How to Check a Vehicle Leasing Broker Is Legitimate, Including Kinetic

Six checks worth making before you sign anything, and where you can make them on us

If you are about to lease a car or van through a broker, it is fair to want to know who you are dealing with. A legitimate broker is easy to verify: check whether they are a member of the BVRLA, whether they appear on the FCA register, how they are paid and who the funder is. It takes about ten minutes.

We are Kinetic Vehicle Leasing, an independent broker based in Musselburgh, working with businesses across Scotland. We would rather you checked us properly than took our word for it, so below are the checks we would make on any broker, and what you will find when you make them on us.

Are they a member of the BVRLA?

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is the trade body for the industry. Members agree to follow its code of conduct, which gives you something to hold them to if things go wrong. You can check membership on the BVRLA website.

Kinetic is BVRLA registered.

Are they on the FCA register?

A broker should be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, either directly or as an Appointed Representative of an authorised firm. Search the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk using the company name or its reference number. If the broker is an Appointed Representative, the register will show the firm that has taken regulatory responsibility for them.

Kinetic Vehicle Leasing Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Jurni Ltd (FRN 631448), and our own reference is 1030160. Both are on the register for you to look up.

How is the broker paid?

Most brokers are paid commission by the funder, usually built into the rental, rather than charging you a separate fee. There is nothing wrong with that, but you should be told, and you should get a plain answer if you ask. If a broker is vague about how they make their money, that tells you something.

A broker is also required to tell you how much commission they are paid. At Kinetic, that is set out in our Commission Disclosure and Consent form, which you sign before you order the vehicle, so you know what we earn on your agreement before anything is committed. If a broker has not shown you something like this, ask for it.

Also look at the quote itself. It should show every charge: the initial rental, the monthly rentals, any processing fee, the mileage allowance and the excess mileage rate. Our quotes set all of these out.

Who is the contract actually with?

The agreement is with the funder, not the broker. Funders are the finance companies behind the lease, and your quote should name the one you will be dealing with. A good broker works across several funders so they can compare, rather than pushing whichever one they happen to be tied to.

We are a broker, not a dealership, and we work with a panel of funders including Arval, Lex Autolease, Ayvens, Novuna, Santander and VWFS. That means we can compare the market for you rather than steer you towards one.

Can you check the company and speak to a real person?

Look the company up on Companies House. You can see whether it is active, how long it has been trading, who the directors are and where it is registered. Then check it has a working phone number and a physical address, and that someone answers.

You will see Kinetic is a young company, trading since 2025. Andy Denham and I have worked together in the industry for close to 15 years though, and we are easy to reach on 0330 202 0973. We are at Eskmills Business Park in Musselburgh, and you are welcome to meet us there for a coffee, or we will come to you. Some people like to put a face to a name before they sign.

Does the paperwork hold up?

Get the quote in writing and read the terms before you commit. Pay particular attention to the return conditions, which funders generally assess against the BVRLA fair wear and tear guide, and to what happens if you need to end the agreement early. On employee schemes such as salary sacrifice, some funders cap the cost of ending early for things like redundancy or loss of licence, but the terms differ between funders, so ask exactly what is covered and get it in writing before you sign.

A few warning signs

• Pressure to decide today.
• Being asked to pay before you have seen a written agreement.
• A price far below everyone else's with no explanation.
• Credentials that you cannot find when you go to check them.

Any one of these is a reason to slow down.

The short version

A legitimate broker can show you their BVRLA membership and their FCA status, disclose their commission in writing before you order, name the funder, give you a real address and phone number, and put everything in writing. Make those checks on us, and on anyone else you are considering. If one of them is missing, ask why.