Help Area

What the FAQ?

What is zCarLease?

zCarLease is an online, full-service auto lease marketplace that matches people with their dream vehicle, and assists them to aquire a vehicle lease at a competitively cheap rate. We find you the lease terms you want, including the car of your choice, the duration, amount of miles you want to pay for, and with the option of zero or some money down, depending on your preferences.

Does my lease company allow for transfers?

Most lease companies will allow these transfers, but you need to check with your lease company to find out if they do. If you aren’t sure, give zCarLease a call and we will help you figure this out.

How does the zCarLease process work?

zCarLease allows people to let us know what they want, no gimmicks or hidden fees. We then turn around and find the cheapest vehicle lease deal by working with multiple dealerships for each brand, and have it delivered to your front door. We also help current lease owners by letting them post their leased vehicles on our site where new buyers can see them and contact the sellers directly to eventually take over their leases.

How long does the lease transfer process usually take?

Some leasing companies are able to complete a lease transfer in only a day, but some can take up to several business days. The length of the process depends on a few variables:

• The credit application process, which can take around 24 to 72 hours.
• The drafting and processing of a new or current lease transfer document, which takes around three to five business days.
• When it comes to lease transfers, time for mailing and completing paperwork have to be considered, which can take around 7 to 14 business days to complete.  If you want to find a timeframe for a specific company you are researching, contact us and we will tell you about our experience with their process.

Who can transfer or take over a car lease?

As a seller: Anyone that has an active lease on a truck, car, SUV, or van under a leasing company that allows car lease transfers can transfer their lease agreement. If you aren’t sure if your leasing company allows for these transfers, just verify your information on this site, call your leasing company directly, or contact us instead to help you figure it out.

As a buyer: Anyone that wants a current or new term lease on any model of car, can with zCarLease.

Can I use zCarLease as both a seller and a buyer?

If you are both a seller and a buyer on zCarLease, you can take total advantage of the services we offer. You are able to keep track of all of your account activity in one place by signing in with one username and password. A nice place to begin is in your account settings, as you can then access your seller or buyer profile to edit, view, and manage these different profiles.

How does zCarLease protect my information?

zCarLease uses a state of the art, 128-bit Secure Socket Layer, otherwise known as SSL encryption, provided by either Verisign or another SSL provider.

How often will the listings be updated?

As sellers list their vehicle leases, they will appear right away on the website. When sellers make a change or add new information to their listing, it will appear as soon as they click save.

Are these leases on zCarLease open or closed end leases?

Most, if not all of the leases on zCarLease are closed end leases that reflect a residual value.

Are any of the different vehicles on zCarLease available from a dealer?

Many of the vehicles on our site are offered by the original leaseholders who want to get out of their car lease.

Are leasing companies willing to let me perform a lease transfer?

Most leasing companies will let you transfer a lease; however, a few will not and have certain rules on this.
Give zCarLease a call or call your leasing company to learn their rules about car lease transfers. Most lease companies will allow this, but none of them will advertise or promote the service. Costs and time associated with transferring a car lease are one of the reasons that some companies don’t allow this service at all.
zCarLease doesn’t encourage subleasing, and the zCarLease is not a place to advertise or seek out subleases. zCarLease lease transfer is an authentic transfer of equity that is done by the leasing company with full-contract coverage by every involved party.

IMPORTANT:

Transferring a lease is not a sublease since subleasing is not allowed by leasing companies. Indeed, it is illegal in most states.

What happens if I am in a different state from the buyer/seller?

Many transfers are done by people who are in different states. zCarLease works with a national transportation business that will deliver the vehicle to where you are. You are able to negotiate with the lease owner as to who will pay the involved costs.

Is zCarLease available in Canada?

Because of the high interest in Canadian transfers, we do accept Canadian listings.

Once I find a car on zCarLease that I like, what do I do next?

Click "contact seller" to make an offer on the lease or to assume the lease. If you are a registered user, just log in. If you are new, create an account. Go through the credit application process to get pre-approved and wait 24 hours for the results.

Taking over a Lease

What does it cost to take over a lease?

The cost to join our buyer program is anywhere from$39.99 to $59.94. The buyer program includes one credit check. The buyer programs last for a membership period of 60 days and will include your credit being verified one time. The buyer program will also give you tools and the necessary information to enhance the experience of transferring a lease. zCarLease is here to help you with the entire process.

Alongside buyer programs, the initiation of the lease costs the buyer around $149.95 after the rebate.

Leasing fees are included as most financial bodies will charge a fee in order to process the car lease transfer papers. This fee can vary between $0 and $650 and can be paid directly to this institution. You are able to negotiate with the person who is transferring the lease to see who pays the involved fees.

If you are in a different state, you may have to negotiate with the transferring party to see who pays third party inspection costs and transportation costs.

Am I required to give a down payment?

No, one of the perks of assuming a car lease is that you just keep paying the monthly car payments until the term is up.

Can I back out of the transfer process once I start it?

Yes, you can until the final lease transfer document has been signed. That said, any fees collected by zCarLease are non-refundable.

Who will pay for the transfer costs?

You will negotiate with the person holding the lease to decide who pays these costs.

Where will I return a vehicle?

When the lease is done, return the vehicle to a dealership in your local area, even if you take over a lease from a different state.

Once the lease is over, can I buy the car?

Most leases will have an end of lease purchase option, so yes. The amount that would need to be paid is in the contract. If this information isn’t in the listing, contact the seller to get it.

May I extend my lease?

A lot of leasing companies will let you extend the term. It depends on the original lease agreement. Contact the leasing company to find out more.

Using zCarLease

What happens if I forgot my username or password?

Go to the sign in area and click "forgot password?" to get this information. Enter the email address that you used to open your zCarLease account and wait for it to be emailed to you. If you have trouble, just contact us for help.

What happens if I don’t get an email from zCarLease?

Some public email providers will mark it as spam. Follow the instructions below to receive them:

AOL

Through the software:

• Go to AOL Keyword: spam folder
• Choose the email that you want to open and click "this is not spam"

AOL Mail on a Web Browser:

• Go to webmail.aol.com
• Type in your screen name and your password
• Click "sign on"
• Click the link that says "spam"
• Place a checkmark in the box beside the email you want to open
• Click "this is not spam"

Gmail

• Access your spam mailbox
• Check the box next to the name of the sender of the email
• Click "not spam"

MSN Hotmail

• Open your junk email folder
• Open the email you want to read
• Click "not junk email" at the top of the mailbox

Yahoo

• Head to your bulk folder
• Open the email you want to read
• Click "not spam"

Assuming a Lease

What are the benefits of taking over a lease?

– Save a lot of money. You could save thousands of dollars by assuming someone’s car payment for the remaining time on the lease and only pay the car payments instead of the high down payment.
– Enjoy driving more cars more frequently. Assuming a lease allows the flexibility of leasing a vehicle for short time periods so that you can switch your cars quite often.

What is involved in regular leasing?

– A long term commitment. Most lease terms are around 36, 48, or 60 months.
– Down payments. In most leasing contracts, you’ll have to pay a high down payment that you won’t get back when the lease is up.
– Negotiation with the leasing company. There is negotiation involved in the purchase price, the lease term, the interest rate, and the excess mileage charge. This negotiation can be unpleasant to say the least.

Can you terminate a lease before the agreement is over?

Yes, like any contract, you can terminate the majority of car leases before the date on the contract, but there are normally financial consequences to doing this, such as a fee. Every leasing company will have their own policies on this, but most of them will charge an early termination fee. It isn’t unlikely that these fees will be around several thousand dollars, so that is why using zCarLease is so valuable.

How does transferring or taking over a lease work?

This process is similar for most leasing companies. The person who wants to take over the lease will submit a credit application to the company leasing the car. The leasing company will decide the creditworthiness of the candidate. If the candidate is approved, the lease transferring documents will be prepared by the leasing company and signed by both the original and new lessee. When all of the documents are returned and processed, the transfer has been completed. zCarLease will assist with the details and the potential fees as you go through this process.

What are the chances of being able to transfer my lease?

While we cannot give a guarantee, we continually update the waiting list of those who want to assume a lease. We usually receive a number of applications for each vehicle. Individuals across the nation search through our listings and fill out their wish lists. zCarLease’s system automatically notifies you about every person that has requested your unique vehicle when you submit it online.

How can I get more information on my leasing company?

To get the most accurate and up-to-date information on the policies surrounding a transfer, you should get in touch with the leasing company directly. You can also use our basic transfer policies as a guideline to understand most leasing company’s details.

What does my finance company do when I lease?

All lease transfers require the approval of your finance company before the pre-screen process. Most of these finance companies will charge a separate fee that corresponds to the transfer of a lease. The person taking over the car lease will usually pay these fees, which can range from $0 to $650. Since we normally receive many applications for every listing, we will require people to go through the pre-screening process to see who is best suited to assume your lease. These candidates also may go through a credit check.

What happens to the security deposit when a lease is transferred?

Every leasing company will have their own policy regarding how to handle a security deposit for the assumption of their lease. Most of these will transfer the security deposit to the person assuming the lease, while some others may return the deposit to the original lessee and ask for a new deposit from the new lessee. Some won’t even require a deposit to start with.

Who is responsible for potential fees at the end of the lease?

The person taking over the lease is responsible for the end terms of the agreement that are outlined in the original lease contract. These charges can include excess mileage fees, wear and tear fees, and disposition fees. All of these potential charges can be found in the original lease agreement. The new buyer will be responsible for any disposition fees or termination charges at the end of the lease.

Are sellers and buyers able to negotiate their terms around the lease transfers?

Usually, the lease terms, including the allowed mileage, end date, and monthly payment are fixed and are dictated by the leasing company. The two parties can negotiate the details of the car lease transfer as long as they don’t interfere with the rules of the agreement or violate any laws. Negotiable items include who is going to pay for the transfer, inspection, and transportation fees. These agreements can be made between the seller and buyer, and zCarLease does not have control over these negotiated items and takes no responsibility for these agreements.

How long does the process of a lease transfer take?

The transferring of a lease can take anywhere between four days and three weeks, as all of the documents must be processed and finalized. Some of the slower leasing companies may take up to seven weeks. zCarLease can help with the lease transfer process; simply contact us for help anytime that you need assistance during this process.

When is the lease transfer finalized?

The lease transfer will be completed once the leasing company has all of the required lease transfer documents, along with the fees for the transfer, and notifies the involved parties. zCarLease can help you learn how and when to finalize these documents. We can share our experience with transferring the lease through major leasing companies, so don’t hesitate to contact us with any concerns or questions.

Can I transfer a lease to a person who lives in a different state?

Many transfers of leases from person to person occur between people living in different states. There are some restrictions on lease transfers that are put in place by particular leasing companies, and these restrictions will be included typically in the lease company information. You are able to negotiate with the person assuming your lease regarding who will pay these transfer fees that come with moving the vehicle to another state.

Can the vehicle be inspected if the two parties are in different states?

You can make arrangements together in order to get the vehicle inspected and the results sent to the buyer. The vehicle may be inspected by a mechanic or a dealer. If you want to get your vehicle inspected by a third party, get in contact with us by phone or email and we will find you an inspection service provider that we trust and recommend.

Where is the vehicle returned at the end of the lease?

Every leasing company will have their own return policies. Many leasing companies will let you return the leased vehicle to a local dealer, while others will have different policies on this. Get in touch with your leasing company for details and instructions on this process.

From the Seller’s Point of View

How do sellers benefit from using zCarLease?

Those wanting to terminate car leases by selling them to another buyer are able to save a lot of money by getting someone to take over their lease instead of having to pay high costs surrounding early termination fees. zCarLease has a lot of experience with this process and can make the entire process go smoothly.

Am I still held responsible for the vehicle once the lease has been transferred?

Most of the major leasing companies will release the original lessee from any sort of responsibility when the lease is transferred. That said, a few lease companies will keep the original lessee’s name on the contract as a guarantor of the lease. Get in touch with your leasing company directly to learn more about their liability policy in the case of a lease transfer.

What are the fees involved with a lease transfer?

Two kinds of fees are involved in the transfer of a vehicle lease through zCarLease, including fees for listing and transferring a vehicle. These fees must be collected by the car leasing company that possesses the lease.
Leasing company charges may include lease transfer fees and credit application fees. Each leasing company will have their own fees that can differ largely from one company to another. If you want to find out the fees for a particular leasing company, call them directly.
Just like any other change in vehicle ownership, you may encounter licensing or registration fees that are required by your state. Fees and policies may change from state to state. The leasing company that has the car lease will tell you how to manage these sorts of details since they "own" the vehicle. Some states will require taxes that are added on to the ones that are normally included in your lease payments. This all comes down to different policies in different states. If you don’t know what your state tax policies are, you can check with the tax handling agency themselves. You can also ask a local auto agency that can help you to learn how taxes are dealt with when it comes to car lease transfers or vehicle assumptions.

Help to Get out of a Lease

What do I do if I want to end my lease?

• Sell the vehicle.
• Purchase the vehicle.
• Trade the vehicle to a dealer.
• Transfer your lease to another person through zCarLease. Transferring out of your lease is going to be the most inexpensive way to get out of your lease. For all the other choices, you have to make up for the payoff balance of your lease right away.

What are my responsibilities for maintenance on the vehicle?

You are responsible for any maintenance and you should adhere to the recommended maintenance schedule as detailed by the car’s manufacturer.

What are my responsibilities for insurance on the vehicle?

You are responsible for having insurance on your leased vehicle during the term of the lease. Check your lease agreement for the details on the exact sort of insurance coverage that is required.

Do I have to pay personal property tax on my vehicle?

Certain states, including West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, Missouri, and Texas, observe personal property tax on leased vehicles and may require taxes to be collected. Check the state website to learn more information on your state’s tax policy for personal property.

Who is responsible for moving violations?

According to law, you will have to pay for any moving or parking violations that you may get.

What do I do if I drive more miles than I am allowed in my lease agreement?

If you sell, trade, or buy a vehicle from a dealer, or refinance the lease, there will be no mileage charge. If you do return your vehicle at the end of the lease and have gone over the allowable mileage that was included in the lease, you will have excess mileage charges. Check out the part of your contract that involves wear and tear and mileage to determine the charges you could incur.

How do I get license plates?

In most cases, the dealer will handle the necessary steps that are to be taken to get your first license plates. In the future, you will be contacted by the Department of Motor Vehicles when it is time to renew your license plates. Instructions will be included. 

Who pays for these license plates?

You will be responsible for paying for registration and license fees during the term of the lease. You will get a bill once a year from the Department of Motor Vehicles for these fees. If someone else assumes your lease, they will then be liable for these fees.

Can I drive my leased vehicle outside of the continental United States?

No. Most lenders have insurance that will not let you take your leased car, truck, van, or SUV outside of the continental United States.

What happens if tax rates are altered?

If the tax rate alteration affects the payment of the lease, you will be given the new rate. Your monthly payment will then be changed to reflect any decrease or increase from the change in taxes.

What happens if I move out of my current state?

You will need to get in touch with your leasing company at least 30 days prior so that they know you are moving. Then, they can take the right steps to ensure your vehicle is properly registered. Furthermore, some states will want additional fees and taxes to be paid to register in that state.

What happens if my vehicle is involved in a wreck but not totaled?

You need to pay to have your vehicle fixed.

Who do I contact if I want to give back my vehicle at the end of my lease?

Get in touch with your leasing company and tell them where you want to return the car.

What do I do if I haven’t gotten a payment booklet?

If you don’t have a payment booklet before the payment’s next due date, just call the leasing company. Even if you don’t have your leasing payment booklet, you will still be required to make the lease payment at the right time.

Are international students able to take over someone’s vehicle?

In order to qualify as a foreigner or international student to assume a lease, they must be established and in good standing with their United States credit history. Lease transferring can only be done with an excellent United States credit history that is reported by one of the three United States credit agencies. Taking over a lease is not the same as renting a car at all and is only available to those in good standing in the United States. If the foreigner is moving to America and wants to establish a good credit history, someone with good credit history can add the foreigner to the contract once they get a United States social security number.

If my credit is less than good, can I still assume a lease?

In order to assume the lease on a vehicle, you need to have a good credit history in the United States. zCarLease has a credit verification process that makes it easy to know if you have the proper qualifications to assume a lease. This service comes standard in any of the 60-day buyer packages.

Detailed Process of Taking over a Car Lease

The process of taking over a lease can be done in six easy to follow steps.

1. A seller lists their vehicle on zCarLease:

If you want to trade the lease of your car, you can register with zCarLease. You will create your listing on this website. This is an easy, quick process that will involve you giving buyers information regarding your vehicle and your lease. It will help if you have a copy of your lease available to post your ad.

2. The buyer will choose a vehicle lease that they want to assume:

The buyer will join the site with a 60-day program that allows them to immediately begin to communicate with whoever is selling the leased vehicle through the message portal. When the vehicle listing is chosen, the potential buyer needs to prove that he has the required credit to take over a lease.

3. The buyer has to prove that they have verified their credit:

Part of the service that is offered by zCarLease involves verifying the credit of those buyers who want to assume a lease. This service will be included in all of the buyer programs on this site. It is required in order to gain access to communication mediums with the seller who has their vehicle on zCarLease.

4. The seller and buyer must communicate with one another:

Buyers and sellers talk to each other during this step. The seller will understand that the buyer’s credit has already been verified by zCarLease. Once any concerns and questions have been resolved, the buyer and the seller are both ready to go ahead with the transfer.

5. After the buyer and seller have agreed to transfer:

The transfer papers are sent to both parties, seller and buyer, in order to have them sign and complete the transfer documents. These documents will usually go to the seller first, who will sign them, and send them off to the buyer to complete and sign. Once complete, these documents are sent out to the original financial company to be approved. Once approved, hese documents are official, and contractually binding, and will finalize the car lease’s transfer. The finalized transfer documents will be sent to both the buyer and the seller. The buyer will need to pick up registration items and license plates from their Department of Motor Vehicles.

6. Once the documents have been finalized:

The seller can send the vehicle to the buyer. This means the transfer has been completed. The buyer can take possession of the car. If the buyer and the seller are not residing in the same state or near each other, zCarLease is happy to provide you with a trusted, verified shipping partner to use.

How Buyers and Sellers Can Find out Information about Their Unique Leasing Companies

zCarLease can provide their customers with the basics about lease transfers, including the lease transfer policies that are written by many leasing companies. You can search our leasing company information section to learn more about this information. If the company you are searching for has not yet been listed on zCarLease, just contact us. We will be more than happy to get more information for you regarding your leasing company.

How to Deal with Long Distance Transfers of a Lease

When there is a large physical distance separating the buyer and the seller, the arrangements are normally made by the buyer and seller to get the vehicle inspected and delivered to the buyer. There are a number of different transportation arrangements that can be made. The buyer and seller can drive to meet one another and have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic or dealer. The buyer and seller may also choose to have the vehicle shipped by a reliable shipping service. If you want to get your vehicle inspected or want to have it shipped a long distance away, you can feel free to contact us. Do so by email or by phone. We will set you up with some of our most trusted reliable shipping partners so that you can ship the vehicle with great peace of mind.

How to Get the Vehicle Inspected by a Third Party

 If you want or need to have the vehicle inspected by a third party, you can contact us for some of our trusted shipping and transport services that we personally recommend.

I am Returning my Lease and Am Ready to Transfer. What Now?

Transferring FAQ

What to Expect During a Lease Transfer

 Once the buyer and seller have agreed to go through with a lease transfer, you can follow these tips to learn how to properly complete the transfer.

zCarLease Support

We offer a team of experienced and dedicated staff members that can help you to transfer your car safely and securely. Contact our team either by phone or by email so that we can help you to expedite the process of transferring your vehicle. Just let us know how we can best assist you.

Documents Involved

Each leasing company is going to have a different policy or policies, along with their unique paperwork that is going to be required to transfer a vehicle. The usual documents for lease transfer are:

• Registration Forms
• Odometer Statement
• Lease Transfer Agreement
• Insurance Verification

The actual documents may include more or fewer than what is listed above. This all depends on each leasing agency and their own policies.

Finalizing the Transfer

Every leasing company will have their own policies that surround the finalization process of transferring a lease. Some are going to require a notarized signature from the buyer and seller; other agencies may ask that you meet at a bank branch or auto dealer to complete the transfer of the lease. zCarLease will help you to navigate this process to make it as simple as possible.

Giving Away the Keys

Once the buyer and the seller have satisfied the requirements of transferring a lease, such as signing the right documents for transferring, providing proof of insurance, and paying the appropriate fees along with other specific requirements stated by the leasing agency, the seller can then give the keys to the new lessee.
It is recommended that the seller ensure that all documents for the transfer have been properly completed and forwarded to the leasing company beforehand. It is also imperative that you check with the leasing company two weeks after you have forwarded the documents to them to ensure that they received and processed the transfer.
The buyer should expect to start getting lease payment statements monthly. If the buyer has not received their monthly statement at least a week before the first payment is due, it is recommended that they call the new leasing company to make sure that the transfer has been properly processed. Keep in mind that it is now the buyer’s responsibility to make these lease payments.

License Plates

Usually, the license plates on the leased vehicle are going to belong to the leasing company. They should remain on the vehicle for this reason. For specifics surrounding the state policies and for details on cross-state transfers, get in touch with the leasing company or the Department of Motor Vehicles.

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