Every claim is different, and timelines can vary significantly based on individual circumstances.
After you lodge your claim, we'll keep you updated and handle your car's assessment and repairs.
An assessment will be conducted to understand the extent of the damage to the car and to determine if it’s repairable.
Assessments can take place at either:
- One of our network repairers
- An assessment centre
Find out more about car damage assessments and repairs
If there isn’t a network repairer or assessment centre near you, we’ll ask you to take your car to one of our partner repairers.
We will make a decision on your claim within 10 working days of receiving everything we need.
Once your claim is accepted, we'll let you know the next steps.
Depending on your claim, we may repair your car, pay an appropriate cash settlement or confirm if we'll cover the damage you caused to someone else's property.
If your car is going to be repaired, we'll book an appointment with one of our nationwide network of trusted motor repairers.
Each repair job is different and depending on the severity of the damage and availability of parts each timeline may vary too.
Your repairer will give you an estimate of how long the job is likely to take, and keep you up to date as it progresses.
We guarantee all repairs we’ve authorised for as long as you own the vehicle.
Find out more about car damage assessments and repairs
You can nominate your preferred repairer as long as your policy includes the 'Choice of Repairer' optional cover.
Before we authorise repairs, we'll review your repairer's quote to make sure it's competitive, and the proposed repair method is satisfactory.
Sometimes it's not safe or economical to repair a car.
Your car will be classified as a total loss if it is:
- Stolen and not recovered
- Damaged to the extent that, having considered all available information and relevant laws, it is reasonable for us to decide that it would be unsafe or uneconomical to repair.
If your policy covers theft and/or damage to your car and it becomes a total loss, we'll usually settle your claim by paying out the amount your car's insured for, whether that’s market value or agreed value.
If you purchase a new car or a demo model and it becomes a total loss (within a certain timeframe), you may be eligible for a new car replacement as long as you have comprehensive car insurance.
If you are eligible for a hire car, we'll book it on your behalf covering the estimated time it will take to repair your car or settle your claim, up to your policy's hire car time limit. You'll need to make transport arrangements to collect and return the hire car.
We want to resolve any complaint or dispute you have as quickly as possible. The best place to start is to contact our Customer Service teams:
- Visit budgetdirect.com.au/dispute-resolution
- Email [email protected]
- Call 1800 069 336 for claims or 1800 182 310 for anything else
We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours of receiving it (or as soon as practicable).
Frequently Asked Questions
After assessing your car's damage and authorising the repairs, we can appoint a repairer.
Our network repairers use the latest equipment and methods and are required to carry out each repair to a high and safe standard.
Alternatively, you may be able to nominate your preferred repairer if you have the Choice of Repairer optional benefit.
Except for essential repairs of up to $500 to make your car driveable following an accident, all repairs must first be authorised by us.
You can nominate your preferred repairer as long as your policy includes the ‘choice of repairer’ policy option.
If you nominate your preferred repairer, and they are not a repairer from our repair network, we’ll ask you to provide us with the repairer’s quotation for the repairs so we can determine whether:
- the quotation is competitive, and
- the proposed repair method is satisfactory.
If either of these criteria is not met, we may decide not to authorise the repairs, and instead offer you the option of:
- having your car repaired by an alternative repairer chosen by us, or
- paying you the reasonable cost to satisfactorily repair your car.
If the car is unsafe to drive, we will pay the cost to tow the car to your preferred repairer up to a maximum of 100 kilometres.
Note that, if we authorise your nominated repairer to undertake the repairs, we’ll guarantee the quality of the repairs but not the time it takes to complete them.
Each repair job is different, so it’s difficult to say for certain how long each job will take. Some can take a few days, others up to two weeks or more, depending on the severity of the damage.
The repairer will give you an estimate of how long the job is likely to take and keep you informed of progress.
If we decide your car is a write-off, we’ll negotiate with you to either:
- pay you the amount your car is insured for (market or agreed value); or
- replace your car with a new one of the same make, model and specification if you purchased the car new or as a demo model and it becomes a total loss:
- Within two years or 40,000km (whichever comes first) of the original registration (Gold Comprehensive Car Insurance)
If a new replacement car is not available in Australia, we will pay you the amount you originally paid for the car.
If your car is financed, we're obliged to pay the finance company any money you still owe them first. We'll then pay you any residual from the insured amount.
We’ll also arrange and pay for your written-off car to be towed away from the repair shop and disposed of.
Budget Direct considers a car to be a total loss if it’s:
- stolen and not recovered
- damaged to the extent that, having considered all available information and relevant laws, we decide it would be unsafe or uneconomical to repair.
If your policy covers theft and/or damage to your car and it becomes a total loss, we’ll usually settle your claim by paying you the amount your car’s insured for.
Any applicable excesses will be deducted from the settlement amount.
(If you pay your premium in instalments, we’ll also ask you to pay any monies owing for the full period of insurance. Alternatively, we may deduct it from the settlement amount.)
If you purchased your comprehensively insured car new or as a demo model and it becomes a total loss within a certain timeframe, we’ll give you a new-car replacement.
Your written-off car becomes our property and we keep the proceeds of any salvage sale and we will provide you with the necessary documentation to enable you to apply for a refund of the unused portion of your registration and compulsory third party insurance.
Contact Us
No matter whether it’s online or over the phone, you can contact us 24/7.
You can notify us of your claim online and we'll call you if we need further information.
Chat with a member from our claims team on Monday-Friday from 7am-8pm AEST and on weekends from 7am-4pm AEST.
A friendly member of our claims team will assist you over the phone.
