Insurer Guide · SS Automotive
Claiming with Budget Direct After a Car Accident
Budget Direct car insurance is issued by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited, which also issues Coles car insurance. Here's what its PDS and claims pages say after a crash.
Not affiliated with Budget Direct. SS Automotive is an independent repairer, not a Budget Direct partner or approved repairer. Summary of Budget Direct's published documents, read 3 November 2026; your own policy decides your cover.
If You're Insured With Budget Direct
What Budget Direct's Comprehensive cover says
Lodging a claim
Call 1300 139 591 (24/7) or claim online through Policy Manager.
Choosing your repairer
Without the paid Choice of Repairer option, the insurer appoints the repairer. With it, on Comprehensive, you can nominate your own repairer and supply a quote; it's reviewed, and you may be offered the insurer's repairer or a payment instead. If the car can't be driven, it pays towing to your chosen repairer up to 100 km.
Hire car if you weren't at fault
Included on Comprehensive once a no-fault claim is accepted: the insurer arranges and pays for a hire car that meets your needs, or reimburses up to $75 a day if it can't. If your car can still be driven, the hire starts when authorised repairs are due to start. It ends when the car is repaired or the claim is paid.
Excess when you're not at fault
No excess for a 'no fault accident', defined in the PDS as one where another person was entirely at fault and you give, or it can obtain, their full name, residential address and vehicle registration.
Towing
Recovery and towing to the repairer or holding facility nearest the accident, or one the insurer nominates, plus storage.
Repair guarantee
Authorised repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own the car, provided repairs weren't started without authorisation and you haven't assigned the right to repair the car to someone else without its written agreement.
If a Budget Direct Driver Hit You
Claiming against a Budget Direct customer
Auto & General runs a Third Party Portal (thirdparty.autogeneral.com.au) for people in an accident with one of its customers, including Budget Direct and Coles. You enter the reference number from the SMS Auto & General sends you. If you've already claimed with your own insurer, tell them, and they deal with Auto & General.
Where We Fit
How SS Automotive can help
Unless your Comprehensive policy has the Choice of Repairer option, the insurer appoints the repairer. With the option, nominate us and we'll provide the quote it asks for. When another driver caused the crash, a claim against their insurer leaves the choice with you, and that's the claim we run from start to finish. Quotes are free.
Worth knowing
- Assigning the right to repair your car to another party without the insurer's written agreement can cost you the repair guarantee.
- Auto & General gives a line to check whether contact claiming to be from them is genuine: 1800 104 731.
Common Questions
Budget Direct claim questions
Can I choose SS Automotive on my Budget Direct policy?
Only with the paid Choice of Repairer option on Comprehensive cover, and our quote is reviewed before it's authorised. If another driver was at fault, you can usually claim against their insurer instead and choose your own repairer.
A Budget Direct driver hit me. Where do I start?
Use the Auto & General Third Party Portal with the reference from their SMS, claim through your own insurer, or call us on 03 8774 5785 and we'll handle the not-at-fault claim.
Sources
- Budget Direct Car Insurance PDS Part A and Part B (prepared 21 September 2023) and SPDS (11 December 2025)
- Budget Direct car insurance claims page
- Auto & General Third Party Portal
Other insurer guides: RACV · AAMI · Allianz · Youi · QBE, or the insurance claims guide.
Not your fault?
We'll deal with the insurer for you.
5 Quinn Street, Dandenong. Phone answered 24/7.
Start a Claim Call 03 8774 5785Last updated · Reviewed by Ahsan, Manager