In addition to our range of insurance products, Total Loss GAP can also offer a range of maintenance plans that can complement and add choice to how you want to protect your finances.

 

These plans help maintain the appearance of your vehicle's bodywork, alloy wheels and also the integrity of your tyres.

 

These plans are not like traditional insurance policies, which typically cover the costs of repairs and replacements for specific events (such as when you scrape your alloy wheel). Instead, through quarterly inspections, a treatment plan can be provided that addresses any damage that may have accrued during that period (except for tyres, where issues can be addressed immediately).

 

Maintenance Plan options we provide:

 

• Tyre Maintenance (only available as an annual plan)
• Alloy Wheel Maintenance (annual or 2-4 year plan)
• Tyre & Alloy Wheel Maintenance (annual or 2-4 year plan)
• Cosmetic Maintenance (Vehicle Bodywork) (annual or 2-4 year plan)
• Total Cosmetic Maintenance (Vehicle Bodywork & Alloy Wheel) (annual or 2-4 year plan)

 

Why choose a Maintenance Plan over a traditional insurance policy?

 

The Maintenance Plan option can offer broader eligibility criteria.

 

For example, most insurance policies will require you to have purchased the insurance policy within 30-90 days of buying the vehicle from a VAT-registered garage.

 

With the Maintenance Plan, you can own the vehicle for any length of time, whether you bought it privately, through an auction, or from a garage.

 

With the Maintenance Plans, your vehicle can be up to 10 years old, and with unlimited mileage, these plans typically offer far higher limits than those provided by an insurance policy.

 

Maintenance Plans can be cheaper.

 

The costs of repairs and claims on an insurance policy and a maintenance plan can differ. This is because with an insurance claim, the cost of the claim will include VAT. This may not be recoverable by the insurance company, which would add to the cost of the claim.

 

As a Maintenance Plan is a service, it is subject to VAT and not the tax on insurance policies (IPT). Therefore, the cost of VAT charged on repairs or services under a Maintenance Plan could be recovered.

 

So if a new tyre costs £250 plus VAT, then the cost is £300. On an insurance policy, the VAT may not be recoverable. On a Service and Maintenance Plan, VAT can be recoverable, making the cost lower.  

 

Maintenance Plans can offer higher flexibility.

 

Most Insurance policies of this type are for a period of 2 to 4 years, and we also offer Maintenance Plans for the same periods. However, we also offer annual, renewable options (subject to approval and availability). If you are unsure how long you want to keep your car, you could opt to renew it each year instead.

 

How does a Maintenance Plan work?

 

When you take out a Maintenance Plan, the first thing you will be asked for is an initial inspection, which requires providing a series of images. These can be uploaded to an online app, for which you will receive a web link.

 

As explained above, a Maintenance Plan works by using quarterly inspections to assess the vehicle's condition and arrange any necessary treatments to rectify it.

 

This way, you can address multiple areas of damage simultaneously, rather than having each repair done separately, as you can with insurance products.

 

The only exception is when you get tyre damage that causes the tyre to deflate. You can contact the Plan Administrators immediately to arrange a necessary repair or replacement for eligible damage.

 

How are Maintenance Plans different to Insurance policies?

 

A Maintenance Plan is not an insurance policy; it acts more like a Service Plan for your tyres, alloys and bodywork. As it is not an insurance product, it is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. It does not fall under the protection of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and any complaints about claims should be made to the Motoring Ombudsman, not the Financial Ombudsman.

 

Do we offer Insurance Products for Cosmetic Bodywork Damage and tyre and alloy wheel cover as well?

 

Yes, we do offer coverage for tyre and alloy damage, as well as cosmetic bodywork damage. These will work differently from the Maintenance Plans (as described above), and the prices will also be different.

 

We offer a range of products and services to as many people as we can. Therefore, having a range of Maintenance Plans opens up more choices for all.