Just got onto paintshield to get a quote:

http://www.xpeleu.com/index.jsp

They referred me to one of their expert installers. It costs ?450 fitted. Fiting takes a few hours.

Any viewpoints.........My car is leased, and I have no experience of leasing before. Here in the UK we are governed by guidelines given by the BVRLA on general wear and tear that is acceptable when you return a leased vehicle.

Can anyone give their experiences of returning a leased vehicle.........of what they did or did not get away with. Obviously major bodywork damage is obviously not tolerated.

But how much of a kerbed alloy or a stonechipped bonnet or a parking dink can you get away with.

Cheers.

 

It's very difficult to compare different systems in different countries; I'm not even aware of what do you mean using the word "leasing".

Here in Italy we use the term leasing only for two different type of contracts:
-financial leasing
-full leasing

The financial leasing is just a financing plan very similar to a standard mortgage; the big difference is that the ownership of car remains to the leasing company and at the end of contract you have the obligation to buy the car at the residual value (usually, 3-5% of its "as new" value).
It was very popular some years ago because it was common practice, for individual companies and professionals, to sell the car at the end of the contract to a third party, a private one, getting the real value as "black money" and declaring to the tax admn. only the contractual value (3-5% of total). Now the law ask to you to declare, as your income, at least the commercial value of the car according the official Automobil Club tables.

Full leasing is similar to the above but it also includes the maintenance costs, insurance etc. At the end of the contract, you still have to buy the car at the fixed residual value.

I guess that, what is for you a "leasing" is for us a "long term rental". You don't buy the car and you're not going to do it, never. You just rent it, all costs included, for a fixed period with a fixed mileage (plus additional cost for each exceeding mile). At the end of the contract, you just leave the car "where you are" and you're totally free. We say: you just put fuel in the tank and that's all.
All the major rental companies offer standard long term rental contracts which include full risk insurance (with or without fixed penalty for each accident), tyres changes, full maintenance, all reparations, state fees and third party insurance and loaner car. In this case, before the end of the contract, you have to drive the car to a collection center where they check general conditions, mileage, bodywork damages. If have any damage to your bodywork, just a couple of weeks before the end of the contract you must send a declaration to the rental company describing the problems and that's all; they will activate their insurance company to have the costs of restoration fully covered.

Anybody can describe the American and English systems?

 

I returned my previous BMW about 1 year ago, after a 36 month lease. It had what I would consider a normal anount of chips, bumps, and bruises across the front end from rocks etc. I was not charged a thing. Before the inspection, I was sent a packaga in the mail. It contained a small circle, about 2 inches in diameter. The package explained that any paint damage that fit entirely within the circle would be no charge.

In my opiion, if your lease, you do not need the paintshiled / clear bra. The normal damage will not result in any end of lease fees or penalities.

As for the wheels, I had some curb rash on both left side tires - about 3 inches on each. The inspector told me any wheel damage that does not effect saftey or performance would not result in a charge, and I was not charged.

 

Thanks for that.
I believe in the UK only minor kerbing would be allowable. But it's difficult to guage what exactly that means. Any UK Lessees who can offer their experiences.