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Does GAP Insurance Cover Scratches?

 

GAP Insurance and cosmetic damage - understanding what is covered

 

In operating one of the oldest GAP Insurance brands in the UK, you can imagine UK car buyers asking us many questions at GAPInsurance123. Some of these questions are asked more frequently than others. One of the most common is:

 

Does GAP Insurance cover scratches?        does GAP Insurance cover scratches?

 

The answer is no............in nearly every case.

 

Understanding GAP Insurance

 

GAP insurance is a unique form of vehicle protection designed to bridge the 'gap' between your car's current value and, depending on which type of GAP Insurance you have,

 

When can you claim on a GAP Insurance policy?

 

GAP Insurance can only be claimed if:

  • The vehicle is involved in a fire, flood, accident or theft AND
  • The motor insurance company writes it off as a total loss, and they pay the market value in a settlement.

 

Contrary to popular belief, GAP insurance is not a catch-all policy. It doesn't cover all types of vehicle damage. The primary purpose of GAP insurance is to protect your financial investment if your car is written off or stolen. Your motor insurers' settlement may be less than you need.

 

So, does GAP Insurance Cover Scratches?

 

The straightforward answer is no.

 

GAP insurance does not typically cover minor damages like scratches or dents. These are usually not severe enough to deem the car a total loss.

 

However, if the vehicle is in an accident, where the long list of damage includes scratches, and the motor insurer writes off the car as a total loss, it can be covered.

 

For ease of understanding, we are assuming that the question would regard a single scratch and that the answer would be no.

 

How to cover for cosmetic repairs like scratches

 

While GAP insurance may not cover scratches, there are alternatives available. Scratch and Dent Insurance, for instance, is designed to cover minor damages on your car bodywork, like scratches, trolley dings, scrapes, and scuffs up to a specific size, spread over one or more body panels.

 

With GAPInsurance123, the maximum size diameter of damage is 300mm.

 

If you want to cover scratches and scrapes on your alloy wheels, alloy wheel insurance can be a way to do this. Some products also cover the cost of an interior repair to damaged upholstery or trim.

 

This type of insurance is known as minor cosmetic damage insurance. They can involve repairs done by a SMART repair (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology), where a mobile, approved repairer comes to your home or place of work to repair the damage.

 

Some of these scratch and dent insurance products also allow for at least cash contributions towards a body shop repair.

 

This can be a cost-effective alternative to claiming your motor insurance policy. Indeed, depending on the level of your motor insurance excess, you may need more than the cost of the repair to reach your threshold for a claim on your car insurance policy to be possible.

 

Key Points for Cosmetic Repair Insurance    GAP Insurance and scratches

 

If you are considering getting Cosmetic Repair Insurance for Alloy Wheels or Bodywork, you must understand it is not a substitute for car insurance. You need a minimum of third-party motor insurance to drive on the roads legally.

  • Cosmetic Repair Insurance will not cover pre-existing damage. This damage occurred on the vehicle before you put the policy in place.
  • Cosmetic Repair Insurance is designed to cover the costs of minor damage, like small scratches or scrapes. Significant impacts where panels or trim needs replacing are for your main motor insurance to cover.
  • Cosmetic Repair Insurance products can come as individual, stand-alone products like Scratch and Dent Insurance or Alloy Wheel Insurance. They can also come in 'combined' products such as Scratch, Dent and Alloy Wheel Insurance or Tyre and Alloy Wheel Insurance. These combined products are often better value than the individual ones as they combine the risk, which can lower the premium cost.
  • Taking out insurance against cosmetic damage can be a good way of covering the costs of these repairs without impacting your no-claims bonus on your motor insurance policy.

 

Whether you buy scratch dent insurance is something for you to consider. You may or may not see the value in protecting against the costs of repairing a minor scratch to your bodywork or alloy wheel.

 

So in answer to the original question, GAP Insurance does not cover scratches on your vehicle bodywork. However, there are an extensive range of products that do.

 

Published 21/6/23, written by Mark Griffiths