Contract hire and leasing company Activa Contracts has published its own end-of-life wear and tear guides in an attempt to provide greater transparency.
The guide is initially being rolled out to customers online, but printed copies will be distributed as new vehicles are delivered to drivers.
The 10-page booklet, which includes a 28-point vehicle appraisal checklist also suggests measures to prevent common damage to vehicles, such as stone chips and bumper scuffs.
The guide urges drivers to stay a greater distance from the vehicle ahead to avoid stone chips – which may also help avoid an accident – and suggests that bumper scuffs could be avoided by making greater use of parking sensors or assisted parking systems.
The guide is based on the BVRLA’s ‘Fair, Wear and Tear’ book, but is a little more lenient in some areas, such not charging for minor chips that are out of the line of sight, as well as wheel rim damage slightly over the BVRLA’s 50mm threshold.
“We want drivers to think about looking after their car from day one. By distributing the guide to drivers we hope to alert them to the end-of-contract damage issue and change views,” Martin Hughes, Activa’s remarketing manager said.
He continued: “Well over a third of all vehicles returned to Activa Contracts incur no charges whatsoever and we want to see that figure increase further. We very rarely have a dispute with a customer over the validity or the cost of damage recharges, because our process is so transparent and reasonable.
Activa also revealed it is developing a smartphone app that will enable fleet managers and drivers to photograph vehicle damage and submit pictures requesting clarification as to whether or not a charge will be levied.