“Disgrace, the service is rubbish. I cancelled my renewal today I was on an 11 month contract with a paid deposit first month yet they still want me to pay £32.00 to leave them. The renewal price was £531 for a low risk low mileage driver. They will write off a classic They will never keep me as a customer.”
Hello Mark, I'm very sorry to read about this. If you would like us to take a further look at the policy or the amount quoted to cancel, please contact us on Facebook or Twitter @HastingsDirect. ~Theo
“This has been my 3rd year with Hastings Direct and up until lately I've found them really great.
I own a Peugeot 207 SW, nothing flash just a standard estate car. Unfortunately the tailgate window shattered whilst i was driving.
I started a glass claim under my comprehensive insurance and after contacting National Windscreens...Hastings approved contractors, i was told that they couldn't get the glass so i would need to either go to another glass company or a scrap yard and find one myself. FIND ONE MYSELF...what happened to section 8 of my policy that states 'the company will repair or replace glass under a comprehensive policy'.
Basically I've been left to it and heard nothing else from Hastings.
What makes things worse is the trawling around trying to find phone numbers to contact the correct people, who clearly don't want to be contacted!
Hastings and I are done.”
Hello Lee, I'm sorry to read about this and I appreciate the frustration this would have caused you. I hope that you have been able to find the appropriate type of glass to aid with the repair of your vehicle. If you would like to raise a formal complaint concerning this, you can do so with the Customer Care Department here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/complaints-form.shtml
Once again, I'm very sorry to read about the poor experience you've had during this claim. ~Theo
“I have been paying HD for 3 years now for my house insurance. without any claims.
when we do need to claim we follow the instructions of the loss adjuster and then HD give a settlement figure that is 45% of the cost of the repair. 4 weeks later i got a lady on the phone after 8 phone call attempts and she listened to my plight and amended the settlement fee. sadly it has taken soo long for this to be settled it me think why do we pay for insurance.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to see that this process took a lot longer than you expected and wasn't a straightforward process. I hope that this has now been resolved or is close to being the case. If you need to discuss this, you can email the team at motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com as an alternative to the phone. ~Theo
“Told to get app. Entered password but still can’t log in. Every time new password set, says something is wrong. Looked for number to call/direct messaging service, and contact info unavailable. I hope I don’t require to put a claim in at all”
“Trying to create password it would say that it was strong but not let uou sign in and havecto get another password did this 17 times over 4 days before we actually got into our account.”
Hello, I'm sorry to read about the experience you've had and I hope that you now have consistent access to your details. Please contact the team at mobileappfeedback@hastingsdirect.com if there are any further issues. ~Theo
“I've been with hastings for 5+ years...
Everything was okay until I wanted to get a new quote...
I finished my insurance and paid everything as my licence was wrongfully taken from me by the dvla due to medical reasons... I went on go compare, and hastings to compare prices, I added on legal cover and brakedown on both sites so the cover was the same, yet hastings worked out £312 a year more expensive than most of the other quotes from go compare 🤔🤔 so I messaged someone from hastings about it, they weren't helpful, they even contradicted themselves by saying they can offer more to existing customers and get a better price, compared to new customers..
and when I told them that should be illegal, they contradicted themselves and said they didn't say that and we can't do anything for existing customers... what I've learned... when you're with them and don't have to talk to anyone it's 10/10 but as soon as you talk to anyone for anything it goes to a 2 out of 10 and thats being nice.
Very poor customer service/care.
Almost as bad as the dvla 😂😂”
Hello Aaron, I'm sorry if you didn't receive the customer service you deserved while on the phone with our advisors and that you were unable to find competitive cover with us on this occasion. Thank you for having been insured with us over the past 5+ years and I hope that you have since been able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo
“My car renewal came through which was substantially more than last time. Phoned up to see if they would match/beat a slightly cheaper renewal quote from another company (only a few quid, but it's principle!) They ended up "breaking" my account. Had to go through the tedious process of setting up as a new customer over the phone, and in the end all they could offer was the original renewal price. Not impressed, an hour of my life wasted... In hindsight, I should have just saved all the hassle by cancelling and going with the competitor.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about the experience you've had during your renewal and I appreciate the frustration this would have caused. I hope that the issue has now been fully resolved. Going forward, you can speak to us on Twitter @HastingsDirect and on Facebook as an alternative to the phone. ~Theo
“The insurance was easy to set up, which was probably one of the only positive I have.
I tried to contact/find a contact number for Hastings for about 20 mins and for the life of me could not find a phone number or any other way to contact them other than to look in the FAQs section but that was as much use as a chocolate fireguard.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to see that you struggled to reach the call centre or locate a number to do so. Going forward, you can speak to us on Twitter @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. We would be happy to help with any questions you may have or provide any assistance you may need. ~Theo
“no contact whatsoever after purchase paid in full no policy or cover note or confirmation,rang to query cover, told yes covered will have a word with IT dept and send certificate.......still waiting no reponce.”
Hello, I'm sorry to read about this. Looking at the policy, the document has been sent to your online account in line with the delivery method for your documents. The document has also been emailed to you in a PDF format. Please expect this within the next 15 minutes. If you would like to change the delivery method to post, please contact the team on 0333 321 9801 to arrange this. ~Theo
“Spent 30minutes trying to find a way to contact Hastings Direct, chat feature non existent and stuck in an endless loop in the online "help" section. Finally managed to get a number to call and the agent was very friendly/helpful, but what an absolute waste of my lunch break. I guess "contactless" is the norm these days.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to see that you struggled to get through and get the help you need. Going forward, you can speak to us on Twitter @HastingsDirect or on Facebook as an alternative to the phone. Please let us know if you need any further assistance. ~Theo
Hello, I'm sorry to see that you're struggling to do this. Please ensure that your storefront is set to the United Kingdom, and it should then be available on the store. If the issue continues, please email the team at yourdriving@hastingsdirect.com and make them aware so they can take steps to assist you. ~Theo
“I had started the process online the previous evening but the site kept crashing. I began at 09.17 the next morning and finally finished at 13.15. The website kept crashing again and I had to buy the insurance over the phone. The people I spoke to were all very well-mannered, polite and helpful, but I needed to buy a multi-policy and cancel a policy that had been bought the previous day. Each time I phoned I had to wait almost 20 minutes. The first person was unable to produce the policy l had online despite having all the information . I was passed to another department and after another long wait, they sorted it, out but were unable to cancel the original policy. I was passed on and had another long wait, it was the wrong department, I was passed on and after another long wait the policy was cancelled. My tenacity was due to the online quote being very competitive, as I discovered that due to being involved in an accident as a passenger in my husband's car during the previous year, which was not our fault and did not affect our no-claims, each of our insurance, individually or as named drivers on each other's policy went up between £150 to £200. Hence my patience. I would request that Hasting Direct employ more telephone staff as their product is good and their multi-policy saved us nearly £200. Thank you.”
Hi, I apologise that this was the case and for any possible frustration or inconvenience caused. I'm glad to hear you're happy with the service you received and your policy, I've fed back the telephony delays to our Development team to review. ~Lillie
“It’s was not made clear that I have to have tracking device and a phone in my car at all times. I don’t often carry my phone and would have gone elsewhere if this had been made clear from the start.
The app was difficult to use and not clear.”
Hi Jeffrey,
I apologise if you weren't aware of what you'd purchased. If this is unsuitable, please call us on 0333 321 9801 to requote you a policy without the tab.
~Lillie
“Have just had a call with one of the Call Centres to follow up on a claim and the lady I spoke with was trying to be very helpful, however the background noise was so loud that it was very difficult to hear what she was saying. Other calls could be heard as well as laughter and shouting. Very off putting and unprofessional. Shame as not the individual’s fault. Suggest that you invest in noise cancelling headsets in your Call Centres as important information can easily be missed, especially when terms and conditions are being relayed.”
Hi, we're sorry you feel that way. If there is anything we can improve on to make your experience better or further assist you, please visit https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/. ~ Jodie
“Last year I was crashed into by another car through no fault of my own and it was my first experience of having to go through the claims process myself, in 21 years of driving.
I cannot therefore compare my experience with Hastings to any other company but overall, I can say it did not meet expectations.
I actually feel like maybe if I'd been injured, I'd have had better service but (luckily) I was ok, my car was not, it was decided to be a write-off due to its age (10 years).
The first problem arose when I was sent a pay-out without previously accepting it, through advice from the local garage and a little online research I realised the amount was below my car's worth.
Although I had been corresponding via email beforehand, all emails I sent after pay-out were ignored. Eventually it was the salvage partners Copart that advised me to raise a complaint which would get an answer.
The reason Copart were calling me was to establish whether I wanted to buy my car back for repair, I was unable to give a decision until I had been paid the proper amount.
During this time a direct debit payment was taken from my account, the regular monthly payment I set up to cover my insurance over the year. Which is the second problem, because the remaining cost of my insurance agreement had been deducted from the settlement amount before I received the pay-out, as is standard. So, one department had not spoken to the other in good time (and for the record, this wasn't all within a few days or even a week, it was 3 bordering on 4 weeks).
So, I raised another complaint.
A resolution was offered for my first complaint, the amount was increased by £450! Hastings sent me their calculation sheet and the website details where they check it's a fair value. Great. Why wasn't this the amount they offered in the first place if it was fair and right? Why did I have to challenge it at all?
Having accepted this additional pay-out, I contacted Copart about buying back my car, I already knew the amount they were charging but needed to take into account delivery cost and logistics. The helpful comms at this point broke down because I was told Copart did not have my car and in response to my two replies I got nothing but the equivalent of 'computer says no'.
So, I raised a third complaint with Hastings.
It took 3 weeks to get Copart to admit they did indeed have my car, by which time it was December 27th. The crash had occurred on October 8th.
I had only been given a courtesy car for 3 weeks (until the initial pay-out was sent to me). I had radiotherapy during those weeks so that worked out but otherwise I was lucky my mum is part-retired so I was able to use her car to attend my Search & Rescue volunteering commitment. I had warned Hastings I had jury service coming up at the beginning of January and that's without mentioning Christmas and the to-ing and fro-ing I was due to help my family with then.
So, I had to look for an alternative, a new (to me) car. I exhausted all options within 60 miles of my town, there was simply nothing with my basic requirements that I could afford (5 doors, less than 10 years old, petrol). I hadn't had to buy a second-hand car for over 16 years, so it was a minefield.
None of this is taken into consideration by the compensation given by Hastings.
What were my expectations? To be paid out fairly. To be assured the insurance company is doing its best by me. To have the company manage its admin efficiently so as not to put me to further inconvenience. What would be extra nice is to have time and assistance given in finding a new solution after the loss of your vehicle.
Where am I now? My complaints were closed out, the mitigation of my blame in the claim continues without progress update. I've ended up with a car that is 2 years younger than my one was but otherwise no better and costing me more. Plus, the cheapest insurance I can secure is costing me £20 more PER MONTH than I was paying before this accident. On the positive side I can say that all the conversations I had with Hastings staff were polite and friendly.”
Hi, I'm sorry to hear you've had a negative experience with us and you're unhappy with the service you received. I hope this has since been looked into and resolved, however if there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to get in touch at socialmedia@hastingsdirect.com. ~Lillie
“I have a query about my insurance. I am unable to find how to contact you, or online chat
I have tried FAQ couldn't get the information I needed.
Very disappoined customer.”
Hello, I'm very sorry that you struggled to reach us and get the help you needed. You can reach us on Twitter @HastingsDirect and on Facebook if you still nee assistance. ~Theo
“We started a policy on the 27/1/23 for a young driver policy with black box , which still has not arrived 10 days later we received an email stating our policy would be cancelled if we did not paid our box. Contacted customer services and advised it was Royal Mail delay and to call back 6 days later if still not received . Not happy and if my policy gets cancelled I will not be happy .”
Hello, I apologise for any frustration caused by this process. Please keep in touch with the team and make them aware if the box hasn't arrived. If there is no communication, it will be presumed that everything is in place. Once they are aware of what is happening, they can then take measures to help you. ~Theo
“Been trying to get hold of someone to amend NCB but no joy. In my experience of customer service within insurance companies it defo does not exist. Seems to be maximum premiums and sort yourself out with the admin.”
Hello Alison, I'm sorry if you have struggled to reach the Customer Service Department to arrange this. If you still need help, please email us at socialmedia@hastingsdirect.com. Please ensure you include your proof of no claims from your previous insurer if this change needs to be made. ~Theo
“Failure to have a suitable class of 'overnight parking' for where my vehicle is leading to illogical and unfair charges, poor customer service. I called just now to update my overnight parking location, back-dating it to November 1st 2022, when I moved. Since then, my car has been kept in a private area, off the road, with individual parking spots for the 8 or so flats in my block. Before that, it was kept in a parking space at University Halls of Residence. Somehow my new parking situation is described as a 'public car park'. The idea that my current parking location is equivalent to a public carpark e.g. a multi-storey, pay-per-hour one, where hundreds of cars come and go frequently and salubrious behaviour frequently occurs is completely ridiculous. You refused to classify my parking location as either private properly nor open compound, despite these sounding much more appropriate to me. Of course, this would mean you having to give me a larger rebate, which I know is terribly painful for you.
Over-charged me significantly. This, surprise surprise, has led to me being refunded a grand-total of £3.47 (after the £20 fee for changing my policy) for the nearly-3-months it has been in its new spot. This was after a 45 minute call where technical system errors and liaisons with another department made it lengthy. That call was also after I accidentally rang your claim-line (the first number that appears in a google search) and instead of being directed to the appropriate department, was simply hung up on.
Will definitely not be renewing with you and will make sure to let people know how you treat your customers, although I doubt there's much variation between insurers as you all seem to be money-grabbing scum.”
Hi Marcus, I apologise for any trouble this may have caused. We are unable to backdate changes, so the change made would be effective from the date of the change till the end of the policy. The refund you received would be from the point of change, to the end of the policy. Please do get in touch with us at socialmedia@hastingsdirect.com so we can discuss the overnight location. If you believe that 'public car park' is not the correct description, we can look at correcting this. If you still require help, there are a few ways to contact us and you can find the best way for you here; https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/. ~ Jas
