Credit Union Leasing of America (CULA) Granite Ridge Dr, San Diego

Buyer beware. I called to get a pay off amount and they told me I would not be able to sell my vehicle, I would only be able to trade it in. It’s in their contract that you cannot sell the vehicle. None of that was explained and I did not see that in the contract. Please read thoroughly before signing with them and take this stupid rule into consideration. I have $5k equity in a vehicle I do not use or need anymore and they pretty much are forcing me to trade it in or keep paying it. You cannot sell the vehicle.

I just finalized my 5th lease with CULA and per usual, it was another great experience! This is the only leasing company (that I know of) who allows you to trade, refinance, payoff, or sell your vehicle before the end of the lease, without any interest penalties. I leased a vehicle through another company a few years back and did not have an easy time ending this lease early. CULA's payoff process is different and mimics a retail payoff, in the sense that they do not charge interest on any remaining payments. You simply call the credit union and ask for the principle balance on your vehicle and use this figure when negotiating your trade at the dealership. Plus, if you have any equity, you get to keep it! This works just like a retail purchase and the best part is, I have had equity in all 5 of my previously leased vehicles! Granted, they have all been Jeep products (so that probably has something to do with it), but this equity has bought down the cost of my payments and covered my inception fees every time. Another component I love about their program is their mileage intervals. I drive a TON of miles with my job and their higher mileage leases are pretty affordable. My last lease was based 22,000 per year, but I was surprised to find out CULA will write leases up to 45,000 miles per year! Years ago, I used to think I drove too many miles to lease, but if you do the math, it's the exact opposite. I usually trade every 2-3 years and I was in a 72-75 month loan, I would be upside down every time. A lot of my friends who are road warriors as well and sadly, they keep jumping into 72-84 month loans to keep their payments affordable. They are constantly rolling negative equity into their new vehicles and their payments keep going up every time they trade. My payment has stayed relatively the same since I started leasing with CULA years ago and could not be happier! I was surprised to find out CULA also provides a $1,000 damage waiver and GAP insurance with every lease...at no additional charge! This is something I had to pay for when I leased through other providers. If you are looking to lease a vehicle in the near future, I highly suggest going through CULA! Their program is super easy to use and by leveraging credit union's interest rates, it's super affordable. This has been one of the best leasing companies I have ever worked with and highly recommend CULA! Jay

I leased my car though these people. That was a mistake. They slipped in a disposition fee in the lease contract (back pages) without even disclosing it. They also added in there a finance charge at the end of the lease while they were taking their time to inspect the car. Called them to try and resolve these issues, but they had no interest in any of it, nor did they have an explanation for the additional finance charges. Essentially, these are hidden fees and purposefully undisclosed at the lease signing agreement. The consumer is left at the end with an additional hefty bill to recon with. Disposition fees are required to be listed on the front page of the contract so that at least the consumer is aware of its existence. To say the least, this is an unethical business practice with the purpose of misleading the consumer. Stay away!

I Experience with CULA was Horrible... I have Several Photos of voicemails like the one below, of missed appointments, 5-10 min windows for pick up and obviously I missed them because i was doing something else. It went on for 3 weeks. Running my parking bill up around $200.00 which CULA refused to help with. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT USING THEM.

I turned in my leased vehicle five months ago and this company has not been able to arrange an inspection with the dealership in all of that time. I have wasted hours of my time calling both the dealership and CULA And the issue remains unresolved. Sadly I may have to find legal counsel to unwind this mess.

Since I got the lease on my new truckI’ve had to call CULA for a few things, and I’ve always been assisted by Richard Albro, he’s very friendly, professional, straightforward and gets the job done! I would recommend working with him anytime.

I will never lease another car or truck that deal with this company because evertime i call to find out when my truck will be inspected or any information i recive differnt answer. Along with Direct Credit union.

this company seems desperate to make up for lost residuals. Inspector stated one thing on the report i later brought my car to a mechanic to find out it wasn't true. Meanwhile CULA is looking to ante up. BANKS...

Great experience so far with my lease!