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Budget Direct Car Insurance

Budget Direct is one of Australia's most popular car insurers with a reputation for offering affordable policies. Read our review to learn more about their products!

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, updated on February 16th, 2024       

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Budget Direct is an Australian insurance company formed in 2000, offering a range of products, including car, home, travel, pet and life insurance, which are underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited. They’ve since grown to become one of the leading insurers in the country and have built a reputation for being among the cheapest options available.

We’ve broken down Budget Direct’s products in our review so you can understand what their car insurance options are. Find out what is and isn’t covered and the optional extras you can add today!

Disclaimer: all coverage offered by Budget Direct is subject to the terms and conditions of your policy. Limits and exclusions apply. Please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or contact Budget Direct if you’re unsure about what is and isn’t covered.

Please note that Savvy does not represent Budget Direct for their car insurance products. All listed policies, inclusions and limits are correct as of June 2023.

Budget Direct Car Insurance

What car insurance policies are available through Budget Direct?

As is the case with most insurers, Budget Direct offers three main options when it comes to their car insurance products:

Comprehensive Car Insurance

Comprehensive coverage offers the most extensive list of inclusions among the different types of cover. This may offer you greater peace of mind on the road, but it’s important to note that these policies also tend to be the most expensive. Budget Direct’s Comprehensive Car Insurance offers the following inclusions:

  • Accidental damage to your car due to a collision or crash, whether you’re at fault or not, or weather, such as storm, hail and flood
  • Fire damage to your car
  • Theft damage to the car or a payout equivalent to your car’s value if it’s stolen and not recovered
  • Liability for damage to other people’s property caused by your car up to $20 million
  • 24/7 claims online or via phone
  • Choice of market value or agreed value cover in the event of a write-off
  • Essential repairs enabling the vehicle to be driven immediately after an accident (up to $500)
  • Emergency transport and accommodation if your vehicle is undriveable after damage (if no alternative transport is available)
  • New car replacement in the event of a write-off of your new or demo model (up to two years or 40,000km after your registration)
  • Cover for personal effects damaged in a collision or stolen
  • Rental car cover following a not-at-fault accident until your car is repaired or your claim is paid
  • Rental car cover following the theft of your vehicle for up to 14 days and $1,000
  • Quality of repairs guaranteed by Budget Direct
  • Cost of the replacement of stolen car keys or remote locking devices up to $1,000
  • Cost of recovering, towing and storing your vehicle if it’s deemed unsafe to drive after an accident or stolen
  • Cover for a trailer damaged in a collision while it’s towed by your car
Third Party Property, Fire and Theft Insurance

This type of cover is the next step down from comprehensive. Although it doesn’t come with cover for accidental damage to your vehicle, it does include protections against damage sustained due to theft and fire (as the name suggests), as well as damage to other vehicles and property. Budget Direct’s Third Party Property, Fire and Theft Insurance offers the following inclusions:

  • Fire damage to the car
  • Theft damage to the car or a payout equivalent to your car’s value if it’s stolen and not recovered
  • Liability for damage to other people’s property caused by your car up to $20 million
  • 24/7 claims online or via phone
  • Damage to your vehicle caused by an uninsured motorist
  • Rental car cover following the theft of your vehicle for up to 14 days and $1,000
  • Quality of repairs guaranteed by Budget Direct
  • Cost of recovering, towing and storing your vehicle if it’s deemed unsafe to drive due to fire damage or if it’s stolen
Third Party Property Only Insurance

The most basic form of optional car insurance in Australia, Budget Direct’s Third Party Property Only Insurance is designed to cover damage caused to other people’s property, rather than to your own vehicle. Their policy offers the following inclusions:

  • Liability for damage to other people’s property caused by your car up to $20 million
  • 24/7 claims online or via phone
  • Damage to your vehicle caused by an uninsured motorist
  • Quality of repairs guaranteed by Budget Direct

Are there any optional extras available through Budget Direct?

Yes – Budget Direct offers several optional extras on their Comprehensive Car Insurance policies which aren’t available on their other two policies. These are:

What are some of the pros and cons of Budget Direct car insurance?

  • Affordable policies: Budget Direct’s policies are available at competitive prices, with the exact cost depending on a range of factors specific to you and your vehicle.
  • 24/7 claims available: you can make a claim online or over the phone at any time of day, as well as being able to do so 365 days a year.
  • Ability to choose your repairer: unlike some other big insurers, Budget Direct does offer the ability for you to choose your own repairer as an added extra.
  • No no-claim discount protection: while your no-claim bonus may apply if you avoid making at-fault claims, you won’t be able to add protection for this discount as an extra.
  • Limited personal effects cover: the cover for personal effects that you can claim on your comprehensive policy is capped at $500, as of June 2023.

Common questions about Budget Direct car insurance

Does Budget Direct offer Green Slip insurance?

No – Budget Direct doesn’t offer any Green Slip or CTP insurance in any state or territory of Australia. Check your state or territory government’s website to find out what your CTP options are.

Does Budget Direct offer roadside assistance?

Yes – Budget Direct’s roadside assistance is a separate service you can subscribe to on top of your car insurance policy. This means you can elect to buy roadside assistance without the requirement of having an active policy.

What is Budget Direct Gold Comprehensive Car Insurance?

Budget Direct’s Gold Comprehensive Car Insurance offers the same benefits as their standard policy, but the claim limits for the following areas are increased:

  • Damage to your trailer in a collision (as well as to a caravan, which isn’t included in standard policies)
  • Damage to personal effects in your car (as well as theft of effects, which isn’t included in standard policies)
  • Emergency transport and accommodation
  • New car replacement (increased potential age and kilometrage)
In which states does Budget Direct operate?

You can purchase a Budget Direct car insurance policy in any state or territory in Australia.

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Savvy (ABN 78 660 493 194, ACR 541 339) provides readers with a variety of car insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from our partnered insurers each time a customer buys a car insurance policy via our website. All purchases are conducted via our partners’ websites. The integrity of our comparison service is unaffected by our partnerships with those businesses and our effort remains to bring further brands that do not already use our comparison service onboard.

Savvy’s comparison service includes selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market. Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy. We always recommend readers to consult the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of different policies before purchasing your car insurance.

Budget Direct Car Insurance

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