How GEM cover works
GEM sells personal cover only. The member is covered in any eligible private vehicle, as driver or passenger, with a partner or household added for a modest uplift. Cover includes roadside assistance, recovery, home start and onward travel elements, and a European extension is available.
The distinctive feature is pay and reclaim: on some GEM policies you call any recovery operator or garage, pay them directly, and claim the cost back from GEM up to set limits. GEM also offers conventional cover where its control centre dispatches an operator from its contractor network. The reclaim option keeps premiums low.
What stands out
- Personal cover at a price that competes with vehicle cover from the big names.
- No upper age limit for members, and cover for older vehicles on standard terms.
- Multi-vehicle households are the natural fit: one policy, every car and bike.
- Members get GEM's road-safety magazine and discounts; it is a club as much as a product.
Where it falls down
Pay and reclaim requires you to find and fund the recovery in the moment, which is not ideal on a motorway at night. Reclaim limits can leave you out of pocket on a long recovery. The brand is less well known, so some drivers overlook it.
Who it suits
Organised drivers with more than one vehicle, older drivers who have been refused elsewhere, and anyone who wants personal cover without paying patrol-operator prices.