INSIGHTS & GUIDES
Are there hidden fees when leasing a car?
What are the hidden fees when leasing a car?
When you lease a vehicle with us we like to be clear and transparent with our pricing and costs. The following costs are applicable:
- Admin fee - we charge at £150+vat (£180.00 inc. VAT) admin fee for all orders payable at point of order
- Monthly rental - fixed cost per month of your lease payable for the duration of your lease
- Initial rental - first initial payment e.g. one, three, six, etc month's rental or one large payment. The more you put down the lower your monthly payment
- Maintenance costs - for an extra cost each month you can add a maintenance package to your lease. If we use a third party maintenance company then we charge a £100+vat processing fee. Alternatively, if you don't take out a maintenance package then you will be responsible for servicing your vehicle.
- Excess mileage charge - at the end of the lease if you go over your contracted mileage then you will be charged an excess pence per mile payable at the end of your lease
- Vehicle damage - if you damage your lease vehicle then you will be responsible for repairing it.
- Extending your vehicle - if your finance company is LeasePlan and you decide to extend your lease at the end of the contract and go into an informal extension then we charge £95+vat contract extension fee.
- Optional extras - you can take out optional extra's e.g. GAP Insurance, vehicle insurance or you may want an EV charger or are looking to sell your current vehicle.
Am I getting a good car lease deal?
At Central (UK) Vehicle leasing we pride ourselves on our leasing deals, we are renowned for our van and car lease deals so you can rest assured if your wondering, 'am I getting a good deal?'.
We offer the following with each lease deal:
- Full manufacturer warranty
- Delivered free to your front door (uk mainland only)
- Road Tax included for full duration
- Variable initial rentals to suit your budget
- Manufacturers breakdown cover
- Taxable benefits for businesses
- Possible VAT reclaims for businesses
- No depreciation to worry about
- No Balloon payments
One stop shop for all your vehicle needs:
- Maintenance package
- Help with selling your current vehicle using a 3rd party Motorway
- Vehicle insurance quote
- Additional insurance products e.g. GAP Insurance
- EV Chargers
What are the best leasing deals right now? Please visit our website special offers pages for all our latest offers. So in answer to your questions 'am I getting a good deal on a car'? at Central we are always here to make sure our customers get the best deal that suits their needs.
Is Business lease or Personal lease cheaper?
Looking through our website you may wonder why is business leases cheaper than personal? Essentially there is no difference, personal car lease deals include VAT whereas business car lease are plus VAT. So as a business you may ask can I write off lease payments as a business expense? Some businesses can reclaim anything from 50% to 100% of their VAT & up to 100% of the maintenance agreement, hence making their business car lease deals cheaper. If you are looking for a self employed car lease it is worth considering both a business or personal lease, it just depends which will best suit you or your business.
Any business regardless of their size are eligible for a business lease if they fit into one or more of the following categories:
- Limited Liability Company (LTD)
- A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
- A Public Limited Company (PLC)
- A Soler Trader (Self-employed car lease or van lease)
- A Charity or Public Company
Is servicing included when I lease a car?
Who pays for servicing on a lease car / does car leasing include servicing? A customer can elect to be responsible for all servicing costs or a comprehensive maintenance package can be added to your lease contract for an additional fixed monthly cost. This will cover servicing, replacement tyres and other consumable parts. This cover is in addition to the standard full UK Manufacturer's warranty and at lease 12 months' roadside assistance and recovery that comes with the vehicle. A maintenance package takes away the risk of paying for expensive and unplanned maintenance costs, offering a fixed monthly fee.
How long can you go without servicing your car? Most manufacturers recommend having a full car service once a year or every 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. But this depends on your car and how you drive it.
Do electric cars require servicing? An electric car needs to be serviced at the same intervals as conventional cars. Electric cars can often cost less to maintain in the long run. A study in 2018 found that EVs cost 23% less to run than petrol vehicles on average.
Do hybrid cars need special servicing? Hybrid engines still need regular oil changes like any other car, but the hybrid battery and system don't need any other special servicing.
Can you claim car servicing on tax? Car and van servicing can all be offset against tax. You can either claim a fixed rate for each of the miles you have travelled on business, alternatively you can claim actual expenses by using detailed records of expenses.
Are repairs included when I lease a car?
You may wonder who pays for repairs on a leased car? If you damage your vehicle should you repair a leased car? When returning your vehicle to the finance company it will be inspected for any damage that falls outside what is deemed 'fair wear and tear'. Fair wear and tear is the damage that occurs to a car or van as a result of normal use throughout the period of the lease. It is not damage caused by an accident or poor treatment. Should you damage your vehicle then you will be responsible for repairing it, we strongly suggest that you get these repairs done before your vehicle is returned to the finance company as you will be liable for any excess damage that is found outside of fair wear and tear classed as lease-end penalty charges. Returning a car with damage can be costly and it's usually far cheaper to have it repaired yourself beforehand e.g. body repair on leased car. If you google 'car repair near me' you can probably find a number of garages that do car repairs, all you have to be careful of is that genuine parts are used if needed.
Most common lease-end charges include the following:
- Missing sets of keys
- Missed service
- Damage or stained interior
- Windscreen chips
- Wheel damage due to kerbing
- Dents
- Scratches over 25mm or where repair is not to standard e.g. bare metal showing
BVRLA fair wear and tear guide
Do I get a car warranty with my car lease?
Rest assured, when you lease a vehicle with Central (UK) Vehicle Leasing you are in safe hands as your vehicle will come with a manufacturers warranty. Generally a new car warranty will provide cover for any faults within the first 60,000 miles or the first 3 years for peace of mind when leasing a new vehicle. A car warranty protects you against costs for both parts and labour after a mechanical or electrical failure in your vehicle. They can be supplied or sold by manufacturers and retailers alike. Protection from car warranties in the UK often varies according to the terms of the agreement and depends on the car owner maintaining their vehicle to manufacturer specifications.
As a customer you may think 'that I want to protect my car' if it is out of warranty. You can pay for an extended car warranty, visit your local garage for more information and costs. Should you change your mind then you may wonder how long do you have to cancel an extended car warranty on a car? Some providers have a strict time period, usually between 30 and 60 days in which you are allowed to cancel your extended warranty without being charged any fees. However, even in this case, you should still be able to cancel your warranty unless your contract explicitly states otherwise.
One of the main advantage of buying a new car than used is that you get a full manufacturers warranty, which is usually 3 years or more. So do second hand cars have warranty? Do car dealers have to give a 3 month warranty? Many used cars are sold with a 3 month warranty or more while others have no warranty at all which is totally legal.
