Bumper review: spread the cost of car repairs, servicing, MOTs without paying interest

The Bumper service allows you to pay off car repair bills in stages, without incurring interest along the way.

Running a car comes with all sorts of additional costs to consider, beyond simply buying the motor and filling it up with fuel.

A good example here is repair costs, when our cars occasionally develop issues.

Whether it’s the dreaded warning light, a mysterious new noise while you drive or some other problem, there is no shortage of things that can go wrong with your motor.

And putting those problems right can be punishingly expensive.

A study by Kwik Fit last year suggested that the average driver shelled out almost £300 for their most recent repair, but this jumped to almost £410 for drivers aged 18-34.

And that’s just the average ‒ there will be plenty of motorists who have had to cough up even more punishing amounts.

Given the cost of living crisis that we’re in the midst of, the thought of a giant repair bill for your car might be enough to bring you out in a cold sweat.

However, there’s a service that’s starting to garner a bit of attention that may help you manage those costs in a more stress-free way.

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How does Bumper work?

Bumper is in effect a buy now, pay later finance provider.

You simply register with Bumper, enter your car’s registration plate and find the garage and dealership you want to use, and then apply for interest-free credit to cover the cost of the repairs.

According to Bumper, there are already more than 3,000 dealerships available on the platform, with more to be added in the future.

Users can apply for credit of up to £3,000, though interestingly Bumper emphasises that applying has no impact on your credit score, as the firm determines whether it wants to offer you the cash based on a soft rather than hard check of your credit record.

Importantly, Bumper isn’t limited just to repairs either. You can make use of its payment-spreading service for MOTs, services, new parts and accessories too.

What does it cost?

When you’re offered the chance to pay for something in instalments, the first question that you should always ask is how much extra will it cost me?

After all, if you look to spread the cost of an insurance policy, to take an example, then you will end up paying interest on the overall cost of the policy which means it ends up costing you a decent chunk of cash more than if you paid for it all in one go.

Which is why it caught me off guard that the Bumper service is interest-free.

In other words, paying for your repairs in stages doesn’t cost you a penny more than paying for it upfront in a single payment, a massive boost for any driver who’s worried about how they are going to cover a repair bill.

According to the firm, by partnering with Bumper garages are able to improve their repair conversion rates ‒ if you know that you can spread the payments for the repair you need, then you’re less likely to head off and try to find somewhere else that will do it cheaper.

In addition, Bumper has said that garages are less likely to have to discount or negotiate over the price of the repairs, which is another driver for them to partner with Bumper.

Pros and cons of using Bumper

There are some pretty clear benefits to using a service like Bumper.

There’s no denying that the cost of dealing with a developing issue with your car can be enormous, and play a part in people turning to expensive forms of credit in order to cover those costs.

Having the ability to spread the cost of the repairs, without having to pay anything extra in order to do so, can be incredibly useful. The speed of sorting out the finance is another big draw. 

There are some potential downsides to bear in mind though.

While there are thousands of garages working with Bumper, how convenient they are for you will inevitably vary based on your location.

For example, when anything goes wrong with my car I have three garages that I can choose from within a two-mile radius if I pay for the repairs upfront myself. 

But if I wanted to make use of a Bumper loan then I would be facing a trek of at least 10 miles to a partner garage.

The convenience of being able to pay for the work in stages is countered by the inconvenience of a much longer drive to and from the garage carrying out the work.

Similarly, one of the perks for garages is that they reduce the cost of repairs, or negotiate over the price of the work, less frequently. In other words, there is the potential that you will end up paying more overall for the work to be done.

Pick a reliable car

Of course, one of the big ways to reduce the worries of car repair costs is to opt for a reliable motor that develops issues less frequently.

We round up the most and least reliable cars around regularly, based on the experiences of thousands of drivers, so be sure to give it a read before you head off to purchase your next motor.