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GAP Insurance from Total Loss GAP
Total Loss GAP is one of the UK's best-known independent GAP Insurance providers. Total Loss GAP can provide GAP Insurance quotes for a range of products like our award-winning 3-in-1 Replacement and Invoice GAP, Combined Return to Invoice GAP, Lease & Contract Hire GAP, Agreed Value GAP and Top Up GAP for leased, financed and vehicles owned outright.
Our GAP products have provided valuable protection for thousands of UK vehicle owners over the last decade. Our products have also been featured and discussed by the likes of Money Saving Expert, Which?, Honest John, Pistonheads and Bimmerforums. AutoExpress also awarded our Total Loss GAP products the 'Best Buy' for GAP Insurance in the UK.
In addition, Total Loss GAP can provide an additional range of protection products like Alloy Wheel, Tyre, Motor Excess and Cosmetic Repair Insurance, as well as further value in our combined Tyre & Alloy Wheel and SmartCare Cosmetic Insurance cover.
If you are looking for an experienced provider, comprehensive coverage and value for money then Total Loss GAP can provide you with all.
Tyre Insurance Protect yourself against the unforeseen cost of punctures and blowouts. Our flexible tyre insurance policy allows you to pick not only the maximum number of claims you can make but also the maximum amount you can claim per replacement tyre.
Scratch and Dent Insurance is an optional insurance policy that you can buy that protects you against the cost of repairing minor scuffs and dings on the bodywork of your vehicle. It can even cover damage on two panels and you can make up to 6 claims per year (T&C's Apply)
Alloy Wheel Insurance protects you against the cost of repairs and damage to your alloy wheels. We can cover diamond, laser cut, and painted wheels and your policy will also contribute towards the cost of a new wheel if the old one is beyond economic repair.
Tyre and Alloy Wheel Insurance combine tyre and alloy wheel insurance into one cost-effective policy which allows you to pick the maximum amount you would like to be able to claim for a tyre as well as the maximum number of claims you can make per year.
Smart Care Cosmetic Insurance combines scratch & dent & alloy wheel insurance together as well as interior protection into one super cost-effective policy. It still covers diamond, laser cut, and alloy wheels as well as covering an increased area of bodywork damage.
What is GAP Insurance?
GAP Insurance, short for Guaranteed Asset Protection, is an additional financial coverage that complements your comprehensive car insurance.
GAP Insurance offers protection against depreciation if your vehicle is declared a total loss or written off due to circumstances like an accident, fire, flood, or theft.
If your car is written off, your comprehensive car insurance policy typically reimburses you for the vehicle's current market value. This can be significantly less than the original purchase price due to normal depreciation over time. Additionally, you might have a shortfall between the insurance settlement and any remaining lease or finance obligations.
GAP Insurance is designed to bridge these potential shortfalls by topping up the motor insurance settlement. So, whether it's the discrepancy between the market value and the original cost or the gap between the insurance payout and outstanding finance, a GAP Insurance policy has you covered.
GAP Insurance is essentially a safeguard against the financial implications of vehicle depreciation.
Peace of Mind With Total Loss Gap Insurance
FSCS
Any policy you buy is backed by the (FSCS) Financial Ombudsman Service
BIBA
We are proud to be a member of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA)
Independently 5-Star Rated
Our policies have been independently rated and verified 5 stars for the last 5 years running
Financial Ombudsman Service
All of our policies are covered in the Financial Ombudsman Service (T&C's Apply)
Online Security
Our systems are independently monitored to protect our and your online security
Which level of GAP Insurance is best for you?
Finance GAP Insurance
Finance GAP Insurance is the most basic form of GAP Insurance coverage, and comes with some significant limitations.
This type of GAP Insurance cover is designed to bridge any difference between the car insurance market value settlement, should the car be written off or stolen, and the outstanding finance settlement required to pay off a hire purchase or PCP agreement, for example.
However, not everyone can benefit from Finance GAP protection. If you have put in a large deposit, or you are near the end of your agreement, you may find that no shortfall exists. If your car was written off or stolen then you may not see any claim paid on this type of GAP Insurance policy. As such we do not offer stand-alone finance gap insurance policies as we do not believe it offers enough protection.
Return to Invoice GAP Insurance
This policy is the option most dealerships normally offer. Simply put it can cover the difference between the motor insurance's current market value settlement, following the car being written off or stolen, and the higher of either the original invoice price you paid for the vehicle or the amount outstanding on your finance agreement.
This will mean you can recover the entire original purchase price of your car, clear any outstanding finance if necessary and then the balance of funds is yours to spend as you wish. Back to Invoice GAP cover will not take into account any increased costs with the replacement vehicle (unlike VRI GAP Insurance) but getting back your purchase price instead.
If you have been offered GAP Insurance protection by your motor dealer then it will normally be an RTI GAP Insurance offered.
Vehicle Replacement GAP Insurance
This form of GAP Insurance looks at the future replacement costs of your vehicle, not just the original invoice price you paid.
Generally, the costs of buying cars increase over time with inflation, increased manufacturing costs etc. This means if you buy a brand new car today the equivalent brand new car in three years could easily be 30% more. If you take a Vehicle Replacement GAP Insurance type of cover, also known as VRI GAP Insurance, then this can cover you from the car insurer's current market value settlement, if the car is written off or stolen, to the higher of either, the cost of the current equivalent replacement new car, or the original invoice price you paid, or the amount outstanding on your finance agreement.
This is generally considered the most comprehensive type of GAP Insurance policy available.
Contract Hire and Lease Hire GAP Insurance
This style of GAP Insurance is exclusively used for lease arrangements where you have no legal option to own the car, like a Contract Hire agreement.
As you cannot own the vehicle then your only liability is to pay off the lease, if the car or van is written off during the term. Your policy can cover any difference between the car insurance's current market value settlement if the car is written off or stolen, and the outstanding lease settlement. As part of your lease arrangement, you may have also placed an advanced rental down at the beginning. This is normally a multiple of the monthly rentals upfront. With Lease & Contract Hire GAP Insurance from Total Loss, you can look to protect some, or all of this advanced rental by taking optional 'Deposit Protection'.
What makes GAP Insurance from Total Loss Gap different?
We never replace your car. Instead all Claims are Settled in Cash
We never replace your vehicle. This is because we do not know the circumstances that led you to make a claim. You might want to rush out and buy the same vehicle again, you may not be able to drive, and you may not be here. So, for this reason, we think it is really important that you are given a cash settlement so you can decide how, where, and on what your money is spent.
You can buy GAP Insurance for up to 5 years for vehicles up to £75,000
We are proud to be one of the very few, if not the only GAP insurance provider who can cover your vehicle for up to 5 years. This means that unlike some hybrid levels of GAP Insurance which change as the years go on ours will perform the same on day one as it will in 4 years 11 months and 28 days time. No dilution of cover, no change of terms and conditions.
Contract Hire Policies with a selection of Deposit Protections.
We offer more choices. You can choose a standard contract hire policy or protection for your initial rental/deposit. This means that as well as having the benefits of Contract and Lease GAP Insurance we will reimburse you your initial rental as shown on your agreement, You decide what is best for you. (You have the option to increase this to £3000)
No claim limits on GAP Insurance for vehicles up to £75,000
We don't know when and if your vehicle will be written off and we can not guarantee what it will be worth. Equally, we have not got any idea what the cost of any replacement vehicle will cost. We don't think anyone can know with any real degree of certainty. As such we do not have any claim limit for vehicles up to £75,000 for all VRI and RTI GAP Insurance.
Deferred GAP Insurance
If you buy a brand new car and you are the first registered keeper some motor insurance companies almost as a perk of buying a brand new car say that if your car is written off within the first 12 months they will simply buy you another new one. if you have new for old and would like to take advantage of this cover our system will allow you to defer the start date of your policy to coincide with your cars 1st birthday (365 days).
This used to be a very common practice and even now some members of the public think that it is a foregone conclusion that they will have this type of cover. However, like everything, there are cost implications more importantly how much motor insurance companies have to pay to replace the cars. This means that over time fewer companies include this type of cover in their fully comprehensive motor insurance.
Even if you do have new for old style insurance within the 1st 12 months there may be terms and conditions attached which you will need to be aware of so you can make informed choices.
We would remind you that we are not car insurance experts, we are not trained or regulated to comment on your policy and would always request that you contact your own motor insurance company who will be able to answer any questions you may have.
4 Questions to ask your Motor Insurance before you defer the start date of your policy?
1. What happens if they can not find you another brand-new car?
With waiting times for some cars up to 12 months and beyond would your insurance company wait that long to settle your claim? What would happen to any curtsey car you may have?
2. Are there any mileage restrictions within the "new for old cover"?
Some insurance companies may have mileage restrictions. This means that if you go over this allowance and your car is written off they may revert back to market value.
3. What type of car is replaced and who chooses the specification?
For example, if your car is stolen in 11 months' time is it another brand new one with the same specification as yours was or another nearly new less than 11-month-old vehicle?
4. Does this new-for-old cover sill apply if you have used a form or finance?
What happens to any finance you may have outstanding on the car? Is it simply ported across to the new car? Who would arrange for this to happen and what happens if your finance company say no?
What is Top Up GAP Insurance?
Top-up insurance is a policy designed to offer protection if your vehicle is written off but you are not eligible for mainstream levels of gap insurance. For example, if your car is over 10 years old? What about if you bought your car privately but forgot to get any gap insurance? What if you have already owned your car for over 180 days? Top-up Insurance may be able to help as in the event of a total loss your policy would pay the equivalent of 25% of your motor insurance company's settlement to a maximum of £10,000.
It is available for up to 12 months at a time and can cover vehicles up to 12 years old with up to 100,000 miles on the clock. You can buy it at any time and the cover starts the moment that you have made payment. (please remember that we can not cover accidents or thefts that have taken place before your policy was in force)
With our Gap insurance policies you will be pleased to know
We cover all named drivers over the age of 18 with a full Licence on your policy.
We pay up to £250 towards your motor insurance companies excess when you claim.
We cover the cost of up to £1500 of 'Dealer Fitted' options fitted to your car before delivery.
We do not charge any admin fees for reg, address, and policy administration.
If you change your car you can transfer cover free of charge to your next vehicle T&C apply
Why buy GAP Insurance, Alloy Wheel Insurance, Scratch and Dent Cosmetic Insurance, or SMART Care Insurance from Total Loss Gap?
Simple! Total Loss Gap is part of the Aequitas Automotive Panel of Insurers and we have been taking the guesswork out of GAP Insurance and exceeding levels of customer service for over a decade. Our additional policies have been tailor-made to allow you to choose what matters most to you. Clear terms and flexibility put you in the control.
Flexible, honest, upfront, and clear policies that work!
No gimmicks, no cash backs or discount codes just plain old-fashioned value for money and excellent customer service.
Complete Wheel Insurance
Buying a new car is never cost-efficient and there are always lots of hidden costs. Changing your motor insurance, mud flaps and mats, deposits and even in some cases admin fees. Sometimes it can leave even the most financially stable hard-pushed to ensure that they have adequate cover. This can mean that worthwhile cost-effective policies which could potentially save you lots of money can be pushed into the background.
Combined Alloy Wheel and Tyre Insurance is an excellent way of making the most of your budget and we think the most cost-efficient way of protecting your wheels to date.
This is because your policy allows you to choose to have a repair on either your tyre or your wheel. Double the cover and real value for money.
We can cover many different types of wheels and tyres including, Diamond cut, Laser cut and Painted alloys. We also cover Alloy wheels and Run Flat, Standard and N rated Tyres up to and including 22".
For a full list or terms and conditions, please see your policy documents.
We always settle claims in cash so your decide what and where your money is spent.
There are no mileage restrictions once your policy is live and in place.
You can pay with any major credit or debit card as well as PayPal and monthly options.
Cover available for up to 5 years which performs the same during the duration of your policy.
One free policy transfer to your next eligible vehicle ( t&c's apply )
Your opinion counts and we are Independently rate 5 stars for customer service.
You can defer the start date of your policy to coincide with the end of your new for old cover.
No claim limits for vehicles up to £75000 (vehicles up to £100,000 have a claim limit of £75,000)
Commitment to settle your claim within 10 days of receipt of the relevant documentation.
Cover you for theft with keys providing your own insurance deem it a valid claim.
We can offer cover Vehicles up to 10 years old with 100,000 miles on the clock.
We can cover vehicles with a purchase price of up to £100,000
You can buy Top up Insurance at any time during your ownership (eligibility applies)
You can buy gap insurance for vehicles bought privately or from a car auction
You can buy Top up insurance for vehicles up to 12 years old and 120,000 miles on the clock.
What can Alloy Wheel Insurance do for you?
Alloy wheels don't just look aesthetically pleasing they also have an important job to do in the driveability, road handling, and safety of your car. Minor damage such as curbing or scratching your wheel can not only affect the appearance but also allow water to enter the wheel and cause the onset of corrosion which can in turn damage the integrity of the wheel. This can not only affect the value of your car but also and more importantly the road handling, performance, and safety of your car. However, alloy wheel repairs can be expensive and this is exactly where a Total loss Alloy Wheel Insurance policy can help.
We can cover diamond cut, laser cut and paint alloy wheels up to and including 22". (we can not cover powder-coated wheels)
There are 3 levels of repair and we think that it is really important that you understand the different levels...
1. A technician will come to your home or place of work and repair the wheel.
2. The wheel is not repairable so you will be paid up to £150 towards the replacement cost.
3. The wheel is repairable but not in its current location. At this point, the technician will box and post the wheel to a central repair station. When it has been repaired it will be sent back to you and fitted (postage and packaging will be paid for by your policy). Please note that this means that unless you have a replacement wheel your vehicle may be off the road for up to 14 days.
This cover is also only available for cars that are not being used as a driving school, taxi, courier or any other form of hire and reward and there is a £10 excess to pay per claim.
For full terms and conditions please see your policy documents.
Reviews
Why should you consider buying Tyre Insurance?
Your tyre is the single most important safety feature your car has. No matter how good your airbags, no matter how efficient the crumple zones or the brake assist systems your tyre will have more impact on the overall road safety and handling of your car. The health of your tyre can even affect the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Yet with the current state of our roads industry experts estimate that potholes are costing British Motorists an estimated 2.8 billion pounds per year. This is not just in the cost of replacement tyres but also damage to suspension and axle failure.
The government themselves estimate that our road repair budgets are underfunded by 55% with totals of an estimated £1billion (figures taken from potfolefacts.co.uk Feb 2016). So with our roads and highways in such a state of disrepair, this can only put pressure on your tyres which already take the full brunt of our roads and weather conditions. Combine this environmental pressure as well as underfunding and it means that you have never been more likely to have some form of tyre failure. By this, we mean either a puncture or a blowout.
Tyre manufacturers are investing millions into designing tyres that are more hard-wearing and offer better road handling when there is a problem but this itself can lead to even a minor puncture becoming a replacement.
This is because many of the tyre sealants on new car tyres, are designed to stop the need to repair a puncture instantly. This is done by temporarily inflating the tyre with a formula/solution which once used, is almost impossible to repair, despite the fact that they are designed to be water-soluble. This means that at any time you could be left having to replace perhaps, one, two, three or even in some extreme cases four tyres.
Why not click or call and see just how affordable a total loss Tyre insurance policy can be?
Do you need Motor Excess Insurance?
Motor Excess Insurance is a policy that covers the cost of your motor insurance company's excess.
This means that if your vehicle is damaged or stolen and your motor insurance company repairs your vehicle and asks you to pay your excess you can simply claim it back from your policy. (T&C's apply)
You can cover from £250 to £1500 and your cover lasts for 12 months.
Please remember that in order to be able to make a claim your own motor insurance company must ask you to pay your excess.
At present this cover is only available for private usage and class-one business. It is not available for taxis, any form of hire and reward or tuition purposes.
GAP Insurance - Is it worth it?
GAP Insurance is an optional extra insurance policy, so unlike car insurance, there is no legal reason for you to buy it.
It is your choice. Ultimately it is your vehicle, your money, your choice, and your finances you could potentially leave exposed.
We are a GAP Insurance provider and deal with many tens of thousands of customers, and we are often told that you can never really know the value of a gap insurance policy until you have had to use it. We completely agree, being upfront we hope that you click for a quote, buy a policy, and never need to use it. However, if you do it could very well be one of the best purchases you have made.
For some people, the thought of having to write a cheque to clear any outstanding finance or even to replace a car when and if their current car or van is written off is a mere drop in the ocean.
For the vast majority of us, it is not, and the financial implications can be crippling. In the first eight months of 2022, our claims teams have already processed £305,346 in GAP Insurance claims alone and the biggest was £39,990.
So is GAP Insurance worth it?
With gap insurance premiums starting from under £100 for a three-year policy we think so, but as with all insurance, it is your choice and your risk to take if you don't have cover.
365 - Gap Insurance
This is a policy that you can buy anything up to 365 days after you have taken delivery of your car. You can still choose to protect either the invoice price or the replacement cost of another new car. Please remember that this policy is not available for everyone and there are rigorous eligibility criteria.
1. You must have bought a brand-new car.
365 Gap insurance cover is only available for cars that are used for private and or class one business. This means that we can not cover any form of Hire and reward or tuition.
2. You must be the 1st and only registered keeper.
This means that if you have bought a pre-registered car you will need to check that you have "new for old" as this is may an excluion.
3. You must have had new for old cover for the 1st 12 months
In the event of a claim, the underwriters may request to see proof that you had new for old as part of your fully comprehensive insurance policy.
Common GAP Insurance Exclusions
While we genuinely consider our policies to be the most all-inclusive in the market today there will be times when we can not cover you.
1. We can not cover vehicles not listed in the Glass's Guide
2. We Can not cover vehicles used for Racing or Ralley purposes.
3. We can not cover you if your own motor insurance company does not think that the reason that your vehicle was written off is not a valid claim.
4. We can not cover vehicles that that already been written off.
5. We can not cover you if your vehicle was not road worthy, taxed, and fully comprehensively insured when the incident happened that led you to make a claim.
6. We can not cover you if your vehicle was over 8 years of age and had more than 80,000 miles on the clock on the day that you purchased your policy.
For a full list of terms and conditions please see your policy documents
Please remember that we have a panel of underwriters so if our automated system can not provide a quotation we may still be able to offer cover. So why not contact a member of the team on 0800 195 4926 or send us a request for contact and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We are proud of our Policies, so why not take a look at our Sample Policy Documents
Contract & Lease Hire Gap insurance
Combined Return to Invoice Gap
Vehicle Replacement Insurance
Smart Car Insurance
Tyre Insurance
Excess Insurance
Complete Wheel Insurance
Alloy Wheel insurance
Scratch and Dent Insurance
Run Flat Tyre Insurance
Where should you buy your Gap insurance policy from?
You have lots of choices about where to buy your gap Insurance policy so why should you choose Total Loss Gap Insurance?
There are lots of ways to buy your gap insurance so which one is best for you?
You could buy Direct From your dealership?
Did you know that when you buy direct from your dealership you may have a much more limited selection of policies as most dealerships will have one or two policies at best to offer and often at shorter lengths of cover? You will also have to pay a higher rate of IPT. (Insurance Premium Tax).
This is because the organization that you are buying your vehicle from can affect the purchase price of your vehicle and therefore how much VAT HMRC is paid.
At Total Loss, we have a large selection of policies from a number of different providers and our job is to not only find you the most appropriate policy to fit your needs and demands but also the best price we can.
You could buy your policy from a Comparison Website?
It is true comparison sites can offer amazing prices and we all know that the price you pay for your policy has to be a consideration. However, you may find that just tiny variations in terms and conditions can leave you out of pocket in the event of a claim, so always read the documents before you buy.
Some providers offer watered-down versions of their cover and remove some key features in order to reduce costs and appear less expensive.
At Total Loss, we are proud of our terms and conditions and do not have any hidden costs. For Example, you will be pleased to know that do you do not have to pay extra to cover named drivers or to request postal copies of documents, etc.
You could buy a GAP Policy from another online provider?
Some providers have limited access to policies which means that they may only have one type of policy from one specific underwriter to offer. In an ideal world, this is fine, but experience shows us that one size does not fit all.
What if you don't quite fit their standard terms or conditions? If you are only offered one policy how do you know it is the best value for money?
At Total Loss, we are in the unique position of having a number of policies from a number of different underwriters sometimes with subtle differences.
Our mission is to cherry-pick the policies that suit you and your particular circumstances, as well as the best deal we can.
You could buy from your finance provider?
Most finance companies will offer you a form of gap insurance. This can often be just a basic form of finance gap insurance. While it may be attractive to think that if the worse happened that you are not left paying for a vehicle you no longer have, potentially you could be walking away from thousands and in some cases tens of thousands of pounds in the event of a claim.
At Total loss Gap, if you have the legal right to take ownership of your vehicle at the end of your finance agreement, we will never offer you this basic form of cover as we think it is not the most suitable level of cover and instead for example would offer as a bare minimum a form of return to invoice gap insurance where you would be re-imbursed any equity you have accrued while making your monthly payments.
What do we do, and why we do it?
We work with a panel of insurers and have over the years cherry picked terms and conditions to make what we genuinely think are the most comprehensive and flexible policies in the market today.
Insurance is heavily regulated for your protection and ours and we want you to be able to make informed choices about levels of cover.
We have tried where ever possible to allow you to control not only the length of the cover but, what you want to cover and for some policies even how much you can claim. After all, we are not here to spend your money, instead, we are here to help you get value for money.
At Total Loss Gap, we listen to our policyholders and work with our claims teams to make the whole process as straightforward as it can be. In fact, we have used your feedback in policy development. The sheer volume of policies we provide, and the way in which we reward our team enable us to keep profit margins low.
Every policy in the land will have terms and conditions and ours does too. There are no magic wands, hidden agendas, or get-out clauses. Just excellent levels of customer service and real value for money.