Alloy Wheel Insurance

Diamond Cut & Laser Cut Wheels Covered

Updated 8th February 2019

Alloy Wheel Insurance is a supplementary policy that can pay the repair costs incurred to cosmetically repair any damage to your alloy wheels caused by accidental damage.

Alloy wheels can be expensive to repair and due to the nature of modern day driving can be damaged very quickly, often by the term called kerbing. This is where, in the process of parking your vehicle, you accidentally scrape the wheel against the paving stone leaving a scuffed rim to the alloy. Our Shortfall policy can cover the cost of cosmetic repairs, providing a 'good as new' look to your pride and joy. 

Key Policy Features | Shortfall.co.uk

1. Up to 3 Claims Per Year
2. No Excess to Pay
3. Up to £150 per repair covered
4. Diamond Cut, Laser Cut, Painted, and Standard finish Wheels
5. Up to 22 inch Alloy Wheels can be covered
6. 'A' Rated Underwriter - insurance coverage by MAPFRE
7. Nationwide repair network

Why buy cover?

There are many reasons why you would use Alloy Wheel protection for your car, including;

1. The ability to maintain the maximum value for your vehicle by keeping it in 'tip-top' cosmetic condition. Unsightly damage to the wheel rims can not only be annoying but also have a detrimental effect on the value of your vehicle. 

2. To avoid fines or 'hand back' fees that may be levied should you return your vehicle, with damaged alloys, at the end of a lease or PCP Finance agreement to your motor dealer, franchise manufacturer or leasing company.

3. To ensure that the alloy wheel remains safe to use. By ignoring apparent surface scuffing you may not be aware of any internal cracking to the alloy which, although the policy will not pay to repair, the technician will be able to make you aware of so you can take steps to change the alloy.

What is covered?

Within the period of your insurance, our policy can cover the cost of a cosmetic repair resulting from accidental damage which has occurred to the alloy wheels of your vehicle.

Please note features described below are for Shortfall branded cover purchased from 1/3/17. If your policy was purchased prior to that date please refer to your original policy terms and conditions.

Policy Cover and Features include:

1. Up to 3 claims per 12 month period of cover. This means up to 6 claims for a 24 month policy and up to 9 claims for a 36 month policy.
2. NO EXCESS payable per claim.
3. Covers repairs within the United Kingdom. Repairs cannot be attended to where damage occurs in the EU for example.
4. Repairs are arranged by the claims team at your home or place of work. If this is not possible the claim can be referred to a specialist with the approval of the claims team.
5. Up to £150 cost per repair as a maximum settlement.
6. Cover for DIAMOND OR LASER CUT ALLOYS INCLUDED.
7. An initial waiting period of 30 days from policy purchase. During this waiting period no claims will be honoured by the insurer for damage occurred in that period.
8. A full 30 day 'cooling off' period from policy purchase. This means you can cancel, with a full refund, within 30 days of the policy purchase if no claims have been attempted.
9. A pro rata refund, less a £35 cancellation fee, if the policy is cancelled outside the 30 day 'cooling off' period as long as no claims have been attempted.
10. Policy underwritten by an 'A' rated insurer who provides similar products for many motor manufacturers currently.
11. All claims processed by the insurers own administration team based in Bristol.
12. Policy cover for up to 3 years. The policy is not renewable, extendable or transferable to a new owner of the vehicle.
13. Cover available for cars up to 8 years old and less than 80,000 miles (please note both parameters must not be exceeded) at the time of policy purchase.
14. Cover available for alloy wheels up to 22 inches in diameter.
15. Shortfall Alloy Wheel Insurance can be bought independently. There is no requirement for you to buy Gap Insurance, Tyre Insurance, Scratch and Dent Insurance or Motor Excess Insurance from Shortfall as well in order to qualify for a purchase.

PLEASE NOTE THAT SHORTFALL BRANDED COVER PURCHASED AFTER 1/3/17 ALSO ALLOW COVER FOR DIAMOND AND LASER CUT ALLOY WHEELS.

The key features above do not constitute the policy key facts or full terms and conditions. To see these in full please click the following links:

Alloy Wheel Insurance Terms and Conditions                 Alloy Wheel Insurance Key Facts

Your Alloy Wheel Policy will not cover you for?

Like any insurance policy, there are terms, conditions and exclusions to the cover provided by Shortfall.co.uk. The key exclusions are detailed below. Please note this list is not exhaustive and you can check the full policy terms via the links at the bottom of the section.

Please note features described below are for Shortfall branded cover purchased from 1/3/17. If your policy was purchased prior to that date please refer to your original policy terms and conditions.

Key policy exclusions

1. Any claim made within the first 30 days of buying the policy. This 'waiting period' must pass before any incident that leads to a claim will be deemed as valid.
2. Any costs of cosmetic repair of the alloy wheel exceeding £150.
3. Where the alloy wheel is split rim, chrome rim, multi piece or chrome finished
4. Where the alloy wheel size exceeds 22 inch in diameter.
5. Where the vehicle is not a car. Motorbikes, Quadbikes, Sidecars, Buses, Coaches etc are excluded from cover.
6. Where the vehicle is used for emergency services, hire and reward, self drive hire or driving instruction.
7. Where you have proceeded with a repair without authorisation of the claims team.
8. Any additional costs except those incurred in the cosmetic repair of the alloy. For example any transportation costs of the alloy to a repairer would not be covered. Other examples would include personal travel expenses or loss of earnings.
9. Pre existing damage on the alloy. Any damage that occurred prior to the policy purchase would not be covered.
10. Vehicles with Gross Vehicle Weight exceeding 3500kg.
11. A vehicle used for the motor trade in any capacity. This would include any vehicle covered by a motor trade insurance policy
12. Any vehicle manufactured by AC, Ascari KZ1, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bristol, Bugatti, Caterham, Daimler, De Tomaso, Dodge SRT10 models, Ferrari, Ford GT models, Gumpert Apollo, Honda NSX models Invicta, Jensen, Lamborghini, Lister, Lotus, Maserati, Marcos, Maybach, McLaren, Morgan, Noble, Pagani Zonda, Rolls Royce, TVR, or Westfield
13. Any 'after market' alloy fitted to your car. Only manufacturer original specification alloys can be covered.

Should you wish to check the full policy terms and conditions you can do so by following these links:

Terms and Conditions             Key Facts

IF YOU HAVE DIAMOND OR LASER CUT ALLOYS AND YOU REQUIRE FURTHER OPTIONS FOR FACTORY REFURBISHMENT AND REPLACEMENT COST CONTRIBUTION PLEASE TRY OUR SISTER WEBSITE TOTALLOSSGAP.CO.UK FOR A QUOTE

How to make an Alloy Wheel claim?

If you need to make an alloy wheel claim, please contact the claims administrator or arrange for a repairer.

For Shortfall branded policies purchased after 1st March 2017 please contact the claims administrator at Abraxas Insurance Administration Services on 0330 400 1657.

For Shortfall branded policies purchased prior to 1st March 2017 then please contact the claims administrator at MB&G Insurance by telephoning 0191 258 8135 to proceed with a claim under your policy.

Please take a photograph of the damage on the alloy wheel so this can be sent to the claims team. 

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HAVE ANY REPAIR UNDERTAKEN TO YOUR ALLOY WHEEL WITHOUT GETTING PRIOR AUTHORISATION FROM THE CLAIMS TEAM.

You may be required to provide the following information:

Advise us of your policy number and vehicle details;

A daytime contact number;

The cause of damage to your alloy wheel;

Depending on the nature of your claim we may ask you to provide the following additional information:

Confirmation of the tread depth of the damage tyre(s);

Itemised repair/replacement costs;

Valid crime reference number in the case of malicious damage;

Location for the attendance of an approved repairer for repairs relating to alloy wheels; Please note the repairer will require a safe location to undertake a repair (not a location such as on a public road) and may need access to a power source.

A typical claim

Mrs Smith travels into work and in attempting to park her car he accidentally scrapes the off side rear wheel, kerbing it on the the pavement. Upon inspecting the wheel she can see that she has scraped the top surface off the alloy wheel, leaving a nasty scuff in its place.

Mrs Smith takes a photograph of the damage on her Smart Phone and logs on to her Shortfall account to retrieve her documents. As per the claims procedure in the policy documents, the policyholder contacts the claims team who discus the damage with him. Mrs Smith emails the photograph of the damage to the claims team. It is apparent that the damage is such that could be repaired by a mobile technician and therefore would be covered under the policy.

The claims team contact a local repairer to Mrs Smith, who then in turn arranges a suitable appointment to go to the customers house to repair the wheel. The repairer checks with the policyholder that there is a safe place to perform the repair (a driveway) and there is a source of electricity if required.

Mrs Smith is delighted that there is no excess for her to pay on the claim, and the repairer attends the appointment as agreed. The alloy wheel is removed from the vehicle and repaired by the SMART process. The repairer puts the alloy wheel on the vehicle and gets the policyholder to inspect the repair to ensure it is to her satisfaction. 

The repair is completed at no cost to Mrs Smith as the entire process is covered by her policy.

Looking for cover for diamond or laser cut alloys?

If you have diamond or laser cut alloys, or even if you are unsure, then the great news is that Shortfall cover purchased from 1st March 2017 DOES cover diamond and laser cut alloys for the cost a cosmetic repair to the alloy. Shortfall Alloy Wheel policies purchased prior to that date exclude diamond and laser cut alloys.

The our Shortfall policy is limited to a repair by a mobile, approved repairer, who will attend an appointment at your home or place of work. If the mobile repairer cannot repair the damage (perhaps where a full factory refurbishment is required or where the damage has rendered the alloy wheel unsafe) then no claim can be processed with the Shortfall policy.

If you would prefer extra options for the provision or a full factory refurbishment, or a contribution towards the cost of a replacement alloy when the original is beyond repair then our sister website at Total Loss Gap does provide an alloy wheel insurance from another insurer, that does provide cover for diamond and laser cut alloys, with these additional features built in also. If you would like to find out more about that cover please follow this link - Diamond & laser cut alloy wheel insurance

Or for a quote on alternative cover from Total Loss Gap please follow this link - Click for a quote

Who underwrites your policy at Shortfall?

Your policy is arranged by Aequitas Automotive Limited trading as Shortfall.co.uk.

If your policy has been arranged after the 01/03/2017 your policy is underwritten by MAPFRE Asistencia and the claims administrator are the insurers own team at Abraxas Insurance Administration Services Limited, based in Bristol.

MAPFRE have been providing a range of ancillary motor insurance products, including Gap, Tyre, Alloy Wheel and Cosmetic Repair Insurance for many years in the UK market. Indeed MAPFRE are current underwriters for many manufacturer backed products available in motor dealers today. 

MAPFRE hold a current 'A' credit rating for financial strength.

The claims administration is undertaken by MAPFRE group company Abraxas Insurance Administration Services Ltd, with the team based at the MAPFRE headquarters in the UK in Bristol. The fact that the claims team and UK underwriters are based under one roof is rare in the marketplace, but offers, in our opinion, a distinct advantage in claims processing in having both parties within a close physical proximity. 

For older Shortfall branded policies

If your policy was arranged prior to the 1/3/2017 the underwriter for your policy will have been UK General on behalf of Ageas Insurance. However, please refer to your policy documentation for further clarification or contact a member of the customer services team on 0800 195 4926/0151 647 7556. 

All policies are backed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the UK and we as a provider are of course regulated by the FCA.

This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA's website at www.fca.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions for Alloy Wheel cover from Shortfall.co.uk

Like all insurance policies there are a number of terms, conditions eligibility criteria and exclusions that give rise to a range of typical questions we are asked. Here are a number of questions and answers that may help your understanding of the cover.

1. When am I valid to buy an Alloy cover from Shortfall.co.uk? - You must buy the policy within 30 days of buying the vehicle from a VAT registered motor dealer.
2. What are the maximum size of alloy wheels that are covered? - The maximum diameter of alloy wheel that we will cover is 22 inches.
3. What policy periods are covered? - We offer either a 2 or 3 year policy term.
4. Can a Wheel policy be extended or renewed? No, you must buy the policy within 30 days of the vehicle purchase so this factor cannot be met if you renew after 2 or 3 years.
5. What type of vehicles can be covered? We only provide Wheel Insurance for cars.
6. Are there any excluded manufacturers that the Alloy Wheel Insurance will not cover? - Yes, the list of excluded manufacturers and models is as follows: AC, Ascari KZ1, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bristol, Bugatti, Caterham, Daimler, De Tomaso, Dodge SRT10 models, Ferrari, Ford GT models, Gumpert Apollo, Honda NSX models Invicta, Jensen, Lamborghini, Lister, Lotus, Maserati, Marcos, Maybach, McLaren, Morgan, Noble, Pagani Zonda, Rolls Royce, TVR, or Westfield
7. Are there any vehicle uses excluded from cover? - Yes you cannot use the vehicle in conjunction with any motor trade activity (including being insured on a motor trade policy), any 'hire and reward', driving tuition, racing, rallying, use as an emergency vehicle are all examples of excluded cover. Please refer to the policy terms and conditions for further details.
8. What are the maximum age and mileage of vehicle that you can cover? - the maximum vehicle age must be no more than 8 years old and the maximum mileage covered must be no more than 80,000 miles. Both these maximums must not be exceeded at the time you buy the policy. You can be covered if the vehicle has exceeded these parameters at the time you make a claim, as long as they were not exceeded on the day you buy the policy.
9. What does the policy cover me for? The policy covers the costs of a cosmetic repair to your alloy wheel following accidental damage to the wheel. Typically this will occur when you 'kerb' and alloy wheel leaving a scuff on the surface.
10. Is there an excess to pay? - No excess is payable for any claim on the wheel cover we have provided since 1/3/17 via MAPFRE.
11. What is the maximum number of claims I can make? - You are allowed a maximum of 3 claims per 12 month period of cover.
12. If I scrape the front and rear alloy wheel at the same time how many claims does this make? - As there are two separate areas of damage then this would count as 2 claims on the policy.
13. How am I protected? - the underwriter, MAPFRE, carry a current 'A' credit rating so it is unlikely that the insurer should fail financially. However even if that unlikely event was to occur then the policy is protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the UK.
14. How is the alloy wheel repaired? - The alloy wheel will be repaired by a SMART process by a qualified and approved repairer. The claims team will normally nominate the UK wide specialist Revive who will arrange for their local representative to perform the repair.
15. Is there a maximum claim cost per repair? Yes, the maximum repair cost is £150.
16. What happens if the alloy wheel cannot be repaired? If a repair is not possible then the policy does not allow for any contribution for a replacement alloy. Should you wish to explore a policy that does have that feature then please try our sister website at Totallossgap.co.uk.
17. Is there an initial exclusion period on the policy? - Yes, the policy will not cover any damage that occurs within the first 30 days of buying the policy.
18. How do I make a claim? If you scrape your alloy then we would ask that you take a picture of the damage and call the claims team at MAPFRE on 0330 400 1639. They will arrange for you to send in the picture for them to access. If the claim is valid then they will arrange for a local repairer to call you to arrange a suitable appointment for a repair.
19. Where do repairs take place? - We would look to arrange a repair at your home, or place of work, whichever is the most suitable for you.
20. What facilities will the repairer need? - Paramount is a safe place to repair the alloy. If you live on a busy main road then this may not be safe at all. Ideally a driveway or a works car park would be ideal and provide a safe environment. The repairer may also require a power source so an electric point in the vacinity of the repair would be perfect.
21. Is the premium quoted a 'one off' payment or an annual premium? If your run a quote for three years ,for example, then the price you are quoted is a one off payment for the entire period, inclusive or Insurance Premium Tax.
22. Can I buy a Shortfall Alloy Wheel Insurance policy as a 'stand alone' or must I buy other policies as well? - There is no requirement for you to buy GAP, Tyre, Cosmetic Repair or Motor Excess Insurance from Shortfall in order to buy the Alloy Wheel Insurance too. However, if you were interested in Tyre Insurance as well then you can buy a Combined Tyre and Alloy Wheel Insurance that provides all of the features of the individual products but costs less than the two products bought individually.
23. If I purchase a policy, how can I access my policy documents? -If you buy the policy online then you will be invited to set up an account on the system. When you do this you will be able to access your documents via the 'i' icon you see when you log in. The download links are on the next page. If you buy the policy over the phone then we will set up the account for you but also provide a postal copy of the documents if you wish. Either way you will also receive an email confirmation of cover, with access to your documents via download links in the email.

If you have a vehicle listed in the excluded manufacturers section of this policy, contact a member of the customer service team on 0800 195 4926/0151 647 7556 to see if we could provide alternative cover.