How to Claim from your Gap Insurance

You took out your APG Cover Gap Insurance so that if your car is ever declared a total loss, you’d have cover when you really need it. None of us wants to be in a position that we need to make a claim, because it’s stressful to have your car written off in an accident, or stolen, and be left without transport… and then, on top of all that, to have to deal with a long and complicated claims process.

That’s why we’ve done everything in our power to make this as simple and stress-free as possible. We want you to enjoy the peace of mind you anticipated when you took out your cover, and pay your claim out swiftly, directly to you with mere days. That’s what you’ll appreciate about being an APG Cover policy holder.

Please follow these simple steps to get your claim started… then we’ll do the rest.

Need to register a new claim?

It’s best to register your claim as soon as possible, and definitely before you accept any settlement offer from your insurer. We’ve given you a few options to do this, so you can select the one that suits you best:

Visit apapp.co.uk and follow the steps to start your claim.
Download the AutoProtect App on your smartphone by searching for “AutoProtect GAP”.
Text the word APAPP to 88802, and we’ll send you a link via SMS to download our claims app (Texts are charged at your standard network rate).

Below you’ll find details of when to start your claim and what information you’ll need, as well as answers to many other questions.

Want to follow up on an existing claim?

If you have any questions about a current claim, please feel free to call our claims managers, who will be happy to assist:

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, or Saturday 9am – 1pm
Please note that calls are charged at local rates

Alternatively, you can email your questions to us, and we’ll respond during office hours:

Claims FAQ

Knowing how confusing it can sometimes be, we’ve put together some helpful FAQs to assist you in how to claim from your car Gap Insurance. However, if you don’t find what you’re looking for here, please feel free to give us a call:

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, or Saturday 9am – 1pm
Please note that calls are charged at local rates

Alternatively, you can email your questions to us, and we’ll respond during office hours:

When should I start my Gap Insurance claim?

Please contact us as soon as possible after the incident, to avoid any unnecessary delays in paying your Gap insurance claim.

Motor insurers generally make a low settlement offer to begin with, and most of us aren’t experienced enough to manage these delicate negotiations. That’s why we make our expertise available to you. Our Claims Team will manage this for you and use their vast amount of knowledge and experience to get the best outcome for you, making sure you won’t be left out of pocket. So, before you accept any settlement offer from your motor insurer, please give our Claims Team the opportunity to review it so you can be certain it reflects the true value of your loss.

What information will I need?

You will need to have the following information handy:

The reason for the total loss.
Your original car purchase VAT invoice that states the invoice number, the date of purchase, your details, your vehicle details, and the price you paid for your car, including any listed extras.
If you bought your car from a private individual, and don’t have a VAT invoice, don’t worry, we can still help you out. See ‘What if I don’t have a VAT invoice’ below.
If you bought your policy through a third party, you’ll need proof of payment of your Gap Insurance premium. This is generally supplied by the retailer, or may be stated on your finance agreement.
A valid crime reference number, which you will get from the Police when you report the incident.
Details of the finance settlement amount including the outstanding balance, remaining term, interest charges, etc., which must be supplied to us within 30 days of the claims incident, and can be obtained by you from your lender.

If you’re waiting for any of the above documents, you should still report the claim to us, and then supply the documents as soon as you receive them.

How will you manage my claim?

Our aim is to make your claim as fast and stress free as possible. Managing claims efficiently takes qualified and experienced professionals, that’s why we’ve appointed the specialist claims management company, AutoProtect (MBI) Ltd., to manage your claim experience and deliver fast settlement.

What if I don’t have a VAT invoice?

If you purchased your car from a private individual and don’t have a VAT invoice, we’ll check the value of your car in Glass’s Guide and use that to determine your claim pay out.

What is Glass’s Guide?

Glass’s Guide was launched in 1933 and has been the motor insurance industry’s leading vehicle valuation guide for over 80 years, for third party valuation. It allows us to get an accurate valuation for your car from the date it was purchased.

Since both your motor insurer and APG Cover will use the same independent valuation system, you can rest assured that your car’s depreciation will have been monitored and recorded accurately and reliably.

How will my claim be handled?

All of our Gap Insurance claims are managed in the UK, by the expert claims team of Autoprotect Limited. They manage all claims with expert attention and settle all valid claims within days.

All of their claims team go through intensive training, and their dedicated and experienced claims handlers and loss adjusters will provide you with the assurance that your claim will be handled efficiently and effectively, from the very first notification of your loss, to desk and field-based validation, through to claims resolution and associated reporting.

Can I claim on my Gap Insurance even when I’m at fault?

You can still claim on your APG Cover Gap Insurance policy if you are the responsible party in the accident that causes your car to be a total loss, and it isn’t a consideration when calculating your claim settlement amount.

Should I accept the settlement offer from my motor insurer?

Please contact our claims team before you accept a settlement offer from your motor insurer, so that we can help you by negotiating with them on your behalf, to avoid you being left out of pocket.

Motor Insurers will typically make an low offer of settlement in the first instance, and generally the average car owner isn’t experienced enough to handle these negotiations to get the best outcome. Knowing this, we make our claims team available to you to manage this for you, so you can be certain your settlement will reflect an accurate value of your loss.

Who will you pay in the event of a claim?

Your Gap Insurance policy settlement will be made directly to you, and not to the dealer or the lender. We’ll contact you to ask for your bank details via a secure link as soon as we’re ready to settle your claim.

How quickly will you pay my claim?

We appreciate the negative impact of your car being written off and the financial strain this can place on you and your family. So, we do everything in our power to make the claim process is as stress-free as possible.

In addition, we are totally committed to treating our customers fairly, and this means effective claims resolution and fast payment of claims, generally within days of receiving all of your required documents.

Would I get compensation if you’re unable to pay my claim?

Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited, who underwrite your policy are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This means that if the Insurer isn’t able to meet its responsibilities, you will protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

You can obtain further information about this compensation scheme at www.fscs.org.uk, link to this url or by emailing them at enquiries@fscs.org.uk, or by calling them on 0800 678 1100.

When might my Gap Insurance not pay out?

Your APG Cover policy, details the circumstances that you cannot claim for, including the vehicle being declared a total loss as a result of:

Your policy terms will provide a full list of these exclusions.

Combined Gap Insurance Plus

If you’d like a copy of your existing policy wording, please email us at email@apgcover.co.uk or call us on 0208 543 6006 during office hours.