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Hastings Direct: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 3.15 (641 reviews)

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3.11

Based on 641 reviews, last reviewed 24th Jan 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

34%

20%

34%

Latest highest rating:

5

Sensible approach to black box (You Drive) policy. I had a black box (You Drive) policy. My car needed repairs which took several weeks and meant I wasn't driving it. Hastings Direct contacted me askin... Read more Reviewed on: 20th October 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Accidental Damage Reviews should be given on the back of a good or bad service. Not if you got a cheaper quote! This company is run by a bunch of fraudsters. My claim w... Read more Reviewed on: 24th January 2025

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About this product

Looking for your new car insurance provider? Check out the Hastings Direct car insurance reviews on Smart Money People, left by genuine customers to help you make an informed decision when choosing your next provider.

Founded in 1997, Hastings Direct offers car, van, bike and home insurance, providing flexible policies with a wide range of optional extras. Its car insurance policies come with varying levels of cover, alongside a telematics policy, YouDrive, which rewards good driving with lower renewal rates.

What factors do you consider to be most important when choosing a car insurance provider? Are you looking for a telematics policy that can save you money? Perhaps you require breakdown cover or courtesy car cover? What about windscreen cover, or protection from vandalism? Whatever your needs, check out our Hastings Direct car insurance reviews to see how existing customers rate their policies.

Have you had a Hastings Direct car insurance policy? Share your experience with the Smart Money People community to help us increase trust and transparency in financial services. Tell us how satisfied you were with the price of the premium, and whether you managed to find cover for all of your needs? If you’ve had a YouDrive policy, did you find the scoring of your driving fair, and did you find a noticeable discount on your renewal? Leave a Hastings Direct car insurance review today and help other drivers.

Hastings Direct Car Insurance reviews (641)

Review of the Hastings Direct, Car Insurance:

CheekyCharges Campaigner

Well i had already been with them a year, and they sent my quote for the next year and it was over 50% more than the previous year even though i was in double figures for no-claims and there were no changes from last year. So I decided to used a comparison website and inputting the same details as on the quote, the same company came up as the cheapest insurers on the comparison website, at over 50% less than their quote. So i called them and asked why i had 2 quotes with such different prices and they couldn't answer me, they also tried to quote me a price that was between my two other quotes and when i said it would be cheaper for me to leave them now, and then re-join them with my online quote their answer was 'So why did you bother calling then?' I was simply amazed at that! So the Golden rule should always be- NEVER accept the quote from your current insurers without looking around first, it will save you a fortune! Reviewed on: 6th March 2016

They were cheap, but a nightmare to deal with when I had to make a claim

They were cheap, but when I had to make a claim they have been absolutely useless. I submitted the claim in August 2022. It's now May 2023 and after them never proactively contacting me (I've always had to chase them) my repair has still not been carried out. Reviewed on: 17th May 2023

AVOID Hastings Direct

AVOID THESE SHARKS -- Auto-Renew is set to ON. Turn it off, they will not tell you. It defaults to charge you, even when you've sold your car, and they will NOT waive their so-called "admin fee". Just AVOID. Reviewed on: 3rd May 2023

You are probably not insured with Hastings Direct!

I have recently had call to change my policy, each change cost me £40.00 which seemed okay. They also gave me the option of taking up a completely new policy at this point which would cost me an extra £600 more on my policy, no idea why and it was not accepted. Then unfortunately I was in an accident which was my fault. It was at this point that I found out I was not actually insured with Hastings Direct as they had put my policy out to another insurer. I am now a month on with no repaired car no settlement and no loan car. I also believe my car was repairable but I was left for 2 weeks with no contact before they decided to write it off from a picture. They then said the engineer had inspected it. I will never ever insure with them again, Also my excess was not what I expected, the extra excess is only seen if you scroll across on a phone screen, that cost me an extra £180.00 Check who you are actually insured with and check your policy document carefully is my advice. I will never deal with them again. If I could give them less than 1 star I would. Reviewed on: 19th April 2023

lack of transparency

tried to add a temporary driver for 1 day to our policy and was told that hastings would not do this. upon asking for a reason i was told by the agent that they would not tell her. for lack of transparency on something so simple i am concerned if actually have to make a claim. complaints procedure told me that this was because it was an australian licence. i have personally added temp drivers to a policy before and numerous people iasked the same. all with international licences. not very impressed with the complaints experience even though never expected anything other than the reason. obfuscation and the email received from her glosses over the issue. she gets a 1* Reviewed on: 13th April 2023

Very good car insurance company

I have a car insurance on my car and it is provided on a very good affordable cost. Have very good customer service. Reviewed on: 7th April 2023

Terrible customer service

TERRIBLE COMPANY, AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! My car was stolen and found early in February. Hastings has had my car since 10th of Feb, but has still not managed to get it into a garage to fix the damage from the theft. It is now April and I have still not been given a courtesy car. This company has left me carless for nearly two months. I have had to pay for taxis and other transport, and Hastings has not helped towards this in any way or shape. Do not trust this company or any promise they make. I am still waiting two months later for a courtesy car. Reviewed on: 31st March 2023

Stay away from this company

Do not go near this company. I made a legitimate claim for an overseas medical emergency and they have made the process as painful and difficult as possible. They don’t answer emails, phone lines are near impossible to get through on and they have missed every deadline or broken every promise along the way. I’m 4 months into the claim and still without the £2k I’m owed, now with legal action being threatened by the overseas hospital. So upsetting Reviewed on: 25th March 2023

Rip off

In the name of terms and conditions, Hastings began stealing money. While I was able to find insurance for over £200 less, my policy was automatically renewed. While I didn't authorize the withdrawal of funds, customer support said you have signed the terms and conditions, so they are allowed to take the £20 on the system-generated quote. This is their right, and this is how they make money. Please ensure that they cannot renew the policy until they send a letter by post. It's called ripping off and stealing under the name of T&C. I would not recommend them to anyone, and a lot of other customers reported the same. Reviewed on: 14th March 2023

Dishonest crooks

Your customer service stinks. First you autorenew my policy without me knowing it, you make me wait 30 minutes on the line to cancel only to find you won't do it without charging me a penalty. Nobody wants your autorenew - especially when it's 20% higher than last year despite no claims. You also obscure the fact that you add autorenew so the customer has no choice. To add insult to injury you claim to have sent me documents a month before renewal to review when you absolutely didn't. I expected better but you've behaved like dishonest crooks. Reviewed on: 9th March 2023

Cheapest quote ever!

Hastings direct was the cheapest on the market for me this year and with all the added bonuses it was definitely my first choice for insurance!! Reviewed on: 22nd February 2023

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