[Mini Pel]

looking at gap ins on auto trader and there are 2 types
back to invoice plus+
and
vehicle replacement plus+
the quote for me comes out at 195 and 191 respectively
i am buying my mini one on finance which is the best to go for?

should i try to get mini to match or beat the price?

not sure about mini gap but i had it on my last mini sure it cost me 750 on a £23500 clubman

as budget it tight looking to save a few quid

 

[Totallyrandom]

My understanding (having looked into it a couple of years ago when I got a policy for a second hand car I bought) is vehicle replacement will pay for a like for like replacement, whilst back to invoice makes sure you get back 100% of what you paid for the car... All only if it's written off though. I'd always go with back to invoice but you have to decide which is better for you. With finance on the car back to invoice (which mentions finance on its page) may be a good idea but read all the info on the site

It has been mentioned on here that GAP only kicks in in Year 2 as normal insurance covers the first year (profiteroles being an example) but I don't know if that's the case with all policies. And you can only purchase ALA in the first year anyway...

Regardless which policy you choose, buy through Quidco or Topcashback for 10% of the premium back

 

[profiteroles]

My understanding (having looked into it a couple of years ago when I got a policy for a second hand car I bought) is vehicle replacement will pay for a like for like replacement, whilst back to invoice makes sure you get back 100% of what you paid for the car... All only if it's written off though. I'd always go with back to invoice but you have to decide which is better for you. With finance on the car back to invoice (which mentions finance on its page) may be a good idea but read all the info on the site

It has been mentioned on here that GAP only kicks in in Year 2 as normal insurance covers the first year (profiteroles being an example) but I don't know if that's the case with all policies. And you can only purchase ALA in the first year anyway...

Regardless which policy you choose, buy through Quidco or Topcashback for 10% of the premium back

I can vouch for the insurance covering the first year bit - mine was written off 17 days after I took delivery and I got the balance of my invoice amount back after the insurer settled the finance. Given I hadn't even made my first payment, that was basically the same as the deposit I put down (I think they had charged about £20 in interest).

Now waiting for my replacement to be built with a few more extras on (paid the difference myself).

 

[MAC99]

I have bought GAP insurance twice now with ALA.
All I can say is that the price is very competitive and beats the Mini quote by miles, also if you pick up the phone the people at ALA are really nice and helpful. They make a point in saying that the staff are salaried and not on commission.
I had my last insurance for two years until I part ex'd the car, and they give a pro-rata discount on the unused premium. What is more is that you can lower the initial outlay by paying over 10 months by instalments (ok there is a bit of interest but it is not very much).
I cannot praise the people at ALA enough for their customer service and advice.
However the final verdict is when it comes to paying out time, and hopefully I will never have the occasion to find out!

 

[culprit]

I had a quote in hand from Autotrader when I went to pick the MCS up; BMW FS matched the quote....back to invoice for the length of term of finance.

 

[Mini Pel]

thanks for the replies
will try to get mini to price match back to invoice quote
on monday

 

[Badger61]

I'm a licensed insurance agent in Indianapolis. I strongly recommend GAP insurance for at least the first two years of new car ownership, and longer if you can afford it. But beware. The cost is usually much higher from dealers & lenders than it is from your independent insurance agent. Shop it carefully. Your wallet will thank you. --Badger

 

[jeremybingham]

In the uk most insurers cover you for the first year. According to the press it is the least used insurance and worst value for money full stop. I leave you to make your own decisions.

 

[JohnWB]

You want the vehicle replacement plus+ one as that gives you a new car. The back to invoice only gives you the original price for the car.
I got MINI to match the ALA price which was about £165 for 3 years, plus they pay your insurance excess which is about £200 I think.

 

[Herr_Vents]

Yes, MINI dealers when pushed will match or come down a **** of a long way from their published price. The people that pay full give them the room to come down for those of us who are happily cheap enough to ask.

The finance bloke at the MINI dealer I went to was spectacularly good humoured about it, and it's lovely when you've got someone who happily likes a game. I emailed him a few weeks after getting the car and said "Come on, what's the real price of the GAP insurance" and his reply was "Which of the fake prices was it I gave you?"

I told him what ALA were quoting and said get near that and I'll take it, and that day he came back twenty or thirty quid adrift. Ordinarily I would have pushed for a exact match, but I liked his attitude!

But as people have mentioned, when you buy a three year policy - certainly in the UK anyway - you're only really paying for two years of cover, as I have been told it is generally accepted your insurer will give you your purchase price back in year one should anything happen. I wouldn't want to rely on that though.