Tips on Selling GAP Protection F&I Product

Guaranteed Asset Protection, or GAP Coverage, pays the difference between your car’s ACV (Actual Cash Value) and the amount you owe on your lease or loan, if the car is totaled in an accident or stolen. Imagine you take out $20,000 for a vehicle. A few months later, the vehicle was stolen. Your insurance company determines the cost of the vehicle, as a result of depreciation, is $10,000. At the time of the theft, you still owed $14,000 on it. Luckily, you have GAP Coverage. Thus, you pay the $500 deductible, and the GAP coverage provides the other $14,000.

Considering the economic hardship that the pandemic has reaped across the automotive industry, the F&I department has become the largest profit area of the dealership. Every F&I product sold translates to steep profits. As a result, it is more important than ever to employ diligent salespeople who know how to sell F&I.

F&I products provide protection. Tire and Wheel, Roadside Assistance, Lease Wear and Tear, are just a few examples of the security that F&I products provide. GAP protection, however, is the epitome of security. The worst thing that could happen to a vehicle is that it is stolen or totaled. GAP protection minimizes the financial damage of such hardship.

A good F&I salesperson should be able to sell a GAP product to every customer that enters the office. After all, the product itself is not exorbitantly expensive – a few hundred dollars, rarely exceeding $1,000.

For a few hundred dollars, the customer will be purchasing enormous protection. The customer will be able to sleep easily, knowing that they will be protected in case the worst happens. But GAP protection is not for everyone. As the F&I salesperson, it is your duty to ensure each customer gets the most beneficial products.

Does the Customer Even Need GAP Insurance?

When it comes to GAP insurance, the F&I salesperson should be able to figure out with a quick inspection of the customer’s financing agreement if the customer would benefit from GAP insurance.

If you can answer affirmative to the following questions, GAP protection is worth considering.

• The customer is buying a new vehicle.
• The customer is financing the vehicle for sixty months or more.
• The customer made a small down payment, or none.
• The customer has a high interest rate.
• The customer is buying a car the depreciates quickly.

If you can answer affirmative to the following questions, GAP protection may not be for the customer.

• The customer made a down payment worth 20% of the car’s value or more.
• The customer plans on paying off the lease or loan within five years.
• The customer purchased or leased a vehicle that historically holds its value longer than other cars.

Nation Safe Drivers GAP Coverage

Nation Safe Drivers GAP Coverage provides even more security than most GAP products, in that Nation Safe Drivers’ members are covered 100% in case their vehicle is stolen or totaled. The icing on the cake is that Nation Safe Drivers even reimburses members for the deductible spent. The chances that one’s vehicle will be totaled or stolen are very slim. Security is the real advantage of Nation Safe Drivers GAP Coverage. In case the worst happens, Nation Safe Drivers members are completely covered.

Conclusion

Nation Safe Drivers GAP Coverage is the epitome of protection. However, sometimes it may not be worth it for your customer to get. Have a look at the customer’s finance agreement. Explain to the customer that after your research, you have concluded that GAP coverage would be beneficial to them. They would undoubtedly appreciate your honesty.

* For most programs, see contract for details.