Eligibility for roadside assistance
Can I get roadside assistance?
You can get Budget Direct Roadside Assistance if you are an Australian resident and your vehicle is (among other things):
- registered
- roadworthy
- less than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM) and/or less than 5.5m in length
- used for private or business purposes (must not be used for commercial purposes such as taxis, limousines rental or hire vehicles or any other commercial use).
For the full list of eligibility criteria, please read the membership terms and conditions.
Can I get roadside assistance if I'm not already a member?
Yes, even if you're not a Budget Direct Roadside Assistance member, you can still call us for help if your car breaks down.
Non-members are required to pay a non-refundable service fee of $110, in addition to an annual membership fee of $89.95.
Once you're a member, you're entitled to unlimited callouts for assistance.~
Can I get roadside assistance without paying annual membership fees?
No – Budget Direct Roadside Assistance members are required to pay an annual fee.
Some other providers do not charge a membership fee and instead require their customers to pay a flat fee for assistance only when they need it.
These fees vary, depending on the nature of the problem, and can be costly (our members’ annual fee of $89.95 entitles them to unlimited callouts, subject to our fair use policy).
Can I get roadside assistance without car insurance?
Yes – you can buy Budget Direct Roadside Assistance by itself, without Budget Direct car insurance.
To qualify for standalone Roadside Assistance (i.e. without car insurance), your car must have less than 250,000km on its odometer.
Can I get roadside assistance for an older car?
Yes – subject to the two following scenarios:
If your Roadside Assistance is linked to a Budget Direct car insurance policy
As long as your vehicle is (among other things) registered and roadworthy, we’ll provide you with roadside assistance if it breaks down, regardless of its age and mileage.
If your Roadside Assistance is not linked to a Budget Direct car insurance policy
We’ll provide you with roadside assistance as long as your vehicle is (among other things) registered, roadworthy, and has less than 250,000km on its odometer.
For the full list of eligibility criteria, please read the membership terms and conditions.
Can I get roadside assistance for my ute / truck?
The ute or truck must not be used for commercial purposes such as taxis, limousines rental or hire vehicles or any other commercial use. However it can be used for business purposes (i.e. full or occasional business use).
Also, it must be within our vehicle-weight limit of 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM) and/or vehicle-length limit of 5.5m.
For the full list of eligibility criteria, please read the membership terms and conditions.
Can I get roadside assistance for my caravan or trailer?
Budget Direct provides roadside assistance to broken-down vehicles, but not any trailers or caravans being towed by the crippled vehicle.
If a breakdown necessitates a tow, only the tow for the car will be covered (within service limits).
While we could also arrange a tow for your trailer or caravan, it would be at your expense.
Can I get roadside assistance for my motorcycle?
No – Budget Direct Roadside Assistance only covers four-wheel motor vehicles.
Can I get roadside assistance for my motorhome?
No – Budget Direct Roadside Assistance does not extend to motorhomes, Winnebagos or other types of large recreational vehicles.
For the full list of eligibility criteria, please read the membership terms and conditions.
Can I get Roadside Assistance for business vehicles?
The vehicle can be used for business purposes (i.e. full or occasional business use) but must not be used for commercial purposes such as taxis, limousines rental or hire vehicles or any other commercial use.
Can I get Roadside Assistance if my car is used for ridesharing?
We don’t offer cover for vehicles used on rideshare apps. This is considered a form of commercial use, which we don’t cover.
Can I get roadside assistance off-road?
Budget Direct can provide roadside assistance only if you get stranded on a sealed road that is trafficable by a standard two-wheel-drive recovery vehicle.
If you’re stuck in a creek bed, national park, beach or bush track, for example, we will not be able to assist you.
Note that even if we can reach you via sealed roads, if your vehicle is bogged off the road we will not be able to assist you.
We won’t leave you stranded, though, and can arrange for a third party to rescue you at your cost.
~ Subject to our fair use policy, which is explained in our terms and conditions.
