My Grandma was thinking about car leasing when she unknowingly left some hot chocolate sauce simmering away on the stove one hot summer day back in 1994.

I was taking full advantage of the laminated kitchen floor, and doing way above the national speed limit in my segway. I had visions of a T-Rex on my tail, RUUNNN! My grandma on the other hand was picking home grown carrots from her garden, trying her hardest not to follow alice down the hole…

You should have me, I was having an absolute blast when suddently I skidded to avoid a baby roo that had found its way into the house. I fell straight onto the hot sauce. Ouch!

The hot liquid was falling onto my skin, I didn’t have time to dive out of the way, irwin style! I sat with my face in my hands when my Granny returned from the yard.

I couldn’t believe that she didn’t even warn me about the hot pan that now had attracted 60% burns to my face, what a clown.

sorry didn’t quite cut it, so I gathered her knitting and carrots, and showed her the door. I was not going to have someone so irresponsible living in my house! As painful as it was, I jumped in my segway and sped down the dual carrageway to Dr. Karl’s practice.

I couldn’t face the bitter wind on my face again on the return journey home, so I hailed a cab, onky to find my grandma seeking sweet revenge, on my letterbox with a lighter. You do the math!

With my segway by my side, I questioned the old hag, and all she could answer with was ‘Oh dear, I was only trying to claim some insurance for my car leasing dream’.

My first thought was CARE HOME. But i stopped and reconsidered. I will help her with her lease dream. I contacted a brilliant car leasing company who helped get the old girl back on track. Now me and my segway can live happily… Result!!

The cost of products and services vary from company to company and contract hire and leasing is no exception. One of the many factors that determines price is residual values (What the contract hire company believes the car will be worth at the end of the contract hire period). One of the difficulties with contract hire when comparing quotes, is that you are often not comparing like with like.

The Internet can be a good place to find competitive offers, which is where most contract hire brokers advertise. One of the difficulties of looking for the lowest possible rate, each time you buy a vehicle, is that on each occasion you will probably have to deal with a different broker, because different contract hire brokers will have special deals at different times. This stops you getting to know the broker and getting to know and trust a good broker is vital, because contract hire broking is an unregulated industry.

Searching the Internet to find a rock bottom price on a car is probably best suited for a company that only has one or two cars, or for an individual using personal contract hire. For companies that acquire a number of vehicles a year, a more practical option would be to find a contract hire broker that is reliable and competitive across the range of manufacturers. Perhaps most importantly one that will not mislead the client on delivery dates as a means winning the business over a broker who is quoting a more accurate delivery date.

It would be quite difficult for a company that buys a number of vehicles, to be dealing with lots of different brokers on different vehicles. When what is really needed is a contract hire broker that can provide a comprehensive service, advising the company when vehicles are coming up for renewal, delivery dates for the replacement car and also provide all the related services that companies need, such as licence checking.

For those who are the occasional buyer then the Internet is a good place to start looking. A search in Google under contract hire will produce nearly 4,000,000 results and under personal contract hire in excess of 750,000. So how many of these companies do you look at? The evidence is that very few people venture past the first page; you will also find offers under vehicle leasing, car leasing and contract hire and leasing.

There are sites that act as directories for a range of contract hire and leasing brokers. Some people are quite happy using these sites others don’t like them. There is nothing essentially wrong with them, although it is important to be aware that they don’t take responsibility for, or police their advertisers. So whilst the site may be very reputable it does not necessarily follow that their advertisers are. There is certainly evidence of contract hire brokers that advertise on these sites offering prices and delivery dates that are unachievable.

When using a directory website you have to try and recognise the more reputable companies, of which there will be many. Usually their offers will be easy to understand and they will nearly always stipulate how a deal is made up, for example they will not just say contract hire over 36 months, they will show how those payments are made up the most common profile is 3 initial payments followed by 35 monthly payments. If they do not explain how the offer is structured, it is quite possible that whilst the monthly rental looks low, the initial payment could be say 2,000.

You will also see six payments in advance advertised; this is usually done to make the monthly payment look low. It is important when this is the case to take into account that you have to pay an extra three months rental, which will probably make the total cost high.

Where a delivery date is quoted that is much sooner than generally seems available, it may be that the broker has access to vehicles that others do not. It may on the other hand mean that they are promising a delivery date that they know is not achievable. One should proceed with caution, particularly if there is a deposit involved. The customer should perhaps speak to them on the phone and see if he feels comfortable with the information being given,

Pricing is another area some contract hire brokers mislead the public, advertising cars at prices knowing they cannot supply at those prices. The thinking behind this is that they will be contacted by those who are attracted by the deal and they can then tell them that that particular batch of cars have been sold but they have something similar etc. It is planned that contract hire and leasing brokers will become regulated in the future; just as insurance brokers are regulated by the FSA. It is expected that these companies will then have to change their ways, or go out of business.

Contract hire broking is an industry where customers are frequently let down, sometimes this happens where small brokers who have to work through other brokers, have themselves been let down by the main broker.

A practical solution when a customer is trying to choose a suitable contract hire broker can be to select perhaps three companies offering the best prices and telephone them all. Ask them about the price and delivery date and ensure that they are comfortable with the answers. Very often those that are not entirely honest, give themselves away on the telephone. It could perhaps be better to choose a company that one feels comfortable with, even if the vehicle is going to cost two or three pounds more.

Semi truck financing is much different than financing a consumer vehicle. There are not as many lenders available, and if by chance you find one that has a physical office in your area, you may end up paying a premium instead of getting a great deal. Here are some ways to get the best deal on your semi truck financing.

The best semi truck financing rates can usually be found online. These rates are much more competitive than rates offered at a physical lender. Even if you choose a lender who has branch locations, online deals are usually better. They know that people who are willing to do business online are looking for the best rates, and these customers are not afraid to go with whomever has the best rate. When you look at online semi truck financing, you are not limited to the choices in your area only. You can get financing from anywhere, as long as they have great deals!

Online semi truck financing is faster and easier. Many times, the funds can be wired directly to you or the company from whom you are purchasing your truck. This makes the turnaround time so much quicker. Another great thing about online semi truck financing is that they usually have more flexible payment options. This allows you to pick the payment schedule that works best for you.

Your neighborhood bank is almost never the right choice for semi truck financing. Even if your bank does offer this sort of loan, they likely have little understanding of semi truck financing. They won’t have any incentive to be competitive in their rates, since they aren’t in the field of semi truck financing. An online lender can do much better for your loan in this case.

It is also generally a bad idea to get your semi truck financing at the place where you purchase your truck. This type of financing will usually lean toward higher rates. The dealers Typically have a deal with a few specific lenders to offer their loans. This may mean that you will not get the best rates, since they are only giving you a few options. This is good for the truck seller, but is not always in your best interest.

Getting a great deal on your semi truck financing rates can make a lot of difference to your trucking business. A good rate equals more reasonable payments, which means more time spent doing business and less worrying about your financing. In most cases, online semi truck financing will offer you the best rates.

Here are some business start up ideas that you can run from a van:

Furniture Restorer You will need to do a course on furniture restoration before you start this business. They are widely available at most large colleges and universities. You will also need a garage or workshop to store all your cleaning materials and equipment.

Your main task will be to preserve and restore old furniture whilst maintaining their original features.

Pest Control You will need to do a training course so that you are up to the latest industry standards. The training consists of a residential training course mixed in with some site experience.

Your work involves killing or controlling a wide range of unwanted visitors ranging from mice, foxes, pigeons and even squirrels.

Pet Services If you love animals then why not set up a pet service business? Your work will involve grooming pets, taking dogs for a walk, removing pet waste and minding the animals whilst the owners are at work.

Vehicle Maintenance If you are a mechanic and would like to work for yourself then providing basic services and small repairs on site could make you a decent living. You can maintain people’s cars in their own driveway.

Home Cleaning & Maintenance This business will suit somebody that has carpentry experience. Your jobs include carpet cleaning, basic repairs & changing locks. Many home owners are now cash rich but lack the time to maintain their homes.

Landscaping and gardening Do you have green fingers? Why not make it your business? Most people only have time to do basic gardening.

Landscaping a garden involves planting beautiful plants and creating an individual look and feel to a garden. Some people like a wild and natural garden whilst others prefer an ordered English garden design.

Work is wide and varied including, decking, leveling & building a rockery. Assuming you have gardening experience, you will also need to learn how to build and design patios and basic brickwork skills.

Car Valet Buy a decent second hand van, equip it with a generator, water tank, pressure washers and cleaning material and you are ready to start valeting cars. It is very easy to pick up regular clients as long as you provide a reliable service.

Costs A Van business can be started of with as little as £5,000 if you pick up a nice second hand van & manage to get hold of decent second hand tools

You will need to get the van painted with your livery (artwork, logos and contact details). For marketing you will need business cards & flyers. You will also have to get your business listed in the popular business directories. Advertise your business by leafleting well to do areas and approach local businesses.

The best way to get a new van if cash flow is tight is to lease it. They normally ask for 3 payments up front as the deposit followed by 23 or 35 payments based on a 2 or 3 year lease.

Some of the van businesses require you to have expensive tools that are hard to source second hand. You will have to allow for these in your business plans.

For example, total set up costs for leasing a new van, business insurance, buying a complete commercial valeting kit and including marketing could easily set you back £15,000.

The main advantages of a low cost van business are that you don’t need expensive premises and are not stuck indoors.

Who are we and what do we know about leasing?

Lease2U was formed from the ideas of two guys getting together and saying. “We could do this better” So the guys launched Lease2U, one was working for a large main dealer group in a corporate sales role. The other was one of his business customers! They got together and looked at the whole leasing experience. The most important improvement was on the level of service that leasing customers were getting from dealer groups. Both guys knew that improvements had to be made. This is why our phones are never turned off at Lease2U. We also won’t ask who is calling when a call comes in for one of our members of staff, the reason for this is that with dealer groups, calls will be “blanked” by staff if they do not wish to speak to someone.

Our attitude to customers is our greatest strength.

Too many companies, mention that they care about their customers while in fact they only pay lip service. We fully understand that without customers we will not have a business. We accept that in any business issues will arise. In the leasing industry deliveries could be delayed, a vehicle damaged on a transporter or paperwork not completed correctly. These things can and do happen but not often. Lease2U staff will always be honest with you, we won’t fob you off and we will deal with any issues that arise. A problem is only a problem if you are not looking for the solution.

We only employ experienced staff.

Our team comes from within the motor industry. They have worked for vehicle manufacturers, vehicle finance companies and main franchised dealers. We know the industry inside out and as such we are perfectly placed to offer you our best advice at all times. We are not car salesmen, we will not push you into making a decision.

We will advise on which type of lease agreement best suits your business and which vehicle is most suitable.

With specialist knowledge of light commercial vehicles we will offer advice on payloads, load volumes and best engine for mpg. We will also arrange any vehicle conversion for you, so from a tipper to a refrigerated vehicle we can do it and the vehicle will be delivered to you, ready to run.

Because we are not tied to any manufacturer or finance company our advice is always impartial. We will do all that we can to get you the best leasing rates on the right vehicle for you.

We will source the vehicle for you. We will put in place finance for the vehicle. We will deliver the vehicle to you anywhere in the mainland UK. We will contact you 3 months before your contract ends and source you your next vehicle. We will collect the vehicle at the end of the contract hire term.

With the ever increasing prices of fuel not to mention its harmful impact to the environment, it is invigorating to note that there is an automaker like Honda that has taken the initiative to provide us with better alternatives such as the state-of-the-art hydrogen fuel-cell car which will be released in California next year.

The Japanese automaker will start by leasing zero-emissions FCX Clarity at $600 per month. The new Honda fuel-cell car will only emit water. Honda have not yet announced any details on the technology involved in the Clarity and have not divulged the approaches they will use when it comes to dealing with the number of technical obstacles that goes with hydrogen engines.

Aside from Honda, the Scientific American article on hydrogen engine technology has mentioned Ford and BMW as having plans also of offering cars powered by hydrogen engines in the coming future. But of course, a hydrogen fueled vehicle is not without problems. The technology alone is a problem by itself and with Honda finally releasing its Clarity can be considered a breakthrough.

And speaking of problems, the amount of space to house the hydrogen fuel is one of the predicaments faced by automakers that is aside from the storage needed for hydrogen gas in the automobile, the speed at which hydrogen refills can be added to the engine, the distance a hydrogen fill-up will allow a driver to travel, and the temperature at which the hydrogen is both stored and used in the engine. Each of these areas is a challenge that scientist are trying to solve.

The development of hydrogen-powered vehicle is a welcomed venture in the US particularly with two-thirds of the more than 20 million barrels of oil in the nation are consumed by cars and trucks. Such effort will definitely help in countering the impact of high fuel prices. Laboratories from Japan to Germany are working to finally perfect the hydrogen engine technology.

Honda has not yet disclosed the number of FCX Clarity that they will offer in their leasing program. The Japanese automaker has not also discussed the cost of each automobile but with the complexities of the said technology it is to be expected that it would cost more than the average vehicle.

More News on Honda… Just this week, Honda Aero Inc. has broke ground on its corporate headquarters and jet-engine plant in Burlington.

Honda Aero is a joint venture developed between GE and Honda with the intention of producing the GE-Honda HF120 engine. This particular engine will be used for very light jet including the Honda aviation-made HondaJet which was produced and tested in Greensboro.

The headquarters and facility of Honda Aero is a property that is adjacent to the Burlington Alamance Country airport. It measures 102,400 square feet of which include the 36,000 square feet of office space, 58, 400 square-foot production plant, and the 8,000 square foot engine test cell.

Honda the producer of high quality Acura alternator will employ around 70 people once the plant begins its operations. For this facility Honda Aero will invest around $27 million in the facility.

It’s amazing how many people get ripped off after they have already closed the deal. You have the car you want, you got the price you’re happy with and then it happens. They get you on the extras and the warranties at that point and they can actually suck another $1000 to $4000 cash or another $100 to $200 a month.

The extras are things like rust proofing, scotch guarding etc. It seems pretty straight forward but you would be surprised at how many people get taken on these. What’s really amazing is that you get scammed on a car and say, “that’s not going to happen again!” Then 3 years later, Bam, what the f…… just happened???

The trickiest closing cost scam is the extended warranty because the language used is so confusing. This is not even the warranty that the factory gives you for the car. It is a warranty that covers the cost of fixing the car should it break down on you. To get around this, you have to know the dealer’s language and you should really get this part down. Now although extended warranties often do cover any repairs that you require during your coverage period, there is often some information that you are not told about.

For example, the extended warranty is usually effective only up to a certain amount of mileage or term period; whichever happens first. Make sure you have all the details on the terms if you decide to take on the extra auto coverage. The warranty might also only cover certain types of problems. If your extended warranty doesn’t cover every part of your car, why bother? It will cost you so make sure it’s worth it for you.

Some extended warranties don’t cover the larger engine problems or certain power train issues, but just cover the smaller issues. If your engine conks out, you may be left in the lurch. Don’t even bother considering buying an extended warranty if you are only leasing the car for a small time period like 36 months. Perhaps it is better only for longer periods of leasing like 60 months.

Many extended warranties don’t cover everyday wear and tear policies, only breakdown problems. If you do insist on getting an extended warranty, get one that covers you for both occurences. You will only really want to get a warranty on a more dependable car like a Lexus, Honda, or Toyota because extended warranties rarely cover the costs incurred in cars that are closer to the present time of purchase. You will also want to get a warranty that is effective immediately. You will also want to get a warranty with a well established finance company and not one that go belly up in a year.

Don’t purchase an extended warranty directly from the dealer. Instead look at sites on www.LendingTree.com for an online warranty because being online gives you all the time to asses your warranty properly. Keep a close eye out for your deductibles because you don’t want to get stuck paying for deductibles that you thought were covered by the warranty.

The following chart shows some of the extras that dealers try to get you on at closing. This can be very irritating how they try to weasel even more money out of you in the end on stuff that you really don’t need at all. I mean, you already paid a chunk of hard earned cash, but they see it as, what’s another $2000 or $3000?

Of course, when you hear them explain the extras, they will all sound like you need them NOW. It’s bad enough that they will throw them up at you but look at this table to show how much they are really ripping you off by.

Most Common Extras at Closing

Description Rust proofing — Your price $800 — Dealers costs $40 Extended warranty — Your price $1200 — Dealers costs $300 Scotch guard — Your price $300 — Dealers costs $5 Car alarm — Your price $400 — Dealers costs $100 Paint sealant — Your price $300 — Dealers costs $10 Credit/insurance costs — Your price $200 — Dealers costs $30 Detailing, pin striping — Your price $299 — Dealers costs $30 Total of extras — Your price $3499 — Dealers costs $515 Extra monthly payment — Your price $97 — Dealers costs $0

As you can see, these extras when buying a car will get you in the end. If you can, you should avoid them all together. They are worth far more to the dealer than they are to you. Understand what you want and/or need and stick to your guns.

Contract hire and car leasing are becoming popular choices these days instead of buying a car. Both contract hire and car leasing offer various advantages over the traditional method of buying a car. One of the main advantages is that there is no large capital outlay at the start of the contract and also that every two or three years you have a new car. Here I will show you 5 tips to ensure you get the best deal on Audi contract hire and BMW car leasing.

1. Shop around. The internet nowadays makes this task effortless. Whilst traditionally it could take you a whole day to compare the market it can now be done in a few minutes. You will be able to compare more the market therefore this should give you more choice at a cheaper rate. Much better deal for you.

2. Be cheeky. Pick up the phone and give the contract hire and car leasing companies a call. All the contract hire companies will have a sales team who should be able to help you and they will no doubt try and get a sale and therefore may offer you a special rate.

3. Check the small print. It is essential you check the small print of any contract hire or car leasing deal. Even though you may be offered an outstanding price there may be things in the small print you will make this an unsuitable deal for you.

4. Trust. Only use a company or individual you can trust. During a contract hire or car leasing deal there needs to be a high level of communication to ensure the deal and delivery is to the customer’s satisfaction. Therefore it is essential that the company you choose to do the contract hire deal for you are trust worthy to ensure that you receive a smooth transaction.

5. Short length of contract. Many companies traditionally have contract hire deals which are for one or two years. Always negotiate to ensure you receive the shortest possible contract hire deal. The benefits of this are that you will have less problems with the car as the contract is shorter, the company will work harder to rectify any problems and you will have a new car every two years.

The above 5 tips should ensure that you receive the best deal on your next Audi contract hire or BMW car leasing deal.

It’s a hot topic right now, the topic of buying a car in United States instead of Canada. Many Canadian’s in the market for a new car see the differences in MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) between a car in Canada and the same car in the United States. That difference in many cases makes the case of buying a car in the United States instead of Canada that much stronger and many are making the hop over the border or researching online to check things out.

Buying a car in United States instead of Canada isn’t as easy as it may seem. Many Canadian’s think all they have to do is buy the car, pay the duty and voila they are on their way to saving HUGE!

In addition to the paying of the duty there are a few other hurdles Canadian’s have to overcome when it comes to buying a car in the United States instead of Canada. Here is just a quick low down of what you need to consider if you are thinking about buying a new car:

1. Dealerships have a franchise agreement which prohibits them from selling cars to anyone outside of the country. I have heard stories of people actually finding dealerships who will break their franchise agreements, but it is a challenge.

2. The new car you buy is going to be cash because you won’t be able to qualify for US financing or leasing rates and any rebates are not applicable to you.

3. If you were contemplating on using your current car as a trade you might face a challenge again. The US market if “fat” with used cars and may not even want to consider your car in the deal.

4. If you live close to a border crossing then making the trek over a few times isn’t such a hardship for you, but, if you leave further away plan on making a few weekend trips and add that expense to whether it buying a car in United States instead of Canada is still a good plan.

5. If you are thinking about buying a car in the United States instead of Canada know that there are equipment modifications you need to make to the vehicle you can check them out here Buying a car in United States instead of Canada

6. Check with Transport Canada and Canada Customs to make sure the car you are looking at Buying a car in United States instead of Canada is admissable into Canada and what other documentation you need.

7. If you are looking at buying a used car the hoops and jumps aren’t as great but check and make sure.

Buying a car in United States instead of Canada may seem better when comparing MSRPs between the United States and Canada but there is a lot more you need to consider. Make sure you do your research not only on the car but also what requirements you need to look at.

As more and more companies develop employee vehicle programs, it is important to understand the liabilities and benefits versus simply paying employee IRS mileage to drive their own personal vehicles, or use company cars. With the increase in the IRS mileage allowance, those companies who currently pay employees the IRS reimbursement rate for business miles are leaving money on the table relative to having a company vehicle program. And this is especially true for those with higher business mile drivers.

As we review the economics, putting drivers who travel more than 12,000 business miles a year in a company provided fuel efficient car or SUV, like a Chevy Impala or a smaller SUV, is a no-brainer relative to paying IRS mileage. But an important factor to consider is what your liability exposure from either method is, in regards to personal or business use of company vehicles. There are some interesting facts that most people may not be aware of when taking these decisions into consideration, and educating oneself on the history of cases and all current federal, state, and local laws is important.

Most businesses focus on the liability the company takes on when adding a company vehicle program. This makes sense, and is a common practice in order to try and evaluate potential risks for a company. For example, if an employee is driving a company vehicle for personal matters, and becomes involved in a personal injury accident where they were at fault, there is liability exposure there. And it is understandable that an employee’s company would not want to be held accountable for damages incurred if said employee didn’t follow specific rules and guidelines regarding company vehicle use. However, the largest liability damage awards in these cases, which are well into 7 figures, involved employees driving their own personal vehicles on company business, not company vehicles on personal business. So now the situation is reversed, and if the employee became involved in a personal injury or death accident where they were at fault, the company would then be held liable for a higher portion of damages.

So the facts speak for themselves in this case; larger liability exposure comes from allowing employees to drive personal vehicles on company business, and not the other way around. And sometimes driving a personal vehicle for company business is a common situation that can not be avoided easily, which will put a company at a greater liability risk. Evaluating risk is a tough decision for any individual or company, but paying IRS mileage in addition to covering personal injury liability becomes much more expensive than a well maintained company vehicle program. And there are ways to further reduce the costs of such programs, which makes them affordable for more businesses that most people are aware of. Especially in regards to leasing options, or using hybrid or alternative fuel cars and trucks, there are numerous options available when choosing a company vehicle program that is right for your business.

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