Quote:
Originally Posted by rhk118
BMWFS - learn from Mercedes...
When a lease customer dies during his or her term, what happens to the contract?
That’s the case for less than 1 percent of the clients in Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA’s portfolio. Previously, Mercedes-Benz Financial employees were assigned to those lease accounts and spoke with the clients’ families.
The conversations were difficult not only for the family members, but for the employees.
So in 2014, Mercedes-Benz Financial brought in a grief counselor to help employees learn how to best handle those phone calls, and the company launched the Customer Bereavement Program.
Now, if the account is up to date, the deceased client’s family has two options:
• Return the vehicle within 10 days and allow Mercedes-Benz Financial to relieve them of payments; or
• Transfer the vehicle to a family member’s name. That family member can either take over the payments or pay off the vehicle.
http://www.autonews.com/article/2016...rieving-family |
Mercedes has done even better than that in the past (prior to 2014) - at least one time I'm aware of. The husband contracted cancer and approached the dealer with a "what if he didn't make it" scenario. The dealer told him they would take the car back and forgive any remaining lease payments. Bear in mind this was an "anticipatory" question and the dealership didn't even ask for proof of the cancer situation. Probably a one in 10,000 situation but they certainly demonstrated a great deal of compassion IMO. Oh, he did turn the car back in shortly after and, as luck would have it his cancer subsequently went into remission - after that happened he bought another MBZ. Why not? They stepped up to the plate.