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.
There are many reasons why you would use Alloy Wheel protection for your car, including;
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.
To avoid fines or 'hand back' fees that may be levied should you return your vehicle, with damaged alloys, at the end of a PCP Finance agreement to your motor dealer, franchise manufacturer or finance company.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
You will be asked a series of questions and confirmations. These will include:
What type of vehicle you have? e.g. a car
Where you bought the vehicle from e.g. a VAT registered garage
The age and mileage of the vehicle, e.g. one year old, 10,000 miles
The vehicle use e.g. Social, Domestic and Pleasure
When you bought the vehicle, e.g. it has not been purchased yet, but within the next few days
How you have bought the vehicle, e.g. on a PCP finance plan
The diameter size of the alloys (in inches) e.g. 18 inches
The length of cover you require, e.g. 2 or 3 years
If you know those answers then it will take you two minutes to get a quote!