Carsales.com.au Car Insurance Review April 2021 | Finder
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carsales.com.au Car Insurance 

Australia's largest automotive online classifieds site now offers car insurance. 

Richard Laycock
Richard Laycock
Updated
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carsales.com.au is the nation's most-used vehicle classifieds site and it has now partnered with Budget Direct to offer its own car insurance cover. Here's an overview of its policies and some of the highlights.

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What cover options are available?

carsales.com.au insurance is free but only lasts for seven days.

  • Non-renewable, short-term comprehensive coverage: Coverage is designed as a short-period cover for members of the site who've purchased a vehicle and need up to seven days of cover. The policies are only for private or commuting use. You cannot carry out any kind of commercial activity under this insurer. As a fully comprehensive insurance package, you're covered for any third-party damage you cause with the car as well as the market value of the vehicle. The upper limit for liability is set at $20 million. The base excess is $1,200.

What does their policy cover?

The below table outlines some of the key policy features.

Seven days of comprehensive cover
Damage caused by an uninsured driver
  • Yes
Damage or theft of child seat/baby capsule in car
  • Up to $500
Damage or theft of personal effects
  • Up to $500
Damage to someone else's car or other property
  • Maximum of $20 million
Collision damage to your caravan or trailer
  • Yes, up to $1,000
Debris removal
  • Up to $500
Emergency transport and accommodation
  • Maximum of $850 total, $100 per day
Loss or damage to personal effects in car
  • $500
Damage or theft of child seat/baby seat from car
  • Up to $500
Accident debris clean-up
  • Up to $500
Death benefit
  • No
Excess waived in no-fault accident
  • Yes
Lifetime ownership repair guarantee
  • Yes
Online claims process
  • Yes
Hire car after a no-fault accident
  • Compact car for up to 14 days
Hire car after theft of vehicle
  • Up to 14 days or $1,000
Basic excess
  • $1,200
Additional excess
  • For drivers under 25 and those who've held a licence for less than 2 years

What makes carsales.com.au different?

  • Free cover for seven days, no obligation. The policy automatically terminates after seven days.
  • Temporary car coverage. Gives you time to organise your own cover, while allowing you to drive your newly purchased car. Apparently, it should only take five minutes to apply.
  • For car buyers. Only for use when buying a car through carsales.com.au.

How do their policies work?

carsales.com.au insurance is unique because its policies last only seven days and then automatically expire.

The coverage includes the cost of damage to another person's property and the market value of your car. It also promises to reimburse owners for theft of personal effects or damage to child restraints in the car, up to a value of $500. carsales will also pay out up to $1,000 for replacement key fobs and recoding (if reported to the police) and for damage arising to a caravan or trailer. Following the theft of your car or an accident that isn't your fault, the insurer will pay up to $1,000 to help with the costs of hiring an equivalent car.

carsales offers liability coverage up to $20 million per case. It also will pick up the legal costs. The company will compensate you up to $500 for debris removal from an accident scene and up to $850, or $100 per day, for emergency transport and accommodation.

Another nice feature: if your car was a new vehicle or a demonstrator and is completely totalled, carsales will replace it with a comparable example of the same make, model and spec.

What won't be covered?

  • Bushfires, cyclones, floods and storms. There's a 72-hour waiting period after the policy commencement where you're not insured for vehicle damage or total loss arising from any of the above conditions.
  • Business use. You cannot use your vehicle for any kind of commercial activity, including transporting goods or passengers, motor trade, driver tuition or hiring of the car. Commuting is allowed.
  • Limited hire car reimbursement. You'll only get a loan car for a maximum of 14 days, or until the cost reaches $1,000.
  • Caravan and trailer contents. When hitched to a car, a trailer or caravan you own is covered to the value of $1,000. However, the contents are not included.
  • Death and bodily injury. This interim policy does not pay out for death or bodily injury.
  • Competition use. You're not covered to use your car for road races, time trials, rallies or track use.
  • Test-drives. If you're selling the car and someone steals it while on a test-drive where you didn't accompany them, the policy won't pay out for this.
  • Modifications. Only declared modifications to the body and wheels are insurable.
  • Hooning. If any claims arise after you've been found to be deliberately driving in a reckless manner, your policy will be void.
  • Wrong fuel. Filling your car with the wrong type of fuel is an insurance exclusion.
  • Tyres. Tyres are consumable items and not covered under the policy in case of a puncture or blowout.
  • General wear and mechanical components. carsales does not insure your car for breakdown, component failures, depreciate or corrosion. Oils, coolants or any other leaks from a car that cause damage are also an exemption.
  • Terrorism. If your car is damaged by nuclear fallout or any act of terrorism it isn't covered for loss or damage.
  • DIY work. If an accident occurs because of repair, maintenance, upgrading, servicing or cleaning the car, this isn't insured.
  • Act of war. A declared or undeclared act of war is listed as an insurance exclusion.
  • Commandeered vehicle. If a governmental or public authority lawfully requisitions your car, it is no longer covered.
  • You fail to stop after an accident. If you fled the scene of a collision or left when otherwise lawfully required to do so, then the policy could be invalidated.
  • Other exclusions. Other coverage exclusions include depreciation that arises after a vehicle repair and financial losses as a result of the loss of the car or property contained within.
  • Falsified and fraudulent claims. Making a fraudulent claim can result in you having to return not only any cover payouts but also the investigation and assessment fees.
  • Undisclosed medical conditions. Drivers must ensure they keep pertinent authorities notified of medical conditions or disabilities that possibly affect their ability to drive.
  • Cars purchased on finance. carsales suggests you should check with your financing company to see if it has any additional stipulations for insurance coverage.

What are the excess options?

  • Basic excess: $1,200 is the compulsory excess required for all drivers. carsales applies additional excess fees to drivers under 25 and who have only had a licence for two years or less. It is worth noting, should you renew your policy with Budget Direct, it'll give you the option to change the basic excess.No specific figures are given for these additional excesses.

Making a claim

Because carsales.com.au's insurance is provided by Budget Direct, you approach it to make a claim. You can do so by logging in to your account on the Budget Direct site or calling directly on 1300 139 591. It says it can take up to two business days to hear back. Either method is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You'll need to gather the following information:

  • Your insurance policy number
  • Incident details, including the place and time
  • The names, addresses, registration numbers and insurance particulars of other drivers involved
  • The names and contact details of witnesses
  • Details of any recovery company used
  • Your police report number

Budget Direct also recommends taking photos of the damage and accident scene if safe to do so.

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