fault sorry.
When lease collection was explained to me I was very focused on NOT missing them (apparently they don't hang around but they can call you with a ETA). I also wanted to be present to be able to photograph as they were there, argue any point at all and discuss. I took photos at every angle whilst the Auction chap was going round the car and thankfully had nothing to query as he said all clean/paperwork handed over to confirm. So there was no chance of a charge later on and 'we noticed this'/or 'couldn't find the logbook, spare wheel etc so charging you' - I showed the chap everything on the spot.
I'd been previously warned to photo the spare wheel (another ploy), photo the tyre gauge on each tyre and I made it clear what I was doing.
If you left the vehicle in a public place, picked up unseen by you- the car could have been moved, blocked in, parking-scratched by a passing browsing member of the public etc etc.
I refer you to line one again.
[i]The car was there, as agreed; it's fairly obvious that the keys are going to be there too, it doesn't take too many brain cells to work that out. The company has an issue with its driver, and owes you an apology. [/i]
This.
Wonder how far the driver had come to collect it, and how did they return with out it?
I rang the dealer: "Keys are here on the desk, no one been in."Had he bothered to go and ask anyone bar the receptionist, he'd have been handed the keys.
These two statements are at odds with each other.
Did he actually ask at reception? If no, it's the collection company's fault for being dim.
If yes, it's the dealer's fault for not notifying the receptionist where the keys were. I can't really blame the collection company for not wanting to play "hunt the keys."
Presumably you didn't tell the company that the keys were with the manager, which was your failing. But then, in that situation I'd have expected a phone call, "we can't find the keys, where are they?" rather than just sodding off. For this failure alone, regardless of he-said-she-said, I'd be holding the collection company responsible I think.
No way I'd be paying that, not whilst I've got a hole in my arse.
Gary_M - MemberI wouldn't then wander round the place asking everyone if they had keys.
No, but you'd phone your contact and say "where are the keys". Unless of course you had a business model where it's more profitable not to pick up the car than it is to actually do the job.
When I leased, at first they were fine about little Knocks and marks but I sent one car back and they billed me for scratches that were there but they previously wouldn't have bothered about.
Fair enough I thought, they are clamping down. Another car went back and they billed me for scratches to the roof.
I was really annoyed as they looked around the Car whilst I was there. The slimy so and so's took the money in addition to the normal Direct Debit so they just took it and then I got the bill.
They have gone out of business now 😀 serves em right.
When my last car went back they sent a bill about a month later for marks. I asked for proof, it took them 3 weeks to send photos of a car that been washed then polished but the polish not rubbed off so mark were exaggerated. I then asked for a copy of the return checklist identity the said marks. Almost 2 months later they admitted they hadn't done one so won't be charging me for the work.
That's the good thing about being around when they collect it.
Why would anyone lease a car if you get grief like this and charged for marks .Doesn't every car get wear and tear marks and minor damage?
Why would anyone lease a car if you get grief like this and charged for marks .Doesn't every car get wear and tear marks and minor damage?
Personally, I very much doubt I would lease again. When they went out of business, I basically stole the Car off them for a knock down price as they just wanted rid.
So good not over worrying about that little Mark, scratch etc. I'm going to run this one for as long as I can.
Why would anyone lease a car if you get grief like this and charged for marks .Doesn't every car get wear and tear marks and minor damage?
They accept some minor marks and allow some minor wear.
This worries me. It's a very qualitative rather than a quantitive judgement, is that. I've a lease car, and so far the experience has been positive. I am concerned however, that come the hand back I'm going to on the receiving end of a 'Greek bailout package' 😐 😯They accept some minor marks and allow some minor wear
I've only been challenged once that was the last one and it wasn't that badly marked they just tried it on but lost.
So how is fair wear and tear defined exactly? What's 'fair' on a car that, by the time I give it back will have 32k+ miles on it?
It'll be in your agreement. Best thing to do is when they come to collect is to chat to the guy and show them a little scuff here and there, they never go through with a fine tooth comb especially if they have a transporter full of cars.
There is a standard that the lease companies work to on what is acceptable when returning a vehicle, the guide is produced by BVLRA.