i recently traded in my wifes jeep renegade which was leased through fusion auto finance. we are both are a little confused because we wrote the payments to NEFCU, so i was under the impression that NEFCU owned the car.
so i traded in the jeep for a soul red mazda cx-9 touring with premium package (love it) on may 31st, the jeep lease was up july 31st, and mazda wrote me a check for the final 2 payments as part of the deal. now im getting mail from fusion auto finance about the lease return process. at first i thought nothing of it but i was reading the paper and it says that trading in the jeep to the dealership early does not relieve you from being responsible for any excessive wear and tear or mileage overages, AND the disposition fee. the jeep only had 10k miles on it, we hated it, never drove it and it was terrible, an electrical nightmare. it sat in the driveway mostly so theres no excessive wear and no mileage overages. HOWEVER i decide to google this company and there are numerous complaints about fusion claiming excessive wear and even lying about mileage, while threatening to take people to collections.
So im a little worried because theres a couple of months left on the lease and i dont have the car in my possesion. i assumed that the car would be auctioned or sent to the mazda dealerships jeep affiliate across the street. quite honestly i didnt really think about it or care where it was going because i thought i was wiping my hands clean with it once i traded it in. whats stopping fusion from saying they got the car back damaged and sending me a bill?
Why did the Mazda dealer write you a check for the final 2 payments? Did you keep possession of the Jeep or turned it into the Mazda dealership when you got this Mazda?
So the Mazda dealer wrote you a check, then you wrote a check to NEFCU for the last 2 payments, but the Mazda dealer turned in the Jeep? Sounds messy and complicated. Either way, it wasn’t a trade-in, so you are responsible for wear and tear and the disposition fee.
Yeah what happened was YOU were supposed to pay the final 2 pmts plus the disposition fee to Fusion— the service the loan after the CU originates the loan/lease.
But WHERE is the vehicle now? You need to call the dealer sales manager and ask where the Renegade is/went to. If they dumped it off to Fusion, then Fusion has it but you have a balance.
In other words, it WASN’T a trade. They built your last 2 pmts into the deal on your new vehicle and cut you the check so you could term the Renegade. If it was a straight trade, they would’ve bought it from Fusion and either wholesaled it or kept it on lot to sell as a used unit.
that is some shady shit. im pissed. i dont know why the dealership couldnt be up front about that. i spent so much time researching on here and then this shit happens. that jeep was a curse from day one.
This is common so no need to panic. If your Renegade wasn’t jacked up or over miles, you need only pay those last 2 pmts and the $400 disposition fee and it’s over.
If you are overmiled and it’s beat up, then you have fees on top of that.
Here’s what happens a lot: dealer’s try to make things look and sound easy almost concierge-like: we GOT this don’t worry. Meanwhile they are just saying and doing anything for you to say YES to their new car they are selling you.
There’s a big difference between trade in and term on leased vehicles.
In the end, it’s all good bc trying to straight trade a Renegade would’ve cost you THOUSANDS!! Ain’t worth shite!
Was the jeep represented as trade, sounds like it wasn’t. Sounds like you knew they were cutting you a check to cover the last two payments. If it was a trade it would have showed such on the deal. It was your responsibility to contact fusion and let them know where the car was or maybe you had discussed this with the dealer and they did it.
i know, i can deal with the disposition fee. but this company has a terrible track record online form what ive been reading. the renegade had 1 very small scratch on the driver side door, about a half inch. that is not excessive wear on a 3 year old vehicle, but im afraid this company will nickle and dime every little thing. it only had 10k miles on it.
i honestly didnt even know the lease was through fusion, i thought it was just through NEFCU. my wife pays the bills and this was our first lease. its my misunderstanding of how the trade works. i thought if mazda took the jeep then im done with it.
Actually, Fusion doesn’t have the $1k waiver. They will go after every last penny of “excess” wear and tear. Good luck with getting this sorted out with them.
Next time, lease through Bethpage FCU and you won’t have to worry about any of these tactics and headache. They do have the $1k wear and tear waiver.
There wear and tear policy seems to be in line with other leasing companies. If what you say about only having one small scratch is true you should be fine. Take a look at the wear and tear policy to determine if you have any excess wear and tear. http://www.fusionautofinance.com/images/NoSurprisesW&TGuide-Printable-Web-2016.pdf
Yes, the joys of leasing in LI. I have a lease through them and was thinking to trade my jeep they gave me same payoff as the dealer. Made no sense to me but yes, these guys seem shady. For what you owe though not their fault. Its like you returning it but the dealer is doing it for you. Also, they dont want you return to jeep dealership but their own centers for return. In NY is in Hauppauge.
I had a lease thru NEFCU and the lease said return it to the Owner, Fusion. I did get calls from dealers to leave the car with them and they would take care of the return and everything, but I was cautious. Fusion sent a letter 6 months before the end of the lease, then began calling until I responded. They offered a pre-inspection so that there would be no surprises. I don’t know why someone would leave a vehicle with someone it doesn’t belong to, but I am a bit more skittish. I was offered a damage waiver when I signed the lease and I opted for it to cover anything later. My experience was fine, but I took the car back to where it was supposed to go and didn’t leave it with someone else.
My truck came without running rails. I paid $800.00 out of pocket to install chrome tubes as steps. No problem, it was my choice. I also returned the car 6,000 miles under my allotted amount.
I reminded them of this and they still charged me $450.00 for the “Disposition Fee”. There is no negotiating with these people. If you lease a Toyota, you will have to deal with them.
Every lease has a disposition fee. Many lessors will waive it if you do another lease with them. And if you buy the lease out you pay the purchase option fee not the disposition fee. But other than that the disposition fee is not negotiable.
