What is cosmetic car insurance?

Cosmetic Car Insurance

While car insurance is compulsory for drivers on UK roads, there are extra forms of cover for your vehicle that offer additional peace of mind and flexibility - especially useful if you've got a hefty excess on your main policy or if you don't want to jeopardise your no claims discount with a claim for a relatively small amount. One of these additional forms of cover is cosmetic car insurance.

 

Have you ever cursed on finding you've scratched your car, or returned to your vehicle to find a dent in its side and no apology note? The bills for even a minor scratch can amount to hundreds of pounds, and rocket to a quite staggering sum depending on the car and its finish. 

If you drive a top-of-the-range sports car, for example, you'll know that even a small scratch can come with a sky-high price tag from the repair shop.

Thankfully, there are cosmetic car insurance policies designed to cover this cost so that you don't have to claim on your standard car insurance policy. Indeed, cosmetic car insurance can plug the gap that exists because the voluntary and mandatory excesses on your main policy, when combined, add up to more than the cost of the repair.

MoneySupermarket has teamed up with specialist insurer Protect Your Bubble to provide a cosmetic car insurance policy.

What is the advantage of cosmetic car insurance?

Additionally, if you have a cosmetic car insurance policy, you can also make claims for minor bodywork damage without losing the no-claims discount on your traditional policy. Building up a no-claims history is a valuable asset for drivers wanting to keep motor insurance premium costs down, so you don't want to throw this away to sort out a minor cosmetic fault.

Double Bubble

There are two types of cosmetic car insurance policy available from Protect Your Bubble. There is the 'Scratch and Dent' cosmetic car insurance policy, costing £149.99 a year and providing cover for up to three claims, and the 'Scratch, Dent and Alloy' policy at £179.99.
This offers the same cover, but also includes up to four claims for alloy wheels a year too.

The excess on each cosmetic car insurance policy - the amount you are liable for in the event of a claim - is £50 from months one to three, and £25 thereafter, or £25 for any claims for alloy wheels. There is no maximum amount when it comes to a claim.

Both policies cover cars that are up to five years old, and with a maximum car mileage of 60,000. However, you can't claim for the first 30 days from when you buy the policy in the first year.

Also, particularly large scratches and dents might not be covered - so check the terms of the policy. For example, chips that are larger than 1.5cm in diameter, and 3mm deep won't be covered.

Certain paint finishes are also excluded from cover, and alloy wheels must be the manufacturer's standard version.

You must be the registered owner of the vehicle in the UK, and the car cannot be a lease purchase.

 

Source: MoneySupermarket