Real Life Real Lease Stories – Sail-On-Sale-On Sailor
The following Real Life Real Lease Story was written by a Leasebusters customer named Mary K. from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After reading this funny and heart warming story, you’ll understand the meaning of the title that we gave this piece.
I am willing to promote Leasebusters, as your company has been instrumental in relieving me of many issues and problems. I'm not sure I understand why someone wanted to take over the lease of my vehicle based on today's market and reduced car prices and financing rates and new incentives...but the system worked and I am one happy customer!
A listing that lasted for one week on your site, one interested, fairly local customer and one week to clear the paperwork involved and deed done. The cost to me was just over a grand...$525 to Nissan to do the transfer, $309 to Leasebusters, $135 for a car service that was due and the remainder of my monthly payment of approximately $175. In comparison I was stuck with monthly payments of $350 for the next 3 and one half years (42 months) and then a buyout of $7000. I was also worried about the mileage costs beyond the 120,000 km. I am one happy client!
I will tell you my story...a bit long winded perhaps, but you can edit what info you deem relevant.
I am an Ontarian. I came out to Vancouver Island a few years back but my circumstances did not work out (okay, it involved a relationship). I had driven out my 99 Mazda when I came to British Columbia. I returned to Ontario (driving back) to resume my teaching career in August 06. I could not adjust to living in stressful Ontario after the Island lifestyle. Once I reached my full pension dates, I was anxious to return to this paradise on earth. (Man or no man this time).
I decided to retire at Christmas 07 and flew out here Jan 08 with a prearranged furnished condo and a part time job to supplement my pension income which was not enough to cover living expenses on its own. I sent my car out by transport truck for a cost of $1500. I was hoping that my car would last at least a year or two as money was tight to just exist. I was shy two years of my Canada pension that could be claimed at 60. I was coming this time on my own and not depending on a man for my choices...or so I thought. I was determined to start a service business here to help me survive.
My car arrived about a month after I did and within a few days the transmission went...long story short...I spent another $2500 to fix it but was advised to replace my car within 3 months of the warranty as I had not agreed to the $5000 rebuild as I had over 250,000km on the car already. I started to get nervous...anxious...all these curvy mountain roads I was travelling daily and living 10km from the nearest highway.
I felt so alone and scared. Why do we make the decisions we do? EMOTIONS! I had met another man at the end of January, and he started to influence my life and decisions. We started looking at possible cars for me to replace my Mazda. He was a stringent buy North American kind of guy...particularly GM. I found this interesting at the time as every man I have dated since my divorce...hell since my dad influenced my first choice of vehicle....I could identify by the car they would have me buy! I never to this day have made my own decision or choice about a vehicle except for one whim...a Volkswagen cabriolet convertible when I was 50...but also had a winter Ford Explorer to use...divorce decisions! Well, getting back to my story...as I was getting anxious about my wheels and safety, my new male friend started giving me the gears about our evolving relationship...(okay, he wouldn't stay off POF while dating me seriously). Emotions kicked in...I didn't need a man...I was making a new life here on the Island...starting my own service business to supplement my pension. I was mad at him and went car seeking on my own.
Two separate friends in Ontario had just bought Nissan Versa’s and recommended them to me. I went to just LOOK. This was now April 4/08. Well, I went to look one Friday afternoon and by the time I left the dealership I had been signed sealed and delivered. Granted Jim, I am old enough to know better. I acknowledge that I am responsible for myself and my decisions...but to make excuses I am and have been a bit naive in finances and for that matter the world. Women my age are often stymied after years of marriage and nurturing and then find themselves...out there! I was a stay at home mom for years and years and let my ex-husband do all the finances...plus teaching keeps one in a never neverland of not growing up unless one makes the effort to be independent.
Okay...back to the fateful Friday in April 08....within a few hours I walked out of the Nanaimo Nissan dealership with a leased Versa SL top of the line and already on the lot... for 5 years lease...relieved of my 99 Mazda for a grand deposit that was integrated into lowering my payments per month and not realized in reducing the price, (it was also valued previously about another $1500 at the Chev dealership), talked into an extended warranty, the insurance agents were there promptly and not knowing the BC insurance angles, was given policies up and beyond what was necessary. (I paid a multi -purpose thing for over a year before I found out that I didn't need it at $40 extra per month. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A BC DRIVING LICENSE YET!) In other words I was signed, sealed and delivered within 3 hours or so and the sales rep even followed me out and said what a nice vehicle I was giving up...I think he felt guilty but he had passed me on to the business manager and the deed was done. I was also advised when I questioned what would happen if I couldn't manage the deal based on my projected supplemental income (I would never have qualified on my pension income and expenses alone) that it was simple to sublease by paying a few hundred dollars to have someone take over the lease...they did not qualify that I would have to find this person myself!
I realize that I am a grownup and responsible for the choices I make/made. I didn't even read the small print to know that I could have gotten out of the deal in 30 days...I just accepted...fait accompli. My own car was gone immediately. I lived out at the beach far from town. The car was okay but did nothing for me...I like what I call a sexy car...a car that makes me feel good to drive...nada in this case. I didn't even name it, which I do with vehicles I like. It was transport and I knew I had made a mistake.
Getting back to the man issue..... My new boyfriend and I made up...continued on with the relationship but the car issue rankled. His dream/plan was to go offshore sailing and as he more and more decided that I was his choice of first mate, the problem of the car lease became more and more of an aggravation to him and then to me. At first I thought...oh well, if I have to make payments while away for a few years, so be it...and to store it...but I also knew I did not want to own it long term. My original plan was to turn it in after the 5 years anyway, as who knew what new innovations would be available and I was thinking in terms of writing off business expenses etc. I also did not want to accumulate repair bills anymore!
Well, it turned out that recently in discussion that a friend's son wanted to take over my lease upon hearing my story...he made an application but was refused by Nissan in spite of holding a good job for 2 years and having credit cards...so...I went back to Nissan crying in my soup and I ended up dealing with a great guy, very sympathetic and he recommended Leasebusters to me.
I bit the bullet. I was determined to try my best to rid myself of the lease and go sailing offshore with my boyfriend in the summer of 2010 with no ties that bind. If I couldn’t sell the lease, so be it...I'd just suck it up and pay for it and store the car somewhere. I was just not going to angst over the problem anymore. In other words, I gave it over to God, if you like....deal with it and whatever happens, happens.
In a matter of days things began to happen. I had listed my car on Leasebusters to see what would happen...in the next year. One week later, I got a call about the car. On Labour day we went to Duncan...half way between Nanaimo and Victoria. The young man and his wife wanted the car and it took another week to follow the process. The car is re-leased and I am now driving my boyfriend's mother's 97 Olds Cutlass that has only 60,000 km on it and no snow/salt driving. It's quite lovely. I actually like it better for many reasons than the Versa. (I miss the sunroof and the CD player) I may buy it later but am driving it now for only the cost of the insurance for a few months until I recoup what I have spent getting rid of the Versa. If I buy it I will sell it for almost the same amount next year when we sail away offshore. In the interim we are both working to make all the extra cash we can to upgrade the 50 foot sailboat and make sure we have enough money to fly back and forth from around the world to visit the old mum who is likely to live into the hundreds! Wish us luck and thanks again for helping make our dreams a reality.
I have attached pics of the new vehicle in my life and of me and my sailor and the ocean going ketch...I still need to take some pics of me and the new vehicle together, but hey today was raining for a change and I haven't seen anyone to take the pics.
Jim, I know this is long winded...hope you can decipher the pertinent details. Let me know if you need anything else or need to talk to me in person. We have lots to buy to make the vessel seaworthy for years sailing around the world.... As you can tell by my story above...I am spontaneous and a bit adventurous.
As mentioned, this story was written by Mary K. from a beautiful hamlet on Vancouver Island. We decided not to edit the story at all as we couldn’t make it any better. Now you know why we titled the piece “Sail-on-Sale-on Sailor”.
The Leasebusters “Real Life Real Lease Story" is a regular feature on Zack Spencer’s www.motormouth.ca, Leasebusters.com’s LeaseBlog and will also be an on-air feature on Zack Spencer’s Driving Radio Program aired nationally on the Corus Radio Network.
|