Transferable Vehicle Replacement / Finance Shortfall gap insurance +

In the event of your vehicle being declared a total loss, this Insurance will pay the difference between the motor insurers settlement and the cost of a replacement vehicle matching the cost of the original vehicle specification.

If you purchased your vehicle under a finance agreement (except where the policy is transferred) and the outstanding finance balance at the point of total loss is greater than the replacement vehicle cost, this insurance will pay the difference between the vehicle value at the point of total loss and the outstanding finance balance.

Cover will include up to a maximum of £250 motor insurance excess.

The purchase price is the actual invoice price that you pay for the vehicle, deduct any discounts but do include all factory fitted accessories and up to £1,500 of dealer fitted accessories and paint protection applications up to £500, OR the vehicle value (whichever is the lower).

You should exclude any additional payments for warranty charges, insurance premiums, finance charges, cost of fuel and negative equity from a previous vehicle.

The Claim Limit is the the difference between the motor insurers settlement and the cost of a replacement vehicle matching the original vehicle specification.OR to settle the finance shortfall, whichever is greater.

Policy documents together with confirmation of payment are sent by email as soon as you make the payment.

Only your insurer can declare the vehicle a total loss which in general can result from accidental damage, your fault or third party fault, fire, theft or vandalism.

Total loss means that you have claimed under your motor insurance, your claim has been agreed, your vehicle has been forfeited (title of the vehicle transferred to the motor insurer) and a payment made following the incident.

Our vehicle replacement gap policy can be purchased provided that you have owned the vehicle for less than 180 days.

It can either be a single one off payment with the use of a credit/debit card without any card charges or alternatively we can arrange for credit payments over 12 months. Please note that the payments are collected by a third party agency and a small administration fee applies.

The policy should always be in the name of the owner/ hirer or registered keeper of the vehicle.

Yes; you can defer the start date for up to a maximum of 12 months but the cover must be taken within 180 days of purchasing the vehicle.

The policy start date must not exceed the anniversary of the vehicles first registration.

It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate cover provided by your motor insurer during the first 12 months.

Yes; in the event that your finance settlement exceeds the purchase price of the vehicle, this total loss gap insurance policy will settle the outstanding finance shortfall and release you from the finance contract. This excludes negative equity carried forward from any previous finance agreement and arrears on the contract.

Yes; up to £250 in the event of a total loss claim.

Yes; it can; You can make one transfer during the period of insurance.

if you sell your vehicle, provided that no claim has been made under this insurance, you may transfer the remaining cover to the replacement vehicle, subject to our agreement. No fee will apply for this transfer. A new schedule will be issued confirming the replacement vehicle details. Where the replacement vehicle is deemed to be of a higher value an additional premium may be required.

Cover will not include any refinancing.

In the event of bereavement, the remaining benefits of this Insurance may be transferred to the policyholder's spouse or partner.

Yes; you are covered when keys are stolen from your home or office which results in vehicle theft. However you must exercise due diligence and take appropriate steps to safeguard both the keys and the vehicle.

No insurer, including your motor insurer, will provide cover for wilful negligence. For example if you leave the keys in the vehicle and you go off to pay for fuel which results in the vehicle being stolen.

Please see the policy terms and conditions for a full listing, however the main exclusions are:
The vehicle becoming a total loss whilst the driver is under the influence of non prescription drugs or under the influence of alcohol, involved in illegal activity, fraud or an act of wilful negligence, eg leaving keys in the ignition whilst the vehicle is unattended.

We are able to provide the best in vehicle replacement gap insurance partly because we are an internet-based provider and as such we have lower overheads than motor dealers.

As a result of the high volume of GAP insurance that we sell annually, we are able to provide quality policies at the keenest prices.

You can be confident that our prices are lower than those quoted by dealers and many other web sites.

Paying less than you have been quoted elsewhere in no way means that you are buying an inferior product, it just means that they are making more profit from your purchase!

Yes; GAP insurance will include all drivers provided that they are covered on your comprehensive motor insurance policy to drive the vehicle as a named driver.

You are covered not only in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands but also in member countries of the European Community and any other country for which an International Motor Insurance Certificate (Green Card) is effective on your vehicle at the point of Total Loss up to 120 days in any one trip.

In the event of your vehicle being written off, this total loss gap insurance will pay the difference between the motor insurer’s settlement and the price of a replacement vehicle matching the cost of the car’s original specification.

If you purchased your vehicle under a finance agreement (except where the policy is transferred) and the outstanding finance balance at the point of total loss is greater than the replacement vehicle cost, this insurance will pay the difference between the vehicle value at the time it was written off and the outstanding finance balance.

The value of your vehicle at the time of being declared a total loss will be different to when you first purchased it, and your motor insurance company will offer you a payout aligned to its current worth, rather than its original purchase price.

It is estimated that cars can depreciate by as much as 60% over as little as three years, which may leave you with a significant financial shortfall if your car was to be written off. That is an unpleasant scenario for anyone to imagine, which is why we offer the best in vehicle replacement gap insurance, to help protect you and your finances.

For example, if you paid £25,000 for your car, but its value at the time of being written off was only £15,000, your vehicle replacement gap insurance would cover the £10,000 difference between that original purchase price and the settlement you received from your motor insurer. Additionally, if the value of your replacement vehicle had gone up from the original purchase price, your gap insurance policy would deliver a payout to reflect that.

Alternatively, let’s assume you bought your car on a finance deal for £25,000 and at the time of being written off, you owed £17,000. Your vehicle replacement gap policy would ensure the finance company received their money, while you would keep the remaining £8,000. In cases where the outstanding balance was greater than the cost of a replacement car, this policy would cover the difference between the vehicle’s value when it was written off and the amount left outstanding on the finance agreement.

Furthermore, your cover will include up to a maximum of £250 motor insurance excess.

Yes; this policy is an option for you if you have purchased your car via a finance agreement. You will receive any money that is left over once the finance company have been paid what they’re owed, and if the outstanding balance is greater than the cost of a replacement vehicle, this policy will cover the difference between the remaining balance and the value of the car when it was written off.

You can take out this policy on a used car, but it may make more sense to do so on a new vehicle, which would likely come with a higher initial value and could leave you with a greater financial shortfall in the event of it being declared a total loss.

No; Direct Gap are providers of additional cover, and as such do not offer a courtesy car. Your motor insurance policy may include this, but please check the terms and conditions of that policy to be certain. Nor do Direct Gap provide you with the replacement vehicle – our total loss gap insurance policy is designed to ensure you receive the money you need to be able to afford a new car to the same specifications, but we do not provide you with the car itself.

Yes; you will be covered even if the incident that caused your car to be written off was your fault. However, you will not be covered if the driver is under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs or involved in illegal activity, fraud or an act of wilful negligence. Please take the time to carefully read through the terms and conditions of your replacement vehicle gap policy for full details.

You will be able to claim on your policy once your car has been declared a total loss by your motor insurance company. The process will then be as follows:

1. You will need to call the claims line on 01422 756100

2. You’ll then have to fill out the claims form

3. The relevant paperwork will need to be checked

4. Your money will be issued to you by way of bank transfer

No; once your motor insurance company have declared your car a total loss, your finance company will subsequently receive the outstanding balance thanks to the cover provided by your vehicle replacement gap insurance policy.

Brexit takes place on 31 January, and the UK will no longer be member of the European Union. Many arrangements will stay in place for a transition period whilst a deal between the UK and the EU is negotiated.

The current advice from the UK government is that during the transition period (until 1 January 2021) arrangements for driving in EU countries remains unchanged.

At the end of the transition period you will need to get yourself an International Driving Permit and a green card to ensure your insurance is valid. You will also need a GB sticker for your car.

Note that Brexit does not affect gap insurance. Your gap insurance policy will still be valid if you drive in Europe - however you do need to be covered by a fully comprehensive cover for the policy to be valid in the first place and this will require a green card from your insurer.

https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021

Where do I get an International Driving Permit?

International Driving Permits can be obtained from the Post Office. You will need a passport photo and your driving licence. Currently different EU member states require different length permits for non-EU drivers - for instance Spain requires a one year permit and Germany a three year. If you are touring the EU you should get both to be on the safe side. 

How much do International Driving Permits cost?

The International Driving Permit costs £5.50 pre document (you may need two if you are driving between countries with different requirements).

How do I get a green card?

You will need to call your insurer before you set off, let them know the exact dates that you require it for. And (naturally) they will charge you. 

Whilst the government advice is to allow a month to receive the green card, our advice from our insurer is that you don’t actually need the bit of paper to travel, they’ll have a note of it if anything unfortunate happens. It is currently not clear whether you will need to carry your green card for examination by the authorities