Voluntary termination assessment

[Mk1Macca]

I have a date for an assessor to look at the wife's car ahead of its collection after being voluntarily terminated (she's buying a GTi).

The car is in pretty good condition for a nearly 4 year old car with 44K on the clock.

I've heard conflicting advice, some say clean it up to nice and sparkly, and some say leave it as dirty as you can. I can understand the dirty idea, but do they not just see through that? Would you clean it?

I looked at VW's wear and tear guide and noticed the front tyres are barely legal. To save any arguments later, I've had two new budget tyres fitted today.

Typically, I've just noticed a small chip in the windscreen, right over where the tax disc used to be. Wife says it's been there for ages and hasn't got any worse. Will they pick up on this, and if so, what's the likely implication?

Any other advice for prepping, or otherwise, the car ahead of it being assessed? I want the process to be as painless as possible with the least change of them coming back and demanding money!


Thanks

[fredgroves]

As a matter of course I would request from the lease company a written copy of their vehicle return conditions.

Whilst there are BVRLA standards, not all lease companies are members or accept their standards.

Get the document, compare the condition in an honest way.

Almost certainly its cheaper to have repairs done yourself than to let them recharge you!

[Guzzle]

As a matter of course I would request from the lease company a written copy of their vehicle return conditions.

Whilst there are BVRLA standards, not all lease companies are members or accept their standards.

Get the document, compare the condition in an honest way.

Almost certainly its cheaper to have repairs done yourself than to let them recharge you!

Good advice! I assume the finance is via VWFS, if so then they are BVRLA registered AFAIK and will probably accept their standards.

[Mark V GTD]

It can be cheaper to leave just the defects - particularly with VWFS as their printed rectification costs are often rather less than it would cost you to have it done yourself.

[Mk1Macca]

Well, the assessor came today. Really nice bloke. Walked round the car, checked the tyres, took a video all round the outside and left, giving the car the highest grading.

Considering it had been raining, and the car was covered in water droplets, he barely looked at it. No close up checks of the bodywork at all! I asked about that, and he said, unless it's properly dinged, we're not that fussed.

Phew!

I actually pointed out the stone chip to him and said, I didn't see it, and printed his report. I'm still going to get it fixed tomorrow. For the sake of a tenner, it saves an arguments later down the line

[hog_hedge]

That sounds like a really good outcome for you When I sold my car to WBAC he got the paint depth gauge out and took readings from all panels and then counted every single stone chip. Your guy seems like a decent bloke!

[Guzzle]

Yeah WBAC can be massive fuss pots, must be part of the training. My Dad sold his 10 year old car to them earlier this year, and the chap was much the same, even marking it down for things nobody else could see. My Dad did have to remind him just how old the car was. Thankfully the starting point was good so all the deductions still left a decent offer.

Good to know the VWFS people are a bit more reasonable.

[Mk1Macca]

The guy was from BCA, which is who VWFS use.

I did mention my surprise and said I expected him to be up close with a ruler and everything and he just laughed. Said he did have a ruler somewhere, but never uses it.

Not sure if I just got lucky with the person that showed up, or if he was indicative of the usual service/

[robtt]

We had a really good experience with WBAC a couple of moths ago when we sold my wife's cat to them their offer was £1000 more than the trade in from the garage. They chipped us back £250 for stone chips to front and said we could have them repaired and then get full original offer. But Chipsaway would have been close to that so hey ho. The assessor started the car up and that was it. It needed a new cam belt and work on front suspension and he did not mind it was running on winter tyres . So all in all very pleased

[Mark V GTD]

We had a really good experience with WBAC a couple of moths ago when we sold my wife's cat to them their offer was £1000 more than the trade in from the garage.

Presumably some kind of Persian or pedigree moggie for that kind of money?