Qualification Standards4
Up to the longest time permitted, GAP must have the same duration as the finance or leasing agreement.
Only transferable if the original finance or lease agreement is changed. The original loan or leasing agreement will be transferred to the new owner.
Within 30 days of purchase, you can cancel your GAP and get a full refund. Unless a claim has been made, or unless state law specifies otherwise. Please consult your agreement from the time of purchase or contact your dealer about cancellation policies that extend beyond 30 days or state requirements. After cancellation, your GAP cannot be reinstated.
Note: Depending on when the Agreement was purchased, the benefits described below may change or somewhat differ.
In This Article...
Can you ever cancel your gap insurance?
- If your financed or leased car is totaled or stolen, gap insurance pays out your loan.
- Unlike auto insurance, gap insurance is not mandated by law, and you are free to discontinue it at any time.
- Once your loan debt is less than the actual cash value of your car, it is frequently wise to terminate your gap insurance.
- When a driver purchases gap insurance in advance, they may be eligible for a return.
- Gap insurance products are available from motor insurance companies, finance companies, and dealerships.
Is my gap warranty refundable?
It may take some effort to navigate your dealership’s return policy for gap insurance. You’ll need to get in touch with the dealership’s insurance provider, and you should generally wait until you have a new gap lease or loan coverage in place before canceling. Your reimbursement for the gap insurance could take a few days to several weeks to arrive. Here are the requirements for terminating a dealership’s gap insurance.
Locate your vehicle purchase agreement from the dealer
Make sure you have copies of the documents you signed when you purchased your car. Ask the dealership for duplicates if you can’t find them. They might be able to send you copies by email, which can save you time.
Contact the dealer’s gap lease or loan insurance provider
Ask the organization you are now insured by what has to be done to terminate your gap insurance. The request for cancellation may need to be in writing, but you might be able to scan, email, or fax it instead.
Provide your current contact information
Make sure the insurance provider for the dealership has your most recent address. Without it, the check can be delivered to a former address.
Purchase alternate gap lease or loan coverage now
Before canceling your current policy, get in touch with your American Family representative and make a purchase so that the coverage is activated. Before canceling your old policy, make sure to find out the specific dates when your new coverage will go into effect to ensure that there won’t be any gaps in coverage while you switch providers.
Sign and return all required paperwork promptly
To speed up the procedure, make sure all paperwork is signed and returned as soon as it is received.
You will be able to pay for the insurance in a method that is convenient for you if you purchase your gap lease or loan coverage from American Family. The cheque you get from the dealership’s insurance group can be directly applied to your current policy, or you can deposit the money and make monthly payments in its place.
Contact your American Family Insurance agent for an estimate when you are thinking about your gap insurance requirements. With a policy offered by a company you know and trust, you’ll experience more peace of mind.
When You Can Get a GAP Insurance Refund
Start with the positive news. You can normally cancel your GAP insurance and receive a return in one of three circumstances:
1. Your loan is being repaid.
It can be a terrific feeling to pay off your car loan and get rid of that tiresome monthly cost (including those outrageous interest payments). Better still? You are qualified for a portion of the GAP coverage that you haven’t yet used if you pay off your auto loan early. Here’s the justification for your meager return. While your loan was still open, you previously used a portion of your GAP insurance. Therefore, you will only receive a prorated refund for the portion that you haven’t yet utilized.
2. You’re transferring to a new insurance provider.
You can choose a different supplier of insurance if you’re not happy with your current one. You are qualified for a refund for the cancelled coverage you didn’t use after canceling your policy with your original provider (be sure to have new auto insurance in place before canceling the prior insurance). Normally, you can receive a full refund if you cancel your insurance within 30 days of the policy’s start date (including GAP insurance costs). Your refund will be prorated if you cancel your insurance after 30 days have passed. For information regarding your coverage, contact your insurance company.
3. You’re trading in or selling your vehicle.
You can receive a reimbursement for the portion of the coverage you didn’t utilize if you sell or trade an automobile for which you purchased GAP insurance. Don’t terminate your insurance until the vehicle has been lawfully sold or exchanged.
Here is one instance. Let’s imagine you first made the decision to purchase a $30,000 car and borrowed $25,000 to do so. In order to safeguard your financial security in the event that the car is totaled or stolen before you have had a chance to pay off your $25,000 loan, you also purchased GAP insurance for a full year. (Smart!)
You want to end your GAP insurance coverage after three months of coverage. Any of the aforementioned factors (debt payback, changing GAP insurance providers, or selling or swapping your car) could be the cause. For the nine months of the year you didn’t utilize your GAP insurance, you’ll get a refund. Nice!
An immediate reminder on reimbursements from loan payoffs: You’ll get a portion of your GAP coverage that you haven’t utilized back once you present your loan payoff notice to your GAP insurance provider. Wait until the car is either legally no longer yours or your initial loan is formally paid off, depending on why you want to terminate your GAP insurance.
When You Cannot Get a GAP Insurance Refund
fresh good news You can only receive a GAP insurance reimbursement in one circumstance. If you count not having GAP insurance at all, it makes two.
But let’s focus on the important one. You won’t be qualified for a refund for the remaining months of coverage if your insured car is deemed a total loss and your GAP policy pays out the difference between the car’s value and your loan balance. This is because the insurance company believes that they are no longer liable for paying claims under the policy because they have already met (or surpassed) their obligations under the GAP coverage you purchased.
Can you close the gap in your auto loan?
To cancel the policy if you bought gap insurance through a dealership, you’ll need to get in touch with them, usually by phone. They should also give you a prorated refund, but they might not tell you that. While you’re on the phone, inquire about a refund and confirm that you receive it.
Is purchasing gap insurance worthwhile?
Gap insurance might undoubtedly be worthwhile if there is ever a period when you owe more on your car than it is currently worth. Get gap insurance at least for the first few years of ownership if you put less than 20% down on a vehicle. You ought to owe less money on the car by that time than it is worth.
How soon can I receive my gap insurance refund?
Refunds from gap insurance often take 4-6 weeks. However, you can speed up the procedure by keeping in touch with your gap insurance provider and submitting signed documents right away.
After two years, is gap insurance still refundable?
Answer: In most cases, you can revoke gap insurance if you decide you no longer require it. Policies, terms, and costs for gap insurance vary. You must read the agreement you have with your gap insurance provider to learn how to cancel your current gap insurance coverage.
What occurs if I terminate my gap insurance?
You can usually cancel your gap insurance coverage, thus the answer is yes. However, you might not receive a complete refund depending on when you wish to cancel. Instead, a prorated refund will be given to you based on how long your policy has been in effect.
How long should gap insurance be kept?
When bought through a dealership, gap insurance is valid for the duration of the loan or lease, and when bought from a regular auto insurance provider, it is valid for the duration of the policy. Since gap insurance is useless when a car is worth more than the remaining balance on a loan or lease, it is typically only required for one to two years.
When an automobile is deemed a total loss, gap insurance covers the difference between the loan or lease sum and the car’s real cash worth. Gap insurance can save drivers from having to make payments on a car that is no longer drivable because new cars depreciate rapidly. Depreciation does, however, slow down with time, so as the automobile is paid off, the difference between the value of the vehicle and the loan or lease sum gradually vanishes.
As a result, it’s important to maintain track of your debt as well as evaluate the car’s value utilizing internet resources like Kelley Blue Book. Generally speaking, once your loan or lease payment is $1,000$2,000 less than the value of the vehicle, it makes sense to terminate gap insurance coverage.
If I have complete coverage, do I still require GAP insurance?
The majority of dealers and lenders provide GAP insurance for a one-time fee. In the event that any of the aforementioned events take place, it can be rolled into your loan to save you from having to pay out-of-pocket. You will normally need both collision and comprehensive coverage to obtain GAP insurance because lenders typically mandate that you purchase them for the duration of your lease or loan.
Only the real monetary worth of your car will be covered by your insurance policy on its own. In other words, your policy’s comprehension and collision coverage will pay for the value of your car at the time of the accident or theft. Fortunately, this policy’s add-on coverage bridges the “gap” between what you still owe on your loan or lease and the car’s reduced worth.