Hastings Direct Smart Miles Reviews

Name: Hastings Direct Smart Miles
Rating: 3.29

3.3 Rating 2,010 Reviews

56 %

of reviewers recommend Hastings Direct Smart Miles

3.3

Based on 2,010 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

“Scam - perfect driving for my son but no braking score ! - taking it up with consumer rights . My son is his own car - new which he brought himself made him a nervous wreck - Hastings you should be ashamed .”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“THIS IS A SCAM......starts with an engineer turning up to fit the box but my daughter is policy holder was not there so he would not fit it, after an argument and literally "thrusting" the confirmation email in front of him he realised he was wrong and it could be fitted, otherwise he was in for £50 to revisit. This is all about getting a marging from the Smart box and then them cancelling you at £45 nothing to do with insurance. I have had numerous threatening emails on driver rating with Acceleration and Speed near perfect but Braking at 0!!!!! How does that work as most journeys in rush hour??? We don't know its an algorithym the reply....WHAT???Night score at 6 as "each" journey counts as two i.e. there AND back, not time or distance just journey is in the algorythym apparently. So I will have to cancel before they do and they will trouser the margin on the box which I reckon at £150 plus £45 cancellation and no further risk...WHAT A SCAM!!!!.....I HOPE THE OMBUDSMAN TAKES THIS UP AND LEAST HITS THEM WITH A £350 CASE FEE....doesn't help me but I hate BEING RIPPED OFF!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“avoid avoid avoid Horrific experience ,Only wish I had read the reviews before I paid my money.WORST AVAILABLE BLACK BOX POLICY EVER . CHOOSE A DIFFERENT COMPANY This policy made my nerves bad , Made my daughter feel like she was on tag. Ruined the whole pleasure of being 18 enjoying the summer holidays with a new car. policy says no curfew however be out a minute past 10pm and you are penalised . constantly terrified that they will cancel your policy therefore making it impossible to ever get insured again Had to cancel the policy within 2 weeks and lose over £250 as box was fitted and go elsewhere . Choose direct line or churchill they only review the box data at end of policy no emails or cancellation threats . Smartmiles is not worth the stress of feeling like a criminal. This is the WORST AVAILABLE BLACK BOX POLICY EVER . CHOOSE A DIFFERENT COMPANY ALSO WORST COMPANY FOR KEEPING YOU ON HOLD 40MINUTES I am sure they make money from these calls they are not free 10p a minute 3 calls £12 I hope this review helps someone not lose and waste their money like I have”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Took out out 18 year old daughters insurance in June Yesterday they wanted to cancel her Insurance due to black box saying her braking was below 40 Conflicting advise from customer services. I cancelled the insurance myself a day before they was going to cancel so it wouldn't effect getting her insurance with another company. Seems like they draw you in with cheap insurance only to sting you a month or so later. DO NOT GET INSURANCE WITH THIS COMPANY YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. PAY THAT EXTRA WITH A BETTER COMPANY”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Wish I'd read the reviews before taking out this insurance. After 3 months my insurance was cancelled. I phoned up to enquire why and was told they'd sent an e-mail giving 5 days notice. I was abroad at the time, and obviously was unaware of the e-mail and unable to act upon it! They penalise drivers for driving at night which is when I use the car most, as I walk to work and don't get back until after 6p.m., also I was penalised for braking too much! Living in the countryside on very minor roads, breaking is obviously a necessity. The box does not differentiate between roads used or the driver behind the wheel if more than one person is named on the policy. I explained the situation, including the fact that I was away but was simply told that the policy had been cancelled! The company charge £210 for fitting the box, and if you want it removed close to another £100! I took this insurance out as being well priced, but CHECK THE SMARTBOX CONDITIONS, if you live out of a bus route in the countryside then ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT SUIT YOU! You would virtually be on a curfew to adhere to their conditions. AVOID!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Absolutely awful insurance. Cancelled my policy without any notice. Terrible customer service, not one employee I spoke to seemed to care at all.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“WOW! cancelled my car insurance with NO WARNING woke up to an e-mail saying I no longer had insurance! Imagine I hadn't checked my e-mails? When I asked for feedback all I got was that the underwriter had decided to cancel it due to my driving score... WHY NOT WARN ME OF THIS BEFORE HAND? seems like a lose lose situation really...”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Appalling customer service, any change of details incurs a huge price change (eg address change - even though when I checked the comparison sites the quotes were the same price from hasting smart miles for the two addresses I was still charged £80 to update the details and given the ‘option’ of cancelling my insurance, i.e. pay £80 or take out a new year of insurance). Takes an age to actually speak to anyone on the phone, very unhelpful when you do get through to anyone who try their hardest to stay on-script and intentionally stay as vague as possible to avoid saying anything they may regret. Online features of the black box I was completely unable to access over the entire policy length even though I had rung up repeatedly to sort out. Fitting black box is free but charge almost £100 to remove the box, so ended up removing it myself. Even though at the end of the policy (I changed insurer) they say the box is turned OFF, when I located and removed the box, the box was STILL ON and monitoring until I disconnected the wiring which had been crudely spliced into my wiring loom and cable tied under the dash.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Customer service is appalling. Constantly having to ring up with black box troubles because when they say they're going to ring you back they never do and they don't seem to have any get up and go in them to sort the problems out. As soon as they have your money they don't care how long it takes to sort things out I think.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“We have had continual problems with smart miles box since this has been fitted. From inaccurate data, two extreme speeding events 1 of which did not tie in with the data on the journey, 2nd extreme speeding the vehicle was not being used at the time. Complained and the first one has been verified that it is correct although my son didn't even know the road or ever had driven on the road in concern. 2nd one still currently being looked into but asked if anyone could have taken his car during the 35 mins that it was parked on our drive way. Don't get me started re no night time curfew quotation, my sons score has been continually at zero as like other reviews they couldn't explain. Although I have now been advised for every 1 hour of driving merits 10 mins of driving during the night (10pm-5am). I would be very cautious taking out this policy as customer services are shocking and not helpful at all. They don't call back when they say they do and a very frustrating company to deal with.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“I tried to insure my 19 year old and was told about late night driving will affect the scoring- which I agree however when I asked how many points she would get to get an idea of what is allowed to keep within the allowed points - the answer was 'I do not know and noone here know' How ridiculous to advise on a point system that will affect her but have no idea what is allowed or not - They call this unrestricted!! Re train your staff - a concerned parent .”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Dreadful. Didn't contact me to fit the black box, when they notified me that my policy would be cancelled, I phoned up to arrange it. Lots of back and forth and telling me to call back tomorrow, blaming the installation company, lying about contacting me and no real effort to help or care for the customers. Now my policy is being cancelled because the box cannot be fitted in the time period. Through no fault of my own I am being thieved of a few hundred quid. Disgusting company. Never ever ever go near them.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“worst insurance policy ever”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“worst insurance ever, they cancelled my insurance as my score was 24 i had 5 days to get it up to 25 and above which i did and they still cancelled it, they do not take anything into consideration and have a lot of rules in there 'small print' which are absurd . When speaking to there team over the phone they were not helpful one person was saying one thing and the other person was saying another which was not helpful. I would not recommend this company at all!!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Cannot believe the way I have been treated by this company!! Had my first ever car accident, a car drove into the drivers side, no fault of my own and he admitted liability straight away. Contacted my insurance company and let my insurance company know the next day when I was out of hospital. Had some injuries and my car was a total loss. Hastings smartmiles offered me £1400 for my car which I was happy to accept. The day I was due to receive it I was then told I had to pay my excess as I did the wrong claim not that I knew I could do this, so after days of not understanding and arguing eventually I accepted this due to just wanting it to be all over. Next I am then told that they are also taking the rest of the policy charge out of the £1400, as this is one of their rules in the very small print which I did not see. So eventually I had to just accept this as they were taking the courtesy car and I do not live near my work and college, this then left me with £200 which wouldn't and did not buy a new car so I had to find money towards a little run around just to get me by. After all of this I have gone to insurance my new car and have to pay another £135 upfront for a new black box, even though I didn't want to change my car but been left with no choice. After paying my policy off for the rest of the year, I cant really afford to go to another company and am unfortunately stuck with this company until December, I can't afford the £135 as I have just had to pay for a new car so I now I can't even drive my new car!!! Been left in such a mess thanks to this company even though I wasn't at fault and have been messed around and been left gutted and injured!!! Seriously avoid this company!!!! I will be spreading the word and writing this on other websites and sharing it in local newspapers and ad's to make sure that no-one else is left in such a devastating mess!!!!!!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Taken out a policy for my son, the App is failing to respond to his driving, it's still saying that he's on 0....I'm a proffesional HGV driver and as been using his car, to try and boost points, but no joy...........reading the reviews on here and realising that most so called customers are being mistreated, I'm propably going to cancel policy to save my son any future stress with more professional insurance companies. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE A POLICY OFF THESE!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“This is a scam. They install a smart miles box the cost of which is £210. 15 days after you take out the insurance they accuse you of exceeding the speed limit and threaten to cancel the policy. Your right to free cancellation expired after 14 days. Clearly the risk of an insurer cancelling your policy would leave you exposed to ever getting cover elsewhere in the future. You are left with no choice but to .cancel the policy yourself They then deduct £45 cancellation charge, you lose the £210 cost of the box, and they want to charge £91 to remove the box. Hasting smartmiles is a scam. You have been warned. Do not take cover with these scam artists.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 years ago

“Beware! They may appear the cheapest insurer with the black box fitted but check the small print! Any amendments can cost you dearly as their charges are far from reasonable.”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 years ago

“i will never get insurance with this place again! Customer service is absolutely diabolical which lead to my insurance being cancelled because the person who come out to fit the black box did not take a photo of my no claim bouns failed to contact me them cancelled my insure find out it was too late to I have got to 48 day to get my money back and what I not get all my money back them take £351.81 for these self and still wait 48 day £732.62 and because I pay up front and then have to wait for my money back I not have the money to pay next insure at all they just cancelled my insurance Now I pay month payment because I not had £1000 for my insure what I saver up to pay for and now I am half way through my month payment now saying my driver is bad and them want cancel me this place need putting back them just taking people money and robber people So people don't get it Because late smart mile rob your money”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 years ago

“DO NOT PICK THIS COMPANY PLEASE!! REGRET GOING WITH THEM”

Helpful Report

Posted 10 years ago

Hastings Direct Smart Miles is rated 3.3 based on 2,010 reviews