2,434 reviews
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AI reviews summary
Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance receives polarised feedback, with a sharp divide between customers purchasing new policies and those attempting to lodge claims. While the initial sign-up process is frequently described as fast, affordable, and user-friendly, the claims experience is widely criticised for significant delays, poor communication, and frequent denials based on technicalities or "maintenance" issues.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Budget Direct is highly effective for consumers seeking immediate cost savings and a seamless digital setup for home and contents insurance. However, the data suggests a high risk of dissatisfaction during the claims process, with multiple users reporting protracted disputes and a perceived reluctance by the insurer to honour coverage for older properties or storm-related damage.
Budge Direct is cheap comparatively but one of the worst Insurance to deal with, especially when it comes to Claims and they will make sure that you get frustrated with their rounds of interviews (like you made mistake or crime) to put claim against your policy , and they will also make sure that they'll ask you hell no. of proofs/evidence that… Read more
you get fed up and withdraw the claim.
So please be wary of once you buy cheap and of no use insurance policy from Budge Direct. This is the first hand experience for own home claim and after almost a month they ensured I get frustrated and withdraw my claim.
Rest your call, your time and money, please act judiciously.
I've had a home insurance policy with budget direct for over a year now and I put in my first claim as the tenant defaulted. Firstly, the consultant claimed for 2 specific reasons that the claim would be denied. With no experience of how insurance works as this is my first ever insurance claim I was able to prove the claim manager incorrect in… Read more
less than 30 minutes after going through the data on both points. She then admitted she got this clearly wrong afterwards. The team leader then denied the claim ultimately after for a 3rd invented reason which is a deliberate misinterpretation of policy. This experience really throws into question the competence, intelligence, financial incentives and integrity of the employees at budget direct. I will now be going through the extensive complaints/appeal process. I will never use budget direct again in any capacity and I highly recommend that everyone else avoids this company. They are the reason the general public don't trust insurance companies.
Hi Dan. We sincerely apologise for any… Read more
I would give zero stars if I could. After being a customer for a year I received my first renewal with budget direct which had a small increase of 25%....... No claims had been made, no changes to the policy, just a 25% increase for no apparent reason. Using their chatbot to review my policy and see why the massive increase in my premium, only to… Read more
get an AI chat bot that made continuous mistakes, constant misunderstanding's and after making changes to the policy INCREASED MY PREMIUM BY ANOTHER $200.
By far the worst customer service I have ever received, to the extent I have cancelled my policy and gone with a more expensive insurer just so I don't have to endure the incompetence and disregard of this company.
Hi Hugh, we appreciate you posting this feedback… Read more
Reviews with attachments
Great pricing and cover. Unbeatable value for money Insurance. Do it today guys, you will not be disappointed. Show reply
I was pleasantly surprised when I approached Budget direct online after becoming highly dissatisfied with my existing (now previous) insurer. The monthly fee was reasonable, the amounts insured reasonable and realistic. A happy customer Show reply
In 2024 i noticed an advertised discount offered by Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance, hence I investigated. Surprised to reveal their policy comparing ‘apples for apples’, was hundreds of dollars less than my current R.A.C.V insurers renewal notice. They refused to negotiate even though I had never ever made a claim, hence I said goodbye… Read more · 2
and found it easy and ‘user friendly’ on-line to join Budget Direct plus a short phone call to confirm my new policy payment date. There appears to be NIL LOYALTY BENEFITS WHATSOEVER by staying with an insurance company for DECADES ❗️My advice to all Australians is this: “If your next insurance policy renewal seems EXCESSIVE”, take the worthy time & effort to compare quotes with other companies, making sure you compare the same or improved ‘benefits’ as your current policy. Like myself, you may be very surprised and financially rewarded!
Yes, helpful staff with phone call. Thanks! Registered our new house for insurance. Show reply
Well done, Budget Direct – The insurance met my needs and adjustments were made promptly. Thanks. Show reply
Latest follow-ups
I contacted them to get a quote for home and contact insurance and their quote was almost $1000 more compared to my current provider. But that is not the problem, problem is that they ask you to agree to a statement when you call that they will… Read more
share our data, and i made a massive mistake by agreeing to that. Since that day my email has been flooded with spam from these weird companies, my phone keeps ringing with the spam numbers and i keep getting texts from these weird companies. They clearly shared my data to some shady companies and now i am getting spammed like there is no tomorrow. I feel like they are not really in business of selling insurance, instead they are in business of selling data. Please please please don't give your data and permission to this company or be ready to get spammed. You have been warned.
Follow-up · Still a dodgy business. They are still using same business practices.
Hi Robin, thank you for taking the time to write… Read more (+1 reply)
Be prepared to be disappointed!!! 60 x earthquakes in 3-4 months, repair of house damage declined 3 x times, the excuse is that it was caused due to natural earth movement? They are cheap for a reason, NEVER AGAIN!!! Show details
Follow-up · - House next door was approved for same damage via a honest insurance company. - Cornicing dropped from ceiling. - Ceiling cracks. - Brickwork and concrete cracks. Policy states coverage for earthquakes, Area was declared a disaster zone.
Hi Robert. I appreciate you posting this feedback,… Read more (+1 reply)
Excellent customer service when our call finally got to a consultant . The policy offered a very competitive rate & appeared excellent value for money when compared to other companies . Show reply
Follow-up · Waited for approximately 20 minutes while continually receiving various recorded messages , when finally connected to a staff member the process to complete my insurance requirements was quite good ,
Positive reviews
Quotation and information provided by your staff was very good. It assisted us to compare our existing coverage with your proposal. Your new policy was easy to understand and was slightly cheaper than previous supplier. Show reply
Find out how Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance compares to other Home and Contents Insurance
Know better, choose better.
Excellent experience with the consultant and signing up with our new home and contents Insurance with budget direct. The consultant was very informative and advised us of the additional items that we could add to our Insurance, which we did do. Overall it was a seamless and easy process to sign up with budget direct and we saved so much money on… Read more · 1
our new home and contents insurance policy compared to what we used to pay with one of the larger traditional Insurance
I was asked the type of dwelling.first time ever.was with the NRMA for 40 years.My home is brick vaneer. NRMA would not distingush the difference between full brick and brick vaneer,was the home elevated or ground slab,which in my opinion would reduce my premium.So I was happy that Budget Direct asked these questions.Flood insurance was… Read more · 1
optional.great,as where I have lived for 45 years,it has never flooded. The ease of insuring was great,done in minutes. Saved over $850 ,which is handy as I am a pensioner.
Negative reviews
Worst insurance company i have ever been with ! My experience was they lied and did anything to get out of paying any legit claims . I wasted my money going with Budget Direct , please read the fine print , as i found it misleading , Ambiguous and Conflicting statements . I feel This is a greedy company only after Taking $$$$$ from their… Read more
customers and not honoring the insurance claim ! Why would any one want to support such a corrupt company ? !!
Thank you for taking the time to provide a review… Read more (+2 replies)
Had contents insurance but not home insurance with Budget Direct. Advised budget that we were soon commencing major renovations on our home. I answered an inordinate number of questions on the scope of work. A few days later I had a follow up conversation with budget answering another bunch of questions. A few days later I received an email… Read more
advising that the scope of renovations meant that budget could no longer accept our policy and was ceasing the contents policy in 3 weeks. Then a day later received a follow up email advising the policy was being canceled in 5 days. At no time was i contacted with the actual reason for their determination or any offer on how we could do to continue the policy ie extra monitoring of the house, ensure the contents were padlocked although they didn’t actually ask what we were doing with our contents during the renovation. Also not happy that Budget changed the cease date of the policy without actually having the fortitude to ring me. I had similar foundational issues which caused me to cancel my vehicle comprehensive insurance with them 5 years previously.
I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or… Read more
I am extremely disappointed with the service I received from Budget Direct. I contacted them to discuss contents cover including lost or stolen items outside Australia and simply wanted an explanation as to why individual items needed to be listed rather than allowing a total insured amount. Instead of answering my question, the consultant… Read more
repeatedly asked the same questions about how many items I had, their individual values, and even the karat value of gold items. It felt like talking to a robot rather than someone genuinely trying to help.
The process was unnecessarily tedious and time-consuming. I was placed on hold for a lengthy period, only for the consultant to return and tell me that the percentage wasn't sufficient and that they couldn't provide cover. When I asked why, he was unable to give a clear explanation and simply continued with the script instead of addressing my concerns.
Good customer service involves listening to customers and answering reasonable questions. Unfortunately, that did not happen in this case. The lack of communication, lengthy delays, and inability to provide clear explanations made for a very frustrating experience. Based on this interaction, I would not recommend Budget Direct.
Hi Susan. We sincerely apologise for any… Read more
Recent reviews
Purchasing our first home, we were completely green and didn’t know how the process worked. We had contents insurance for years renting but not building and contents insurance. We did a quote using the calculator and Budget Direct were the best for our needs. Speaking with customer service was easy and always super friendly. We look forward to continuing our business connection with Budget Direct and recommend them. Give it a go! Show reply
After requesting a further look into my claim, Budget Direct agreed that I was entitled to make a claim. They were very helpful, and I am so happy that I have insured my house and car with them. I highly recommend them. They are very professional and have a strong claims system. Show details · 1
I mean all I did was buy insurance. I don't know how good it is yet cause I am yet to use it. Buying it was simple. I can review that. 5 stars for taking my money. Hopefully it will be retruned one day should I ever need it. Show reply
Very disappointing customer service experience with Direct Budget today. I called to request the addition of a secondary mortgagee to my insurance certificate, and the representative’s attitude was unnecessarily rude and unhelpful. It felt as though assisting customers was a burden rather than part of the job. Regardless of the request, customers… Read more
deserve to be treated with respect and professionalism. Based on this interaction, Direct Budget has some work to do when it comes to customer service.
Hi Tram, thank you for taking the time to write… Read more
Find out how Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance compares to other Home and Contents Insurance
Know better, choose better.
Saved a lot of money over my normal insurer. It really does pay to see what else is on the market. I've been with the same insurer for over 40 years, but Budget Directs premium was too hard to refuse Show reply
This company is awful! I am disgusted in how my mother’s claim has been handled. She is a 66 year old widow with a health condition, whose house was flooded and due to poor handling and delays in processing her claim she has been out of her home for 5 months. It has been an extremely stressful and exhausting experience for her. At this point the… Read more
treatment she has recieved is dismissive and borders intimidation rather than support. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Hi Brooke. Thank you for taking the time to write… Read more
I recently had a claim denied by Budget Direct, and my experience has been extremely disappointing. It felt as though their first instinct when a claim is lodged is to look for reasons to deny it, rather than genuinely assess and support customers through the claims process. The company appears to invest heavily in marketing, advertising, and… Read more
paid endorsements, including recognition from organisations such as Canstar, which can create an impression of customer value and reliability that does not align with my claims experience.
Insurance is ultimately tested when you need to make a claim, and unfortunately this is where my experience with Budget Direct fell well short of expectations.
Hi John. Thank you for taking the time to write… Read more (+5 replies)
Insurance sold with Budget Direct-Yes! Insurance Solved with Budget Direct-Good Luck! If you are considering buying any Budget Direct product, be advised that is the easy part. As with all insurances, the product you buy can only be evaluated when it comes time to rely on it. We had occassion to lodge a claim last February. Initially the online… Read more
claim process was quick to respond while they extracted our "Excess Payment". We were initially contacted by a Budget Appointed contract assessor who bought in their experts to formulate a "Scope of Works". The trades to be involved were plasterers, painters, structural fabricators and electricians.
It is now coming close to three months and in summary here are the KPIs for customer service by Budget Direct.
1. Number of times I have contacted them=11 2. Number of times they have promised deadlines for a response =4 3. Number of times they have reached out to me =0 4. Excuses used. "waiting on "Scope of works"=5 "seeking clarification from Contract building assessor"=2 "seeking clarification regarding warranty by contractor"=1 "seeking ammendment of scope of works regarding an item they consider to be ""maintenance item"".=3
Everytime you call them, there is a recorded preamble that sets out expected codes of conduct by the customer. It is like a form of Chinese water torture to further raise your frustration levels. It is particularly galling to learn that our claims manager is receiving bonuses. Based upon their abysmal attitude to customer service I can only imagine they receive Bonus payments for wearing clients down until they go away.
I have tried to clarify our position by discussing our case directly with a representative from the appointed "Claim assessor Contractor". They say "the matter is with Budget Direct ".
In summary. Their advertising is slick and at saturation levels. Their online quotation and payment system makes it easy to feel you are getting peace of mind at a fair price. And thats the end of it!
It now appears a compalint to AFCA is my next step in this sorry mess.
Hi Steve. Thank you for taking the time to leave us… Read more (+1 reply)
Both of the staff that assisted me were absolutely excellent. They were patient, kind and very informative. Truly exceptional customer service and lovely humans. Budget Direct is very fortunate to have them. Show reply
After comparing all options this was by far the best. Great service when I called for clarification on a few points and very easy online experience. Saved over $400 in comparison to my previous 12 year insurance provider. Show reply
Disappointed to have just recently cancelled both car insurance & home & contents insurance with Budget Direct. Hard to fathom how little real effort they make to keep their existing customers in comparison to attracting new customers. With 25% annual increases on their policies, with little interest in any actual discussion beyond increasing our… Read more
excess, we will continue to play the “game” and seek new policies elsewhere. This year saving just under $800! Surely the extra time involved for Budget (& the customer) signing up & checking on new policies would make retaining existing policy holders with more modest annual increases an obvious choice. I won’t hold my breath.
Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to… Read more
Stay away from these excuse making crooks. Took 5 months to do anything other than call me 30 times asking for the same info already provided or discussed. I ended up printing out 100-140 photos to send express via post because they “apparently” couldn’t see the photos. They then denied me 5 months later saying I never added a causation report… Read more
yet this was discussed over 6 times with budget direct, 2 different builders, and 10 different people on 10 different calls, I believe they are trained to make you “give up” and “perplex you” to the point you give up. Stay clear of these gooses! Their job is to find reasons to not pay you out!!!!
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Hello Raman. I'm so sorry to hear you have not had… Read more