Write a review

Hastings Direct: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 3.15 (640 reviews)

View other Hastings Direct products

3.12

Based on 640 reviews, last reviewed 10th Jan 2025

97% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

40% decrease in 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

Disgraceful car insurance company Awful company will never go with them again. They up your insurance quote every year with a stupid reason why where I can go somewhere else do cheaper... Read more Reviewed on: 10th January 2025

Read all reviews See your review

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 (640)

Review of the Hastings Direct, Car Insurance:

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 asking for information as to why I wasn't submitting any driving data. I was able to explain, forward an email from the garage, and it was fine. I thought the process could have been tricky but the customer service people were helpful and sensible about it. Reviewed on: 20th October 2024

DID NOT RENEW CAR INS

DID NOT RENEW MY CAR INS AS STATED IN LETTER AFTER CHECKING BANK DETAILS CORRECT. UNABLE TO VISIT FAMILY TODAY SUNDAY. CANNOT DRIVE TO WORK TOMORROW, MONDAY. LOST A DAYS WAGES. GOOD JOB I CHECKED OTHERWISE I COULD OF BEEN PROSECUTED BY THE POLICE. Reviewed on: 7th August 2022

Avoid this shower at all cost. 0 stars should be an option!

Worst insurance provider it’s ever been my misfortune to deal with. They took my money from my credit card without my permission even after they had acknowledged that I did not want to renew. Reviewed on: 4th August 2022

Extortionate fees and charges

I've been with this company for a while. I tried to cancel my policy when it was up for renewal but it was an impossible task. I was paying £35 a month for a 13 plate Focus. The engine blew, and I ended up with a 2.2 SRi Vectra, which cost the same per month as the Focus. I have just changed to 64 plate Seat, and when I changed the car on my policy, it jumped from £35 to £66 a month!! Having dropped from a Group 22 car to a Group 11 car. Checked on Compare the Market and numerous providers were offering identical cover for £35 a month. So I called Hastings to be told that the best price they could find was £140 a month, and if I want to cancel I have to pay a £45 admin fee, and in top of that a further £55 due to the loss of interest as my policy is paid monthly. Needless to say, I will not be renewing. Reviewed on: 4th August 2022

Car insurance

Car insurance from Hastings has been straight forward! Reviewed on: 1st August 2022

Renewed without my consent

They renewed my policy without me telling them. In the website there is a button to renew your policy I didn't press this and it still renewed. I called them and they charged me 20 pounds to cancel it but it was there fault. They would budge on it after 2 trips to consult with his supervisor.And then he hung up on me. Don't go with this shower of fraudsters. Reviewed on: 1st August 2022

Would give -50 stars if i could, AVOID!!

The WORST insurance going, absolutely disgusting company! Avoid at all costs!!! The whole front of my car was ripped off by a wreckless driver as i was coming out of my driveway. Insurance said it was my fault and i “shouldn't have been coming out of my driveway” alright then let me just not go to work or ever leave my house again!!!! Non stop battle for the past three weeks trying to sort it out, got a different story every time i called them! One person told me i would need to admit liability to be entitled to a courtesy car, another person told me that it was my fault because i was reversing out… IV’E NO FRONT END!! Another person told me i had admitted liability - deffo didn't do that!!! Coming up to 4 weeks since the accident and i still don't have a courtesy car, but the man who hit me (also conveniently insured with hastings) got one 2 days later! I wonder if i was a man would i have recieved a car quicker? Very clear discrimination there. Not ONCE has this company reached out to me since the accident!! I’ve had to ring them (any many other companies they associate with) myself!!!!! The stress they have caused me is like no other!! Please please please avoid!!!!!!!! Not to mention they’ve already double my premium (due in august) without even discussing anything with me or letting me know what is happening with my claim!!!!! Ive never been so angry and so disgusted by the way a company treats people!!! I have started a formal complaint against them and there even making that a pain!!!!!! AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!! Reviewed on: 31st July 2022

Would give Zero if I could

Would give 0 stars if I could. Money Supermarket sent me to Hastings while trying to insure my car, paid the deposit, submitted DD details then received nothing. Got in touch with customer services after being redirected from live chat, couldn't get an answer so was delayed collecting the new car. Unbeknownst to me, my family were arranging a surprise birthday for me the following day, a surprise which was unfortunately spoiled when I had to collect the car a day late due to needing to insure elsewhere, because when Hastings finally got back in touch and explained that my policy didn't bind, they couldn't offer me insurance after all, despite me going back to Money Supermarket And being offered the exact same quote. I eventually got the deposit refunded days later, then out of the blue the complaints department got in touch with me, so I complained, wasn't going to as I'd got the deposit back. They explained that the issue that prevented my policy working was known, and the refund process was also known, but not followed. They told me it would be used as a training experience for the staff. Small consolation to me as they told me all this while I was on a short break that was planned by my kids as a birthday present, so all told, two weekends disrupted. They offered me £50 compensation, which had to be a cheque, then I got a voicemail saying the could bank transfer it instead, but it still hasn't arrived, so I've started including the CEO in the email thread, which does get them moving briefly, but then silence again. Thanks to the power of the web, I've now got the CEOs mobile number and personal email, both of which I've made use of, but as yet, nothing. We're over 3 weeks down the line from the original attempt to insure, and I'm getting royally p&_£#ed off with it now, hence my review. Avoid them like the plague folks, no good will come of doing business with Hastings. Reviewed on: 28th July 2022

Awful customer service

Incredibly bad customer service, from the start until the end 1 month later. Reviewed on: 28th July 2022

Just what I needed

Hastings Direct were able to provide me with just what I needed in car insurance, no more, no less, practically perfect. Reviewed on: 22nd July 2022

Amazing

I have a blackbox with hastings. It isn't bad at all! Although it is sensitive, that's how it should be as its keeping drivers safe. I drive normally and carefully and have never gone below 90. They don't constantly email to say you've done something wrong. (Not for me anyway) No curfews. Very cheap. Very reliable. Reviewed on: 20th July 2022

Do you have a different Hastings Direct product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

There's still more to see!

Hastings Direct has a range of products available. Check the ratings of each product to find the right one for you. View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub