If you’re a Comprehensive Car Insurance policyholder, we’ll cover the cost of repairing damage to your car due to severe weather, including storms, floods, and hail.
Before you claim, you can review your cover to find out what's included.
You can check what you’re covered for on your Insurance Certificate when you log into your Policy Manager.
What We Cover
Comprehensive Car Insurance
Your car insurance covers loss or damage to your own car and the damage it causes to other people’s cars and property.
Comprehensive Car Insurance can provide cover for:
- Accidental damage to your car, which includes, but is not limited to, damage caused by storm, flood, hail, fire, collision, attempted theft or a malicious act.
- Legal liability up to $20 million
- New car replacement
- Damage caused by an uninsured vehicle
- Damage to someone else’s car or property
- Towing
- Hire car following a no-fault accident or theft
- Damage or theft of personal effects in your car
- Replacement of stolen keys
- Damage to caravan or trailer in a collision (excluding trailer’s contents)
- Emergency transport and accommodation
- Damage or theft of child seats or baby capsules in your car
And these optional covers (if you have chosen to purchase):
- Accident Hire Car
- Reduced Window Glass Excess
- Choice of Repairer
If you are eligible for a hire car, we'll book it on your behalf covering the estimated time it will take to repair or replace your car, up to your policy's hire car time limit. You'll need to make transport arrangements to collect and return the hired car.
Third Party Property, Fire and Theft Insurance
Your car insurance covers your legal liability for the accidental damage your car causes to other people’s property, and if it is stolen or catches fire.
Third Party Property, Fire and Theft Insurance can provide cover for:
- Yes toLegal liability up to $20 million
- Yes toDamage caused by an uninsured vehicle up to $5,000
- Yes toHire car following theft up to $1,500 (for up to 21 days)
- Yes toFire damage and theft, including towing
- No toHire car following a no-fault accident
- No toNew car replacement
Third Party Property Only Insurance
Your car insurance covers your legal liability for accidental damage your car causes to other people’s property.
Third Party Property Only Insurance can provide cover for:
- Yes toLegal liability up to $20 million
- Yes toDamage caused by an uninsured vehicle up to $5,000
- No toHire car following theft up to $1,500 (for up to 21 days)
- No toFire damage and theft, including towing
- No toHire car following a no-fault accident
- No toNew car replacement
You can check what you’re covered for on your Insurance Certificate when you log into your online Policy Manager.
What We Don't Cover
Your car's condition, how it's used, who was driving the car at the time of the incident, and the circumstances surrounding the incident will determine what we do and don't cover.
This includes:
- Using the car for ridesharing or food delivery
- Using the car for racing, contests, rallies or on a racetrack
- Using the car for unlawful purposes
- Tyre damage (caused by punctures, cuts or bursts)
- General wear and tear
- Mechanical, structural or electrical malfunctions or breakdowns that are unexplained or have occurred over a period of time
- Using the wrong fuel or the incorrect use of additives
The information on this page is a summary only. For more details about Budget Direct car insurance, including the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply, please read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my car covered for hail and storm damage?
Am I covered for the damage my car causes to other people's vehicles?
If you’re a Comprehensive Car Insurance or Third Party Property Only Car Insurance policyholder, we’ll cover your liability for the damage your car causes to other people’s property, including their cars and homes.
Does car insurance include the cost of towing?
If you’re a Comprehensive policyholder, we’ll cover the cost of recovering, towing and storing your car if it’s stolen or unsafe to drive as a result of accidental damage.
If you’re a Third Party Property, Fire and Theft policyholder, we’ll cover the cost of recovering, towing and storing your car if it’s stolen or unsafe to drive due to fire damage (i.e. towing is not covered if your car is damaged because of any other reason).
Does car insurance include a hire car?
If you have Comprehensive cover and your car is damaged in a no fault accident, we can arrange a hire car for you to use until your car is repaired, or your claim is paid (whichever occurs first).
If you have Comprehensive or Third Party Property, Fire and Theft cover and your car is stolen, we’ll reimburse you for the reasonable cost of a hire car, for up to 21 days, up to a maximum of $1,500.
If you have Comprehensive cover, for an additional premium you can add the Accident Hire Car option and get a hire car for up to 21 days if your car is damaged in an accident that was your fault.
You can add the Accident Hire Car option to your policy when you buy your policy or – if you’ve already bought it – by calling us on 1300 306 560 or logging into your online account and editing your policy.
Does car insurance cover vehicles used for ridesharing or ride-hailing services?
While many general insurers in Australia provide cover for cars used for business, some insurers — like Budget Direct — do not cover certain uses.
These disallowed uses include carrying passengers for payment (e.g. ridesharing services like Uber, Lyft, Didi, and Ola).
This is regardless of whether you use your car as a contractor, employee or as part of some other remuneration arrangement.
If you can’t find suitable business-use car insurance, you might have to take out commercial motor vehicle insurance instead.
You may wish to start your search by visiting the Insurance Council of Australia’s Find an Insurer website.
If you want to know more about your policy, log in to Policy Manager to check your cover and excess or check all the details in the Product Disclosure Statement.
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