Returning your NHS Fleet Solutions Car

IntroductionThe British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) provide an industry-wide accepted standard that defines fair wear and tear on a vehicle when it is returned. When you return your car to the leasing company it will be appraised to BVRLA standards which will dictate whether any damages may be rechargeable to you.

Fair wear and tear occurs when the normal use of a car causes acceptable deterioration of its condition. When assessing this, the age of the car, its mileage and whether it has been looked after sufficiently are all taken into account, however it should not be confused with damage. Damage occurs as a result of a specific event such as an impact, improper use of the car, or negligence.

The agent collecting your car will complete a thorough appraisal before the car leaves your care, however they do not have authority to advise you of what the recharges will be, only a potential figure should they be recharged. The leasing company as the owner of the car will complete a second review of the vehicle condition and decide on any chargeable items.

NHS Fleet Solutions require evidence of any recharges, so we request that collection reports and images are provided along with any recharges. We then complete a desk appraisal on your behalf to ensure we are confident the charges are in line with BVRLA guidelines and evidenced correctly.

The BVRLA provide guidelines for each area of the car, split into the following categories:

• General appearance, safety, documentation and keys• Paintwork of the vehicle body, bumpers and trims• Glass, door mirrors and lights• Tyres and wheels• Mechanical condition• Vehicle interior • Equipment and controls

End of lease charges compensate the leasing company for the cost of rectifying any damages or replacing missing items, however they can still be applied if the leasing company opts for commercial reasons not to repair the car, and will offset any loss of value at the point of remarketing.

Advice for DriversThroughout the course of your lease you should ensure:

• You are familiar with the servicing interval of your vehicle and have the car booked in at your nearest manufacturer dealership when required

• You follow manufacturer recommendations to keep the vehicle in good condition, including additives such as Adblue and battery charging best practices if your car is electric/hybrid

• You report any suspected bodywork defects to the leasing company as soon as possible to have the matter resolved before return of the car (such as alloy corrosion or fading paintwork)

• If you have a personalised number plate, you should contact the leasing company 8-12 weeks before planned return of the car to ensure your plate is transferred to another vehicle or placed on retention

Tips for Appraising Your Vehicle ahead of Collection• Carry out an appraisal yourself 12 weeks before planned return of

the car. Make sure the car has been washed and is dry beforehand

• Choose a place and time with good light. Poor conditions can mask some faults

• Walk all the way around your car, checking every panel. Include the roof, bonnet and trims. It can help to crouch so the panels are at eye level and look down the length of the panel, as this can make any

dents easier to spot

• Include light casings, mirrors and windows in your appraisal

• Check the tyres for any damage. Tyre depth should be above 1.8mm and there should be no sidewall damage

• Check the wheels for any alloy damage, rust or corrosion

• Clean the interior and check for any stains, odours or tears

• All controls should be present and functional

• Be objective, and arrange to have any areas of damage repaired before returning the car. The work should be completed to a professional standard by a reputable repair facility

On the day of collection ensure that the car is presented in a clean condition along with all items that were delivered with it, such as both sets of keys, parcel shelf, headrests, service booklet etc. If you cannot be present for the appraisal with the collection agent, please ensure you appoint someone you trust to be there in your absence.

Ensure you remove all personal belongings, and if you have utilised any in-car connective services it is your responsibility to reset these.

General Appearance, Safety and MaintenanceThe car should be sufficiently cleaned to allow a detailed inspection, and a full set of keys to include both main keys and the locking wheel nut (if applicable) should be present.

All electronic features such as parking sensors, cruise controls, collision warnings and similar must be working order.

There should be no rust or corrosion on any part of the bodywork, trims or alloys.

There should be no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard (including fuel light), and the vehicle should be fully roadworthy.

There should be a minimum of a quarter tank of fuel in the car, and should be fully charged if it is electric/hybrid.

The car should have been serviced as per the manufacturer recommendations, and the service booklet should be present and show documentation of those bookings, (if applicable).

Any repairs carried out on the car before its return should be carried out to a professional standard by repairers who can provide full warranty on their work.

Any unauthorised changes to the odometer are unacceptable. Any malfunctions must have been reported to the leasing company.

Paintwork of the Vehicle Body, Bumpers and TrimsThere should be no rust, corrosion or discolouration to any painted areas. Repaired chips, scratches or dents are acceptable as long as the work is of a professional standard and the repairer can provide full warranty. Obvious areas of poor repairs, such as flaking paint, preparation marks or rippled paint are not acceptable.

Chips – chips less than 3mm are acceptable as long as they are not rusted. A maximum of four chips on any panel, or six chips on a door edge are acceptable.

Dents – dents less than 15mm are acceptable as long as there are no more than two on any one panel and the paint surface is not broken. Dents that are also chipped, or dents on the swage line of any panel are not acceptable.

Scratches – surface scratches of 25mm or less, where the primer or metal is not showing, are acceptable providing they can be polished out. A maximum of 4 surface scratches on any one panel is acceptable.

Unpainted mouldings and wheel trims – scuffs and scratches up to 25mm are acceptable as long as the moulding or trim is broken, cracked or deformed.

Badges and signage – any personal badges or emblems applied by you should be removed professionally. Any damage caused by the application or removal of badges is not acceptable. Any missing or damaged factory-fitted badges are not acceptable.

Convertibles – all convertible roofs should be fully operational and free of damage, rips and tears. The rear window should not be broken or creased.

Tow bars – Tow bars should only be fitted with the permission of the leasing company. They should be returned in good rust free condition, with working electrics and a ball cover.

Examples of acceptable damage:

Examples of unacceptable damage:

Glass, Door Mirrors and LightsWindows/windscreen – light scratching may be acceptable as long as it does not interfere with line of sight, and any driver assistance features are still fully functional. Heavier scratching will result in polishing that would damage the integrity of the screen and so is unacceptable.

Repaired chips are acceptable providing the work has been completed to a professional standard and is warrantied. Windscreen wipers should be present and in good working condition, they should clear the windscreen and provide a clear view. There should be an adequate level of washer fluid in the reservoir.

Door Mirrors – missing, cracked or damaged door mirror glass or housings are not acceptable.

Lights – all lights must work. Scratches up to 25mm are acceptable, however holes or cracks to the light casings are not acceptable. If the vehicle has driver assistance features, lights should be recalibrated after bulb replacement, or casing replacement.

Examples of acceptable damage:

Examples of unacceptable damage:

Tyres and wheelsAll tyres including the spare must meet minimum UK legal requirements. The minimum tyre tread depth is 1.6mm but we do not recommend allowing tyres to become this worn. The leasing company will change them when they get to 2.0mm as part of the lease maintenance pack.

There must be no damage to the tyre side wall, and evidence of uneven wear due to over or under inflation is not acceptable.

Wheels and wheel trims – Dents on wheel trims are not acceptable. Scuffs on the circumference of an alloy up to 50mm in total are acceptable, however any damage to the spokes or hub is not acceptable and there should be no areas of corrosion.

The spare wheel (if applicable) and tools should be present and in good working order. If the vehicle was supplied with an inflation kit, this should also be present and ready for use (used canisters should be replaced).

Examples of acceptable damage:

Examples of unacceptable damage:

Mechanical Condition The car should be returned in a safe and roadworthy condition, capable of passing an MOT test. There should be no warning lights displayed as this may indicate the vehicle is not in a driveable condition, however advisory alerts are acceptable, for example a countdown to the next service due.

The following items are not classed as acceptable wear and tear, because the car has not been serviced or maintained correctly, or a warning message may not have been actioned:

• Worn brakes

• Seized or damaged engine due to lack of servicing, or poor maintenance

• Worn or slipping clutch, or noisy gearbox

• Damaged automatic gearbox

Vehicle InteriorSeats, headrests and trims – upholstery and trims must be clean and odourless with no tears, burns, scratches or staining. The carpets must not have any holes, and all seats present on delivery of the car must be present for return of the car.

Door and boot linings – scratches on treads and sills that reflect normal usage will be acceptable, although heavy scuffing would not be acceptable. Torn floor coverings or trim panels are not acceptable. Accessories such as parcel shelves, boot liners, restraining straps and nets must all be returned with the car.

Examples of unacceptable damage:

Examples of acceptable damage:

Equipment and controlsAll original equipment and accessories should be returned with the car and be in good working condition. This includes satellite navigation discs, SD cards, headphones, aerials and charging leads.

All built in equipment such as parking sensors, reversing cameras and bluetooth features should be presented in full working condition.

Disputes If you disagree with a recharge you have received, an initial query should be raised with NHS Fleet Solutions in writing to aftercare@nhct.nhs.uk We will provide evidence through the collection sheet and photographs, and advise you if we have already raised any dispute with the leasing company on your behalf.

If we are unable to resolve the matter you are entitled to pay an independent qualified engineer to review the collection documents. If the engineer was to find in your favour, this would be used to request a refund of the cost of inspection from the leasing company, along with a credit for the damage recharge, or part thereof.