If you do take over a lease, there will be a certain amount of risk involved. All too often people agree to take over a lease only to end up paying more than they bargained for and are slapped with unexpected charges when they turn in the vehicle.
The good news is that it is actually possible to avoid many of the risks of taking over a lease – or at least minimize them.
Make Sure You Factor in All Payments
The payments involved in taking over a lease may extend beyond the just the monthly payment for the lease itself. In fact it can include transfer fees, taxes, insurance fees, buyout fees, and more.
To ensure that you don’t end up paying more than you bargained for, you need to calculate the lease payments and factor in any additional fees. If there are any areas that you are not clear on you should discuss them beforehand with the leasing company and the seller.
In some cases the seller may agree to cover some fees as an incentive – and if they do it should be laid out in black and white in the contract.
Have the Vehicle Inspected
One of the main risks of taking over a lease is that there may already be excessive wear and tear on the vehicle – and you could end up being charged for it when you eventually turn the lease in.
The best way to avoid that risk is to make sure you have the vehicle inspected before you take on the lease. If you want you could do it yourself, or you could insist on a 3rd party inspection.
Look At the Mileage Remaining
Calculating the mileage remaining could help you to avoid the risk of having to pay if you exceed it. It should be easy enough – and all that you need to do is check the maximum mileage in the lease contract, and look at the current mileage.
If there isn’t much mileage remaining or it doesn’t suit your driving needs, you can either look for a better deal or try to negotiate with the seller. The charges if you exceed the maximum mileage can very quickly add up – so you do not want to end up paying them.
Negotiate the Liabilities
It is impossible to avoid all liabilities when leasing, but there is often room for negotiation. Because buyers are normally in a stronger position than sellers, you can try to ask that the latter take on some of the liabilities as an incentive.
If you aren’t up for negotiating, you could just shop around and try to find deals that cover some of the liabilities. The fewer liabilities you are exposed to, the lower your risk will be.
Check on Transportation
Before you can assume the lease, the vehicle will need to be transported to you. If you’re swapping a lease with someone nearby that might not be an issue – but what if they’re not?
Seeing as transportation charges can be quite high, you should always check who has to cover them. It is normally something that sellers absorb – but you should make sure that is the case and negotiate if it is not.
Conclusion
If you want to minimize risks, you should always proceed carefully. Don’t get over-excited by what may appear to be a great deal on a Cadillac or BMW X1 lease, and be sure to look at the details.
All said and done your goal should be to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck – and don’t end up exposing yourself to too much risk.