Having visited a site run by a certain Chinese lady about leasing a car it was apparent that part of the deal is to have the vehicle serviced as part of the scheduled servicing.
I then went on an auction house website and looked through a section of used lease vehicles.Several had the same description that there were no stamps or service print out even though they were 3 years old. One that caught my eye was a BMW 318D SE on an 07 plate with 58K on the clock. No service record.
Firstly how could this be taken out on a lease and handed back this way. Does it incur large penalties for the owner?
Secondly, surely the thing hasn't been run for that time and mileage without an oil change at least. Or is this exactly what goes on, and most unrecorded lease vehicles should be avoided like the plague. Or do the lease companies class a "fast fix" type garage oil change as sufficient?
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No stamp in the service book does not mean no service history. The leasing company ( mine did anyway) arrange servicing, and they keep meticulous records. They use them to beat up the manufacturers into paying for items that fail in warranty.
Woe betide you if your leasing car goes wrong in warranty and the leasing company cant recover the cost due to an incomplete service record because you didnt tell them when it had hit the right mileage.
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As Zero says the lack of stamps or printout might be OK... if a bit lazy. A dealer can usually bring up the records from the reg no. I lease from the Chinese dragon lady and it is quite clear the services have to be completed by the book throughout the three years... it's not a problem. I will make sure they stamp the book.
You could by mine from auction in 2.5 more years knowing it has been treated just as if I owned it.
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"Woe betide you if your leasing car goes wrong in warranty and the leasing company cant recover the cost due to an incomplete service record because you didnt tell them when it had hit the right mileage."
Surely then the vehicle would have to be serviced at a main dealership for the leasing company to cash in if the car goes wrong. If so, then the service book should be stamped. With a receipt. If I come to buy at auction, and the service book is empty, how do I get the history. If there is history, the leasing company would sell with the car. It's in their interest at that stage to get back the most money.
You can see why I wouldn't touch a 3 year old car with 58K on the clock and no service info provided with the sale.
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>Surely then the vehicle would have to be serviced at a main dealership for the leasing >company to cash in if the car goes wrong.
Nope. Car makers might argue with you over where it was serviced, but they wont argue with a leasing company, they need them too much.
> If so, then the service book should be stamped.
My leased company cars were, some others in ourt fleet were not
>With a receipt.
I never saw a reciept. They went to the leasing company.
> If I come to buy at auction, and the service book is empty, how do I get the history.
From the leasing company
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 3 May 10 at 17:13
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I wonder if some leasing companies keep service histories safe together with extra keys like some rental companies do at head office/pdi centre until the car is sold to it's next owner who then is entitled to claim all.
The number of vehicle movements involved in defleets just keeping track of the vehicle and it's one key is bad enough, service history would get thrown out with all the drink cups and mars bar wrappers etc that end up in the rubbish bin/footwells.
Obviously at point of sale there should be a faxed copy of all records for the use of, but maybe in these days of cloning thats been tightened up, or someone's not doing their job right.
As above i'd contact a friendly maker's service centre to check if there's any history recorded. edit...Z's probably right it'll be at the leasing company.
Nice car though.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 3 May 10 at 17:21
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You can lease with services included or excluded.
If it was a lease with the services included then it'll probably be on the lease company computer. Some lease companies use main dealers, others use Nationwide and/or non-main dealer garages.
Some car manufacturers keep all the records on central computers, so any dealer can bring up the details. With others, the records are held only at the servicing garage, which could be anywhere in the country - I've had lease cars which started their life at a garage in Birmingham (with their stamp on the PDI), serviced at a dealer near me, and disposed of in an auction the other side of the country.
When I had a Lex lease car, they even supplied the number plates to the supplying dealer (so keeping the costs very, very low).
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My Ex lease Octavia had three services (variable) before I bought it at 48k miles:
1. at 18k, at a Lex Service centre (or whatever they call themselves these days)
2. at 38k, at the same service centre, who also replace all brake pads and discs.
3. at 48k, by the car supermarket.
So, it has been serviced, but there are no stamps in the book. I have a printout from HSBC leasing showing the 1st two, and a receipt from the supermarket showing the oil change.
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So all in all, if I purchase a lease vehicle with above average mileage and no visable service record I can assume, the car will have been serviced regularly throughout the three years, because of leasing company strict guidelines.
Last edited by: Cpt. Flack on Mon 3 May 10 at 22:39
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thats a good bet, and the fact its wracked up mostly motorway miles.
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>>>So all in all, if I purchase a lease vehicle with above average mileage... etc.
Why assume anything positive like that? Look at the evidence, or try to find it first - then
decide - no assumptions required. There's also the possibility the car has 'genuinely' never been serviced - it can & has happened before.
Why do you think auctions (where all the 'caveat' is on the 'emptor') exist? Anything in any condition can be sold (bar stolen I'd imagine). DYOR - you're not buying spuds!
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"There's also the possibility the car has 'genuinely' never been serviced - it can & has happened before."
So reputable leasing companies, and we all know who they are that sell at auction, do not, in your opinion impose strict guidelines on those leasing their vehicles. Going by other posts they do.
There must be a simple system whereby leasing companies make you service a vehicle at proper intervals and that it is recorded somewhere for the future.
If this is the case with certain vehicles, then either the leasing company is losing out or they're not as strict or penalising with their clients.
I understand buyer beware and all that, but surely leasing companies have rules and rules that should be obeyed.
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Yes but they are their own internal rules and they have no liability to you.
Say there is a system in place for the lease co to *fine* a user that misses services. So a vehicle is not properly serviced, the lease co applies the sanction at the end of the lease... and then what. Yep the car goes to auction as normal.
If I couldn't see the service records or establish beyond doubt before purchase then I'd not touch the car.
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Fenlander - not only do we have similar C5's but it looks as though we also sourced them through the same fine lady! - did your hail from yorkshire?
Back to the OP - many lease cars become pool cars or are handed between empolyees when one leaves / starts etc. In this case they are ofet "forgotten" or unloved cars and can all to easily slip through the net. I dont imagine that thelease company will remind you given that they will just slap a charge on at the end - or if you are paying for maintenance and not using it then even more moeny in their pocket.
IMO I would not buy without documented history in some form
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Yes mikey... despite living in Cambs mine was delivered by a guy from a northern dealership. He had another employee with him driving a C1 to take him back... so the return trip would have been a little more buzzy than the delivery!
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I guess thats the dealership that begins with a P. I am in North Somerset so it had a couple of hundred miles on it when I received it. Guess Ling puts all her business through the one point
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Buying an ex lease car at auction - Zero
