Most motor claims people actually face are not write-offs. They are a kerbed alloy, a scuffed bumper in a car park, a door ding, a blowout on a pothole. None of these is what comprehensive insurance is really designed for, and claiming on it for a £300 repair rarely makes sense once the excess and the effect on your no claims discount are taken into account.
That is the gap these two add-ons are built for.
SMART cover
SMART stands for Small to Medium Area Repair Technique. It covers cosmetic damage repaired in place rather than through a body shop, which usually means a mobile technician at your home or work.
Typically that includes light scratches, scuffs, small dents and minor paint damage, within size limits set by the policy. The repair is carried out without claiming on your motor insurance, so the excess and no claims discount are not affected.
Expect limits on the size of any single area of damage and on the number of repairs in a policy year. Those limits are the thing to read before you buy, because they define whether the cover matches the damage you are likely to get.
Tyre & Alloy cover
This deals with the wheels, which take more punishment than anything else on the car.
Tyre cover usually responds to accidental or malicious damage, punctures and blowouts, including replacement where the tyre cannot be repaired. Alloy cover deals with kerbing and cosmetic wheel damage, again repaired rather than replaced where possible.
As with SMART, there will be a maximum number of claims per year and a limit per claim.
Why this matters more on a lease
If you lease or contract hire, the vehicle goes back at the end of the agreement and is inspected against fair wear and tear standards.
Kerbed alloys and paint scuffs are among the most common reasons drivers are charged at the end of a lease, and those charges can be substantial. Repairing damage as it happens, rather than discovering the cost at handback, is the practical argument for these products on a leased vehicle.
Worth knowing before you buy
Both products have exclusions. Damage that pre-dates the policy will not be covered, and neither is a substitute for motor insurance.
Whether they are worth having depends on where you park, how you drive, the wheels on the car and whether you own or lease it.
To talk through whether either suits your vehicle, call us on 0161 388 2550 or email sales@gapinsurancetoday.co.uk.
