What to bear in mind before signing a leasing contract

A car without high out of pocket costs? This is probably the big reason to lease. It sounds tempting and this is probably also a reason why many people lease cars. Of course this is also a great advantage, without any doubt.

It offers you the possibility to drive your “own” car without high capital outlay. You may even have the option of driving a car that you couldn't afford otherwise. However, there is one important point that you need to think about before you lease a car, and that is the long-term commitment.

The commitment to the lease

The commitment to lease does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage. It also gives you the peace of mind of spending a well-defined price for the car in the next few months, actually years. If you read articles on leasing, however, the long-term commitment is often portrayed as rather negative, and that has its reasons. I think it's important that you realize what you are committing to and what this commitment looks like. The long term nature of of this obligation means that it is often difficult to estimate the consequences at the beginning. Leasing contracts have often a multi year time commitment; So you have to decide today how much you want to pay for your car every month for the coming two or more years. You must also be aware that the car is not yours during the leasing period, but ownership remains with the leasing provider. You can’t sell the car if you no longer need it, and an early exit from the leasing contract is often either not considered in the agreement or associated with high exit costs.

Hence the predictability of the lease commitment also comes with a number of restrictions. So you have to decide for yourself whether you are willing to make such a commitment or whether it is better for you to choose an alternative for mobility. This could be the purchase of a car, or a long-term rent. Another alternative is Carvolution.

No long term commitment with Carvolution

There is no time restraint when you get a car form Carvolution. This means that you can cancel at any time with a notice period of 30 days. So you don't have to know now if you want to drive still the same car next year - or if you would like that VW Polo as your next car, or maybe you even prefer to drive a combination of two cars. Indeed you have the possibility to change the vehicle for free every 6 months. Despite this flexibility, you have the certainty at all times to know what your monthly costs are going to be and you have no capital outlay. With a one-off initial lump sum of only CHF 390 you are enrolled. Once you have chosen your car, you pay a monthly fee similar to leasing. You can choose your car right now and drive off soon: take a small car, a VW Polo. With a 3-year leasing this car costs you approx. 335,-* per month. However, this is only the leasing rate. In addition there is a deposit (not mandatory, but this can have an advantageous effect on your leasing rate) as well as the costs for fully comprehensive and liability insurance. Insurance policies in particular can be very high, depending on the person and driving history. Furthermore you have to take care of servicing the car and maintenance yourself and you are (in our example here) bound to the leasing contract for three years. Your total cost will be around 570 CHF monthly (including an assumption for insurance and other running costs but excluding the petrol needed to drive). At Carvolution, you only pay the all-inclusive fee of 540 per month and an initial flat rate of 390. All you have to do is fill up the tank and you don't have a long contract.

cf. www.comparis.ch