Ending my lease early to avoid a service - can I?

[tjlazer]

My wife has a Skoda Octavia which we took out on a 2 year lease in May 15 (VWFS) so it is going back soon. The service light is counting down (16 days left). Do you think I will get charged if I hand it back before the due date (£239 for the inspection service so worth avoiding if I can)?

[Nors]

I would guess you will get charged as it's so close, but only a guess!

[Jonno02]

Yes, loads of people do it.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i had a friend once who was bored, he liked to google "how to reset service light on skoda octavia"

not a very fun thing to go reading about

[wemorgan]

Yes, but you're likely to still pay the final monthly lease, plus an admin fee, so it's a net loss.
Next time have the 1st service done a few weeks late so the second service is due outside the lease period.

[andy101093]

I imagine it was on a long service plan, so this 2 year service will be the first one. I'll be in the same situation in September and was hoping to send the car back a week early to avoid the service cost too...

VW charge £329 for a Major Service so would definitely save a couple hundred pounds even with a £60 admin fee?

Edited by andy101093 on Thursday 9th March 11:26

[tjlazer]

I got a very cheap lease so I'm only paying 80 a month, the early settlement is only 92 quid. Guess I'll give it a go!

[philmots]

I sent our last Ibiza back a month early and avoided it. The month penalty was about £70, much cheaper than the service!

I'd be interested to know about how it goes when the light is on and it's due within a week or two. Keep us updated.

Re servicing a few weeks late, assuming the car is on yearly services won't the next service be due as the car hits 2 or 3 years old rather than a full year after the first one?

Cheers

[codenamecueball]

Dave Hedgehog said:

i had a friend once who was bored, he liked to google "how to reset service light on skoda octavia"

not a very fun thing to go reading about

Does he keep main dealer stamps in his drawer as well?

[spookly]

I returned my Merc 3 days early. No admin fee, they just contacted me near the end of the lease to ask when I wanted it collected.
The contract said that all services had to be carried out within a certain number of days leeway of the due date indicated by assist (Merc's car service indicator). Car said service due in 3 days when they collected it, so I didn't get charged for service as it was not yet due.
Service would have been £400 odd.