Van claims

When contacting us please make sure you quote your policy to help us deal with your enquiry more effectively.

Contact us

If you are involved in an accident or your vehicle is stolen call Claimline on 0870 240 1895 as soon as possible after the incident has occurred. Assistance is available on this number 24 hours a day. The information you will need to provide to us:

• your policy/certificate number;
• your personal details and those of the driver;
• full details of the incident and any other parties involved.

There is no need for you to fill in a claim form. Our claims handlers will do this over the phone when you call Claimline. However, we may send you the claim form so you can check the information we have recorded is correct.

Getting your vehicle repaired

If your vehicle needs to be repaired we have a nationwide network of partnership repairers who can arrange to start work on your damaged vehicle with minimum delay. Simply call Claimline and we will contact the nearest partnership repairer for you. Collection and redelivery to your home can be arranged if required. Under our partnership repairer scheme there is no need for you to obtain repair estimates or wait for an engineer's inspection.

Partnership repairers have been specially chosen by us to ensure a high standard of service and provide high quality repair work, with a 3 year warranty. Their quality is constantly under review by our own team of engineers.

Replacement vehicle

If you need the use of a vehicle while your own is being repaired we guarantee to provide you with one under our Replacement Vehicle Scheme. For full details of this scheme please refer to part B5 of your policy. This scheme is only available to comprehensive policyholders aged 21 years and over who use a partnership repairer.

When repairs are complete

The repairer will let you know when your vehicle can be collected (or arrange redelivery). If you have a replacement vehicle this must be returned at the same time. When you collect your vehicle you will need to pay the repairer any policy excess or contribution which may be applicable.

Settling your claim

If your vehicle is irreparable or repair costs exceed the market value of the vehicle and its accessories it will be considered a total loss. Once this is determined we will immediately move your vehicle to a place of free storage, so please ensure that wherever possible all your personal effects are removed from your vehicle. You should note that all total loss vehicles are placed on an industry-wide register to guard against fraud and this information is shared between insurance companies.

Before settlement can be made you will need to provide us with:

• your certificate of motor insurance;
• the vehicle registration document;
• the vehicle MOT test certificate;
• all sets of vehicle keys;
• the vehicle purchase receipt;
• details of any outstanding finance relating to the vehicle;
• any other documentation that you may wish us to take into account such as the vehicle's servicing history.

NOTE: Sending the documents to us direct will avoid any unnecessary delay in issuing your settlement cheque.

An engineer will contact you to agree a valuation for your vehicle, subject to deduction of any applicable policy excess, outstanding finance and any premium still to be paid.

Once you have accepted this amount and subject to all information and documentation being in order, we will issue you with a cheque (please allow 7 working days).

For reasons of safety and to prevent fraud, insurers actively discourage the retention of total loss vehicles by policyholders. Future insurance on such vehicles may be refused.

If your vehicle is stolen

If your vehicle is stolen and recovered with damage, it will either be repaired or a total loss payment made in the manner already
described. If the vehicle is not recovered this will also be treated as a total loss.

NOTE: We may arrange for a Groupama Representative to contact you to help us with our investigation of theft claims

Personalised number plates

If your car is stolen and not found, or declared a total loss, you should contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) as soon as possible to transfer your number plate to a replacement car.

If you fail to do this, we may not be able to pay your claim as quickly as we normally would.

Claiming for 'uninsured losses'

When you make a claim, any costs which are not included under your policy (such as your policy excess) are known as 'uninsured losses'.

If you have an accident and it is not your fault, you may be able to claim these costs back from the other driver.

Before you contact the other driver or their insurers direct you must tell us that this is what you plan to do.

You may have separate insurance that pays the costs of claiming for your uninsured losses. Please check your policy documents or contact the Broker who sold you the policy.