After 3 years of leasing my Jeep and paying every single payment ahead of my scheduled due date, I decided not to purchase the vehicle and instead used it as a "trade in" at a Nissan Dealership. Both the dealership and I independently obtained payoff quotes which were the same. The Nissan Dealership paid off the Jeep (including the one remaining lease payment). Two weeks later I called Chrysler Financial to make sure they had received payment and that my account was closed. I was told everything was paid and it was closed. Then a week after that I received a statement for $800 which was made up of the last lease payment (which they had already received because the payoff was higher than the residual by exactly the lease payment amount) and a $425 "disposition fee".
According to everything I have read the disposition fee is for Chrysler's cost to clean, remarket and resell the vehicle. Chrysler NEVER touched the vehicle, it went directly from me to Nissan. Essentially, I sold the car for them and this fee is absolutely bogus. I have talked to numerous customer service representatives at Chrysler and have gotten nowhere. They can't even figure out that the last lease payment was in fact paid. I was told recently that they had finally figured it out and that it would be credited in 2-3 days and I'd get a new statement but that they couldn't provide anything in writing stating that they'd remove it. I'm currently starting the arbitration process because I do not believe I should give them $500 for something they had absolutely no involvement with. I'm currently receiving 2-3 phone calls per day regarding my "balance due." I will NEVER buy another car from them in my life.
Jim
Orlando,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, November 18, 2009
You've hit the nail exactly on the head. Do not EVER, EVER again get into a CAR FLEASE. No matter how they try to tell you "how smart you are" or "how much cheaper it is" (it ISN'T. Its a FLEASE), don't ever do it.
A FLEASE is LOADED with BOGUS FEES both front end and back end. Not only that, often times you will be charged for what they consider "excess wear and tear"...in other words, you'll be turning in a used car which will have normal wear items. They will charge you $500-$3000 and tell you that's how much it will cost to get the car ready for the used car lot. In reality, they will keep the money, DO ZERO REPAIRS and send the car to the auction AS IS.
In addition, your insurance is higher than in a "buy" and you will be paying for non-covered items in the warranty...EVEN THOUGH...you don't own the car! That would be like you paying for a tire which goes bad on MY car!
I can go on and on. But suffice to know, its a FLEASE. No reputable family or personal financial advisor has ever recommended getting into a FLEASE. Its a bad, very bad deal!!!