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Why would GAP Insurance not pay out?

 

Gap Insurance is a straightforward policy to understand.

 

Various suppliers may have added little extras to make their policy stand out. Still, ultimately, gap insurance relies on your own motor insurance company deciding to write your vehicle off.

 

Your vehicle could be declared a write-off or total loss, as some providers call it because your car has been stolen and not recovered or damaged to such an extent that your motor insurance provider has taken the view that it is not economically viable to repair it.

 

So when would your gap insurance not pay out?

 

If your own motor insurance company, which is the organisation that decides to write your car off, decide that you do not have a valid claim.

 

Examples (but not limited to) reasons your motor insurance would not settle your claim if your car was written off. 

  1. If you are drunk when you have an accident,
  2. If you leave your keys in the car with the front door wide open,
  3. If you have deliberately set your car on fire,
  4. If you allowed someone who was not insured to drive your car and had an accident,
  5. If your vehicle was of age to require an MOT but you did not have a valid certificate,
  6. If you did not tell your insurance company that you had 12 points,
  7. If you mislead your insurance company about the type of car you have to lower your premium. For example, they thought they were insuring a Ford Fiesta when, in fact, it was a Ford Mondeo.

In reality, this is important as your gap insurance will only ever settle your claim if your motor insurance company has agreed that you have a valid claim. 

 

In the insurance world, this is called your motor insurance company "giving you indemnity for the claim". That is to say that they think that you have a valid claim and are happy to settle.

 

Please remember that your gap insurance policy will top up your own motor insurance company's settlement. Therefore, if they don't settle, there is nothing for your gap insurance to top up. 

 

At Total Loss Gap Insurance, we are often asked various questions with various scenarios regarding who is driving a car, whose fault it is and, in some cases, how a vehicle may be stolen. 

 

We stress that no matter who's at fault, how it happens, or who is driving, the most crucial aspect is that your motor insurance agrees you have a legitimate claim. 

 

We recommend reading any insurance policy before you buy it to understand any significant exclusions. This goes for both your motor insurance policy and your gap insurance policy.

 

For a complete list of terms, conditions and significant exclusions, please see your policy documents showing why your gap insurance policy would not pay out.