For Peace of Mind Motoring
Whenever you make a rental with Budget, you'll be covered by Standard Vehicle Insurance. Optional insurance upgrades are also available.
Responsibility and Liability
From the time you (or any authorised driver on the rental agreement) take charge of a Budget rental vehicle, you are financially responsible for:
- any loss or damage to the vehicle up to the level of the excess provided for in the rental agreement and
- any loss or damage to third party property in excess of the amount of cover provided for in the rental agreement.
Provided cover is not excluded by the terms of the Budget rental agreement, your financial liability for loss and/or damage to the Budget vehicle is limited to a pre-determined amount. The rental agreement outlines the circumstances where cover is excluded.
Standard insurance is mandatory for all general rentals, however corporate customers maybe exempt from this if covered by their own company insurance. This is determined by the Budget Corporate Discount (BCD) code, which can be entered when you make a reservation.
The liability (called an excess) is a substantial amount but is still a small proportion of the value of the Budget vehicle. Not withstanding this insurance, you are still liable for the excess. Your standard excess amount will be advised to you at the time of rental and will be shown on your rental agreement.
The excess amount charged varies depending on the applicable Budget Corporate Discount (BCD) code or car group, but general leisure rentals have the following excess values:
Group A-E: $3000.00 + GSTGroup P, F, V, L and W: $3750.00 + GSTFor renters under 25 years of age the following excess values apply:
Group A-E: $3500.00 + GSTGroup P, F, V, L and W: $4000.00 + GST
Budget Driver Protection Package (optional)
Budget Driver Protection is a complete and easy insurance option for renters over 25 years of age. In the event of an accident, Budget Driver Protection reduces your financial liability to a manageable amount and provides cover for personal accidents. Provided you comply with the terms of the additional cover, Budget Driver Protection ensures that for any loss or damage to the Budget vehicle you will not have a liability greater than the reduced excess, even if you were at fault.
Budget Driver Protection can be selected as an Optional Extra on your reservation and for a small fee it reduces your standard excess liability by up to 90%. The cost of optional Budget Driver Protection on general leisure rentals is:
Group A – E: $25.00 + GST per day
Group F – L: $28.00 + GST per day
By accepting Budget Driver Protection Package the reduced excess amount charged varies depending on the applicable Budget Corporate Discount (BCD) code or car group, but in general leisure rentals have the following reduced excess values:
Group A-E: $300.00 + GST
Group P, F, V, L and W: $300.00 + GST
Please Note: Budget Driver Protection is only available to renters aged 25 years or older.
Personal Accident Insurance
As an added benefit, Budget Driver Protection also includes Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), so you and any authorised driver are covered while driving the vehicle. Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) is available to customers aged 15 to 70 years at the time of accidental death or personal injury.
Compensation to the driver and occupants injured whilst using a Budget vehicle covers:
- Accidental Death
- Loss of one or more limbs or eyes
- Temporary total disablement for a period not exceeding fifty-two weeks from the time the event happened
- Medical expenses
For a full list of our PAI Insurance terms and conditions, including sums insured and claim limits, please contact Budget.
Replacement to Damaged Vehicles
In the event of an accident, Budget will replace the damaged rental vehicle at no extra cost.
Windscreen Damage
Irrespective of any excess, Budget Driver Protection covers the repair or replacement cost of a damaged windscreen. Your liability for damage to headlights or side and rear windows will be limited to the excess under the rental agreement.
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