Why is Smart Care Comestic Insurance better than Scratch and Dent Insurance?

Scratch and dent insurance is a fantastic policy that allows you to protect yourself against the cost of minor cosmetic damage to the exterior of your car. The issue we have found for over a decade and half is that our policyholders wanted to protect not only their vehicles' bodywork against the cost of smart repairs with scratch and dent insurance but also their alloy wheels.

Historically, this meant they would have to buy two separate policies, a scratch and dent insurance and a second alloy wheel insurance policy.

Separate scratch and dent insurance and a secondary alloy wheel insurance policy may be the best option for customers who want to have the potential to make the maximum number of claims ((potentially six scratch and dent insurance claims ( smart repair ) as well as up to four alloy wheel insurance claims)) per year, for most, this was not only a little excessive in terms of the number of claims but also overtly expensive. 

Smart Care Cosmetic Insurance could be a good alternative to scratch and dent insurance and a separate alloy wheel cover. 

We are fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ), and every policy you buy is backed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme ( FSCS). Fair value and the ability to offer fair value to our policyholders is front and centre of all we do. So working with underwriters, we have combined all the benefits of a traditional scratch and dent insurance policy with a separate alloy wheel insurance policy and added interior damage as an additional bonus.

It is also a much lower cost. 

For example

• Buying a scratch and dent insurance for four years with up to three claims per year would cost £299.17
• Buying an alloy wheel insurance policy for four years with up to two claims per year £247.36
• Buying a Smart Care cosmetic insurance policy for four years with up to three claims per year would cost £310.81

This means that by buying a Smart Care policy as opposed to a separate scratch and dent insurance and alloy wheel cover, you would save £235.72

The downside is that you would be limited to three claims per year, as opposed to 5 claims per year, if you purchased the policies separately.

• Buying a Scratch and dent insurance policy for four years with up to six claims per year would cost £336.24
• Buying an alloy wheel insurance policy for four years with up to four claims per year £306.91
• Buying a Smart Care cosmetic insurance policy for four years with up to six claims per year would cost £399.27

This means that by buying a Smart Care policy as opposed to separate scratch and dent insurance and alloy wheel cover, you would save £243.88

The downside is that if you purchased the scratch and dent & alloy policies separately, you would be limited to six claims per year instead of ten claims per year.

A busy car park can be a nightmare for careful drivers. Smaller parking spacing, kerbing alloy wheels, scraping your bumper, and other minor damage and dents not only spoil the appearance of your vehicle but can also mean that it is worth less. Car park wars, as we like to call them, can not be avoided; they are a part of life and something that, in most cases, you may not be responsible for.  However, you can protect yourself from the cost implications of a smart repair.

So what can Smart Care Cosmetic Repair insurance offer you vs Standard Scratch and dent insurance?

Beneifts of a Scratch and Dent insurance policy**

• Covers minor cosmetic bodywork repairs, smart repairs and paint chips up to 30cm in length
• Contributions towards a body shop repair if the damage falls within the policy's scope (must be classed as a smart repair) but the qualified technician cannot do smart repair*.
• You can buy cover for up to 4 years.
• It covers scratches, abrasions, and paint scuffs on up to two of your car's body panels.
• You can cancel at any time and provided you have not made a claim; you will receive a full refund within the first 30 days of your policy; after that, you will be given a pro-rata refund.

* To qualify for a body shop repair contribution, the damage must fall within the scope of your policy and not be on excluded areas, e.g roof 

**Please see the policy documents at the bottom of the page for a complete list of terms, conditions, and eligibility.

Please also note that this policy protects you against minor cosmetic damage that can be carried out as a smart repair. It is not for significant body work. 

What can a Smart Care cosmetic repair insurance policy offer on top of the key features of a scratch and dent policy? 

A Smart Care insurance policy has all the benefits of a scratch and dent policy with the added bonus of covering your alloy wheels and interior.

Critical features on top of the benefits which a standard scratch and dent policy covers. 

1. Covers cosmetic damage to your alloy wheels up to and including 22 inches.
2. Covers up to 5cm of interior damage ( e.g scuff to your seat or scratch on your dash)

What does the alloy wheel section of your Smart Care Insurance policy cover?

• A mobile repair - smart repair to cosmetic damage to your alloy wheel
• If minor damage repairs ( smart repair ) is not possible with the claims department authorisation, you can use your local repairer 
• If the alloy wheel is beyond repair, as a goodwill gesture, your policy will pay £150. ( this will not replace your alloy wheel. This is instead purely a goodwill gesture) 
• Cover for Alloy wheels up to and including 22 inches

What types of alloy Wheels will your policy cover?

Your policy can cover the following types of alloy wheels

• Diamond Cut Alloy wheels
• Painted alloy wheels
• Laser Cut Alloy Wheels
• Standard Alloy Wheels

What types of alloy Wheels will your policy NOT cover?

Your policy will not cover the following types of alloy wheels.

• Powder Coated alloy wheels
• Split-rim alloy wheels ( any split-rim construction )
• Chrome effect alloy wheels
• Any after-market alloy wheels 
• Any pre-existing damage

How to make an alloy wheel insurance claim via your Smart care insurance policy.

1. Contact the claims team within 30 days of noticing the damage to your alloy wheel.
2. They may ask you to complete a claim form.
3. They may ask you to provide electronic images so they can gauge the level of damage.
4. Depending on the level of damage, they may arrange for a mobile repair technician to carry out the repair.
5. For health and safety reasons, they will require somewhere off-road to carry out the repair to your alloy wheel.
6. Alternatively, you can use your local repairer with the claims team's authorisation. 
7. In this case, they can authorise up to £250 per repair.
8. You would drive in, have the repair carried out, pay the invoice and then send in for a refund. 

Scratch and Dent Insurance vs Smart Care Cosmetic Insurance policy, protecting the exterior of your car?

Along with the key features of a standard scratch and dent insurance policy, you also have the following extra benefit.

• If a qualified technician is not confident that they can perform a factory finish cosmetic repair with the claims team's permission, they will pay up to £450 for damage to damaged on two panels and up to £250 towards damage to one panel.* 

* damage must fall within the scope of your policy and not be on excluded areas, e.g roof

Common exclusions of a Smart care cosmetic insurance policy

• When the damage occurs within the first 30 days of your policy.***  
• Damage that is caused by a road traffic accident.
• Damage which is caused by a nuclear attack or war.
• Cosmetic damage on your bonnet, roof or any flat surface on your boot.*
• Damage to any glass element of your vehicle.
• Malicious damage, which is not reported to the police, and you can not provide a substantiated crime reference number.
• Damage that is not classified as being able to be carried out as a smart repair. It is not for major body work. For example, your policy would not cover you if someone keyed the side of your car.
• Any vehicle that has a custom paint finish. ( custom paint is a non-standard manufacturer colour ) 
• We can not cover any vehicle used for hire and reward, pacemaking, competition or tuition or self drive hire.

*** There is a 30-day waiting period during which time your policy will not cover any damage unless you have bought a brand new car and purchased your policy before you took delivery of your vehicle. There is no waiting period, and your cover will start the moment that you accept liability for the keys.

* If your bonnet were peppered with stone - paint chips, the technician would touch up the paint chips to ensure that they are weatherproof and that no further damage would be caused. This would mean that this would not be an invisible repair. The only way to altogether remove the paint chips would be to possibly paint the whole bonnet, perhaps bleed the paint into the front wings, maybe even the front bumper. This, therefore, would be beyond the scope of your policy. Your policy covers minor cosmetic repairs to your cars bodywork and minor damage repairs to your alloy wheels, and interior stress.  Within the marketplace our Smart Care policy, which we believe it is exceptional; however, it has limitations. 

The interior cover section of your Smart Care cosmetic insurance policy

The final type of insurance protection provided by SMARTCARE Cosmetic Insurance over and above a scratch and ent insurance policy is to cover the costs of cosmetic repairs to your vehicle's interior. These can include:

• Tears or cuts to seat fabric

• Scuffing of leather interior

• Damaged plastic trim

• Burns to cloth (not to the seat foam or padding)

Damage to your vehicle's interior finishes can detract from the aesthetic appearance and have a detrimental financial outcome. Not only can these types of damage lower the value of your vehicle, but it can also lead to those above punitive ‘hand-back’ charges at the end of a lease or PCP agreement. 

The policy cannot cover where interior items need to be replaced or are broken. The item must be repairable in the opinion of our expert repairers. 

If an eligible claim cannot be repaired, a contribution of up to £100 will be paid towards the cost of any subsequent repair you may choose to make elsewhere.

Smart care and Scratch and dent insurance FAQ's

What is the maximum number of claims I can make?

You can make a combined total of 6 claims per 12 month period of cover. Of the 6 claims, a maximum of 4 can be for alloy wheels.

For example, you could make 2 claims for alloys, 2 claims for bodywork and 1 claim for interior repair in a 12-month term.
 

Who will do the repairs?

Our claims team has access to a national network of approved repairers. They are qualified repairers who will be used for each repair will very much depend on what the repair entails and the availability of repairers in your area at that time.

Am I guaranteed a repair back to the original factory condition?

No, buying a new car is the only way to restore it to its original factory condition. Even sending a vehicle to a body shop cannot ensure a ‘like-new’ repair. However, SMART repairs can provide an extremely good quality repair, to the degree that the repair is not noticeable to the untrained eye. 

If left untreated, such damages will be much more obvious and will negatively impact the value of your vehicle.

Do I have to let my motor insurer know if I have claimed on SMARTCARE for a repair to my vehicle?

We would always advise that you discuss any repairs to your vehicle with your motor insurer (your motor insurance policy may require such disclosure). However, having SMARTCARE Cosmetic Insurance means you can avoid making a claim for these repairs on your own motor insurance policy as such it should not affect your no claims bonus.

Can I move any unused claims to the following year?

If you do not use the maximum of 5 claims in any year you cannot carry unused ones over to the following year. Similarly, if you get to the maximum of 5 in one year you cannot use up any of the 5 for the following year either.

The first year starts on the day the policy commences.
 

Is there a time frame in which you have to buy SMARTCARE Cosmetic Insurance?

Yes, you must buy the policy within 30 days of buying the vehicle from a VAT-registered dealer or leasing it.
 

Is there an excess to pay?

No there is no excess to pay when you make a smart care claim.

How do I make a claim?

Simple contact the claims team. there number is on the bottom of your policy schedule.

It would be helpful if you could take some photographs of the damage. A mobile phone with a camera is usually perfect for this. The claims team can assess the damage by these photographs and arrange a suitable repair for your claim.

The Claims Team will liaise with a suitable repairer in your area. An appointment will then be made for your home, or place of work.

The repairer will need a safe area to perform the repair (ie not on the side of a busy road) for Health and Safety reasons. They may also need access to a power supply.

How many claims can you make?

The claim limit is the maximum number of claims you have chosen per year. For example, three claims per year or 6 claims per year. 

Can the policy be transferred?

Yes, there are a couple of options for this.

If you change your vehicle, the insurer will consider a request to transfer the cover to your new car. This will be subject to the insurer being happy with the condition of the vehicle. For example, they may ask for photographs of the alloy wheels for the new car to show there is no pre-existing damage on them (eligibility applies).

Subject to the insurers' approval, you can transfer the policy to a new vehicle you own. The first transfer in the policy term is free. Any subsequent transfer requests will be subject to a £35 administration fee payable by the policyholder each time. If you purchased your policy before September 2022, please note that the terms and conditions have changed.

Scratch and dent insurance terms and conditions          Scratch and Dent insurance IPIDS

Smart Care Cosmetic Repair Insurance T&C's                Smart Care Cosmetic Repair Insurance IPID     

At Easy Gap, we don't just offer Gap Insurance. We offer a host of policies and standard levels of Gap insurance, which you can cherry-pick to ensure that you tailor-make a package to suit what is important to you.