CARS DIRECT LEASING lessee info guide
I. Vehicle Collision
Please see section on Insurance on page four of your lease agreement.
Stop & Look – Do not move your vehicle from the crash position.
The best thing you can do is to take your keys out of the ignition, put your hazard lights on and get out of the vehicle and lock the door.
Assist - Look to see if anyone was injured and assist them.
Look inside all vehicles involved in the collision to see if anyone has been injured. Seek help from Emergency Services (dial 111) and where appropriate, you may want to seek the help of bystanders. Your actions may help save a life. Failure to stop, look or assist is a serious offence. If a person is injured you are required to report the accident to the police as soon as practicable (within 24 hours).
Obtaining Witnesses
Immediately phone Emergency Services by dialing 111 and request an officer to come record the accident scene. Ask how long it will take for the police to come so that you can make a decision whether it is reasonable to keep the cars unmoved from the scene of the accident. This may create problems for other traffic which can usually be managed by someone standing out in the street to re-direct traffic around the accident. If Emergency Services is unable to send an officer to the scene of the accident, ask for contact details of a local police station to which you can report the accident.
If a police officer attends, be sure to write down his/her name and contact number.
If a police officer cannot come to the scene of the accident, follow these steps:
1. Do not admit liability at the scene of an accident. If it can be established that the other party is at fault, your excess may be reduced from the amount you pay. Causes can be less simple than they at first appear and more than one driver can contribute to an accident.
2. Try not to move your car from the crash position if you think there is any chance you are not at fault.
3. Complete an Accident Report Card found in your glove compartment.
4. If there is damage to another vehicle or property (such as fences, power poles, traffic signs etc) you are required to notify the owner & report the accident to the police within 48 hours.
Please also notify Cars Direct Leasing of any collisions in a timely manner.
Contact us so that we can assist you in arranging quotes for the repair with an approved panel beater. While your car is being repaired we cannot guarantee you a replacement vehicle unless this service has been included in your lease agreement. We are willing to add this service (i.e. a guarantee replacement car) to your contract for the additional cost of $20 per month.
Accidents outside of Wellington:
If you are in an accident outside of Wellington (more than 1 hours’ drive), you will still want to follow the above procedures. Please call or email us as soon as possible in order to see if you can drive the car back to Wellington. If the car is no longer drivable, the car will need to be towed to a safe & secure location. This cost will be included in the overall cost of the accident.
Mechanical Breakdowns & Issues outside of Wellington:
In the unfortunate event of a mechanical breakdown more than one hour’s drive from Wellington, please phone Bobby our mechanic (021 105 9980) to ask for assistance in accessing a local mechanic and conferring with that local mechanic on what to do with the car. In the case of mechanical breakdown, Cars Direct Leasing will pay the bill. If the repairs to your car cannot be fixed within a few hours (or longer if you are able) you may hire another car and we will pay for all reasonable costs associated with this hire until you can either get your car back to you, or we can get a replacement car to you.
II. Maintenance Issues
*Your responsibilities for the vehicle:
General Care
You are responsible for the general care and safety of the vehicle in between services. This includes checking the water and oil every third petrol fill and letting us know by email if either of these requires replenishing (in case pre-emptive maintenance is needed), maintaining the correct tyre pressure, locking the car when it is not in use, and taking reasonable care when handling and parking the vehicle.
Accidental Damage & Mistakes
your lease doesn’t cover you for costs associated with accidental damage or mistakes. Some common examples of what would be your responsibility to pay for are;
flat tyres
flat battery due to lights being left on
lost keys
replacing aerials that have broken off (e.g. in a car wash)
scraping the side of your car on a wall or fence when backing or parking
costs of missed appointments etc
If something like this does happen you are responsible to organise your own repair.
Insurance:
Your lease car is fully insured by Cars Direct Leasing with a $1000 excess (unless you pay an additional amount per month to reduce this). This excess will apply to all damage sustained by the car that is not due to a mechanical fault, and where no other party takes responsibility for the damage. If the car has been damaged by another driver it is your responsibility to hold the other driver liable for the damage. To do this, have the other party admit liability for the accident, get their name and contact details and the name of their insurance provider. Pass this information onto Cars Direct Leasing as soon as possible so that we can arrange our insurance claim. If the other driver is not held responsible the lessee will then be considered liable and the insurance excess amount will apply.
If your car is damaged without your knowledge, for example when it is parked at work or at home, the insurance excess amount will apply, unless you can find and hold accountable the responsible party.
CDL’s responsibilities for the vehicle:
WOF & Service:
Our mechanic will contact you by phone or email when your vehicle needs an updated WOF or a service. He will schedule an appointment that works for both of you, and if you can drop the car at his garage, he may have a car which you can drive while he works on yours. Please be sure to get back with the mechanic when scheduling these appointments.
Mechanical issues:
If your vehicle has any mechanical issues (brakes, transmission, etc) you can contact our mechanic directly and discuss the issues with him. Please also mention any such issues to him when taking the car in for a service or WOF.
III. Break downs:
In Wellington:
Call our mechanic (details on page 1 of your lease agreement) 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This includes issues such as dead batteries, flat tyres, etc if needed (note that these callouts may be at your cost).
Break downs outside of Wellington (more than an hour’s drive away):
You can use any garage that is open and we will pay the bill if it is a general maintenance issue that caused the breakdown. If you are on the motorway and broken down/ unable to get to a garage, you can phone our mechanic and he can put you in touch with another garage/ tow service in the area which you are driving. If the repairs to your car cannot be fixed within a few hours (or longer if you are available) you may hire another car and we will pay for all reasonable costs associated with this hire until you can either get your car back to you, or we can get a different car to you.
IV. Break-ins:
Please email or call our office to let us know what has happened. If any personal belongings are stolen from the car you may want to file a report with the police. We doesn’t cover personal contents. You are responsible to arrange for the replacement of the broken window by calling Bobby at Auto Xpress.
V. Speeding & Parking tickets:
If you are pulled over by the police for any reason (or you receive parking or speeding tickets), you will not be asked for proof of insurance (as is the case in some countries). You will need, however, to sort all such issues/ tickets yourself. If any fines are not paid on time, our office will receive notice letters and we will contact you in order to get these paid.
VI. Vehicle Return:
Please note that you will be responsible to have the car professionally groomed before return, or we will keep $70.00 from your bond payment in order to get it cleaned ourselves. You are welcome to use the company we use: Crystal Car Valet on Wigan Street in the CBD; 04 8016242.
*Note: many lessees enquire about lost/missing hubcaps; you will not be charged for these.
VII. Questions:
Mechanical/ breakdowns: 24/7 service Bobby at Auto Xpress
ph: 04 380 0191
mob: 021 229 9249
e: manhaasbobby@gmail.com;
7 Newtown Avenue, Newtown
Contact Your Leasing Administrator: Amber Carr
ph: 04 974 9278 (9am - 5pm weekdays)
mob: 021 972 941
e: admin@carsdirectleasing.co.nz