TRANSFER OF LEASING IN SWITZERLAND : ADVANTAGES FOR THE TRANSFEROR AND THE TRANSFEREE

Although not yet widely known in Switzerland, the transfer of car leasing is beginning to gain popularity. It is advantageous for both the leasing contract holder and the buyer, but the transfer of a leased car in Switzerland must be carried out according to certain rules. Find out everything you need to know about transferring or buying a lease in Switzerland.

What is a leasing transfer ?

With the considerable growth of car leasing, another practice is developing : Leasing transfers. Although this solution has been around for a few years now, it is still unknown to many leasing contract holders. However, the principle is relatively simple and can be summarised in three points :

  • A way to get out of the contract : By transferring a leasing contract, the lessee can give up his leasing commitment. In this way, he no longer has to pay the remaining monthly instalments of his leasing contract. The lessee is then free to take out a new contract, to buy another vehicle or to remain without a car, for example.
  • Transfer to a third party : The transfer of a leasing contract consists of transferring the contract to a third party. The latter will then have to assume the obligations of the contract and will thus become the lessee of the vehicle. Although it is generally more advantageous to transfer your leasing contract to a private individual, it is also possible to have it taken over by a company.
  • An alternative way to terminate the contract : To terminate a leasing contract, the private individual has two options: to pay off the lease or terminate the leasing contract. Since both methods can be quite costly, the lease transfer is a much more cost-effective alternative.

How does a lease transfer work ?

From the point of view of the lessee or the transferee, the leasing transfer works according to the same principle : The holder of the contract withdraws from the contract in favour of a new lessee. However, there are a number of steps to be taken in order to carry out a lease transfer.

Submitting a lease transfer advertisement

Instead of selling the used car, the lessee can decide to transfer the contract in order to reduce any financial loss. To do this, they must first register on the first Swiss platform for leasing transfer or buy-back advertisements.

Accepting a lease takeover offer

Private individuals wishing to take over a leasing contract can make offers via the contact form in each advertisement. The leaseholder and the potential lessee will then be put in contact with each other in order to agree on the terms of the lease takeover.

Applying to the leasing company

Once an agreement has been reached with the lessee, the lessee must obtain the agreement of the leasing company that owns the car. This request must be accompanied by documents relating to the new lessee : Identity document, last three pay slips, etc. If the lease is taken over by a company, the latter must provide proof of its existence and solvency.

Waiting for the leasing company’s agreement

Once the application for the transfer of the lease has been made, all that remains is to wait for the leasing company to agree to the transfer. In some cases, the leasing company may also charge a transfer fee for the credit assessment of the future lessee and for issuing the new contract.

Lease transfer : Advantages for all parties involved

The opinions on the transfer of leasing are generally positive. This solution has one major advantage : Taking over a leased car from a private individual has advantages for all parties involved : The contract holder, the transferee and the dealer.

As an alternative to selling the used car or returning it, the lease transfer allows the lessee to save money while at the same time disengaging from his obligations. For the lessee, taking over the leasing contract offers advantageous conditions and allows the duration of the commitment to be limited. This is a win-win solution that deserves to be better known in Switzerland.

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