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Hastings Direct: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 3.14 (642 reviews)

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3.08

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)

kook elsewhere for insurance

I took out a policy with Hastings from money supermarket because it was cheap a few weeks before my renewal date as I knew I would get a cheap quote if I did that. But then 3-4 days before insurance started they rang me back and said I made a mistake on how long I had lived in this country. apparently there was a difference of 18 months (I have lived 47 years in this country) I knew I had filled it in correctly but I had no way of proving that. As a result they had to requote me and now it worked out 40% more than originally quoted. I know that insurance companies quote more when it gets close to renewal date so I was unable to get a cheaper quote. This is a scam that this company uses to get more money out of the customer. Reviewed on: 24th June 2019

Lack of Transparency

I took out car insurance with this provider online using MoneySupermarket. Com. When I received my policy a few minutes later, I discovered a couple of errors. Hastings direct had started my insurance a day earlier than I’d indicated on my online form. They had also reduced the value of my car. I called to advise them of the errors. I was told this could not be corrected without my policy being cancelled and re-quoted and I also need to take into account that the premium I originally paid may also increase when re-quoted. I informed HastingsDirect that I was not willing to pay a higher premium than that originally taken out and already paid in full. True to their word, they re-quoted my policy at a slightly higher amount than what I originally paid. When I refused to pay the difference in price, I was immediately told that if I cancel the policy, which incidentally is not even 24hrs old, I will be penalised £20 retainer fee! Apparently, this was noted on the website when I took out the policy, but HastingsDirect cannot even send me evidence to support this claim involving the £20 policy. I will be referring my complaint to the financial ombudsman as HastingsDirect are misleading consumers. Reviewed on: 20th June 2019

Worst customer service ever

I cancelled my policy last year and returned my certificate as per their policy. They did not refund me and I did not chase it up as it was a minimal amount. They recently tried to renew my policy which is disgraceful business practise in my view. So I phoned to tell them and was passed around a few departments. 30 minutes later I got to speak to a woman who told me they will be charging me £60 for two weeks "cancellation". My policy cost me £126 so they wanted nearly 50% more for failing to do their job. Today I received a threatening letter informing me they are taking the money or suing me. All while I am undergoing cancer treatment. thank you Hastings Direct. Will make sure everyone I know is aware how bad this company is. Reviewed on: 29th April 2019

con

I took out my policy thinking I was getting a web cam, when it arrived it was a device I had to get my garage to attach and it monitors every movement how you accelerate and brake etc. I then received an email informing my score was 39 and it had to be 40 or they will cancel my policy at the cost of £140. I am 60 driving for 40 years with 1 speeding offence 30 years ago! It's a rip off they should be ashamed of themselves Reviewed on: 18th April 2019

Cheap but poor customer service

I was with Hastings Direct for 2 years, during my second year I had an incident where I scratched another car, I immediately phoned my insurance and explained the situation, they told me on the phone that they had opened a claim and that I had an excess of £540 (it should have been £250 according to all my documents). I then never heard anything from them regarding if anything was actually happening with the claim - all I know is when I got the renewal quote through an accident was listed on there. I was never communicated with again after the initial call. Reviewed on: 15th April 2019

Worst company I have ever used!

On a comparison website they were coming in with a slightly cheaper quote than other companies. I should have read the reviews first. They are a terrible company who charge for every slight policy alteration. Esure don't. They tried to charge me over £33 for cancelling my insurance with 16 days left on policy as I was selling my car. I had paid up for the year so in actual fact they owed me 16 days, although I never expected a refund. Why would you charge when I am cancelling and guaranteeing never to make a claim?! I decided to hold onto my car for the extra days rather than give them a penny more! The advice of my friends... crash into a tree and claim big...make them pay. Good job I'm a decent and honest person....unlike Hastings Direct. Lost mine and all family / friends from ever shopping with you again!!!!!!!!!! Reviewed on: 13th March 2019

Absolutely horrific disgusting insurance company. Scammed my premium.

Honestly the worst insurance company anyone could ever go with. They gave me a quite good premium but for a reason. They listed a notification only as a fault claim so now it’s on the database and have to declare to other insurers. Then cancelled my policy due to my policy being based on a ‘provisional license’. Regardless of the fact I have proof of me putting full UK license, they’re claiming I was manipulating quotes even thought I have GAP insurance with a full UK license aswell. It was clearly a glitch on either the comparisons website or their own when the quote was being finalised and paid for. The whole thing has taken 3 months and they are simply brushing me off and the whole situation under the carpet - keep getting passed around to different ‘managers’ when they are solely just an assistant. Not only have they cancelled my insurance, they’re keeping my premium. So I am in loss of just under £2000, no insurance, a fault claim in my name which isn’t meant to be there and also unable to obtain new insurance due to these occurrences at the fault of HASTINGS DIRECT. They don’t care at all about customers, as long as they have your money; that’s all that matters to them. I would strongly advise anyone to avoid them at all costs. The amount of stress it has caused and I am left feeling helpless. Their agents have no training whatsoever and have the smallest respect for their customers. One ‘manager’ even said on the phone and I quote; ‘you shouldn’t have taken out insurance with us then’. The fact that their motto is straightforward insurance disgusts me. I wish I had never taken out insurance with them... I’ve lost just under £2000 and they’re refusing to give me my money back - it’s only been 2 months since I took out the policy. They’re simply taking advantage of the situation and leaving me helpless. If you are thinking of going with them, simply don’t. Check out their history as they have a long list of lawsuits against them. Reviewed on: 9th March 2019

Terrible company

Don't put housewife down as your occupation or they will ring you up after you have paid for your insurance through a price comparison site when it's too late to cancel and charge you £140 more because you are unemployed. I am not unemployed I am a disabled housewife Reviewed on: 13th February 2019

Hastings are a bunch of scam artists

Like most reviews against Hastings Direct, they are scamming young drivers with black boxes. Obviously do not work and report incorrect results, which then allows Hastings to tell the user their insurance will be cancelled. Absolute bunch of con artists, how they are still getting away with this is beyond belief. So many poor reviews on the internet, they need shutting down. Reviewed on: 17th January 2019

Very poor

Very bad customer service. Try to exploit existing customers on renewal. Switched company and got better cover for 200 pound less. Reviewed on: 8th December 2018

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