Scratch and dent cover: small repairs without a big claim

Who it suits

It suits a car you want to keep looking new, especially one parked on the street, in a shared complex or in busy shopping-centre car parks, and a car coming up for a trade-in, where cosmetic damage comes straight off the price. It suits a leased or financed car that must be returned in good condition. It works alongside comprehensive insurance rather than instead of it: a plan pays for a repair small enough to be done in a day, typically a panel or two, and anything larger is a normal insurance claim. Most plans are for cars under a certain age and require the damage to be reported within a set time.

What the insurer will ask, and why

These are the questions on our form for scratch & dent, with what the insurer does with each answer. Nothing here is optional guesswork: every question exists because a licensed insurer needs it to quote.

Year of manufacture

Vehicle age and value.

Make

Rating by make and model (panel and paint cost).

Model

Roughly what is it worth today?

Sum insured band.

Do you already have comprehensive car insurance?

Scratch and dent is normally sold as an add-on to comprehensive cover.

How many claims a year would suit you?

Premium is priced on the claim frequency limit chosen.

What kind of damage are you usually covering? (optional)

Damage type mix informs plan selection.

Where is it parked at night?

Parking exposure affects cosmetic damage frequency.

Postal code

Area rating is a factor in cosmetic damage frequency.

Your date of birth

Age is the primary rating factor across every product.

Which province do you live in?

Regional risk and pricing tables.

Town or suburb (optional)

Postal-code rating for short-term products; language and dialect hints for call centres.

What best describes your work situation?

Affordability and, for income products, insurability.

Do you have a bank account you can pay from by debit order?

Collection method.

Questions people ask