Who says you've to get the battery back to France? There's NOTHING in your agreement that requires this. Neither Renault wholly-owned or franchised dealerships will take mine, and I got this response from Renault Customer Services yesterday - effectively passing the buck:
Subject: Renault Fluence - Lease Issues
Dear Mr Buzby,
Thank you for taking the time to contact Renault regarding the issues you are experiencing with the lease on your Renault Fluence.
I understand the battery lease on your Fluence is coming to an end and RCI Banque have confirmed you can either extend the lease, trade in your Fluence or sell it privately with the new owner taking over the lease. You have been to three Renault dealerships and they won't buy your vehicle. You would like Renault to help you resolve this.
I am sorry to hear you have had these issues with the battery lease on your Fluence. We are very proud of the battery leases we offer through RCI Banque and always expect it to be easy to change your vehicle when the lease is up. I can appreciate your frustration that three of our franchised dealerships have not been able to purchase your vehicle. This is not an experience I would wish for any of our customers.
In this case, all the details concerning the battery lease are dealt with by RCI Banque. I am not able to discuss what you can do regarding the lease as Renault UK are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to discuss any financial products or services. I would recommend contacting RCI Banque on the details below to discuss your concerns:
RCI Banque
Egale House
78 St Albans Road
Watford
WD17 1FJ
8.30am to 6pm from Mon to Fri and 9am to 5pm on Sat. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays
Tel:0871 987 0091 (10p a min) email:
[email protected]
I can also confirm we cannot compel our dealerships to buy any vehicles as they are franchised and not owned by Renault UK. As they are independent businesses in their own right, they will make the decisions they feel is best for them.
I appreciate this is not the answer you were hoping for but I hope this email reassures you Renault take all complaints seriously.
As you are a Renault owner, I would recommend you register for My Renault. You can register at www.renault.co.uk. It's a great place to find out more about your Renault, get offers from us, download handbooks and even book a service.
If you wish to discuss these issue further, you can email me on this address, or call me on our number below. Our dedicated Customer Relations department is open from 9.00am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). If I have not heard from you in two working days, I will follow up with you to confirm you have spoken to RCI Banque and they have been able to assist you with your concerns
Kind regards
[ENDS]
Now, both Renault Manchester and Bradford are two dealerships I spoke with, they are not franchises, but subsidiary's of Renault U.K.- so his justification at not being involved is somewhat misleading, but I contacted them out of completeness. Of course the issue is caused by RCI and they have the power to solve the problem in an instant. They have a new CEO, and I'm contacting him next week and will report back here.
I had a call back from the BMW dealership advising me they are still exploring ways of resolving the issue - so I'm not stuck, yet!
Like you, I would prefer to keep the lovely Fluence on the road, but with only 10 months of Renault warranty left, that is the maximum period I would extend the battery lease to. But RCI are still not in a mood to talk. IF I remove the battery for RCI's collection, I do not have the tools to reconnect and re-initialise, so this will be the last act I do, but only if I am forced to do so.
Have you looked carefully at the glovebox?