I rented a car from Smartlease for 6 months while being a college student in the bay area. For a…read morebusiness that is geared towards "helping out" young professionals and students (people who are often new to car rentals, car ownership, and car insurance), I'm surprised at the consequences I faced for this lease. I'm deeply disappointed in this experience: one that was marketed as low-frills and economical and how Mohamad was polite and reasonable until the time for the car return came. I understand the pressure of our current economy, but cannot condone taking advantage and emotionally manipulating the exact group of customers that would vulnerable to this.
The cars at Smartlease are old and delicate and any minor scuffs or scratches that inevitably happen during your lease are not considered "normal wear and tear." If you are looking to rent from Smartlease, you'd hope you can keep the condition of the car 100% perfect or you would have to pay thousands of dollars in damages out-of-pocket (that amount to over 25% of the rental car's value) or pay deductibles through your insurance which significantly increases your premium for years.
In my case, I got trapped in Clause 19 of the lease agreement: "If you have not had the repairs made before the Vehicle is returned at the scheduled end of this lease, you will pay the estimated costs of such repairs, even if the repairs are not made prior to Holder's sale of the Vehicle." I had returned the car already, so Mohamad proxied for me at an auto shop (he told me last minute that there were repairs to be made). He gave me the quote that the auto shop deemed, a quote that was much higher than if I had looked to repair these myself (especially since for some damages, I wouldn't have repaired if it were my own car). Then when I asked for a receipt from the auto shop to make sure my money was actually going towards repairing the car, he sent me Clause 19, making clear that it wouldn't be. Instead, the money would be pocketed by Smartlease. This money is equivalent to the price to rent this particular car for 5 more months, nearly as long as I had the car for. As a student, it was difficult for me to find the funds to pay for the upcharged cost and it caused me a great deal of worry. I felt absolutely exploited.
In the final communications with him about the repairs, he gaslighted me and would often say that he's been in this industry for a long time, so these processes are industry standard. He used his position of power, knowing I am a student and have little experience, though I can research and have parents and friends who have more experience with cars to validate his claims. When I asked if I could go to the auto shop with him, so we could speak in person and I could be part of the conversation with the auto shop, he called my request weird and unheard of. He said that it's difficult for a first-timer to speak to an auto shop, implying that I don't know how to speak to an auto shop, then threatened that if I wanted to meet him at the auto shop, he doesn't want to come; instead, I would have to handle all of this by myself. But at that time, I was flying home in a week since school had ended and I still needed a proxy. Ultimately, he did not speak to me kindly.
The amount of money I have spent for this lease in total could have bought a used car of similar value to the car I had rented. But if I had chosen to buy a used car, I could have resold it.
If you still want to make a short term car lease, I would strongly recommend to avoid Smartlease and the financial, emotional, and temporal cost and search somewhere else.
