Eligibility & decisions
Declined for business van leasing elsewhere
A decline elsewhere is another company’s answer to one proposal on one day, not a verdict on your business. We assess limited companies, LLPs and partnerships on the facts, so a no elsewhere does not decide the answer here.
Your agreement is with FleetMe · we confirm your quote in writing · new limited companies considered
What does a decline actually mean?
A decline answers a very specific question: this company, this vehicle, this term, this mileage, this initial rental, judged against one organisation’s risk appetite on that day. Change any part of it and you are asking a different question.
There is no shared blacklist that a decline puts you on. Each assessment is made independently, on the information available at the time.
What a decline does leave behind is a record of the credit search on the company’s file, and often on the directors’ files too. That matters for what follows.
Why does one company say no where another says yes?
Sector appetite. Some organisations will not fund particular trades or SIC codes at all, or exclude vehicles used for hire and reward, however good the business behind them is.
Blanket evidence rules. A hard "two years of filed accounts" policy declines a perfectly healthy 14-month-old company automatically, without anyone reading the file.
Existing exposure. If a funder already carries other agreements for your business or your group, it may simply not want more — nothing is wrong, there is just no room.
The vehicle. Heavily converted vehicles, specialist bodies and high-value assets are treated differently to a standard panel van, and some will not fund them at all.
The shape of the deal. The same company can be declined at one initial rental and accepted at another, or on a longer term where the monthly rental sits lower against evidenced income.
What is worth fixing before you apply again?
Check the company credit file. You can obtain your own business credit report, and errors are more common than people expect — a wrong registered address, a mis-stated SIC code, or a judgment satisfied but never marked as such all drag a file down.
Clear anything overdue at Companies House. Late accounts and a missed confirmation statement are visible to everyone and get read as a signal about how the business is run.
Satisfy or settle judgments. A satisfied CCJ still shows, but it reads very differently from an outstanding one.
Tidy the directors’ personal files. Electoral roll registration at the current address, correcting errors and clearing small defaults all help, because directors form part of the assessment.
Reshape the ask. A less expensive vehicle, a longer term, a larger initial rental or a lower annual mileage each reduce the exposure, and any of them can turn a marginal case.
Stop applying everywhere at once. Scattergun applications leave a trail of searches that reads like a business hunting for anyone to say yes, and that makes the next assessment harder rather than easier. One properly evidenced application beats six hopeful ones.
How do we handle a business that has been declined?
Tell us up front. It is not a mark against you here and it saves everybody time: knowing what was proposed, and what was said, lets us work out whether the same proposal deserves a different answer or whether it needs reshaping first.
We assess it ourselves and the agreement is with us, so you get a straight answer from the company that actually supplies the vehicle rather than a message relayed from somewhere else.
We make no promises about the outcome. We work best with good and fair credit profiles; new limited companies are genuinely considered; businesses with adverse credit are looked at case by case. If we cannot help, we will tell you honestly and explain what would need to change.
How we work: FleetMe supplies the vehicle and the agreement is with us. Limited companies and LLPs hire on business contract hire over 24 to 60 months; individuals and sole traders hire on short-term rental for up to 89 days. Quotes are indicative until your vehicle, term, mileage and monthly rental are confirmed in writing.
Who we can help: We work best with good and fair credit profiles. New limited companies with no trading history are genuinely considered — commercial underwriting looks at the business, not just years of accounts. Adverse credit is reviewed case by case and we will always tell you honestly if we cannot help.
General information about business vehicle leasing. It is not tax, accounting or legal advice — your accountant should confirm how any of this applies to your business.
Questions, answered
Does being declined damage my credit?
The decline itself is not recorded as a decline, but the credit search usually is — on the company file, and often on the directors’. Several searches in a short window are what does the damage, which is why applying everywhere at once is worth avoiding.
Can you accept a business that has been turned down elsewhere?
Sometimes. It depends entirely on why, and we would rather establish that before raising your hopes. Different organisations have genuinely different appetites, so a no elsewhere is not the end of it — but it is not a promise either.
How long should I wait before applying again?
Long enough to fix whatever caused it. If that means filing overdue accounts or satisfying a judgment, wait until it is done and visible. If it was the shape of the deal, it can be reconsidered straight away.
Should I tell you I have been declined?
Yes. It is one of the most useful things you can tell us, because it points straight at what needs attention — and it does not count against you here.
What if the reason was the vehicle rather than the business?
That is common with conversions, specialist bodies and high-value assets. A different vehicle, or the same vehicle on a different term, is often the only thing that needs to change.
Can you tell me why I was declined by someone else?
No — that decision and its reasons belong to the organisation that made it, and you can ask them directly. What we can do is assess your business ourselves and tell you plainly where it stands with us.
Tell us about the business
One short form covering the vehicle, the term and the mileage you need. We come back with a written quote — usually the same working day — and we will tell you honestly if we cannot help.
Thanks — your enquiry is in.
We’ll go through what you need and come back with a written quote, usually the same working day. Your agreement would be with FleetMe — we supply the vehicle, and we confirm it in writing before anything is agreed.
What happens next
- 1 We read what you sent us. We check the vehicle, the length and the mileage you asked for, and work out what we can do at that specification.
- 2 We come back with a written quote. Usually the same working day. It sets out the vehicle, how long you have it, the mileage, the initial rental and the monthly figure — ex VAT with the VAT-inclusive figure alongside.
- 3 You decide. Nothing is committed until you have that in writing and you are happy to go ahead. If we can’t help, we’ll tell you honestly and say why.
Nothing is committed at this stage, and if we can’t help we’ll tell you honestly rather than leave you waiting.
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Guide information · last reviewed September 2026. Every business is different, so nothing here is a decision. We assess each enquiry on its own facts and confirm the outcome to you directly.