“Poor customer services,
Asked the guy I want to speak to the manager but he didn't, such a rude and pathetic people.
Ripping off the innocent customers,
My policy is going to start 16 sep 2024 and yesterday on 6th Sep I spoke to the customer services and requested to cancel the policy, they said they will charged me £20 for setting up non refundable fee. I requested them my insurance policy hasn't started yet and im entitled to get the full refund as I hasn't started using for services.Cancel
The policy and refund my deposit but he didnt want to listen,he spent over and hour for nothing, laughing with colleagues and mock over the phone,I have received the email yesterday and they deducting £40 for nothing. My request is never trust hastings direct and never buy the insurance policy with them. They are the biggest scammer.”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the cost of cancelling.
When a policy is cancelled, we make sure to only charge for the exact numbers of days the policy has been opened for, and for any fees that apply.
As you did have 0 days on cover, the only charge the a £20 non refundable set up fee, this is included on our fees page, and also a £20 non refundable tab fee for the YouDrive tab that would have been sent when you set the policy up. You may be able to get the tab fee back, if you return the tab unopened, and call the team on 0333 999 8911 to let them know this has been done.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“You have an extremely poor service for intending new customers. All numbers do not allow me to speak to your team and i wonder why. Please provide specific numbers for new customers which are ignored by your service. Spells the downfall of the business when they can't handle new business.”
Hello Zacharias,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry if you struggled to reach the call centre and get the help you need.
Our Sales team can be reached by calling 0333 321 9829. You can also email us for policy queries or changes at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com or on social media via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
~Theo, Social Media Team
“Beware of cancellation fees!
Paid monthly for my motorcycle insurance, cost a third of the total annual cost to cancel the policy half way through the year! Outrageous fees for clicking a button on a screen. No option to do it online either.”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the cost of cancelling.
When a policy is cancelled, we make sure to only charge for the exact numbers of days the policy has been opened for, and for any fees that apply.
Also, if you pay by Direct Debit, these aren’t pay-as-you-go payments - they’re a repayment schedule to pay back the credit agreement that began when you first bought your policy.
You can find a breakdown of the costs of your cancellation (how much you’ve been charged compared to how much you’ve paid) in your documents.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“Here’s a more refined version of your message:
I am extremely disappointed with the level of service and customer care we’ve received following the burst water pipe in our home.
Not only was the cash settlement significantly undervalued, but we also felt pushed and coerced into accepting it. The water damage to our kitchen countertop was initially refused on multiple occasions and was only accepted later as an apparent act of goodwill. However, our cash settlement offer was then reduced, with the explanation that replacing the countertop was cheaper in terms of labor compared to propping it up to replace the flooring. Now, we are being asked to start the process of obtaining quotes all over again.
This entire situation has had a massive impact on my mental health, especially as I’ve just had a baby and am currently on maternity leave. The cash offer would leave me out of pocket and struggling financially.
I have already raised a complaint, but the response was equally disappointing. It contained numerous errors and wasn’t properly addressed until I escalated the matter to a different department.
I would not recommend Hastings, nor would I ever consider using their services again.
This version is more concise and effectively communicates your frustration and concerns.”
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 003 2336 or send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“Quoted on line through MCN, when decided to take them up on quote it went up decided to pay in full even though it had gone up again. They said quote was only valid at that moment and not valid after. PAID IN FULL THE AMOUNT REQUESTED ON THE SCREEN BY THEM. They then requested a further £36 saying I had under paid. When contacting them they used bullying tactics saying would cancel policy at my cost of coarse.
Robbery and bullying tactics by big companies like this need to end.”
Hi,
Thanks for your review.
I'm sorry to hear you had this experience.
If you want to let us know more about what’s happened or there’s something specific, you’re unhappy about, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Naomi, Social Media Team
“No claims in 50 years,clean licence,3cars insured with Hastings got quote 50pc higher than last year,would not reduce to sensible price so cancelled my policy refused to let me speak to anyone disgusted”
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the price of your renewal and we’d love to keep you as a customer.
We always try to make sure your renewal price is competitive based on details we hold about you, so if those have changed, please let us know. Our renewal prices are always the same, or better, than prices we'd offer a new customer with the same details. You’ll find more information on our website.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Hi Leah,
Thanks for your review, we’re really sorry you didn’t receive a callback as promised. Our callbacks can take 48 hours to be completed.
So, we can rectify this and talk to you about this in more detail, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). Include the details of what you wanted to discuss, and we’ll investigate this further.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“Disgusted with this insurance company, not yet have they just took my money I've just received an email that my review has been deleted.
Not one person has tried to help me. Customer service is useless and says they cant do anything, what's the point in having customer service. Worst insurance I have ever been with”
Hi Leah,
Thanks for your review.
We’d love to know why you gave the rating you did and if there’s anything we can do to help you.
If you want to let us know more about what’s happened or there’s something specific, you’re unhappy about, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“DO NOT insure with Hastings, and DO NOT trust their claim that "Good news! All our policies cover use in the EU (and several other European countries) as standard. All drivers on the policy will have the same level of cover as in the UK for any trip, for up to 90 days per trip."
I had an accident involving a moose running into my car in Lithuania. First, Hastings make us to evaluate the car damages at our own cost with a promise to possibly cover it. Otherwise, they would tow the car to the UK with no clear repair timeline, leaving us and our three large dogs stranded abroad without a vehicle. Then they said, "Our engineers are happy for you to proceed with the repairs, and we will reimburse you at the cost of €10,393.10," fully aware of the potential for increased costs due to possible internal damages not visible during the initial visual inspection.
During the dismantling, further damages were discovered, increasing the repair cost to €12,941.18. We immediately forwarded this information to Hastings, only to be told that they had decided to deem the car a total loss! They also informed us that they would not cover any work already done by the garage, putting us in a situation with a huge bill to pay. The garage (Tokvila, an official Toyota garage in Lithuania) has kindly suggested a discount, understanding the situation we are in, and is willing to help us return home safely. I am currently waiting for Hastings to review the total loss decision. However, every phone call we have had with them felt rushed, and we were morally FORCED to make decisions "on the spot" during these calls. There has been NO proper email communication, and they have not responded to the emails we’ve sent.
This is a nightmare situation that Hastings has put us in. I DO NOT recommend them to anyone, especially if you are traveling abroad.”
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. You can also raise a complaint here: (https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/) I hope some positive progress can be made soon. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“DO NOT TAKE OUT INSURANCE WITH THIS COMPANY! They cancelled my son's car insurance when he was working abroad for three months so not driving his car. They said he had not told them of change of occupation but he is only at Summercamp so technically hasn't changed occupation as going back to his old job when back in England. Why should what he is doing abroad affect his status here when he isn't even here to drive his car? Absolutely ridiculous. You can't even update this via the App anyway!”
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy your policy was cancelled.
We normally cancel a policy when the conditions of your insurance haven’t been met. You should’ve received a few notice emails and an email explaining why your policy was cancelled, including the date we’d cancel it from.
We’re sorry if you didn’t see these. If you think your policy was cancelled incorrectly, please call our YouDrive team or send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“AWFUL COMPANY DO NOT USE
AWFUL COMPANY DO NOT USE!
Scam insurance I believe - sends you either a faulty black box or makes their own rules up.
I barley drive due to anxiety also I drive extremely careful thought might aswell get a black box as I don’t drive erratic what so ever.
Cancelled due to “score falling under 30”
Had black boxes in past also been driving 7 years never experienced anything like this awful company
AVOID”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy your policy was cancelled.
We normally cancel a policy when the conditions of your insurance haven’t been met. You should’ve received a few notice emails/letters and an email/a letter explaining why your policy was cancelled, including the date we’d cancel it from.
We’re sorry if you didn’t see these. If you think your policy was cancelled incorrectly, please call our YouDrive team or send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Naomi, Social Media Team
“needed help!
I have just had a pipe burts in the garage, flooded everything. I turned off at the mains and phoned Hastings Direct under the paid for 'Emergency Cover'. I am told burst pipes are not covered under their 'emergency cover' and refused to honour their committment to me to cover me for burst pipes. However their cover states
'Sudden damage to, or failure of, your plumbing and drainage system, including blocked drains, leaking pipes, blocked water tanks, and toilet waste pipes blockages'. So I am having to pay £hundreds of ££££ to Pimbleco Plumbers. My wife is severely handicapped and I hope a 'regular' insurance company would support me? So dont bother taking out emergency cover with Hastings Direct, waste of money.
Plumber has just come round and confirms he has completed many jobs like mine under 'Home Emergency'”
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 Complaints team on 0333 999 8904 or follow the link to log an online complaint https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/complaints-form.shtml.
Thanks,
Naomi, Social Media Team.
“If i could give 0 stars i would. Worst insurer i have ever dealt with, customer service was also a 0. Insured a few days ago with them now getting emails after emails requesting this and that and more documents even thought i had already rang in, gave details and paid the annual. Charging me extra money on small changes like a day difference in a date. Now stating i need to pay £75 more and £30min admin fees, worst insurance experience yet. When the insurance was placed over the phone with check by someone over the phone. They made the slight error that they are now charging me for. They didn't want to listen just wanted extra money and charging £30 amin fee on every small amendments . Total greed only interested in charging you more and more money for nothings. SCAM Never again. Making a claim if your unlucky in an accident will even be worst please avoid and take note. I will deffo be going elsewhere and warn family and friends about this”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with our validation checks.
Our Policy Review Team review policies at random to make sure everything checks out and the policy details are correct. They do this to prevent fraud and make sure customers are paying the correct amount for their insurance (this is because fraudulent claims can increase insurance premiums).
This is our standard business practice, and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. Also, if you need more time to send us the documents we’ve asked for or, you have a question about this process, give the team a call on 0333 321 9757.
Thanks,
Naomi, Social Media Team
“Very disappointed bought a brand new motorcycle and got a quote with exact make model and year. But when they applied the registration number it went up by £30.00 just for putting the reg in. 😮”
Hello,
Thank you for your review, we're sorry to read about the increase in price.
I'm afraid we're not able to look at the quote or policy here, but if you would like to discuss this, please contact our Sales team by calling 0333 321 9829 so they can take a look at this for you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Hi,
Thanks for your review.
We’d love to know why you gave the rating you did and if there’s anything we can do to help you.
If you want to let us know more about what’s happened or there’s something specific, you’re unhappy about, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). You can also email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Its really difficult to try and cancel a policy via their website and if you try to phone you are left hanging on for ages. They deducted £250 from my account 29 days after sending me a renewal notice - they are supposed to warn you 30 days in advance. I've read elsewhere that they charge you £45 for cancelling. There is no reason not to have a very simple system for cancelling a policy.”
Hi Magnus,
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. We sent documents to your MyAccount, and an email 28 days before the renewal with the pricing. I am sorry if you did not see this.
You can contact us on Facebook or X (formally Twitter) and we can assist you with cancelling the renewal down there if you need this done. We do not have a cancellation fee within the first 14 days of the policy, just set up fee and time on cover.
Nicole, Social Media Team
“I renewed my car insurance with Hastings Direct at the beginning of June 2024, following a number of comparison site checks to find the most competitive rate. Up to that point, everything seemed okay.
Unfortunately, this soon changed when I received an email out of the blue recently requesting more details. I complied with the request regarding both mine and my partner’s occupations.
A few days later, I received another email informing me that I needed to pay an additional sum of nearly £60 as my occupation did not match what they had on record. I had been insured with them a few years ago, which was likely the reason for the discrepancy. However, I assured them that I had entered my new details into the comparison sites where I originally acquired their quote.
The crucial facts are that I now ONLY work from home and DO NOT commute or use my car for work at all, whereas previously I commuted during both the morning and afternoon rush hours. Essentially, I now only use my car for social purposes and barely travel 1000 miles per year, so I logically assumed that I would now be considered a significantly lower-risk driver.
Well, it seems this kind of common sense and logic does not compute at Hastings Direct.
Obviously, I made a complaint about essentially being penalised for being a lower-risk driver, but surprise, surprise—they informed me that my complaint would not be upheld.
Having the company that you’re complaining about conduct the complaint process is hardly going to be impartial, is it? It’s like turkeys voting for Christmas.
The cynical side of me wonders whether this is a clever marketing tactic to acquire more customers by initially giving them a competitive quote and then hitting them with bizarre additional fees later on.
Time for the Financial Services Ombudsman to investigate this one.
If you’re about to renew your car insurance, then my advice is to beware of this company.”
Hi Simon,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with our validation checks.
Our Policy Review Team review policies at random to make sure everything checks out and the policy details are correct. They do this to prevent fraud and make sure customers are paying the correct amount for their insurance (this is because fraudulent claims can increase insurance premiums).
This is our standard business practice, and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. Also, if you need more time to send us the documents we’ve asked for or, you have a question about this process, give the team a call on 0333 321 9757.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
“Been with Hastings for at least 10yrs insured 3 cars at once. Had one for renewal they just did it automatically double the price. I cancelled it way to much. My other car is up for renewal in 3 days was £450 last year this year £1095. I've never claimed anything from them in all the time I've been there. I spoke to them today was told they can't insure me and look else where because I don't meet there criteria. Terrible I've got it done now with Tesco £375.
There shocking no customer loyalty im done with them completely. They mess up and blame the customer. I was told to hold the line so she could send me an email to say I can't be insured with them. Shocking”
Hi Pete,
Thanks for your review, we’re really sorry we couldn't offer you a renewal quote. We consider all your policy details when working out a price and on this occasion we’re unable to offer you one. Also, this doesn’t mean you’ve been refused insurance, so when you shop around, make sure you answer ‘No’ to that question.
We hope we can offer you a price in the future and thank you very much for having been insured with us over the past few years. ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Did not even survey the vehicle before writing it off, unable or unwilling to send the write off money to the account, rang no less than 6 times and each time they say the details are wrong and they've changed them. Wait two days and call back, the same error is in place.
Dishonest and will not pay out. I warn everybody to stay away.”
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).
You can also raise a complaint on our website and directly with the Customer Care/Complaints Team here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints/ ~Theo, Social Media Team
“Sent me a renewal price of £1320 which is disgusting. Previous year with them was £600. I managed to get it for £468 elsewhere. Upon cancelling my auto renewal all of sudden they decided they could do it for £650 after all. Nearly £700 discount straight away lol. Lost a loyal customer through them being greedy.”
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the price of your renewal and we’d love for you to stay with us.
It might be that the quote you’ve found with someone else is cheaper because the details are different or it’s for a different product or lower level of cover. We always try to make sure your renewal price is competitive based on details we hold about you, so if those have changed, you can review your policy in the Hastings Direct app.
Thank you for having been insured with us over the past year and we're glad you were able to find competitive cover in the end. ~Theo, Social Media Team
