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Hastings Direct: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 3.14 (642 reviews)

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3.10

Based on 642 reviews, last reviewed 29th Jan 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

20% 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

DO NOT USE HASTINGS PLEASE Terrible - my car gets stolen and they refuse the claim for a key discrepancy issue and THEN LOSE THAT key! Car has been found by the police and Hasti... Read more Reviewed on: 29th 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.

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Hastings Direct Car Insurance reviews (642)

Dishonest and incompetent

Tried to book car insurance through compare the market, got to the end and it said they couldn't complete so I assumed it hadn't gone through, checked my bank they had taken payment anyway so I called them and they claimed they couldn't find payment. This is a lie it went through whole I was on the phone to them and has been confirmed by my bank. Several calls later over 2 hours on the phone o still do not have my refund not only that they have opened 2 policies I have not asked for now and taken 2 payments and left a single mother with a disabled child with no money!!! I will be taking this to the fca and my solicitor. Reviewed on: 30th May 2020

Horrible experience

Don’t insure with Hastings I am pleading to anyone. Will mug you off completely and charge you for their time. Refunds are all send by a cheque if not cleared in 5 days they will become invalid. Insurance cancelled because I used a comparison website on the same window as Hastings. Price increased coz I refreshed the page. Please avoid there are plenty other insurance companies cheaper Reviewed on: 26th May 2020

Great Insurance

Great Insurance offering the cheapest price and also the right amount of cover. Also easy to contact of if you need to phone without being put on hold for ages unlike other Insurance Companies. Hastings Direct make me feel like a valued customer and because of all these reasons I’ve decided to continue my insurance with them Reviewed on: 27th April 2020

Crooks you should definitely "AVOID"

Dont buy "ANY" insurance from these crooks, I called them to stop my renewal as I was looking at buying another vehicle and the call centre person charged me £45 for cancelling the policy, but let me tell you this, it will be their last ever charge on me, there was one month left on the policy, who in their right mind would cancel a policy one month before it expires ? , just had a email from them quoting their company line, covering themselves ,colleagues and procedures, will not EVER use them again and would advise everyone to look elsewhere, they tell lies and use devious tactics to make sure you pay a "FEE" for everything, How come you cant cancel your renewal online.?, Answer / because they want to charge you a fee for cancelling, dont trust them !!!! A company run and serviced by incompetents Reviewed on: 15th April 2020

Slow and frustrating claims process...

You only find out how good an insurance company is when you have to make a claim, needless to say I will not ever use Hastings Direct again and I would actively advise against anyone using them. Following numerous mistakes or 'misunderstandings' as they put it, on their part, I have been without a car for 3 weeks and counting. 10 days ago it was confirmed it would be written off and I was given a figure, at which point I asked if we could negotiate the figure due to mistakes and delays they had made up to that point. The total loss department is only open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, so when you work those hours and can't have your phone on you at work you invariably struggle to talk to anyone about it. I was told on Tuesday this week I could have a measly £35 compensation, I said that wasn't good enough and they said they would call me back on Wednesday. It is now Friday and after another two emails to them and a phone call, they finally called me back and offered £50. I might as well have saved my breath and my time, I would have been better off. So they have processed my payment today and now its the waiting game as it might take 5 working days to clear in my account... Reviewed on: 21st February 2020

Terrible Company

Tried to add my partner to my car policy with Hastings Direct, but was unable to, but they told me I could take out a new policy with them for over £500 plus a cancellation fee despite the fact I had paid 12 month premium in advance. Worst customer retention policy ever. Would not recommend. Reviewed on: 19th February 2020

astonishingly bad insurance company

I had only 2 payments of £31 left on my car insurance before the next renewal but i have just got a disability car so i rang them and told them i no longer had my car and wished to cancel my insurance,,,THEY WANTED £59 FOR ME TO CANCEL MY INSURANCE,,,So they still wanted me to pay almost the full insurance,(except for £3) even though i have no longer got the car,,,needless to say,i told them there was absolutely no way i am paying them that amount to cancel my insurance but they insisted so i told them to get LOST and went on my online banking and cancelled the direct debit to them,,,they can whistle for it... Reviewed on: 3rd February 2020

Disappointed

Absolutely disgusted, been with Hastings for 5 years and they se d an email this year saying can't renew my policy as won't insure me . When I call can't tell me why! They didn't mind taking my money and I didn't claim at all in this time and never missed a payment. So just don't get it! No wonder they gave a bad reputation. Reviewed on: 10th January 2020

Good service

great service when my car was recently fixed after a small accident Reviewed on: 30th November 2019

Not needed much

I’m not truly able to rate the service as I currently have not needed to claim on my insurance however they have always been polite and helpful during setup. Reviewed on: 14th September 2019

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