“Customer service was very poor.
Little explanation relating to clauses of insurance package I purchased. Just kept on being told to look at the Hastings app.
Poor people skills, abrupt and rude. Salesman was robotic and lacked professionalism.
Very long call … stressful and frustrating. Salesman took a very long time answering questions although poor explanation given .
Charged £100 more than quote and when questioned this was told he didn’t know and it was up to ‘ underwriters ‘ ???
Signed up for year which is a shame as likely to go elsewhere after this experience.”
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your review, we’re really sorry about the poor service you received.
At Hastings Direct, we pride ourselves in delivering great customer service, and it seems we may have fallen short on this occasion. We’d like to look into this and, as long as you’re happy, pass on any feedback to .
To do this, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) and we can discuss this in more detail.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“Reviews should be given on the back of a good or bad service. Not if you got a cheaper quote! This company is run by a bunch of fraudsters. My claim was refused for accidental TV damage because by removing fluff from corner of the TV I was essentially cleaning the TV! Cleaning is not covered under accidental damage. So just lie chaps at how you accidentally damaged something as these FRAUSTERS do not value honest customers.”
Hi Oleg,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with our service or the terms of the policy. I can appreciate the frustration this can cause.
If you believe that the claim has been poorly or incorrectly handled and you want to make a formal complaint about this, please give us a call (on 0333 321 9801), send us a letter or fill out our online form found on our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“NEVER use Hastings Direct Insurance. Cheap and nasty !
Terrible service and just pass you onto Enterprise third party who are totally inefficient . They offer you a hire car at no charge as accident not your fault . Now still being hounded by their Third Party Company to fill in paperwork and supply more details about a no fault accident after 4 months as they cannot recover the full cost of the ! Threaten if you don’t comply you will need to pay yourself ! Ask for your financial income and details for them to recover the costs ! Hastings do not help at all and say this is just their policy ! I had legal cover and had secured my no claim. No having to probably I needed the hire car while my car was being repaired AND who I can’t find myself !”
Hi Beverley,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with our service.
We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. When it comes to a claim being made, this is even more important. If you’d like to discuss this further, make a complaint or have any questions, please call our Claims team on 0333 321 9800. You can also raise a complaint if you visit our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“I would give a rating of -5* if that was possible!
I had a non-fault accident (third party hit me from the back) on 16 October 2024. I was told at roadside when I reported the accident that that accident was a non-fault accident. Because of this I was not charged my policy excess, I was allowed to cancel my policy instead of continuing to make my monthly repayments which is what normally happens where there is a question over liability and I was honoured my no claims bonus. At the point of cancelling I had overpaid £231.24 which I was told would be refunded to me and I received written confirmation of this on 25 October but the refund was not forthcoming. I spent hours on the phone chasing this with speaking with different so called customer advisors and team leaders all of whom confirmed the overpayment but that in order to get the refund I would have to go through their complaints procedure, as if the hassle endured to this point was not enough.
I followed up again on 27 December 2024 and asked to speak to manager for clarity on the situation and I was advised that manager would call me back, normally within 48hrs but since is Christmas and new year, the call may take a little longer. To date (19 January) I have yet to receive the refund, a call to explain this NONESENSE or any communication at all!
It is accepted that the accident was non-fault and as a result:-
Policy was cancelled without having to continue making monthly payments which apparently is what normally happens while liability is established.
No excess charged and no claims bonus honoured;
£231. 24 confirmed on calls and by letter on at least 2 occasions and despite hours of calls chasing this up there is still no sign of a refund or any communication.
It’s incredibly telling when everyone accepts and agrees that the overpayment should have been refunded but they encourage you to make a formal complaint in order to stand any chance of getting the refund!!! This suggests that my situation is not a one off, but rather it is standard practice!
Manager - whoever you are, can you call to explain when I might expect my money which you are holding onto without reason or explanation!!
THIS IS DAYLIGHT ROBBERY AT ITS FINEST!!!!
PS. This is just the icing on this rather horrible Cake! I would need to write a book and publish it in several volumes to comment on the dreadful experience during the lifespan of my policy!”
Hello Gentjan,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with the service you received and that you have had such a poor experience during your claim.
We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. When it comes to a claim being made, this is even more important.
If you believe that this has been poorly or incorrectly handled and you want to make a formal complaint about this entire experience, please give us a call (on 0333 321 9800 ), send us a letter or fill out our online form found on our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Absolutely rubbish just try to email them , no chance premium numbers to try and ring them and I was overcharged they said I had a claim that was my fault I was in bed asleep when someone damages my car when parking the year before and provided it to them I was not at fault but they were not interested then offered me a renewal for £950 , so got insurance else where for £280 with 5 similar quotes . Jokers. Never again.”
Hello Kane,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry to read about the experience you had during the claim and that we were unable to offer you a competitive renewal. I'm afraid that in the case where a third party cannot be found to recompense costs, a claim is often recognised as a 'a fault claim' Is is an industry wide practice, rather than one just in place with us.
Unfortunately, this can impact the cost of you policy and I regret that this is the case on this occasion. I'm glad you were able to find competitive cover in the end and thank you for having been insured with Hastings Direct. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Would not recommend them I sold my car and they want to charge me for cancelling my policy if they offered a better price for my new car then I would have stayed with them rubbish company not loyalty whatsoever”
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about our fees.
We appreciate no one wants to be charged fees but, like most other insurers, these cover some of our business costs - like the costs of staffing our contact centres, managing your policy, creating and sending documents and maintaining and developing our systems.
We try to keep these in line with everyone else and make it as clear as possible how much these fees are and that they’re non-refundable. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“I had to go through a comparison site to get a better renewal quote and you make it impossible to remove auto renew even when you give loyal customers a terrible price. Please improve your customer service”
Hi Molly,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with your policy renewing automatically.
All policies are set to automatically renew unless you tell us. We do this so you’re never uninsured and so that if you forget to give us a call, you can still legally drive.
You can remove the auto-renewal from your policy at any point during the first eleven months of the policy. This can be done on the app/online account or by calling the Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. Information concerning this is shown in the very first set of documents that are sent to you. I'm sorry if this wasn't seen. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“This provider is disturbingly deceptive and clearly has no integrity. They tried to increase my premium by auto-renewal by over 40% with no changes to our circumstances, and to justify it with vague references to general price increases. But then when you call them up they are instantly prepared to knock over 50% off the renewal price just to retain you (which is still not as low as competitors). So clearly nothing to do with underlying cost of insurance, just greedy, price-gauging techniques. No conscience. No integrity. If you are prepared to insure someone for £400, there is clearly no reasonable justification for attempting to take over £900 from them automatically by debit card. Truly disgusting exploitative mentality. Avoid at all costs.”
Hello Neal,
Thank you for your review, I'm very sorry to see that the renewal wasn't competitive on this occasion. At the point of each renewal the policy details are reviewed and as a result the perceived risk posed by the policy details can change even if the details don't. It may be the case that on this occasion the underwriters of your policy perceived a higher risk and the increase in price reflected that. Your policy details are not the only factors considered. Industry trends, rise in claim costs, how many accidents the make and model of your car are involved in throughout the year etc can all have an impact.
Please note, Hastings direct as a broker has no contact with the renewal until the customer contacts them to discuss it. This is why we ask you to contact us if you are unhappy with the price the underwriter has provided so it can discussed and we can see if the price can be improved. Without the customer's authority, we cannot amend the policy or apply any of the tools we use to hopefully get a better price.
I regret any frustration this process has caused and I hope that you have since been able to find competitive cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Awful company will never go with them again. They up your insurance quote every year with a stupid reason why where I can go somewhere else do cheaper. After cancelling my contract I am then accused of not making a payment even tho it was through a direct debit where one month they didn’t take a payment and I was not informed why they didn’t take it even tho it should of gone out. After a year being penalised to still pay a missed payment fee on top of a whole month fee where my contract is ending. If I owe them the money that is not the issue here. My issue is the lack of communication with each other and myself on not informing me when a payment was not take. They are the most money grabbing company I have experienced and heard from other people do not bother with them.”
Hello Travis,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry to read about the increase in price this year and to see that you've had such a poor experience with us. We hope that this issue with the payment has been resolved. If not and you need to discuss this further, please give us a call on 0333 321 9801 so our team can take a look at this for you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Hi Janet,
Thanks for your review, we’re really sorry about the poor service you received.
At Hastings Direct, we pride ourselves in delivering great customer service, and it seems we may have fallen short on this occasion. We'll be sure to pass this feedback to the relevant team and we appreciate the time you've taken to leave this with us.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any help with your policy. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy with the terms of your YouDrive policy.
A YouDrive policy is slightly different to a standard car insurance product, and we appreciate that it’s not for everyone. We do ask that you read the terms before you buy the policy. If you’d like to check out our other insurance options, head to our website. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“I wasn't told at point of purchase that the 'black box' supplied with the insurance is a small device which sticks on the windscreen and communicates with the Hastings app on my phone. When I was driving and my friend was in the passenger seat, he was switching songs on my phone. However this registered on the device and as a result my score was low due to 'phone useage'. This method of tracking phone usage will only work if someone is only ever driving on their own, if they have passengers who may touch the phone on behalf of the driver, this is not a true representation of the driving ability.”
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy with the terms of your YouDrive policy.
A YouDrive policy is slightly different to a standard car insurance product, and we appreciate that it’s not for everyone. We do ask that you read the terms before you buy the policy. If you’d like to check out our other insurance options, head to our website. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“What an absolute disgrace of a company. Paid my insurance in full and then I received an email to inform me they may need to cancel my insurance as I had not registered the driving box. This has not been received as they do not used tracked services for delivery and rely on Royal Mail during the festive period. Attempted to call them during breaks as a key worker and the queues were horrendous been told this morning that this i quite normal and there was other methods I could have used to contact. My insurance was cancelled within 24 hours of receiving the email. BEWARE OF THIS COMAPNIES PARACTICES ABSOLUTE COWBOYS”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy your policy was cancelled and I appreciate the frustration this would have caused you.
If you believe that this has been incorrectly cancelled and you want to make a complaint, please give us a call (on 0333 321 9801), send us a letter or fill out our online form found on our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Would not recommend at all!!!!
My insurance is due for renewal at midnight. I was given renewal price of £909 which was due to be taken from my bank account as an annual payment tomorrow. I called today to ask how much extra it would cost to add my partner onto my insurance. He told me it would be around £1255. In the end I decided not to go ahead with the change as it was too expensive for me and to stick with the £909 renewal at midnight. The advisor then told me that no quotes are available for me and that I can no longer renew with themselves!! All for asking how much it would cost to add my partner onto my insurance. I am devastated and shocked how they think it’s okay to cancel my renewal with no reason. Bear in mind I have been with them for 2 years, my details are the same and my car is the same. I have emails saying my insurance will renew from 2 days ago and now I am being left with nothing all for asking for a quote. The advisor was so unbelievably rude, I told him he’s ruined my day and that I was out shopping for an outfit for my wedding and his response was you have until midnight so I best get everything done before midnight. Genuinely shocked how they think this is okay. All I wanted was a quote and to decide whether or not I’d like to go ahead or not. They never informed me this could possibly leave me for no insurance for the next day!!!! I wish I never called. disgraceful.”
Hi Salimah,
Thanks for your review, we’re really sorry about the poor service you received and that we were unable to provide you with the original renewal quote.
At Hastings Direct, we pride ourselves in delivering great customer service, and it seems we may have fallen short on this occasion and that the reason for this wasn't fully explained.
If you believe that this has been poorly or incorrectly handled and you want to make a complaint, please give us a call (on 0333 321 9801), send us a letter or fill out our online form found on our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Bordering on fraudulent, automatically renewed my car insurance (despite this being not allowed by the new rules), it took me 8 weeks to realise and cancell as the renewal costs was double every other insurer. It was for a second car that’s rarely driven, that I inherited after a family member passed away. They tried to charge me £170 to cancell and when I refused to pay used a saved card to take the money out of my account without my permission. Avoid this company would be my advise, absolute chancers. When dealing with their complains team I spent an hour on hold only to be spoken to like child and have hidden t&c’s quoted to me in a very smug way.”
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with your policy renewing automatically and that you didn't get the outcome you needed where your complaint is concerned.
All policies are set to automatically renew unless you tell us. We do this so you’re never uninsured and so that if you forget to give us a call, you can still legally drive.
You can remove the auto-renewal from your policy at any point during the first eleven months of the policy. This can be done on the app/online account or by calling the Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. Information concerning this is shown in the very first set of documents that are sent to you. I'm sorry if this wasn't seen.
If you’d like to take your formal complaint further, the final outcome letter we sent or will send you explains how to do this. Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss the outcome or anything else relating to the formal complaint, please or call our Complaints team on 0333 999 8904. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“After four years they got in touch to say I was at fault..first year they said I wasn’t took three years to make a decision!! Nothing but dodgey be careful when using this firm.”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with our service.
We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. When it comes to a claim being made, this is even more important.
If you’d like to discuss this further, make a complaint or have any questions, please call our Claims team on 0333 321 9800 or send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“I am extremely disappointed with the way Hastings Direct has handled my claim. After my car was written off in an accident that was NOT my fault, they offered me a settlement that is £1,500 less than the cost of replacing my car with one of the same make, model, year, and mileage. Despite my extensive research showing that their valuation is completely unrealistic, they refuse to increase the offer, hiding behind “trade guides” that clearly do not reflect the actual market value.
Their argument is that advertised prices are “negotiable,” but the gap between their offer and the real cost of a like-for-like replacement is far too wide to justify this excuse. On top of this, the ombudsman website also state “we’ve been told by the valuation guides that cars are selling at or close to advertised prices. So, now we typically consider adverts when assessing the market value of a vehicle”.
I have explained my situation in detail and provided evidence, but they have ignored all of this and shown zero compassion.
To make matters worse, they have left me on hold for over an hour (and counting) during this stressful time, adding insult to injury. Their lack of fairness, professionalism, and understanding has left me feeling completely let down.
I would strongly advise anyone considering this insurer to look elsewhere. If you’re unlucky enough to need to make a claim, don’t expect them to value your car fairly or support you when you need them most. Shocking service.”
Hi Emily,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy with the price we offered for your vehicle.
We get to this figure by using various valuation tools that help us get a fair market price, specific to your vehicle’s make and model. We’re confident what we’ve offered is fair and that we’ve taken the necessary steps in valuing your vehicle.
If you can provide evidence that justifies why we should’ve given you more or you’d like to discuss this further or have any questions, give our Claims team a call on 0333 321 9800 or feel free to send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter), and we can look at logging a complaint for you regarding this.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the price we offered.
Our quotes for changing your details and getting a quote for a new policy are valid until midnight the same day.
When we offer a quote, we always try to give you the best price we can, based on the information you give us. However, this price may change even if your details stay the same, because your insurer may adjust the risk level of your policy.
If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Hi Hasmukhbhai,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about being charged the £20 arrangement fee and our YouDrive tab charge.
As part of buying a YouDrive policy, you’re charged £20 to cover the tab we send you. We make it as clear as possible the tab is owned by you as well as, how much our other fees are and that they’re non-refundable.
We apologise if you weren’t aware of this.
If you would like to discuss the cancellation further, please give us a call on 0333 321 9801 so our team can take a further look at this for you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Horrible experience.
They have written to me saying i am not at fault when a car drove into me. But haven't updated the national car insurance register even though i've been chasing them to do it for over a year. Costing me 3 times premium because they are so useless.”
Hi Spencer,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with our service.
We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. When it comes to a claim being made, this is even more important.
If you’d like to discuss this further, make a complaint or have any questions, please call our Claims team on 0333 321 9800.
You can also raise a complaint if you our website here:(https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/). Once we’ve logged your complaint, we’ll get back to you within five working days. ~Theo, Social Media Team
