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Direct Line: Car Insurance reviews

3.58
Based on 353 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Nov 2024
90% decrease in 5 star reviews
in the past 90 days
No new 1 star reviews
in the past 90 days
See only 5 star reviews
47%
See only 4 star reviews
26%
See only 3 star reviews
6%
See only 2 star reviews
2%
See only 1 star reviews
19%

Latest highest rating:

5

Motability/ Direct Line. I am a Motability customer and insured through them by Direct Line. Very helpful, responded to me very quickly when mistakenly locked car keys in boot... Read more Reviewed on: 11th October 2024
Patricia M's avatar
Patricia M

Latest lowest rating:

1

Poor communication on claim handle I have been with direct line car insurance for more than 15 years . Everything will fine as long as you won’t deal any claims with them Recent experi... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd November 2024
Vinay Kanth Guduru's avatar
Vinay Kanth Guduru

About this product

Shop with confidence when choosing your next car insurance provider by checking out genuine customer reviews on Smart Money People. We collect Direct Line car insurance reviews so you can make an informed decision when choosing your next provider.

Direct Line was founded in 1985 as the UK’s first direct car insurance company but has since expanded to offer a variety of insurance products. With policies to cover cars, vans and electric vehicles alongside telematics and mileage money back policies, there’s a versatile range of cover available. Read our Direct Line car insurance reviews to see how genuine Direct Line customers rate their policies.

Consider what is important to you in a car insurance policy. Perhaps you want the lowest premium possible, or you may wish for some additional add-ons to make the policy more secure. Whatever you need from a policy, read our Direct Line car insurance reviews to gain some insights into what you could expect as a Direct Line customer.

Have you had a car insurance policy with Direct Line? Leave an honest review on Smart Money People so we can help people like you make better decisions. Was the sign-up process simple, or did it perhaps take longer than you’d expected? Were you satisfied with the level of cover you received for the cost of the premium? Did you have any experience with the customer service team? Whether good or bad, leave a Direct Line car insurance review to help other drivers just like you.

Direct Line Car Insurance reviews (353)

Review of the Direct Line, Car Insurance:

EASY AND QUICK TO RE-NEW

3
We receive the re-newal notice and telephone to re-new and complete in minutes. Reviewed on: 20th January 2016

Had a bad experience with directline

1
I had a car accident in Glasgow 300 miles away from home at 3pm on Saturday I parked the car up in a safe place. Then rang directline to report the accident. At 4pm what the lady forgot to mention was directline closes at 5pm so I was left to spend the night in a bus shelter. Due to the fact they recovered my car. With all my stuff in it. I managed to get a hire car with out directline help. Thats when the real problem started I had a call from the engineer. From minute get go felt like I was dealing with a dodgy car trader. He offered me penny's on the pound for the car telling me how its old and now worth anything . Basically forcing me to except his offer. Only for me to find out the car was worth over 3000 and I got 2300 what a joke after complaining they offered me 2650 can not believe how they have ripped me off Basically told me to take it. In the most rudest manner. Would not recommend. Okay to take are money for years. Only to show there true colour when you need them. Zero stars will not be renewing. Reviewed on: 16th November 2021

Car Insurance

5
Have been with Direct Line for several years and have found them to be very competitive Reviewed on: 2nd October 2021

Good Product and price

5
Have you for several years without big annual increases. Reduction for another car plus home insurance. Reviewed on: 2nd October 2021

Satisfactory customer service

4
When getting quotes for car insurance with breakdown Direct Line provided a policy that appears to match the previous provider, but for a considerably cheaper quote. Their website was customer-friendly and they seem to have the public image of a fair and reasonable company. Reviewed on: 3rd September 2021

Excellent service

5
Two of our vehicles were damaged in one incident. Direct Line dealt with it sympatheticly and speedily to a satisfactory conclusion. Their staff were exemplary. Reviewed on: 11th May 2021

No fault claim expected to pick up and drop off hire car (40 mile round trip)

1
Horrendous experience sorting out a no fault claim and definitely not renewing my car insurance with Directline!! Please be aware that if a hire car is required, you will be expected to pick it up and drop it off after your car is repaired. That would have meant a 40 mile round trip for me and I would have needed the assistance of another driver. The car hire company and car repair company are two different companies in different locations. After a big fuss, they agreed to drop off and pick up the hire car from my home address but surely it should be taken as read that car hire includes home delivery? Is this the new normal? At one point (no fault claim), they actually suggested that I had my repairs done through the other party's insurance so I could have a hire car dropped off at my house! The car hire company they use is absolutely awful too. (Enterprise). Here is their scam... Enterprise will encourage you to agree to taking a bigger car than is stated in your insurance and they start asking questions about the accident and ask for the other party's insurance details. Their scam is that they will claim back the additional cost of the car upgrade from the other party's insurance. They didn't explain why they needed the other party's insurance details and what they were doing or what I was agreeing to. It took over three hours of calls between Direct Line and Enterprise to arrange the hire car home delivery and to be able to see through the fog of the Enterprise scam. What if I had agreed to the car upgrade and the other party's insurance company refused to pay for the upgrade? Enterprise then said that my car insurance would increase even though it was a no fault claim etc. These are two awful companies to deal with, very shady and Direct Line are not offering a good standard of service if you need a hire car. Reviewed on: 22nd April 2021

Sickening

1
Your location Direct Line 14-18 Cadogan St, Glasgow G2 6QN Insurance agency Big Al 45 points 4 minutes ago My car was scratched when I was having a meal. I asked "DIRECT LINE" for advice and they said I would be cheaper repairing it myself. I just renewed my insurance and my price has increased by £220 as "DIRECT LINE" said I made a claim! No I didn't I repaired it myself out my own bank. "BOYCOTT DIRECT LINE" I am going to continually post this on all review sites I can find. "DIRECT LINE" crooks don't go near: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value My car was scratched when I was having a meal. I asked "DIRECT LINE" for advice and they said I would be cheaper repairing it myself. I just renewed my insurance and my price has increased by £220 as "DIRECT LINE" said I made a claim! No I didn't I repaired it myself out my own bank. "BOYCOTT DIRECT LINE" I am going to continually post this on all review sites I can find. "DIRECT LINE" crooks don't go near 1 : Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value My car was scratched when I was having a meal. I asked "DIRECT LINE" for advice and they said I would be cheaper repairing it myself. I just renewed my insurance and my price has increased by £220 as "DIRECT LINE" said I made a claim! No I didn't I repaired it myself out my own bank. "BOYCOTT DIRECT LINE" I am going to continually post this on all review sites I can find. "DIRECT LINE" crooks don't go near 1 Reviewed on: 29th March 2021

Excellent service

5
In all the years of driving (50 years)have never had such excellent service from any insurance company,had a slight misshap today at 13 00 everything sorted by 16 00 thank you well done direct line will recommend to anyone Reviewed on: 3rd March 2021

2.5 months for repair

1
Had an accident Sep 4th, they booked a pick up for the car on the 23rd of September, 3weeks later, while the sensors were all failing and I didn’t feel safe to drive my son in that car. The day of scheduled pick up the garage they selected to fix our car calls to inform us they can’t pickup the car because they don’t have the parts. Waisted my day on that day. I wanted to take my car to the car manufacturer dealership but they said if you do so, you have do the estimate yourself and we will only give you the car rental for one week only. Basically making it difficult to convince me to send the car to their chosen garage. Car was finally picked up on Sep 30th. 2 weeks later, the car is not ready and garage keeps telling us it’s being washed for few days. Finally the garage admits that they can’t reset the sensors software and it has to go to the manufacturer dealership. Their first availability was Nov 11. So my car which is an electric car was sitting in theist garage for weeks while I had to pay congestion charges to go to central London or take a cab to avoid the charge. Because they don’t give you an electric rental. I was told they give us £10 for everyday that it takes to fix my car more than the one week promised time. So 2.5 months later my car will be delivered tomorrow but received £70 compensation for all these days that I didn’t have my car, paid petrol that I didn’t need to, congestion charges that I didn’t need to pay with my electric car and cab costs that I didn’t need to pay. All this time they failed to mention there is a maximum of £70 to be paid to the client for compensation. Miserable service. Wouldn’t recommend them. They didn’t confirm with the garage if they are qualified to work on my car just looking to save money Reviewed on: 13th November 2020

Avoid

1
WOW SO MY REVIEW HAS BEEN REPORTED on trustpilot BY DIRECT LINE BECAUSE I AM TELLING THE TRUTH AND THEY CAN NOT ACCEPT, WELL I HAVE ALL THE CALL RECORDED AS WELL SO #Direct Line do not worry i can prove what i wrote, Had accident and it was my fault, no 3rd party involved, i was asked to give statement and evidence which i did, i request my car should be repaired on my own choice of garage but they refusing to send instruction to my garage and offer me to take my car on my own expensive and ask the garage to give estimate, even DL know that they have to instruct the garage first but refusing it. now they refusing to give me hire car and refusing to instruct my garage and the case handler(Jennie) told that if i called or complaint that should be directed to her, she said that i am not allowed to speak to anyone apart from her even she lied and gave me wrong information, now she is bulling me saying that under which law it says that no one can go though my belonging without my consent. I made complaint and that complaint went to her to investigate and she will not stop bullying me until the claim is settle but at later DL might compensate me. She knows what she is doing is wrong but she can not say it and she has been pushed by someone in DL to do that such as, not give me hire car, not send instruction to the garage to repair the car, give me wrong information, let the garage to go through my belonging, delay the claim, refused to speak to someone els, etc. Even if i call to ask for DL t&c my call will be transfer to her and then her words are their t&c. Basically she has to tell me who i can speak to and who i can not, she has to decide what i can have and what i can not. For now i can not speak or complaint to anyone and i can not have anything. I have comprehensive insurance with DL from 5 years, paid guarantee hire plus, Under their t&c says if i choice to repair my car with my own choice of garage i will have hire car for 21 days, she refused to send the instruction to my garage until now and she saying that i had my car for 21 days because i chose to use my own garage so now still she will not send instruction to the garage and she will not give me hire car. Better stay away from this company and it will be my last year with them even i paid yearly Reviewed on: 3rd November 2020

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