GAP Protection - Anyone got this or heard of it?

[lou100]

Hi, if you have not heard of this this is an insurance you take out when you buy a car (wether it be via HP or you pay it off in one chunk). In the event of an accident and your car being written off they will pay you the difference between what the insurance company give you and what you paid for the car.

Has anybody got this, used this - think its good or bad?

Thanks in advance..lou

[Top Turkey]

It is quite common for salespeople to push this, presumably because they get a financial kick back for each policy sold.

As with any insurance, it's only worth it if you have to call on it. Perhaps you could tell the salesperson "No" and then invest some time doing an advanced driving course (IAM or RoSPA) so that your chances of writing the car off are reduced?

I personally have never bothered with it.

[lou100]

Thanks for your answer, I know its like any insurance, hopefully you will never need it, but sometimes you never know.

Having just had the experience of my car being wrote off when I wasn't even sat in it I am being on the cautious side.

Also what I got back from the insurance company nowhere near covers my costs to get a car of the same spec/age....which is why at the moment this sounds like a good thing.

Its something I've looked into on the internet, prices vary hugely and I would do it myself not through the salesperson (who I have to say has not pushed it one bit, just mentioned it as he has to by law apparently).

Thanks again..

[spaced]

it might not lou writing the car off, he could wake up one morning and find some drunk has smahsed into his car in the middle of the night and written it off.

im currently a fleet manager and we have never bought it, but in a previous job clients bought it left right and centre. you can have GAP insurance rolled into your finance deal, this is better than buying it in one go. How much they chraging and for how many years?

[zombie1000]

I was offered this but personally I reckon its a rip off considering the car will depreciate in value the minute you drive it out of the showroom. So unless you crash it through the showroom window, I wouldn't bother

[spaced]

also depends on the type of GAP insurance - some GAP, though more expensive, will cover the cost to the original invoice amount. So if you buy a car at 10k, crash 3 yrs later and its worth 6k, you still get the amount up to 10k and not 6k.

[lou100]

Hi All, thanks for the replies. As I say its something I've looked into myself. I am not getting the car on finace so I've been looking around. Lowest I've got is �135 for 5 years cover, that gives you back the full amount of what you have paid out.

Its something I'd look at very carefully before I took out but now going from experience its well worth thinking about.

I've just lost out on nearly �4,000 which I would have got back had I had this protection before.

Cheers..

[spaced]

�135 for 5 years sounds very good, seeing as I used to seel it at �300 for 3 yrs.

[sasha011]

Hello lou100,

I am also looking to purchase some gap cover online. Could you advise where you purchased yours from?

Many thanks