Contract Hire - End of Agreement

Our Returns Programme allows you to hand your vehicle back to your local Retailer where together you will complete an appraisal of your vehicle.

When it’s time to return your vehicle, we advise you to book an inspection to determine your vehicles condition, giving you the opportunity to carry out any repairs before it is collected.

During your inspection we will be assessing the internal and external condition of your vehicle, please familiarise yourself with our Vehicle Return Standards ahead of your inspection.

Following an inspection, we can arrange a collection from your home address or place or work.

Please visit out Vehicle Return Standards tool, this is designed to help prevent any avoidable charges you may be faced with as it outlines what we consider acceptable and unacceptable damage. Please note that you may also be liable for extra day rentals or excess mileage charges; the calculations for this can be found in your agreement, further charges may also be incurred for missing service history or missing keys.

If there is damage we believe is outside of our Vehicle Return Standards, an invoice will be raised for any applicable charges. To avoid any unexpected charges please be present when your vehicle is inspected, as this is your opportunity to view any damage we believe falls outside the Vehicle Return Standards. This includes excess mileage, insufficient service history and extra days rental.

To discuss any queries you may have relating to Charges, chat to one of our advisors now. To find out more information on damage charges, please download our damage chart matrix.

Your Mercedes-Benz may be due for a final service before your agreement ends. If that’s the case, we highly recommend you use a Mercedes-Benz Retailer. You’ll enjoy comprehensive care from the people who designed your car, as well as the following benefits:

• Mercedes-Benz GenuineParts used
• Every Mercedes-Benz Retailer is part of the Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair
• Our technicians are highly qualified to diagnose, service or repair and must maintain high standards of knowledge and expertise
• If you’re thinking of selling your car at some point in the future, you’ll also benefit from having a trusted service history.

If you have a personalised number plate and wish to keep it, it is important to place it on retention with the DVLA at least 10 – 12 weeks prior to your Finance Agreement maturing to avoid any additional charges or loss of your number plate. However, if you no longer wish to keep your number plate please advise Customer Services on 0370 847 0700.

You can call the DVLA on 0300 796 0802 to retain your private number plate or, it is usually faster to apply online using the link below

Six weeks before return; we will send you a letter that will tell you what to do with the V5C Registration Document (Logbook) when you return your vehicle.

• Please note that you must send the yellow Section 9 to the DVLA after your vehicle has been collected, and hand the rest of the V5C to the Collection Agent.
• Please be advised, a £25 (plus VAT) fee will be payable if the vehicle is returned without the V5C.

For queries relating to your V5C, please call us on 01908 697526. If you misplace your V5C document, simply contact the DVLA on 0300 790 6802 to request a duplicate. You should receive this within five working days. You can find more information on the DVLA  using the link below.

You can access your digital service book through Mercedes me or your local Mercedes-Benz Retailer can provide you with a print-out for your vehicle, on proof of ownership.

If your Mercedes-Benz requires a final service before its return date, you should book this in allowing enough time for it to be carried out prior to the return date, this will help to avoid or reduce any additional fees when returning your vehicle. Our Mercedes-Benz trained technicians use GenuineParts which forms a part of our Vehicle Return Standards requirements.

You will also need to make sure that you have a valid MOT certificate as legally all vehicles over three years old from the date of registration require a valid MOT certificate when the vehicle is returned.

• V5C log book
• Factory fitted alloys
• All keys for the vehicle
• Locking wheel nuts
• Navigation equipment including unit disc/SD card
• Complete Service Manual
• Transmitter and codes
• MOT certificate (if applicable)
• The literature pack/Handbook (e.g. user manual etc.)
• Wheel Key
• Alarm system
• Entertainment specification tyres (not mud and snow or winter tyres)
• Parcel Shelf
• All loose items

If you have linked your vehicle with the Mercedes me connect you are obliged to delete the link before selling the vehicle. You can either do this yourself in Mercedes me or through your authorised Mercedes-Benz Retailer. 

The vehicle will then be removed from your user account automatically. If there are other vehicles with Mercedes me connect functions linked to your user account, the services for these vehicles will continue to function as before.

If you are not happy with your Vehicle Inspection Report, or you do not agree with the invoice for damage/excess. please contact our De-fleet Team on 0370 240 1110 between 8.30am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday where they will be happy to help with your enquiry.