“Does anyone see the problem?”
A car dealership was asked for a courtesy lease return. Now, they’re wishing they didn’t say “yes.”
Many people think that if they lease a car from one dealership, they have to return it to that same dealership. But this isn’t always true.
Instead of returning it to your original dealership, you can do what’s called a “courtesy return.” This is where another dealership agrees to accept your vehicle at the end of your lease. This second dealership handles the return paperwork and helps get the car back to the leasing company.
There typically are some stipulations. For example, the dealership typically has to be authorized to accept the return by your leasing company, and you are still on the hook for excess mileage, damage, or lease-end fees. But performing a courtesy lease return is a way that you can reach your lease’s end without having too much of a headache.
That is, unless you try to return a car like this.
In a video with over 419,000 views, TikTok user John Branco (@thewildbranco) shows a recent courtesy lease return attempt at his dealership. The problem? The previous owner didn’t exactly treat the car with courtesy.
“So someone came in trying to do a courtesy lease return with this car,” Branco says. “Does anyone see the problem that might occur with this vehicle?”
As Branco walks around the Mazda, numerous glaring issues are evident. The car is covered in dents. Various parts of the trim are missing. There are scratches, and a few parts of the car seem as though they are about to fall off.
“A courtesy lease return. Not buying the car, sending this car, in this stature, back to the bank,” Branco shares. “How do you [think] that’s gonna end? How big [of a] bill do you think the customer’s gonna get?”
Seeing this, Branco says, left him at a “loss for words.”
“I’ve seen a lot of things,” he states. “I have not seen something like that before as a lease return.”
Performing a return like this does get the vehicle off the driver’s hands. However, it does not totally absolve them of responsibility.
Generally speaking, normal vehicle wear and tear is expected during a lease and is therefore covered in the contract. Fraying on the seats, small dents and scratches, and expected tire wear are all things for which a lessee would (likely) not be held responsible.
Something like what’s shown in the video, however, crosses a line. Mazda Financial Services notes that drivers returning leased vehicles can be held responsible and charged for any damages beyond normal wear and tear. This includes not only the dents and scratches shown in the video, but the missing pieces as well.
When a lease term ends, the vehicle will generally undergo a lease-end inspection. From there, a driver will receive an invoice detailing all of the applicable excess wear, mileage, and other charges.
Given that this car has considerable damage, it’s likely that the driver can expect a pretty hefty bill.
As far as Branco’s dealership is concerned, however, they don’t have to accept the car in its current state. Mazda policy states that only the dealership where the lease originated from is required to process the return. While other Mazda dealerships can process courtesy returns, it is, as the name would imply, a courtesy—meaning they don’t have to do it.
If one significantly damages their vehicle, it may be in their best interest to repair the vehicle before the lease’s end. Mazda states that a lessee is generally allowed to make repairs to their vehicle while it is under their care. Still, the company recommends keeping “all of your receipts for repairs made and review[ing] your insurance policy to see if any items may be covered.”
In the comments section, many users speculated that the cost of all the repairs may rival the cost of the vehicle itself.
“His bill: the whole thing,” wrote a commenter.
“The skill to damage every single body panel is crazy,” noted another.
“Was his daily commute inside a pinball machine?” joked a third.
“They gunna get a huge bill, and it’ll go to collections. Guaranteed,” declared a further TikToker.
We’ve reached out to Branco via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if he responds.
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– The Motor1.com Team