“Same as previous complaint. Policy renewed without authority. No auto renewal authority on the account, but they renewed anyway. No charging a cancellation fee, failure to pay will result in debt being passed on to a debt collection agency, no doubt in vastly exaggerated fees with a bad credit rating thrown in for good measure. Bullying tactics and a somewhat zealous money grabbing approach. The fact that the renewal quote was almost double previous year with no flexibility for reduction seems to indicate that this company have thrown customer loyalty out of the window. Advice, stay clear.”
Hello, we're sorry to hear this. When a policy is purchased with us, it is automatically entered for automatic renewal, which is stated in your documents. You can opt out of automatic renewal online in your My Account, however when you are in your renewal stage you are not able to. If you still require assistance, you can reach us on Twitter @HastingsDirect or Facebook and we'll do all we can to help you there. ~ Jodie
“I wanted to stay with Hastings after being with them for many years, however after moving house they told me they are going to be cancelling my policy as “they do not ensure at this post code”. Not only that, they are also saying I need to pay them an outstanding balance due to the cancellation. Awful customer service, no way to treat loyal customers, and to state I owe them money after the cancellation of the policy was not within my choice / control is absolutely disgusting!! They gave me 7 days for find an alternative insurer, which also left me out of pocket simply because they “don’t insure at this address”.
Ridiculous!!”
Hello, we're sorry we were unable to provide cover on your new address. Whenever a change is made to a policy, whether this be adding a driver, change of address or change of vehicle, our underwriters review the risk analysis perceived by these changes. In some cases changes will increase or decrease a policy premium, or sometimes we will not be able to provided cover.
If we have not been able to quote for a new 12 month policy, there is a £45 cancellation fee charge as well as time of cover that has not been paid yet to cancel. The cancellation is rated on a per day basis. Our fees are stated in your policy documents as well as our site prior to purchase but I do apologise if you weren't aware of this. ~ Jodie
“The worst company so far with all the companies I was insured..this company is trying to take my money from my card because they started my new policy automatically without my permission although I didn't ask them for new policy or give them any permission to do that and then when I told them that I am in another company they wanted the certificate that I am insured somewhere else..I provided that certificate but they don't answer in my emails in purpose cause they want the days to pass until the deadline comes so they can take the money from my card..worst company..I will never refer this company to any friend or colleagues..they are trying to get your money without any services provided be aware!!”
Hello, we're sorry to hear this. When a policy is purchased with us, it is automatically entered for automatic renewal, which is stated in your documents. You can opt out of automatic renewal online in your My Account, however when you are in your renewal stage you are not able to. If you still require assistance, you can reach us on Twitter @HastingsDirect or Facebook and we'll do all we can to help you there. ~ Jodie
“Excellent customer service from a young man called sal
He was very happy and professional in his job.
More call handlers like Sal very much needed.
Give this guy a promotion 👍🏻”
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your 5 star review!
We're so pleased that the agent Sal on the phone was lovely and that the customer service you've received was polite and helpful.
Thanks for taking the time to send us your review. ~ Tamera
“Terrible, terrible company, not worth any stars. Do not waste you money, go elsewhere. Had home insurance & car insurance with them. Was burgled and new car stolen November 21. Left with boarded up windows for nearly 3 months due to their incompetence and had to go to Financial Ombudsman to get paid out for car. This took 1 year and 9 months and they caused me more stress than the actual burglary. Customer service useless/non-existent. Quick to take your money but totally useless if you make a claim and will not get back to you. You will have to do all the chasing. Do yourself a big favour, don't even consider them, go elsewhere. Yes they are cheap and that is because they are no good. Avoid at all costs.”
Hello Peter, we're terribly sorry to hear this. You can raise a complaint here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints.shtml. Once the complaint has been raised, we will be in touch after 5 working days and have up to 8 weeks to resolve the complaint in line with the regulators guidelines. ~ Jodie
“My partner has been with them for the last 2 years this year her quite was over 25% more than last year after no claims, she tried to lower the coverage which lead to them increasing the quote another 20% and they do not send the quote with time to comprehensively look for alternatives. This behaviour during the cost of living crisis is pure profiteering from people who need help most.”
Hello Paul, we're sorry you feel this way. The renewal is based on the current details on the policy. We are always happy to look into your renewal premium as we know details can change within a policy year and see if we can get a competitive price following any changes made. If you need any further assistance, please visit https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/. ~ Jodie
“I recently had a letter from Hastings Direct, informing me that they were unable to renew my car policy and without giving a reason. I've been insured with this company for several years and never made a claim.
From reading other reviews, it would appear that I am not alone in this situation.
Contrary to the reply given by Hastings to another customer in this predicament, I was required when completing an on-line request for a quote with another company, to state whether I had ever been declined or refused insurance. Being an honest person, I replied in the affirmative. I did succeed in getting a quote, albeit at a much higher premium than currently enjoyed. But I've no idea what effect the Hastings refusal had on this quote.
Hastings claim that their decision is based on a number of factors, but other than being one year older and my car's value decreasing, nothing else has changed. If there is one particular factor which triggered their decision, it would be nice to know.”
Hello, we're sorry to hear that we were not able to offer a renewal quotation this year. We’re not given a specific reason why this is, it's just that none of our underwriters are returning a price for the same terms you had last year. This is an unusual situation but does occur from time to time. You don’t need to declare it when you get quotes elsewhere. If you need further assistance, please visit https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/. ~ Jodie
“Rang to discuss about my premium as it went from 245 to 346. Peggy said that she is going to alter the quote. I have lowered the mileage, added my wife's driving licence number and the quote come up as 440! What's really annoying that now my premium almost doubled and cannot be changed. (UPDATE) I have logged the complaint and I spoke to member of the team about my premium and I told that I am not paying that amount which almost doubles last year premium. Today I received an email that my policy renewed and I need to pay within two weeks!! I rang to cancel because I was clear about the price talking to two members of staff. There is no info about automatic renewal when I logged into my account. I have received 5 emails in the last month from Hastings and no one is mentioning the Renewal! What absolute Scam! Now after cancellation I have to pay £20 administration fee!?”
We are sorry to hear about your experience. As you have logged a complaint, they can investigate this further for you. Although we can take up to 8 weeks to resolve the complaint in line with the regulators guidelines, we often deal with it much faster than this and someone should be in contact within 5 working days. In the meantime, if you do want a faster response, you can contact our Complaints team on 0333 999 8904 and they will be happy to help you. Thanks ~ Cat
“They have written off my son's car, 5 weeks ago, we declined the first offer, not heard nothing from them since, they do not return his calls, or his emails, thankfully he has a courtesy car, avoid at all costs, looks like we will have to get the financial ombudsman involved,”
We are very sorry to hear that you have not received the level of service we aim to provide to all of our customers. In order to discuss your claim further, please call 0333 321 9800 or email motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com with your claim reference in the subject line. Alternatively, we do have a webchat facility which you can find at https://www.hastingsdirect.com/help/. Thanks ~ Cat
“AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. I called customer services to pay the remainder of my home insurance in full, to reduce my direct debits going forward with having a 3rd child on the way. I paid £340.22 over the phone on 31/07/23, as the advisor told me that would be sufficient to clear the balance. I then received multiple texts, emails and letters demanding payment otherwise my policy would be cancelled. The advisor told me to ignore these as I had now paid in full. However today I received an email stating my policy has been cancelled and I’m not covered for home insurance. Furthermore I’m due a refund of just £238.53 leaving me over £100 out of pocket.”
Hi Oliver. I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Based on what you are describing above, it looks like there was an issue with our system recognizing the payment which has resulted in an incorrect cancellation, so please contact our Home Customer Service team on 0333 321 9682 so they can investigate and resolve this for you as quickly as possible in order to get your insurance put back in place. Thanks ~ Cat
“Dont use this company they cancel your policy a month before its ends.
I rang up to change my bank details only to find out 3 weeks later that the stupid person pressed the wrong button and cancelled my policy. i didn't know about it until i had a message saying they were taking £83 out of my account which wasn't even my monthly payment. I spoke to some one to which had to go through the calls and they said they will call me back within 4 hours when i had work in 4 hours and if i didn't go i would loose my job. i rang again to find out there system was down so where unable to do any thing. I had to take temporary insurance so that i can get to work which cost me £89.99 for 3 days to cover me over the weekend. I spoke to them on Monday which they re instated my policy and only would give me £20 to cover the temp insurance. i obviously refused this and put in a formal complaint which again i was told will take 4 days and we are on currently day 5! in July i rang to renewal and decided to pay it out right so i do not have the interest. only to find today that they took £796.49 out of my account and they will cancel this renewal on the 23rd august if i do not pay £63 as there system says i only paid £733. which i have the proof on my bank so obviously there accountants cant add up or type the correct numbers in. they also want me to pay for the month i haven't had insurance for.”
Hi Danielle. We are sorry to hear about your experience, and that you’re unhappy with how long it takes to resolve your complaint. Although we can take up to 8 weeks to resolve the complaint in line with the regulators guidelines, we often deal with it much faster than this and someone should be in contact within 5 working days. Please disclose all of the above to them so they can ensure you get a fair outcome. In the meantime, if you do want a faster response, you can contact our Complaints team on 0333 999 8904 and they will be happy to help you. Thanks ~ Cat
Hi there,
Thanks for your 4 star review!
We’re pleased that you enjoyed the service offered by our agent Buhle, we do appreciate your kind words. We're so pleased to have you on board with us.
Thanks for taking the time to send us your review. ~ Tamera
“Worst Company to deal with. I had cancelled my Autorenewal 10 days before, but they still went ahead with Autorenewal, of 275£ . when i asked them to cancel the policy, they took 20 £ as fees for autorenewal .Absolute rip off company .”
Hi Padma. We’re sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the automatic renewal of your policy. Under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement act, it's a legal requirement that any car on the road is insured. To make sure our customers remain insured on their renewal date, we automatically renew their policy unless otherwise instructed as per the terms and conditions. If you would like to discuss this further, you can contact our Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. Thanks ~ Cat
“Started a claim, yet did not proceed with it after being hit by a hit and run driver, they still took my no claims bonus and increased the price of my insurance by £1200 despite the damage not being fixed”
We're sorry to hear that you're unhappy with the claim affecting the policy price. I can confirm that if no claim is made against you within 6 months, then a claim will change to 'Notification Only' and your premium should be reduced accordingly. Depending on when the claim took place, we may be able to change the fault status already or provide an update, so please call 0333 321 9800 to discuss this further. Thanks ~ Cat
“The company did help when my car was scuffed in a car park but they typically increase my renewal price by around 80 percent per year. I then have to spend the best part of an hour talking to renewals to get them to match the price I am being offered for the exact same policy on their website.
I have now opted out of auto renewal and if they increase my renewal again I will just let it lapse and change to another provider. I’m not losing money by gouging my customers of years.”
We’re sorry that you are unhappy with the price of your renewals. The price we offer is based on the current details on the policy, whilst with online quotes your information is usually more up-to-date which is often the cause for the more competitive price. I'm happy this now appears to be resolved, but please call our Renewals team on 0333 321 9790 if you still need further clarification. Thanks ~ Cat
“What really stands out to me is their customer service - although I left for slightly cheaper insurance elsewhere, the lady I spoke to did her best to bring my quote down and was very understanding and not at all judgemental when I explained that I wouldn’t be able to stay for that price. What a lovely exchange!
Please give Louise the credit she deserves! She was lovely to speak to, and as somebody who used to work in customer service and answer phones, I know how rare positive feedback is and how much it can mean; she definitely has earned it. What an asset she is to your call centre! Please ensure she is made aware of how appreciated she is and that she receives some commendation for her lovely manner. One very satisfied customer who will likely be returning - thank you Louise!”
Hi Leah,
Thanks for your 5 star review!
We're so pleased to hear that Louise was really helpful when you called up. I have managed to locate your policy and find Louise, I have passed on your lovely feedback to Louise and her manager.
Thanks for taking the time to send us your review. ~Carly
“They talk a good game, but have so many loopholes to avoid paying out that you'd have to be Saul Goodman to stand a chance. One of their operatives lied directly to both my son and I individually. It is a long tedious story and I won't bore you with the details, since the complaint is still ongoing, but I will tell you that they are dishonest grifters and absolutely not to be trusted at all.”
Hi Mary. We are very sorry to hear that you have not received the level of service we aim to provide to all of our customers. As you have already logged a complaint, someone should investigate this for you. However, if you do need anything else, please contact us on 0333 999 8904 and our Complaints team will be happy to help you. Thanks ~ Cat
“Received an email to say Hastings couldn’t renew my insurance. No explanation given and auto chat drives round in circles. No email address to contact so have to declare that I have been refused insurance without any reason given.
Very poor customer service (still a customer until September)
No claims made, no changes to original information.
Dreadful service.”
We’re sorry that you are unhappy that we’ve been unable to offer cover. We calculate the price of our policies based on various factors, including your vehicle, address, drivers, personal details, etc. In this instance, it seems we can’t offer cover based on a combination of the above, but please ensure you have already attempted to call us on 0333 321 9790 in case there is another way we can insure you. You also don't need to declare this when you get quotes elsewhere. Thanks ~ Cat
“You pay for Hastings Premier cover but then when you have an accident your told your actually with another firm and they take over an hour to answer the phone”
Hi Richard,
I am really sorry to hear this and I hope you have since been able to reach an advisor over the phone in order to discuss this. If you still need help with this, please contact us on Twitter @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. We'll do all we can to help you.
~Aadam
