Hello Clifton, I'm sorry you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received and to see that you've struggled to reach us and arrange for the policy to be cancelled. If you still need help with this, please send us a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. You can also find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Have quoted me a renewal ( no changes in my policy - no accidents etc). 63% increase. Have gone elsewhere and been quoted an increase on identical terms 50% lower than theirs . Was prepared to give them a chance but impossible to get through on the phone. Rubbish company that rips its customers off on renewals and makes it a nightmare of going through telephone hoops and unacceptable long waits on the telephone if one wants to cancel. Avoid.”
Hello, I'm sorry that we were able to offer you a competitive renewal this year and I can appreciate the frustration this causes. There are many reasons your policy’s price may have increased, and you can find further information here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/renewal-prices/.
I regret also that you were unable to reach our call centre to discuss this. Thank you for having been insured with us and I'm glad you were able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo. Customer Care
“My Father-in-law who is 86 contacted Hastings to querie his latest insurance quote & was asked to give his Driving licence number which he did, only to be told that his insurance premium had now gone up another £20 because he gave the woman his number!!! He asked the woman to remove the Licence number but she said that once it had been entered it couldn't be removed. What a con to get another £20 out of an old age pensioner. Hastings, you should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves!!! Looking for insurance elsewhere for him. Disgusting service!!!”
Hello Anthony, I'm very sorry to read about this. At times the license number is needed as it pulls information from the DVLA and ensures we have correct information available on the policy. We would be happy to look at this further for the customer however. Please contact us via email at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com so we can investigate this. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Customer service was one of the worst I've ever experienced. The policy I had I had no issues with but wanted to cancel the renewal due to them not being able to match prices and the lady on the phone was beyond rude. All sweet and lovely until I repeated myself I'd like to cancel it, she argued and argued about what the other policy offered me speaking to me in a tone that implied I was an idiot I then had to interrupt her and say again I'd like it cancelling... she then paused, said it won't renew and hung up. Absolutely disgusting. Having working in customer service within management myself I can safely say she is lucky her attitude is given through a phone and not face to face. Unfortunately I did not catch her name but she certainly needs to learn some manners and respect.”
Hello Samantha, I'm very sorry if you've not received the level of customer service you deserve and I can appreciate that this is frustrating. Your review and experience doesn't reflect the attitude we want our advisors to portray. I will use the policy reference, locate the advisor and feed this back to her team leader. Thank you for having been insured with us. I'm sorry we couldn't offer you a more competitive renewal and I hope that you have since been able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Completely cold customer service. They completely failed to deliver a driving tab to link to their App for my daughters car insurance. They cancelled the policy and left my daughter unable to drive to work. They issued comunication via the App which was not user friendly and is not suited for people with learning disabilities. All they had to do is reinsate the policy and send a tab by registered delivery. Job done.
They have Defaqto 5 star rating which is disappointing as this level of care to their customers is 0 star. It is completely wrong when the error is their fault. It won't even let me put no stars on my review. HastingsDIRECT controlling their reviews.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about the poor experience your daughter has had on her Youdrive policy. If she feels that this was incorrectly cancelled and would like to raise a complaint, this can be done by visiting www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints. When we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. Our regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, says we have up to eight weeks to settle your complaint. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help.
I hope that she is able to find suitable cover for her vehicle soon.~Theo. Customer Care
“Had an accident, was non-fault. Been trying for a year and half to get Hastings to report non-fault to Cue Insurance Register and they still haven't done it. Very unhappy with Hastings.”
Hello Spencer. I'm sorry to read about the length of time this has taken and that you have had a poor experience during your claim. I hope some positive progress can be made soon. I appreciate you may have already done so, however, If you’d like to discuss this further or you're unsure what the next steps are, please contact our Claims team on 0333 321 9800 or email motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com with your claim reference in the subject line. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Never have i ever had an insurance company this bad!! I have never claimed my insurance in all the time i have been driving. I have been left with no contact from Hastings. After sending me a message telling me they would contact me in 3 days. Constantly had to phone them after 10weeks of myclaim they have done everything not to pay out my claim. Also i paid a full years Premium and there not giving me the rest of the year back. Still not resolved. Shocking disgrace!!! each person i have spoken with just took me around in circles. No one can answer the questions i'm asking! I would never ever insure with them again a waste if time and money. It's time someone exposed them to the websight that advertises for them. Iwould give them - stars but there is no opption.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about the poor experience you've had during your claim with us. Reading through, I can appreciate the frustration this would cause and I hope that despite this positive progress can be made concerning your claim soon.
I appreciate you may have done so in the past but if you’d like to discuss this, we’d be happy to talk about your claim with you. To get in touch either call 0333 321 9800 or email motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com with your claim reference in the subject line. ~Theo. Customer Care
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy. If there’s anything specific we can help you with, please let us know. You can find all the different ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help ~Theo. Customer Care
Hello Tommy, we're sorry if you have had a poor experience and that you’re having trouble with MyAccount. So that we can help, we need to speak with you to learn more about your issue. Please email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com as an alternative to the phone. We'll do all we can to help you. ~Theo
“Honestly a bit tragic the way they constantly monitor every situation without actually trying to talk to you, rather they send warnings through email that you try to reply to multiple times on your online account, only to be met with constant maintenance options, then try to call them only to be met with 30+ minute waiting queues calling them 3 times each time after work to give up and go about your day, then have you insurance cancelled due to it. Getting through to someone after 30+ waiting to talk about the cancellation, even hearing that, there's no option for follow ups. Bit of a waste of time. Wouldn't recommend, take care.”
Hello Jordan, I'm very sorry if you have not received the level of customer service you deserved and if this has led to the cancellation of your policy. If you need any help, please contact us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com as an alternative to the phone. You can also find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. We'll do all we can to help you. ~Theo. Customer Care
Hello Jim, I'm very sorry if you were unable to reach us and get the help you needed with your renewal. I appreciate you have insured elsewhere, however if you need any help at all, please contact us on X (formerly Twitter) @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. I'm glad you have since been able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo,
“Received a renewal for an increase of 42 percent. Decided to get rid of vehicle. So rang them and informed them a week before the renewal date that I would not be renewing. Explained that I wasn't happy with price but had decided to get rid of vehicle before the renewal date. So they cancelled the policy immediately and charged me a cancellation fee. I never made a claim off them but I will now never use them again. Conning people out of more money when they simply tell them your not renewing”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received. We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. Please email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com and we’ll then look into this issue for you. You can also find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. Thanks again, ~Tamera. Customer Care
“Worst car cover insurance company ever had covered by….
After received a renewal letter with stupid increase price for no reason, I called renewal department to stop. Lady on another end insisted to stop automatic renewal by mistake cancelled my existing policy (3 weeks left ). After of hours discussion and excuses she said we can’t reinstate you policy because you had multiple cover. When I asked for solutions to keep my car covered for remaining 3 weeks, they said we don’t do temporary covers.
Finally they offered an £15 compensation for " hi value customer " to keep me happy …)
Quick online quote from other companies for my car shows £229
I haven’t accepted £15 and will see how complain department will get situation sorted…
Unbelievable !!!
HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE”
Hello Eduard, I'm very sorry to read about the poor experience you've had and to see that you had to raise a complaint concerning this. If you haven't received an update about your complaint within the promised timeframe, please give the team a call on 0333 999 8904. You can also find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. I hope you receive a satisfactory resolution to your complaint. ~Theo. Customer Care
“I bought car insurance (I paid for the whole year on February 5th). Today, February 24, I changed my mind. I canceled the policy before it started (the policy starts on March 1). I had to pay a penalty because I changed my mind about the price offer, explaining that they had started the process....
ps. It means they used my money for 18 days (for free)... and now they are charging me a fee because I changed my mind about their product..
Shame... this is very inappropriate and dishonorable.”
Hello Andrzej. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy we charged you a fee. This £20 non-refundable arrangement fee covers our various business costs, including customer service, maintaining systems, updating databases and sending documents. We make our fees clear before you buy a policy from us, and they’re stated in our terms and conditions. We apologise if you weren't aware of this. If you need any further help, please visit www.hastingsdirect.com/help. Thanks again, ~Theo. Customer Care
“They do not stick to agreed payment dates, and take money from direct debit account well over a week in advance, without any notification and then decide its your fault if the payment is declined”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received. We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers, so if you’d like us to look into this for you, please call 0333 321 9801 or send us a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. You can also find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. Thanks again, ~Nicole. Customer Care
“Hastings Direct were competitive for my renewal last year, but premium jumped from £377 to £571 for renewal this year, which is excessive despite the BS regarding increasing costs yada yada yada; the reality is they are trying to take advantage by automatically renewing the policy. There is no option to opt out of auto renewal without calling the call centre. I got a much better quote for renewal elsewhere, but then couldnt cancel my renewal without calling the call centre and having to spend 10minutes on my time on the phone cancelling a renewal that I never agreed to. To add injury to insult, they then advised that they could significantly reduce the renewal cost if I stayed; why did they not offer their best renewal price in the first place! When challenged, I got the same BS about market price at the time of quoting renewal blah blah blah. TBF, they are all the same in terms of trying to take advantage by putting a CPA (Continuous Payment Authorisation) on your account once you sign up and then just taking the money for the renewal, but at least most give you the option to opt out of auto renewal online. My advice is that as soon as you set up your insurance, cancel the CPA with the insurance company, and if they dont cancel it, cancel it with your bank who are obliged to cancel it upon request.”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy with our price for renewing your policy. Just so you know, the price we offer is based on the current details on the policy. We’re happy to look into this for you in case changes need to be made.
If you’d like us to help you further, please call our Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. Thanks again, ~ Nicole. Customer Care
“Your customer service is a disgrace.my daughter car caught on fire and was given a car to use so it was insured shevhad it fir 2 months now been passed on to a debt agency. I put a complaint in as policy in my name with my daughter the driver when she cancelled it they say it has to be paid in full.when she rang again the man said as you don't have a car you don't have to pay and said a supervisor would call NEVER got a call.she purchased a car with another company had it 2 months that company cancelled policy and no more to pay I have the e mail on that. I have sent at least 30 e mails asking for this to be looked into and to send me a letter as there app cannot be updated as no car is insured I am still waiting for the letter.the debt agency have e mailed them asking for them to send me a letter.next step is ombudsman disgusting company.my daughter was six months pregnant and her partner died then the car caught fire and was written off the stress this company has caused is a total disgrase”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry to hear you weren’t happy with our service. We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. If you’d like to discuss this, we’d be happy to talk about your claim with you. To get in touch either call 0333 321 9800 or email motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com with your claim reference in the subject line. Thanks again, ~Beth, Customer Care
“Cancelled my policy due to not pairing my tab to my phone. I had explained multiple times that I was travelling in the US when the tab arrived and had tried to contact them while I was away to make them aware of this and found no clear way that would address the issue and as I was out of the country travelling my options were limited (the only thing I found was to make a claim). I was then able to get a family member to pair it while I was away, or so we thought. There was very little information on what was needed and the instructions we were given were incredibly vague and clearly not helpful as the pairing was unsuccessful. I told multiple customer services representatives this and was met with a lack of understanding and zero sympathy for the situation. None of my points were addressed or fully regarded. I didn’t drive the car once since I started the insurance due to being out of the country, and was still charged a large sum of money even though they cancelled my insurance. So disappointed and frustrated. I would not recommend.”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy your policy was cancelled. We cancel a policy when a term or condition for your insurance hasn’t been met. You should have received an email from us that explained why we were cancelling your policy and included the date we’d cancel it from. We apologise if you didn’t get this email. If you think your policy was cancelled incorrectly, please call our YouDrive team on 0333 999 8911. Thanks again, ~Beth. Customer Care
“Useless customer service, expensive premiums.. and if you get a claim then good luck! Wish I could give 0 stars.. also, paid my insurance off for sum of £650, just for them to cancel for ____ reason?? And then saying I'm not eligible for a refund.. customer service hung phone up on me many times too, so helpful and amazing, can't imagine having such amazing support and help. I'm paying your wages, FFS.”
Hello. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy about your cancelled policy. We always let our customers know in advance why we need to cancel a policy and the date we’ll cancel it from if the situation doesn’t change. We do apologise if you didn’t get an email or letter that told you about this. Please let us know if you’d like us to investigate what happened. You can call us on 0333 321 9801 or find more ways to contact us at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. Thanks again, ~Beth. Customer Care
“Avoid avoid avoid - hidden charges , we got insurance with Hastings last week. Since then we have been hassled for more and more Info with threats of cancellation. We provided the information.
We put my licence held 16 years as I got my licence Feb 2008 now Feb 2024
There was no option for actual date.
Police started on 1st Feb my licence on 5th Feb. They are now trying to charge £60 to change this as they're saying it should be 15 years
Their math =2008 to 2024 is 15 years
Please avoid, put of principal we cancelled but that cost £90”
Hello Smith. Thanks for letting us know about this and we’re sorry you’re unhappy we checked your policy and the fee. Our New Business Review team pick a handful of policies at random, checking all details and updating them when necessary. This is our standard business practice and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. We sometimes need the information to make sure an insurance policy is valid and fit for purpose. Our fees are written in your policy documents and displayed on our website – again, we’re sorry if you weren’t aware of this before you bought your policy. If you need any further help, please call us on 0333 321 9757. Thanks again, ~ Tamera. Customer Care
