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How far would you go to protect your ‘precious on four wheels’?

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Is your Gugulami (My Precious) a valued part of your life?

If you’ve named your car, it already indicates that it is central to your life and maybe even considered a member of the family.  It would seem that many of us treat our ‘wheels’ with as much respect and care as a partner or a child. 

Car philia – or car love – is alive and well in South Africa.

According to a recent survey from Santam, four in 10 South African drivers have named their wheels. We are connected to these assets like few others, with two-thirds of the participants saying they are “very or extremely attached” to their vehicle, with 37% of respondents unable to function without their automobile.  Not only do we have an emotional connection with our vehicles, we’re also dependent on our ‘asphalt associates’.

Based on these special relationships, many drivers will go to extreme lengths to protect their ‘Pretty’. Ever seen a car chained to a post or someone circling a parking lot to find the safest spot? What about lovingly giving their car a sponge bath rather than allowing someone else to touch their Sponono, or sweetheart on wheels?

Valuing your ‘loved one’ on wheels

If we love our cars so much, what happens when they go to the ‘big garage in the sky’? 

Fortunately, a new product from Santam – South Africa’s leading general insurer – will help with soothing the loss of a ‘lockable loved one’. Called guaranteed value insurance, it protects an asset with sentimental value while giving more certainty should it be written off or stolen.

It is said that there are few guarantees in life other than death and taxes. Now that the 2018 Budget has been delivered (and we know VAT is going up), a guarantee in the event of the ‘total loss’ of a vehicle seems to be something to add to the short list of life’s guarantees and a sensible way to carry on caring for your vehicle.

If your car is stolen or written off, the guaranteed value product means compensation will be at an agreed-upon value. Available to clients with ‘comprehensive cover’ policies, the new policy feature refers to the value specified on your policy based on the latest TransUnion retail value (taking into consideration your vehicle’s condition, mileage and fitted extras). At renewal, values are adjusted according to the latest available TransUnion retail values. Clients now have the opportunity to adjust the guaranteed value within specific parameters.

For more information about the guaranteed value product, visit https://www.santam.co.za/claims.

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