Save even more with £30 of free fuel at Tesco

If you're taking advantage of the governments Car Scrappage Scheme, we'll help get your brand new car on the road with £30 to spend on fuel at Tesco. Just enter the promotional code scrapcar when you buy Car Insurance online, or tell us when you call.

This offer is available to all new Tesco Car Insurance customers (excluding Value insurance). This offer applies on top of any other general Tesco Car insurance offer, but can't be used in conjunction with any other promotional code.

Call 0845 301 0750 or visit www.tesco.com
(Typetalk 18001 0845 301 0750)

How Does The Car Scrappage Scheme Work?

The scheme could save at least £2,000 on the retail price of a new car - just remember that the vehicle you are replacing has to have been registered on or before 31st August 1999.

There are other Car Scrappage rules in place, so you should check with your local car retailer, or the manufacturers website, to see what Scrappage offers they have and if they apply to the vehicle that you actually want.

The Government have made sure that taking advantage of the scheme isn't too difficult, but the two main criteria to take advantage of the discount on a new vehicle are:

• You must have owned the vehicle for at least 12 months.
• The vehicle needs to have a valid and up to date MOT certificate.

There's no doubt that these have been put in place to stop people buying a car for a few hundred pounds specifically to qualify for the Scrappage allowance. It's important to check that you do qualify before you go out and order your new car!

Will it actually help the Industry?

There's lots of mixed reaction to the scheme, but the Government has put £300 million into it, and with some manufacturers enhancing the discounts over and above the £2,000, it seems like the scheme could provide the lift that the industry really needs. A similar scheme has really helped the German Car Industry, and many other countries are launching their own version.

Getting the most out of the "Cash for Bangers" Scheme

If you are thinking of buying a new car, and qualify for the scheme, this could be a great way to save money on your car purchase. The majority of car manufacturers are offering discounts off new vehicles - in some cases up to £5,000, and the discount is already applied, so there's no need for you to pay the money out and have to claim it back.

It's one of the most expensive things that most of us will ever buy, so it's worthwhile making sure that you've done your homework on how to get the best deal when buying a new car:

1. Get the best finance deal you can. Many dealers offer attractive finance deals, but make sure you know how flexible they are and what the loan covers - for example, many finance deals offer low initial payments but that is because they are including a sizable 'balloon payment' after a certain period of time, when you have to pay off the full outstanding balance owed on the purchase. A few minutes getting some quotes from a comparison website such as TescoCompare.com might help to save you money. Tesco also offer loans from £3,000 to £25,000 - Find out more about Tesco Loans.
2. Find out what will happen to your insurance premium. If you've traded in your 10 year old car for a brand new one, your insurance premiums could increase - someone trading in an old Ford Ka for a 2009 version could see their premium rise by up to 40% (Source: TescoCompare.com, 28/05/2009). It's certainly worthwhile shopping around to see what sort of deal you can get - sites such as TescoCompare.com will get prices from lots of different providers and you only have to enter your details once to help towards saving you time and money.
3. Make sure that your insurance covers you for everything that you need. With your old car, you may only have Third Party cover - this would mean that in the event of an accident that was your fault, only the repairs to the other vehicle would be covered. Whilst it may be fine for older cars, imagine how upset you'd be if it was your brand new pride and joy and you're insurance wouldn't cover any damage.
4. Make sure you take a Test Drive. Most dealerships have a range of demonstration vehicles - some of which you can take for a weekend. Not only will this help you to decide if the car is really right for you, but it will also show the salesperson how serious you are about buying, and could put you in a stronger position when it comes to striking a deal.
5. Negotiate on Price. Don't be afraid to haggle with the Car Dealer. Before you go into the showroom, look online and see what deals you can actually get - it may seem cheeky to ask for more money off, but if you don't ask, you won't get. Even if you manage to get some free extras, then it will have been worthwhile for you.

Terms & conditions: £30 FREE fuel at Tesco

1. New customers in their first year only. 2. Excludes Value Insurance. 3. Customers must have taken advantage of the UK Governments Car Scrappage Scheme. 4. The promotional code scrapcar must be entered/given at point of purchase. 5. Only one promotional code is valid at any time, offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional code. 6. TPF reserves the right to alter, cancel or withdraw the promotion without prior notice. 7. Offer only available directly from Tesco or on TescoCompare.com. 8. A £30 Tesco Giftcard will be issued to the policyholder at the policyholder's address within six weeks of purchase. 9. No duplicate giftcard will be sent.