Terrible

I payed for a yearly car insurance policy staring in March 2021. Shortly after a received tab which monitors your driving and, depending on how good your driving is, I believe gets you cheaper rates the following year. Sounds like a good idea. However... Read more

I payed for a yearly car insurance policy staring in March 2021. Shortly after a received tab which monitors your driving and, depending on how good your driving is, I believe gets you cheaper rates the following year. Sounds like a good idea. However I had no idea that this tab was part of the policy - I just chose the cheapest insurance cost as many do. I guess it was in the small print. Regardless, I set up the tab as instructed. Within a couple of weeks I was receiving emails saying that there was an issue with the tab and that my insurance would be cancelled. Phoned up Hastings and the customer service agent told me it was a mistake on their end and the tab was working fine. A couple of weeks later I started receiving the same emails claiming there was a problem with threats of policy cancellation. As this was a busy time I forgot to contact them in time and the policy was cancelled after 5 months of an annual policy. They wouldn’t reactivate it and I had to start the search on insurance comparison sites again looking for a new yearly policy which was difficult as I had to find the funds for an extra 5 months. It’s just not worth the hassle. If you want to pay for an insurance policy and then not have to dealer the it again for around 12 months until you have to renew again , don’t go with Hastings direct.

Reviewed on 19th July 2021

Rory Gosling

People need to be warned about Hastings Direct...

I feel that I have received absolutely awful customer service from... Read more

I feel that I have received absolutely awful customer service from Hastings.

I have never had an accident before, and we all hope that we will never have to use our car insurers, but that if we ever do it will be a simple process (words used by Hastings themselves when I called)...that is what we pay for after all.

Unfortunately I had an accident in May and the process was anything but simple, thanks to the failings of Hastings. To start off with my number was taken down incorrectly by the call handler (despite re-confirming the correct number) and I was left waiting by the roadside for over 6 hours. There was no where around for me to walk to get a drink/food or any toilets within walking distance. I waited so long for help that I actually ended up in a humiliating situation (I don't want to share exactly what due to privacy, but Hastings are aware of what happened).

Hastings have been awful from start to finish. I even gave my correct contact number to the person dealing with my complaint, yet it was still wrong on Hastings system. I didn't realise this until I received an email weeks later, asking why I hadn't responded to the valuation offer. I rang to update my number and later that day I received the texts that I should have received on the day of the accident. Bringing back the awful memory. My accident was on the 22nd of May and I received the texts on the 15th of June!!

I have been contacted daily by Hastings to ask why I haven't accepted the valuation offer for my vehicle, despite me ringing to explain I was waiting for my complaint to be reviewed first and sending several emails to explain the same thing, with no response from Hastings whatsoever, just the same call every single day asking if I had received the valuation offer.

The person dealing with my complaint even replied to say that I had given the wrong number to the call handler, however the number they said I gave incorrectly IS my correct number!

The last email I received from Hastings was from the person dealing with my complaint, who assured me that the added information I gave would be looked into. I discovered when ringing to chase this up after hearing nothing, that Hastings had closed my complaint without telling me and without reaching a conclusion. I even rang Hastings and spoke to someone to tell them why I wasn't accepting the valuation offer and they didn't tell me that my complaint had been closed either. The communication has been terrible between Hastings themselves and Hastings to myself.

I requested that Hastings absorb the remaining costs of my policy (which doesn't even equate to £250) due to their continued failings with my case, as I will not get a vehicle within the 30 day period they allow, but I have been informed that they cannot do this.

I would avoid in the future!!!! Worst customer service I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. I am a nurse working through a stressful pandemic, and this was the very last thing I needed. It's the last thing that anyone needs, which is why I'm sharing my experience. Take care everyone ❤

Reviewed on 2nd July 2021

Robyn Miller

I would not recommend Hastings to my worst enemys.

Unable to renew for next year . I called them up and I was told my details are changed . (NO) I was told to go use another insurance company .

Reviewed on 28th June 2021

Peter

Appalling service- avoid!

If i could give no stars i would. Avoid this company like your life depends on it. I am absolutely disgusted with the service, or lack of service from Hastings. It has taken them 4 weeks to view video footage of my non-fault claim and now subsequently... Read more

If i could give no stars i would. Avoid this company like your life depends on it. I am absolutely disgusted with the service, or lack of service from Hastings. It has taken them 4 weeks to view video footage of my non-fault claim and now subsequently time has run out regarding having to pay my excess. This is not the only issue, I have been placed on hold more times than I care to speak of (equating to hours not minutes). When I logged a complaint I was basically told that because they didn't agree with my claim it would not be upheld! I took insurance with Hastings a number of years ago owing to its good reputation but I categorically am saying now that I woukd not recommend them. I am actually going to pay the remainder of my policy to be able to go elsewhere immediately. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Shame on you Hastings - an experience than has gone from bad to worse each and every time I have had to make contact!”

Reviewed on 5th June 2021

Gemma Storey

Hastings cancelled my car insurance without any warnings..

Hastings have cancelled my car policy without any warnings, no email or a letter. Received email on 14th May stating your policy is cancelled. When asked they said because my car was write off and I should insure another car within 30 days, but I... Read more

Hastings have cancelled my car policy without any warnings, no email or a letter. Received email on 14th May stating your policy is cancelled. When asked they said because my car was write off and I should insure another car within 30 days, but I didn't know of this 30 days and Hastings didn't contact me by any mean to warn me. I spoke with Blessing on 15th May she escalated to her manager Maggy whose response to me is go check Terms and Condition, so basically Hastings are not doing their job to send me email to warn my policy will terminate after 30 days rather a MANAGER is telling me go read terms and conditions! IF THEIR MANAGER RESPONSE IS LIKE THAT WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM NORMAL EMPLOYEES!! I WORK IN CORPORATE BANK AND MY ADVISE TO HASTINGS BE PROFESSIONAL AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
Spoke with Tamara on 21st May and she's blaming the postman she said we issued you a letter on 04th May, a letter that I have never received. I said to Tamara guess what I received every letter from Hastings but not this because they never sent me a warning letter.
Complete unprofessional-ism, they cover themselves they didn't do their job and now blaming the post, and rude response go check the policy terms. I will just say they have no honesty, no integrity.

Reviewed on 24th May 2021

Samy Gohar

very poor customer service

i want to add my son-in-law on to my car policy. He hasn't had any significant accidents and has no driving offences in the last 5 years. I tried to do so online but having completed the form a message said that I needed to ring Hastings Direct. ... Read more

i want to add my son-in-law on to my car policy. He hasn't had any significant accidents and has no driving offences in the last 5 years. I tried to do so online but having completed the form a message said that I needed to ring Hastings Direct. I've tried to do so, and just spent 45 minutes waiting to be answered. I've finally given up. I won't use them again, even if their quote is competitive

Reviewed on 30th April 2021

John

Avoid, worst company ever! Fees - Hidden Fee everywhere!

Absolutely terrible service, incompetent and unhuman!!! Hastings Entered wrong details over the phone, then charging me a fortune for they own mistakes, not willing to solve the issue, just constantly trying to charge me with fees. Worst insurance... Read more

Absolutely terrible service, incompetent and unhuman!!! Hastings Entered wrong details over the phone, then charging me a fortune for they own mistakes, not willing to solve the issue, just constantly trying to charge me with fees. Worst insurance company ever. Will be sending this company to trading standards and plenty of other institutions to carry out a check, because this is not right.

Reviewed on 5th April 2021

Peter Marozas

Steal money iut accounts for policy i dont have

Stole full amount out my account and im still waiting 20 days later to have it returned i get nothing but excuses on why tgey cant return it stay well clear of this company

Reviewed on 23rd March 2021

M

poor customer service

wouldn't let me complete quote online then proceeded to add over £100 to the quote price for having to call them.

Reviewed on 16th March 2021

c

Reliable customer service

Effective and Efficient services

Reviewed on 13th March 2021

Tonye

Unprofessional and dishonest.

Guys don't touch them with a bargepole!... Read more

Guys don't touch them with a bargepole!
Trying for 3 days to change my policy with no reply.
Eventually had to go with another company.
Now trying to charge me £45 for cancelling within the last month, even threatening with debt collection.
They made a big deal of supporting the NHS etc, but in reality they're screwing me over.

Reviewed on 19th February 2021

Dave Wright

Hastings direct car insurance guilty of mis selling worthless car insurance with constitutes fraud avoid

This insurance company sold me a car insurance over the phone and send me incorrect papers and when I had an accident all they had promised turned out to be untrue and my fully comprehensive was only worth a 3 part and that constitutes mis selling and... Read more

This insurance company sold me a car insurance over the phone and send me incorrect papers and when I had an accident all they had promised turned out to be untrue and my fully comprehensive was only worth a 3 part and that constitutes mis selling and is fraud. They also tried to make me pay twice for the insurance which is not legal either and their customer service is appalling. Avoid this company if you want to be fully insured by a profesional and honest insures.

Reviewed on 2nd February 2021

Alexandra

Fraudulent scam operators

Fraudulent scam - now with shocking customer... Read more

Fraudulent scam - now with shocking customer service!
Originally quoted around £600 / year for car insurance - with monthly payments of £57 / month.

Went through the acceptance and payment process using these figures.

When insurance documents came through and direct debits had been taken, cost of policy had risen to £1,100 with monthly payment £99 / month.

I did not see the (almost double!) inflated yearly price at any point during the process so believe that I have been scammed based on a fraudulent quotation.

To compound the issue, I can't believe this company could act any more dishonestly. The customer service operative I dealt with to try and resolve this took almost an hour to understand what the issue was - and still didn't grasp the problem.

Now after battling with the complaints team, they have been totally unhelpful and dismissive about THEIR mistake and the theft of my money.

Now onto the Ombudsman and legal advice!!

DO NOT USE! DO NOT USE! DO NOT USE!

Reviewed on 1st February 2021

kevinward76

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

PLEASE DO NOT SIGN... Read more

PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP.
This company is a rip off. They advertise one price on a comparison website, which you feel sounds like a reasonable deal. So you sign up then they take additional money from your account without notification or authorisation as they are not happy with the information provided. Very bad business conduct which i'm not sure is even legal.

Reviewed on 2nd December 2020

nuni

Rip-off

Purchased car insurance via price comparison website, the date of purchase was one month out for a car I have owned for 5 years - car was bought in June but July on the v5 document. Hastings called me on the day my insurance started to tell me I had... Read more

Purchased car insurance via price comparison website, the date of purchase was one month out for a car I have owned for 5 years - car was bought in June but July on the v5 document. Hastings called me on the day my insurance started to tell me I had to pay a £30 amendment fee or if I cancelled they would keep £20 for an arrangement fee - disgusting. Having read reviews elsewhere I am not the only person this has happened to.

Reviewed on 23rd November 2020

Fim123

One of the cheapest on the comparison sites - but cost me dear. Never again!

I will never use Hastings again. Really difficult to contact - up to an hour wait on the phone to talk to someone and then you get cut off. The 'my account' service is a joke and just did not work - ever. After I had signed the deal and paid in full... Read more

I will never use Hastings again. Really difficult to contact - up to an hour wait on the phone to talk to someone and then you get cut off. The 'my account' service is a joke and just did not work - ever. After I had signed the deal and paid in full Hastings started to make my life difficult asking for lots more info from me and requesting further documents from old insurer about a perfectly legit claim I made some 18-months ago. Hastings then found an excuse to charge me another £280 because my old insurer was slow providing this info. I cancelled my Hastings insurance after approx 3-weeks which cost me £90 in cancellation fees. Feels like I was scammed - I think one of Hasting's business tactics is to make easy, risk-free money from cancellations such as mine - £90 for 3-weeks insurance they must be raking it in from mugs like me!

Reviewed on 22nd November 2020

jshortland

Sadly Cant leave NO STARS

Requested a refund of insurance as after buying a new car and requesting a quote which was OVER DOUBLE the original quote, went elsewhere. Well WHAT A JOKE, £45 admin charge for cancellation so a refund of £11. £45 for pressing a few keys on a co... Read more

Requested a refund of insurance as after buying a new car and requesting a quote which was OVER DOUBLE the original quote, went elsewhere. Well WHAT A JOKE, £45 admin charge for cancellation so a refund of £11. £45 for pressing a few keys on a computer. What a scam, will NEVER use Hastings again and will tell all my mates to steer well clear.

Reviewed on 22nd November 2020

Jan Murrock

2 minutes on the phone to cancel auto-renewal

20 minutes on the phone to cancel renewing my insurance as they'd cranked up the price as punishment for... Read more

20 minutes on the phone to cancel renewing my insurance as they'd cranked up the price as punishment for loyalty.
But, 20 minutes on the phone was the only way to cancel it. Despite telling them I'm disabled, that phone calls are tiring, despite being online with my account, emailing them etc...
No. 20 minutes on the phone was the only way. FURIOUS

Reviewed on 17th November 2020

Sue

Great price and service

Always found Hastings a respectable company with good customer service and excellent products!

Reviewed on 19th September 2020

Cerys John

Lies, incompetence and foul play

Had an accident that the other party took liability for. Hasting still trying to get excess from... Read more

Had an accident that the other party took liability for. Hasting still trying to get excess from me.
Been over 6 weeks- my car hasn’t been seen or repaired.
Call centres in South Africa
No help at all- even though accident was not my fault.
They asked me to prove the other party took liability, which involved me forwarding the emails onto Hastings. I thought this was their job to chase and determine whose fault it is.
They have asked me to find a garage and quote a repair- which then they will decide if they want to pay for.
Made complaints- they got resolved without even contacting me.
I’ve had to contact ombudsmen.
Will never Insure with Hastings again !

Reviewed on 17th September 2020

Fionnuala Daly