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As I mentioned a few months back, having ordered a new Landrover Discovery, I will be shortly leaving the Motability scheme as my lease is due to end in a couple of months. I haven’t told Motability as yet as there is no requirement to at this very moment.
I was toying with the idea of buying my current Motability car as a run about, so telephoned Motability and requested a quote to buy it.
I was rather taken aback to be told that Motability no longer permit you to buy your vehicle at the end of the lease.
This seems to be borne out by their website:
https://www.motability.co.uk/contact/faqs/can-i-buy-the-car-at-the-end-of-the-lease
In fact all references to buying a vehicle direct from Motability at lease end seem to have been removed from their website.
I am not sure when this change of policy occurred, but it may have a bearing on some customers choice of scheme vehicle, if they were looking to ‘load it’ with options with a view to buying it direct from Motability at lease end.
Of course, one could try to ‘do a deal’ with the car dealer to whom the vehicle will be returned. However, they may want to ‘add in’ a healthy profit margin (knowing you particularly want that vehicle). Or possibly may want/not want the vehicle themselves, or Motability preferring it goes to the wider trade or auction. In short, a dealer/Motability has no obligation to sell it back to the ‘soon to be’ ex-Motability customer.
My view of this apparently change of policy is that Motability do not want customers buying their vehicles at lease end (and thus losing them) and are making it as difficult as possible, preferring to keep them captive on the scheme as a very profitable leasing customer.
In my case, they have ‘lost’ me anyway so I cannot really fathom it. Unless some ‘deal’ has been done with the trade/manufacturers to increase sales of new vehicles on the scheme and this policy change has been slipped in as part of it.
Whatever, it is something to be aware of if thinking about leaving the scheme and buying one’s vehicle.
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@solverfox MB are adamant that they won’t sell me the car, not even through my next MB dealer! I have a WAV on order, which is due soon. I have extended my lease which I took out in 2019. When I got the Toyota I purchased my previous Skoda, and assumed I would do the same this time around. Why you may ask? Because my cars are adapted with left foot accelerators! They have told me I can keep an eye out at dealers local to the WAV dealer so I plan to find out where he is told to take it to. I’m fed up because I don’t want two 2litre diesel cars which is what I’ll end up with!
Ask the dealer where you are getting you new vehicle from for a price for the old one. The dealer would have been given a price prior to third party dealers.
We will have to see what the outcome of my contact with Motability now yields. I have clarified that when the lease was taken, Motability allowed the purchase of the car at the end. You may think this is not contractual, and that may be the case – however it would have led some drivers to specify vehicles in a certain way, such that they would like to have the option at the end of lease to buy the car. Furthermore, the new policy seems not to be applied consistently if the comments on this thread are taken into consideration. Some people have been offered a figures, and others flatly told ‘no’. I think there should be a lease cut off date, after which no sales will be undertaken by Motability – this fluid arrangements seems to be in nobody’s interest.
Spoke with a lady from motability on the phone who said as of November 2023 they no longer sell customers their cars , it she said was not cost effective . they lease 200,000 cars a year, they sell 5% of these back to customers which works out at 10,000 cars a year , that is up there with some of the top used car dealerships in the uk, so that blows the cost effective senario out of the water.I asked if there were enough complaints raised would they change back to selling us our cars. she said she could not say but lodged my complaint. l bought my last car from motability at slightly above private sellers prices and was more then happy, l am hoping to get everyone who would like to buy their car back to lodge a complaint in the hope that they reverse this decision. because of my disability the only joy l have in life is a nice car, l choose top of the range and then add a lot of extras so it is how l want my car to look, l will not be abe to do this if i have to change it every three years, my last car l kept for over two years and sold it for for enought fund my next motability car . so please people make some noise as the old saying goes ” it’s the squeaky wheel that gets oiled” hopfully if enough people complain they will reverse it ,and as they sell 10,000 a year that should be 10.000 complaints
Kinda sad there were no further posts, though it worth while phoning motability to get the facts before l posted as there seemed to be a lot of people annoyed that the prospects of buying their cars at the end of the lease has come to a halt. considering that 10,000 people buy their cars at the end of their lease every year l naturally assumed that they would be interestd in the post and would want to contact motability to air their disapproval, just incase it’s not knowing how to, their phoine number is 0300 456 4566 – email address is correspondence@motabilityoperations.co.uk. l would love to buy my car at the end of the lease as would according to the numbers another 9999 people so if you want to make your selves heard contact motility as you can be assured they do not monitor this website to find out our concerns .
Hi
yes agree I am quite disappointed to read these latest posts about not being able to buy at the end of lease.
I have been looking at new cars on Motability recently for my daughter as our current 5 year lease expires in November and I would like to buy back our current Rav4.
Should I email them now as anonymous to make my complaint about not being able to buy the car back as I don’t want to be in a situation where if they say yes you can buy it and then have the “30 day” periods to buy it or lose it as I’ve not ordered the new car on the scheme yet.
Would be interested to know what sort of details ppl are putting into their emails to Motability as I don’t like to ring them.
Thanks
There are some really good reasons why buying at the end of the lease makes sense, especially if the vehicle has need-specific adaptations.
I’d have to assume that there is an overwhelming reason Motability chose not to offer this option.
Maybe they feel that a majority of people may choose this option and that might reduce their fleet size thus reducing their bargaining power with manufacturers going forwards?
Reply to vinny from plc606 that came through to me as an email:
In the past I have purchased my motability car for this very reason! I drive with my left foot and so had a twin flip accelerator on a 2litre Skoda. My next car was a Toyota Yaris hybrid, we purchased the Skoda so I could drive it and we could use that bigger more comfortable car for long motorway drives and the economical Toyota around town. At the ens of the Toyota lease I needed to get my first WAV, I chose a large Ford Tourneo 2litre diesel, with twin flip accelerator and an under ring accelerator to future proof. It was ordered in June last year. I expected to be able to buy the Toyota and was very disappointed when Motability told me they no longer sell cars on!
I have complained, explained why … though they can’t explain to me why they have made these decisions… it is now policy and something about moving to an all electric fleet.
I’ve accepted I can’t buy my more economical, greener Toyota and will use the money I’ve been saving over 5 years to get solar panels and a battery! I will keep the WAV for 7 years…. and we’ll see, I might be past it by then to be driving!
Interesting comment in that last post about “moving to an all-electric fleet”. I wonder what the tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Motability customers who would not be able to charge at home think about that?
Whilst manufacturers are heavily incentivising EVs with fleet operators, the fact that private buyers aren’t embracing them is resulting in the much publicised problem with residual values. I heard a Volkswagen advert on the radio yesterday offering incentives on second hand EVs. As residual values are a major driver of Advance Payments, I can’t help but wonder what impact this will have on APs in the future. Many are already out of reach of the average Motability customer and some have successfully struggled to pay them because they could potentially keep the car for 5 years, or because they thought they’d buy the car at lease end. Neither option is now possible (other than a 5 year extension for cars that have done less than 20,000 miles over 3 years or have substantial adaptations).
Hi
Interesting thread, we currently get our car due to my sons problems, in the next few years we may lose the car option as he will be going into residential care, at that point we would have to give up the car, we hoped to buy the current car at the time we lose mobility . looks like that option will be gone. one way round it i guess (hope) is that when we return the car the dealership we take it to are offered the option to buy it via mobility (so i understand, anyone confirm this?) we could tell the dealer to buy the car and he has a guaranteed sale. we would rather buy a car we know than one we dont, we look after our car and anything wrong we make sure its put right so would be prepared to pay normal market values for it. anyone else done that and did it work out for you?
Paul
I thought the car would be sold to the dealer I dropped the car off. But they said ..no.
They said Motability pick it up an it goes off to auction.
@paul_1964 I thought the car would be sold to the dealer I dropped the car off. But they said ..no. They said Motability pick it up an it goes off to auction.
The dealers Ive asked all say MO want too much for them, which I can believe lol.
Listen everyone, if enough poeple voice their complaint to motability they may change their mind and reverse the decision, if we don’t they will do nothing. in my earlier post l gave all the details about the fact they sell 10.000 cars a year up there with top used car dealers, voicing here shares your complaint to other people in the same boat and sharing the same disproval with motabilty’s decision, lifting the phone and spealking to someone and doing as l did, lodged a compliant or going online with your motability account and lodging a complaint or again goint to their website andd lodging a complaint, This will get some chance of a reversal to this stupid decission.
PLEASE DO CONTACT MOTABILITY AND VOICE YOUR COMPLAINT ,
Thank you for reading my post , i’m a very upset customer who has been with motability since 2007 and enjoyed the fact that if l spent a lot of money on a car, really liked the car, l could buy it.
Hi Bluie60
I totally agree with you and I’m disappointed aswell and I would also like to put in the complaint BUT I’m reluctant/concerned to do it at present as what if they turned round and said to me yes you can buy the car as I am still looking for a new car for my daughter on the Motability scheme but have not found one yet but need to find one before my 5 year lease ends in November.
If anyone has any advise/recommendations on way round this then pls let me know and I will put the complaint in now online.
Maybe ppl can share in here as to maybe a standard sort of complaint as I’m another one not happy with not being able to buy the car back.
Thanks
Hi kmb786. Totally understand where your coming from, but if we do get the decision reversed it dosn’t mean we are obliged to buy the car we have or are looking to buy. it means the door is open for if and when we do decide to buy the car, Ive had a car with motability since l joined the scheme but only bought 2, the two l did buy were a lot cheaper that like for like in a dealers show room.
make me wonder that Ioniq wrote the dealer said they were asking too much . How much profit the dealers are making on their cars, the last car l bought off motability was £8995 take away the good keep bonus took another couple of hundred off that ,cant remember how much the bonus was, say £200 took it down to £8795. it was a 2016 Citroen C4 Picasso 16hdi exclusive 31000 miles the same car on autotrader from dealers were anything from just under £11000 to nearly £13000, l had a lot of extras on my car too, l also feel that motability would sell the car to a dealer cheaper than to a customer, before anyone jumps on the band wagon this is a personal opinion and l could be totally wrong.
I also wanted to buy my current vehicle so was disappointed to find out you can no longer do this.
after getting options from motability they advised me the dealer can buy the car and then I purchase from (obvs with their added profit tagged on)
I asked this week a dealer about this and they was happy to buy my current car for me from motability an me from them. They advised roughly they would be asking £21k for my car. Definitely will not be buying at these silly prices. My car is 3years old and on 40k miles to add
My last car motability only wanted £10k for which at the time was very cheap compared to same car for sale at dealers.
such a shame the options has been taken away. I will be sending in an email regarding this too.
Hi
For those who are interested, I have submitted my complaint via Motability online complaints form – copy below…
“Hi
I have been on the Motability scheme since 2016 with very good service provided by Motability and the dealership.
Our current vehicle is on the 5 year extended lease which expires in November this year.
We have currently been searching for a new vehicle on the scheme for the past several months for a similar large SUV but they are either a full EV vehicle (which is not feasible for us due to several reasons) and/or the Advance Payments are very high which my daughter cannot afford.
Our plan now was to look for a new medium size SUV/Estate on the scheme with lower AP for my daughter’s use BUT also were hoping to buy back our current vehicle as a second vehicle in the house which is a large SUV and accommodates my daughter and her two young children (2 year old and 1 year old) and carer/appointee.
However, after reading some news on the internet, I’m very disappointed to learn that Motability are not allowing exiting lease customers to buy back the vehicle at the end of the lease.
If the above is true, then I think this is not fair on your customers who genuinely need a second car in the house due to the above circumstances and also the fact that we have paid a large amount of AP on our current vehicle plus the monthly Disability payments direct to Motability for the past four years.
I am sure other customers on the scheme would like to buy the vehicle back at the end of their lease for various reasons so I request Motability to reconsider their decision seriously and re-instate the option of buying back their current vehicle on the scheme, otherwise I think Motability will start losing customer, who like me would not lease from Motability, but buy direct from the dealer either in cash or HP/PCP which could work out better for them and keep their vehicle at the end.
Can you please reply to my complaint either in writing or by email.
Regards”
I admire your spirit, lodging a complaint with Motability.
I have lodged a couple myself, and guess what? You never hear anything about your complaint ever again.
By all means, fill your boots it would be i interesting to see what they come back with. I wouldnt hold my breath.
I would like the option to buy but I am at the other end of the process right now- 3 weeks into ownership. I am taking the stance at the moment in worrying about things I can control rather than what I cant control which helps with my stress levels but when this news first broke, there were a cohort of people who are long term customers of motabilty that said this has happened before and in time it would change back.
I kind of grabbed onto that because I have paid over £8000 for my first vehicle. I made the order based on hoping that if the car met with my needs, I would extend out to 5 years and then possibly buy. As it stands, extension has now been stopped unless you meet strict criteria and buy back has stopped.
I hope it does change- I actually think that especially in the EV market, used values are terrible and if I were willing to buy my car, it gives motability certainty.
If all else fails, i have no shame in disclosing that I intend to throw an apple AirTag into the car when it gets handed back and I will track it down to the dealer and buy it that way if that is my intention at the time. Whatever price it gets sold at, I wouldn’t be able to afford it if it were new and given mine has options I have specified along with colour etc, it suddenly would become my choice used car. I may end up paying more but I am also holding onto the fact I buy a car that then I have consumer rights over and expect a warranty too.
I do hope it gets resolved and appreciate that this issue is really not nice for those coming to the end of their leases and even worse for those who will have a shock finding out the rules have changed if they aren’t keeping abreast of info like we do using this forum.
I think the principle of changing terms of rental for those signed up to it already is an unfair practice, especially as they haven’t formally written out to customers to inform them.
2024 Skoda Enyaq estate- 85x Sportline plus in Race Blue. Extras: Supernova 21 inch wheels, Maxx Pack, Transport Pack, Heat Pump and Pano Sunroof.
Ordered 31/10/23, Delivery 27/3/24Please to see the some people are voicing their opinion to the fact that motability are withdrawing the option to purchase our cars at the end of the lease, there are some who feel that it is pointless, if no one makes a complaint you can be assured it will definetly not change, it’s not hard to go to the website and make a complaint they cannot not ignore it if enough people complain, they can if no one complains,
I don’t have any hope of getting a decent reply but feel that the more ppl put in a complaint then they may/could realise that a lot of customers are not happy.
All the best.
I don’t have any hope of getting a decent reply but feel that the more ppl put in a complaint then they may/could realise that a lot of customers are not happy. All the best.
Motability will be monitoring this forum, they would be fools not to keep an eye on customers opinion.
This post is 4 pages long and Motability will get an idea how its customer base is reacting to the rubbish decision to remove end of lease purchase.
Lodging a complaint to Motability is a good thing, but I reckon the comments on here are equally effective.
I have no wish to buy the car at lease end, but removing that facility only pushes existing customers to look elsewhere.
Motability obviously have their reasons for their stance on this. As I mentioned previously, most people who buy a car at lease end are unlikely then to take a new lease which means Motability essentially lose a customer for a few years and maybe forever.
I’d be fairly certain they’ve done the maths and decided what works for them and have set their stall accordingly.
Is it fair? No, not from the perspective of someone wanting to buy a car at least end. It should at least be an option *especially* where a car has had significant adaptations to suit the lessor but much less if it’s just an unaltered vehicle which is readily available to general sale. It would be wonderful for Motability to make a statement on this issue but then it runs the risk of the Daily Mail/Express using it against the scheme, as usual.
Motability will be monitoring this forum, they would be fools not to keep an eye on customers opinion.
You hold them in higher regard than most!
"Come on BYD Seal!"Motability will be monitoring this forum, they would be fools not to keep an eye on customers opinion.
You hold them in higher regard than most!
Indeed! If they do monitor this forum, the evidence would indicate that they ignore it. Decisions in recent years have all been about improving their bottom line (which results in better bonuses for their staff), rather than representing the needs of those they’re supposed to serve.
Motability will be monitoring this forum, they would be fools not to keep an eye on customers opinion.
You hold them in higher regard than most!
Indeed! If they do monitor this forum, the evidence would indicate that they ignore it.
This ^^^ ?
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