Hastings Direct Smart Miles Reviews

Name: Hastings Direct Smart Miles
Rating: 3.28

3.3 Rating 2,013 Reviews

56 %

of reviewers recommend Hastings Direct Smart Miles

3.3

Based on 2,013 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
On-time Delivery	Greater than 72%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour

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Hastings Direct Smart Miles 1 star review on 12th July 2024

James

Hastings Direct Smart Miles 5 star review on 29th September 2023

Jason Major

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“PREPARE TO LOSE YOUR MONEY IN 6 WEEKS AT BEST! We paid the non refundable £210 smart miles fee along with £170 insurance premium. Fitted the box ourselves which states to fit to a flat surface. The box instantly read '0' for breaking and '100' for both acceleration and speed. We complained to Hastings to find the most arrogant customer service representative who kept repeating 'what do you want to do?'. We asked for the data to be reviewed and he responded that it takes 28 days. They were giving us 7 days or they'd cancel the insurance! Again he just said 'what do you want to do?'. Another customer service rep. said it was because my son was putting too much pressure on the pedal whilst sitting in traffic! It turns out that the boxes have accelerometers in them so nothing to do with brake pressure in traffic! However we did discover that the box we fitted WAS fitted to a flat surface BUT not a level one. It looked level being on the battery but was leaning forward which would explain why the breaking was on '0' and both speed and acceleration on '100'. I bet we are not the only people to have experienced this error in install. Flat and Level are two different things! We notified them but they were not interested. Result £670 for 6 weeks cover. Oh, the polite customer service girl today informs me there is a number that will give me the data immediately. TOTAL SCAM! RIP OFF!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“I've only been on this insurance company for just under a month and I've been checking my score on the app. How can I have 10 breaking and all the others at 100? If someone can explain this then please help. I only just thought to look at reviews (don't worry I'm already beating myself up about that) and so regret going with this company. It was a yearly cost of just under £920 and after driving for less than a month I don't want to get back in my car until I need to renew. I'm currently at 77 In my overall score but 100% feel that if I make it to next year without cancellation, whether they say yes or no to renewing with me I'm going far far away and triple checking reviews. Honestly I know that money wise black boxes seem good but my god I wish I stayed with Churchill off a black box and payed £1800 !! It's not worth the added pressure !!Unless you have no other option, get a black box but do NOT get it with this company. The fact I am now TERRIFIED to drive and basically loose £920 ... it's wrong. But how the hell would I get the score to go up so quickly ? Would just a 5 minuet quiet drive round the block now and then help me to get it up? Does it matter if it's 5 minuets or 2 hours ? Surely from points A to B however long that counts right ? ... we shall see but I'm not holding my breath !! BEWARE”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS!!!! I had a blackbox last year with a company called MyPolicy and had no problems whatsoever with their blackbox. My score was always fine with the odd dip if I drove it at stupid O'clock. However being with Hastings Direct for just over 3 weeks I can not recomend to anyone. The score will never go up or stay above 40. I've driven the car at normal speed limits and made the odd trip 10 minutes down the road and my score is already 23 out of 100. Bare in mind your policy can get cancelled if it stays below 40. This company may be the cheapest on the market but I will never ever renew with this company again. ABSOLUTE SCAM”

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Posted 8 years ago

“AVIOD at all costs. They are a useless compnay.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Don't bother getting this”

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Posted 8 years ago

“It's a SCAM. Avoid or you'll regret it. There is a very high probability that you will have your policy cancelled through no fault of your own.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Absolutely adismal product. Avoid smart miles, they are quick to take your money however they don't want to know when you disagree with their rubbish data. Had no problems with other black box insurance companies. Avoid or be disappointed and out of pocket 😠”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Looking forward to seing you in court solicitor contacted.watchdog contacted.martin lewis contacted.money making scheme .stay away from this corrupt organisation.young drivers getting ripped off left Right and centre.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“The app doesn't let you go above 40, then they tell you they will cancel, unless u get a score above 40, which is impossible, You can't drive after 10pm also, unfortunately our engine blew and we had to cancel the policy, which actually felt like a relief, to then be hit with a bill of £2171.95 for 3 weeks cover, and a £45 cancellation fee and a deposit of £210 losted, never again will i ever use this company, a take on for young drivers”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Currently on day 12 of activation and my braking score started at 0, and has never went above 0. I was on a long journey a few days back and was home by 22:07... my time of day score dropped from 100 to 50!!! For 7 minutes driving out of the curfew time!! Pathetic! 3 days back I received an email, followed by a phone call telling me I was at risk of cancellation if my score didn't increase to over 40 within the next 200 miles I drove. Felt like I had my mother on the phone to me telling me off for how "poor" my driving is when I know it's perfectly safe and to a good standard. I do not brake harshly or erratically to explain the 0 score, and the company are telling me the box is working perfectly! Scammers if you ask me!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Currently with smart miles. The app is awful on android, logs you off anytime you try to look at anything such as your journeys. Sored on your time of day, advises you not to drive between 10pm-5am. My score is poor (33) for time of day yet my percentage of day time driving is 91%. I very rarely drive after 10pm anyway. But seems to have a huge impact. Can't wait to change companies. Finding my braking score dropping all the time, reading review such as pot holes and speed bumps affect the score, brilliant. Roll on my insurance renewal.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The poor reviews about the zero braking score are accurate. We have just cancelled our insurance because it will cost you £135.00!! if you change your car, and a further £90.00 to remove the box from the old one. The product and service is good; however the tech and the additional fees are a joke.”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Policy is a utter joke, the information fed back from the box is inaccurate and even customer services can't explain it. Acceleration is 100% and braking is 0% from the first week of having the box. Hastings even admit braking is affected by speed bumps and pot holes and will show as a G-force and affect the braking readings. Also used my vehicle 2/3 times after 10pm due to work as explained when taking the insurance out and as such they have emailed to say the policy will be cancelled and fees payable. The advisor was not able to rectify or advise anything other than it will be cancelled and monies will tv owed. I have an RAC telematics box installed also which feeds back an almost perfect score. It's clear that Hastings requires those insured to be on a curfew and not drive past 2200hrs, which makes them in essence able to print money as I was told this is what affects your driving score the most at the highest percentage. I have tried all manner of driving styles be it fast and slow it has a very minimal effect on the box readings. Drive after 2200hrs and it brings the score to the lowest possible. Complete scam it would appear, customer service disgusting and unhelpful. I will the same as many any people be reporting this to the omnibusman and any other media to help other being scammed in this way. It also worth of being reported to watchdog to be investigated.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“I have just read through some of the reviews here and it seems many of people have been in a similar situation... AVOID! My braking score has been on 0 for as long as I have had the black box fitted. I received an email to say they will cancel my insurance if my score does not go above 40... I mentioned to them that my braking score had not gone above 0, apparently this was 'looked into' and nothing flagged up when they investigated it, there reply was 'as the box seems to be working for your acceleration it be working for your braking'. So now, they're charging cancellation fee, no refund on the black box installation, and also another fee which I don't quite understand what it's for, something to do with the time I have been a customer of Hastings Direct SmartMiles. A friend of mine is experiencing a similar thing, although she is being marked for braking but a score of 0 for accelaration. Money grabbing scam!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Never have anything to do with this company. The information collected by the box is inconsistent and identified as being incorrect but they do. It have the professionalism to admit there is a fault. It's a ploy to make sure they make extra cash from you, STAY CLEAR”

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Posted 8 years ago

“i don't understand why I have not checked your reviews before insuring I have zero for brake and zero for time of day And I receive email that my insurance will be cancelled”

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Posted 8 years ago

“absolute shite, acceleration score has been on 0/100 despite setting off as slowly as i can, please whatever you do pick another company seriously not worth any money even if it is the cheapest policy”

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Posted 8 years ago

“They gave me a score of 0/100 straight away and blamed me for it, even though I am a very safe and slow driver. Told Me I had 200 miles to get this above 40 Or risk cancellation. Obviously this was impossible, they then said after that they would Give me 7 days to do It, by this time I was on 20/100, after 7 days of very safe and slow driving, I finished with 28/100 as they knew I would. They then cancelled the policy and charged me £50 Cancellation fee on top of the money £400 in the first month that they took. DO NOT TRUST THESE SCAMMERS”

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Posted 8 years ago

“Scammed to fuck put my score low on my black box and didn't give enough time or even to chance to get it up before cancelling me. Wankers”

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Posted 8 years ago

“AVOID! AVOID! AVOID! Only 1 star as no star is not an option. I cannot believe in our country a company Hastings Direct Smart miles can get away with operating this wa, it surely has to be fraudulent. I have paid them £891 for insurance and after just 6 weeks they are cancelling it due to black box data and have offered a refund of just £471. This company should be investigated by the insurance ombudsman. I will certainly put the facts to the ombudsman so they can see what's going on.”

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Posted 8 years ago

Hastings Direct Smart Miles is rated 3.3 based on 2,013 reviews