So you’ve just had a spin in your potential new car, infact you look so good in it you know with certainty that you are going to buy it, all that’s left to do is deal with the paperwork, sign up to the GAP insurance and arrange a collection date.

But lets just rewind a moment and consider the GAP insurance. The first question is, what does GAP insurance actually mean?  The answer, Guaranteed Asset Protection.

Image: cjansuebsri / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In a nutshell, whether you purchase your vehicle by cash, finance or lease hire, GAP insurance covers you for the short fall between the insurance payout and either the invoice price or finance agreement (depending on how you made the purchase) if the vehicle is written off.

Lets also consider this fact; the moment that you drive off the garage forecourt in your lovely new vehicle it starts to depreciate at an alarming rate, in fact after 3 years the vehicle is likely to be worth only around 40% of its original list price. Horrendous when you consider the original price of the vehicle and the fact that you will only be recompensed the market price of the vehicle by your insurer. To add further insult to injury, you will still be financially liable for the shortfall.

GAP insurance is an invaluable product that provides you with peace of mind should you ever find yourself in this unpleasant situation. Here at A1 Insurance we are exceptional pleased with our choice of GAP provider due to the exceptional quality of the product coupled with, what we believe, is the best price on the market.

Let the car sales man finish his spiel, ask him for a few extras and a couple of air fresheners, but ask us for a GAP insurance quote, after all nobody wants to pay more than they have to.

For more information and advice on GAP Insurance give our team a call on 01937 581417.

Winter is well and truly here with many of us in the North having experienced our first flurries of snow!  We all think we will never get caught out if it snows but is it really worth taking that risk?  Why not consider putting together the following items into an Emergency Kit* to keep in your vehicle while your out and about.

• Ice Scraper and De-Icer
• Torch and spare batteries – or a wind up torch
• Warm clothes and blankets – for you and all passengers
• Boots
• First aid kit
• Jump leads
• A shovel
• Road atlas
• Sunglasses (the glare off snow can be dazzling)

*Recommended by the Highways Agency

1.3 million people are killed in public road accidents every year.

Don’t become a statistic.

Unless immediate and effective action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to become the 5th leading cause of death worldwide.
Take control, and don’t let yourself become part of that statistic. The most simple safety precautions, such as those detailed on the link below, are often those that will save your life.

Safe Driving Tips

The answer is simple! A motor fleet policy is a way of arranging your vehicles in to one single policy which not only offers ease of administration but can also work out cheaper than insuring all your vehicles individually.

A motor fleet policy can start at as few as 3 vehicles and can include any combination, cars, vans, trucks and plant equipment.  We can include drivers of any age, enhance cover and reduce cover on individual vehicles; in fact we can tailor any policy to suit your needs.

If you’ve not considered a motor fleet policy before then why not give our dedicated team of specialist a call today for a cost effective, no fuss solution to your motoring needs.  If you have an existing policy, why not let us give you a review as we’re experts at strategic marketing.

A1 Insurance – happy to go that extra mile!

This week Jeannie Keenoy provides an insight into our renewal process.

From left to right - Ian, Alan, Jacqui, Jeannie, Jean and Jaimme

“Let me begin by introducing you to our Renewal Team, Jacqui, Jaimme, Jean and myself, by sheer coincidence we are all J’s.  What is not a coincidence is that we are a strong team who have a vast amount of product knowledge and more importantly we really get to know what our customers want and need.

Some of our customers have been with us a long time and that’s just the way we like it.  It gives us chance to tailor make our policies and ensure that they give the exact level of cover required.  Our renewal process accounts for a large chunk of our working day and that’s to be expected.  Not only do we compare the price but also the level of cover and the suitability of the insurance company in question; if it’s a reasonable alternative with an excellent company then great, if it’s cheap and exposes you to any kind of risk then it’s immediately discarded.  When we know that we have done the best job for you, we can sleep easy at night!

We live in a fast paced, expect-everything-in-an-instant era, which is great for coffee but insurance is something that you can’t afford to take a risk with, that’s why we’re here, to guide you through the minefield.  It doesn’t matter to us if it’s new business or old business, it’s your business that matters to us.”

If you require a more personal service then give us a call on 01937 581417.

This week Ian Darnbrook looks at the benefits of taking out Learner Driver Cover over adding an additional driver to your current policy.

“We all know that once your child reaches 17 years of age the first thing that they want to do is learn how to drive, what they don’t appreciate is how expensive it is to accomplish just that.

To add your child as a provisional driver on to your car policy can increase your annual premium by thousands.  A better option for you as a parent is to take out our Learner Driver Cover.  This additional insurance covers your vehicle whilst your child is learning to drive.  Cover can be arranged from one to five months, can be renewed and starts from as little as £109.  Besides the low cost benefits, if there are any ‘unfortunate incidents’ you can claim against your Learner Driver Cover and not against your own policy, thereby protecting your no claims bonus.

Really it’s a win win situation for both parents and the kids.  Another great solution from A1 Insurance.”

If you’d like more information please contact me on 01937 581417 or complete your details online.”

We were really pleased to receive a recommendation this week from Sally Rasmussen of Rasmus Design and Rasmus Living.

Sally said “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ian, he has saved me a great deal of money with both business and personal insurance over the last 12 months. He and his colleagues are easy to deal with and assess what the real needs are – it’s seriously good, old fashioned personal service – Ian makes everything easy – great news for busy people!”

Last week Ian received a great recommendation on LinkedIn from Dan Curston at Clean Energy.

Dan said “Awesome service, attention to detail, cover and confidence in policy product, my renewal can’t be better placed than in his hands, we do compare annually, still the one on top, A1 Insurance for all our workplace to motoring needs.”

What more could we ask for!

Homesitters could save you money!

Oak Underwriting are offering policyholders a discount on their renewal if they use the services of Homesitters  Ltd.

When you’re away Homesitters will stay in your home and look after everything – pets, garden, security – providing complete peace of mind for you, your animals and your insurers.

Homesitters’ clients take better-than-average care of their properties.  They plan ahead; they are prepared to spend substantial sums to protect their homes and possessions; and they are likely to make fewer claims.

In recognition of this,  insurers such as Oak Underwriting will consider Homesitters’ service within their underwriting criteria.  In addition, many will give premium reductions off household insurances to those policyholders who use their services.

For more information get in touch or call 01937 581417.