“Awful company, trying to write my car off when it has minimal damage.
Have asked them to review after a second opinion only to be ignored and find out they have already let a salvage company collect my car, without my permission.”
“Well hastings direct is wroth less scammers corrupt the reason their unprofessional unexperienced rude ridiculous service I was waiting for my courtesy car for 18 days so for service 0”
Hello Ronnie, I'm sorry to see that you're still waiting for this and I hope some positive progress can be made this week where the courtesy car is concerned. Please remember you can contact the team on 0333 321 9800 if they do not contact you with an update soon. ~Theo, Customer Care
“My renewal quote was almost 3 times the amount I paid last year, I am 65, have driven for 43 years with a clean record, over 10 years no claims and don't cover many miles per year yet Hastings Direct felt it was appropriate to charge me more than 1000 pounds for this year.
When I shopped around, found something cheaper and went back on the site to cancel the automatic renewal I was offered, surprise surprise, a quote for half the amount!
This is criminal, deceitful behaviour, showing no loyalty to a returning customer”
Hello, I'm sorry that the original renewal offer wasn't competitive this year. There are many reasons your policy’s price may have increased, and you can find further information here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/renewal-prices/.
Thank you for having been insured with Hastings Direct over the past year and I am glad that you have since been able to find competitive cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Don't buy Black box insurance from this company! My son was insured for a year with a different company with no issues. When he switched to Hastings he received a warning letter after a couple of weeks and the next day an Email saying they were going to cancel the policy! His issue according to the app was braking, I've been in with my son and I have no concerns with his driving!”
Hello, I'm sorry to read about this and to see that the policy will be cancelled. We only cancel a policy when a term or condition for your insurance hasn’t been met. Please note that the Telematics team are aware that the score will be impacted by how drivers react to the road ahead and other road users. As a result, it's fine if driving score isn’t always at 100, it just needs to be above 30.
If the policyholder thinks the policy was cancelled incorrectly, please ask him to call our YouDrive team on 0333 999 8911. ~Theo. Customer Care
“When I tried to speak to Hastings about renewing my car insurance, the operators accent was so strong I had to keep asking her to repeat. As this call is not free I gave up, I then cancelled my policy but they keep saying I've renewed. Apparently you cannot renew automatically unless they have your credit card details, hopeless. I have now insured with NFU because they do not have "we are experiencing a high number of calls" overseas call centres, which, according to Hastings they do not have! Rubbish communication.”
Hello Patricia, I'm sorry to read about the experience you've had with us. We do have a call centre outside of the UK, however, you can also speak to the ones we have here. I you still need to discuss your policy or arrange the cancellation of the renewal, you can email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com as an alternative to the phone. You can also send us a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) @HastingsDirect or on Facebook. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Worst insures ever denied recieving documents sent per their instructions and cancelled our policy nightmare to get explanation a complete waste of money time spent hours on hold and complete waste of time and money”
Hello Michael, I can appreciate the frustration that can be caused by the validations process. I'm sorry that you had such a poor experience during these checks and that this led to the cancellation of your policy. 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 need the information to make sure an insurance policy is valid, fit for purpose and that there is no chance that you are not covered in the case of an accident or claim. This check can be done at any point in the policy.
If you believe that this was incorrectly handled and if you wish to raise a complaint concerning this, please visit www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints or call us on 0333 999 8904. 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, however the vast majority are resolved well within that time. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. ~Theo. Customer Care
“It looks like Hastings Direct Smart Miles have changed their policy name to You Drive to leave behind the thousands of negative reviews made about their Tab telematics system and particularly regarding braking. I’m sure there will soon be thousands more under this name. The tab is completely inaccurate for braking and has driven me mad trying to resolve. Anything other than a perfect chauffeur stop will be marked down and sometimes even then. Crawling along in traffic and stopping from just 1 to 2mph will get you marked down. Stopping at the top of a hill will get you marked down. I have even been marked down for braking while parking. I have checked my camera footage several times to see if I’m in the wrong and nope, no evidence of hard braking at all - except for a couple of occasions involving things like a pheasant, a cyclist and an idiot pulling out on me so those are fair enough. But my general driving I absolutely do not accept and nor do passengers who I have become neurotic enough to ask. Also, although I am apparently a maniac on the brakes, it seems that my acceleration and cornering is just fine. That just doesn’t make sense. I think I’d rather pay a higher premium than go through all this stress.”
Hello, I'm sorry to see that you are having such a poor experience with your Youdrive policy. We do acknowledge that at times you will have to reach to the road ahead and other users as well. As a result, please remember it’s fine if your driving score isn’t always at 100, it just needs to be above 30. You can also dispute road speed limits in the app. If you have any questions concerning the scoring or the device please call our YouDrive team on 0333 999 8911. ~Theo. Customer Care
“They dupe you into paying more money. Daylight robbery - so be prepared that once you pay for your insurance you will be contacted to verify information, which they will then swindle you into paying more. I requested to be passed onto a manager or another customer service representative, I was refused and directed to the complaints page of the website. Do not use, please spend your money elsewhere.”
Hello Halayna, I can appreciate the frustration that can be caused by the validations process and I'm sorry that you had such a poor experience during these checks. 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 need the information to make sure an insurance policy is valid, fit for purpose and that there is no chance that you are not covered in the case of an accident or claim. This check can be done at any point in the policy.
If you believe that this was incorrectly handled and if you wish to raise a complaint concerning this, please visit www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints or call us on 0333 999 8904. 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, however the vast majority are resolved well within that time. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Today I dealt with Dan from the renewals team. He was so helpful! Explained everything so well and managed to match the other quote provided by Aviva, saving me time and stress over my car insurance for this year. THANK YOU DAN!!”
Hello Ella, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us and it’s fantastic to hear you received such a great level of service. I’ve sent your comments to the colleague you mentioned and their team leader. If there’s anything else you need assistance with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Thanks.
“Do not touch this insurance company, 90mp gale with gusts over 102mph when my skylight blew out and they wont entertain the damage. I have never had an insurance claim before and 2 different roof companies both say that the damage was caused by the gales. Seriously do not waste your time or money”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about the damages to your home and I hope that repairs can be made soon. I can appreciate the frustration that this would have caused and I'm sorry that the policy doesn't provide the cover that you need in this situation.
If you believe this is incorrect and you would like to raise a complaint regarding this, please visit www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints or call us on 0333 999 8904. 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, however, the vast majority are resolved well within that time frame. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. ~Theo. Customer Care
“I was about to buy a car insurance Hastings Prime, but after reading all the reviews here. I am out. I will stay Aviva for 100£ more.
unfortunately most of the Insurance companies are a fraud and not taking care of their customers. I hope Hastings going to do something about it”
Hello, thank you for considering Hastings Direct as your insurer and please contact us if you have any questions about the policies we provide. It's good to see that you were able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Terrible company. Was involved in a no fault accident over a year ago. I've had to do all the chasing myself, the company are just not interested and want me to accept dual liability so they don't have to pursue the other driver. Their call centre is in Africa so the language barrier and time delay on the phone is ridiculous. Avoid at all costs.”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about the poor experience you've had during your claim. We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers so we regret if you didn't have this experience. 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 you can email motorclaims@hastingsdirect.com as an alternative to the phone. We also have call centre advisors in the UK that you can speak to concerning this. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Utterly awful experience. Hastings sent a renewal quote for 2.5 times more than anywhere else. I rang and cancelled stating I do not want the renewal or anymore further quotes. They agreed.
Woke up this morning to £790 gone out of my bank account.
I rang and explained what had happened and was basically called a liar. Good job I didn't clear my call history because they all of a sudden found the call on record.
After further explanation and staying calm I was told there would be a fee of £20 to pay and it would take 8 days to recover the rest.
After explaining that I was unable to pay my mortgage on Monday morning because of their mistakes I managed to get a faster payment which will still take 24-48 hrs and leave me in a world of pain with the bank, they also said as a courtesy they'd waiver the £20 .
The cheek of it !!!!
When I asked on the phone, if I went around to the lady's house to clean the windows and she said don't but I did it anyway and demanded £10 would she pay me...she didn't want to answer the question for some reason. ?
Avoid at all costs”
Hello, I'm very sorry to read about this and the inconvenience it has caused you. I hope that your refund has since arrived.
If you wish to raise a complaint concerning this experience, please visit www.hastingsdirect.com/about-us/customer-complaints or call us on 0333 999 8904. 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, however, the vast majority are resolved well within that time frame. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Hasting Direct declined to change my policy to a new car, which was the same make just the newest model. They cited difficulty in getting parts. This seemed crazy to me as the dealership and servicing was available in my city. This meant I had to quickly arrange new insurance.
I had been with Hastings Direct for many years. I will not be using their services again or any kind of insurance.
They did waver the cancellation policy....I should think so !!!”
Hello. I'm sorry that we were unable to offer you cover for your vehicle and for any inconvenience this caused. When we work out the price of our policies, we consider various things, including your vehicle, address, drivers and personal details. On this occasion, it seems we can’t offer cover based on a combination of the above. I appreciate that this can be frustrating and I hope that you have since been able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Last year £180 this year after yet another year of no claims £280 even allowing for inflation someone in Hastings is trying a fast one . Avoid like the plague when it comes to renewel time”
Hello, I'm sorry that we were unable to offer you a more competitive renewal price this year. There are many reasons your policy’s price may have increased, and you can find further information here: https://www.hastingsdirect.com/renewal-prices/. We’re happy to look into this for you in case changes need to be made or you were able to find this cheaper elsewhere. If you’d like us to help you further, please call our Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. I hope you can find suitable cover for your vehicle soon. ~Theo. Customer Care
Hello, I'm very sorry for any frustration the renewal process has caused. The law says any car on the road must be insured. To be certain our customers stay insured on their renewal date, we automatically renew their policies – that’s unless customers tell us not to renew. You can read about automatic renewal in your terms and conditions – you’ll also find it mentioned in the very first set of documents that we send to you along with the steps you can take to stop automatically renewing. These documents would show that the auto-renewal can be removed at any point in the first 11 months of the policy. If you’d like to talk about this, please call our Renewals team on 0333 321 9790. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Have had two cars insured for several years and been very happy so thought I would get a quote for buildings insurance on a small property we rent out.
Well what a USELESS site, totally impossible. The questions such as ‘who owns the property ‘ and ‘who lives in the property’ have ridiculous options which are completely irrelevant!!
Difficult to find any method to contact, I have wasted enough time and so looking elsewhere!”
Hello, I'm very sorry to see that you struggled to get a home insurance quote with us and I appreciate the frustration this can cause. If you still need help with this, you can speak to the Home Sales team on 0333 321 9675. I hope that you can find suitable cover for your property soon. ~Theo, Customer Care
“Appalling
Bought car insurance, no problem.
Renewal comes through sky high. Cancelled my renewal before it starts, but Hastings has not cancelled it despite writing to me saying my new policy will be cancelled.
Apparently they don’t cancel via a letter. So why the hell do I have a letter right in front of me now saying it cancelled on the 30/03/2024.
Avoid Hastings widely. They will rip you off one way or another.
I’ve now taken my case to the car insurance ombudsman … that’s how serious this case is…”
Hello Adam, 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. The complaint has been passed to the Customer Care Team and you can call the team to discuss it on 0333 999 8904. 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, however, the vast majority are resolved well within that time frame. You’ll find more information at www.hastingsdirect.com/help. I hope you get a a satisfactory resolution to your complaint. ~Theo. Customer Care
“Worst insurance company ever. They cancel your policy and send you an email after 5 days, letting you drive without insurance for this period. And they charge you for this 5 days as well.”
Hello Lucian, I can appreciate the frustration that can be caused by the validations process. I'm sorry that you had such a poor experience during these checks and that this led to the cancellation of your policy. 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 need the information to make sure an insurance policy is valid, fit for purpose and that there is no chance that you are not covered in the case of an accident or claim.
You should have received an email from us that explained that we would cancel the policy if the requested information wasn't provided 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, and you would like to discuss this, please contact the team on 0333 321 9757 so they can take a look at this. ~Theo, Customer Care
“My mum has gone into care, when I asked about insurance now house empty I got an email to say the policy was being cancelled .
No help at a difficult time, they say here to help but that not the case.
If this is hiw they operate I wouldn't want to be in a stressful insurance claim!”
Hello Katrina, I'm very sorry to read about the cancellation. I'm afraid we were unable to locate a policy for your mother, however if you would like us to look into this or if you need you discuss this further, please email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com and send us the policy reference. We'll do all we can to answer any questions you have. ~Theo, Customer Care
