Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Hastings Direct Car Insurance – Any experience?
  • one_happy_hippy
    Free Member

    Its that time of year again and current providers are exorbitant.

    After some shopping around Hastings Direct are coming out cheapest with lower excess and still protected NCB etc.

    Never had any experience of them – are the cheap premiums a function of rubbish service?

    Just wondering if anyone had any real world experience of them?

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    We had them last year, my wife made a claim (£2500) which was dealt with fairly and promptly.

    They were cheap last year but shopping around when renewing they were in the upper third on cost and weren’t prepared to budge so we’ve switched to Direct Line.

    timber
    Full Member

    Our experience a few years ago was quite the opposite. Cheap, but with horrendous service and after nearly a year of arguing, they still only paid out for half the cars value in a non-fault accident. Probably got better service off the third party insurer after all of Hastings messing around.
    Can’t find a bargepole big enough now.

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    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    Been with them for a couple of years as they undercut everyone else. Not had to deal with them since, so therefore, they’re fine.

    metcalt
    Full Member

    Was with them for a few years without issue, when I did need to claim the process was easy and I got more than I expected for the car with a good turnaround.

    They do have quite high admin changes for adjustments though, I seem to recall my address change was around £40, as was my registration plate change after a chat with a nice Traffic Officer highlighted the fact either me or Hastings had keyed it in incorrectly and I was in fact, uninsured.

    The only reason I left was my staff discount bringing my employer in line with their prices, now I’ve handed my notice in I’ll probably be going back on my next renewal.

    mav12
    Free Member

    i avoided these a while ago as the reviews were awfull,but they look like they have gone through a major change now and seen to get good reviews mine is due next week and they come up the cheapest by far

    stumpy_m4
    Free Member

    Been with them for a few years now , never had to get in touch really , quotes are always competitive but always give them a ring to see if they can lower it further and they usually do , so im happy with them so far

    RichPenny
    Free Member

    Pursuing a claim with them currently. Not great comms to begin with but they’ve picked up and their assessor has now come out to check the damage so I’ll see how we go.

    Bit bizarre at renewal, where I rang them to point out that shopping around their online quote was much cheaper than my renewal figure. They promptly undercut themselves 🙂

    Thrustyjust
    Free Member

    Have a joint policy for both my cars at silly prices. When I changed my car , it was done promptly and efficiently, although they do charge admin costs, but its only been once I had to sort this.

    Kuco
    Full Member

    I have been insured with them for the past couple of years and thankfully haven’t had to claim. I just know they can’t be as bad as Direct Line.

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    Oh they can be as bad..
    Took a threat of court action for them to get an assessor out to mine after a non-fault last June.
    January he finally showed up. They’ve just closed the file last week.
    Even though there’s still a complaint outstanding, the vehicle not fully repaired, etc.
    They’re cheap for a reason.

    granny_ring
    Full Member

    If you change your car mid term do they apply an admim charge, as well as the adjustment for a higher insurance group car?

    trashcanman
    Free Member

    Been with ’em for 3 yrs due to price, never had to contact them, so no issues.
    Wife been with ’em for 2 yrs. Had a blameworthy collision this year, one single phone call (to a UK advisor) & everything dealt with in that one call. No further contact required, her car fixed satisfactorily, presumably other car fixed no issues, no excess to pay. Simple, seamless process. Will happily renew next year if the price is right.

    properbikeco
    Free Member

    they were cheap for me last year – not had to claim though

    their renewal price was too expensive though – and when called to cancel offered a £50 reduction (moved insurer anyway as was still cheaper)

    mrmonkfinger
    Free Member

    I just know they can’t be as bad as Direct Line

    For contrast, I’ve had to claim from Direct Line and they were really good, a single phone call and everything was set up, drove to bodyshop, received courtesy car, picked up my car several days later, nothing more for me to do.

    However, this year, I’m with Hastings. Their quotes were the lowest for me for the third year running. Not had to claim yet. Fairly pricey admin fee (£45?) for a car change this year.

    Ladders
    Free Member

    Cheap, but crap customer service!

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    A friend of mine had his car written off by a drunk driver. They won’t pay out, he’s having to take them to court.

    mattyfez
    Full Member

    Yeh not great customer service.
    My car was written off about 4 months ago, it was parked up outside mm house and someone crashed into it. They were decent about it, admitted fault etc.

    Hastings then started to give me the runaround and wanted me to go through some ambulance chasing claims company.. I checked with the other persons insurance company (esure) and they admitted full fault, so I cancelled my claim with Hastings and claimed direct through the 3rd parties insurance, had hire car for about 2 weeks whilst they assessed my car, they declared it a write off and paid out a fair sum for it.

    one_happy_hippy
    Free Member

    Thanks for the feedback.

    I have been with Elephant for the past 2 years or so but not had to contact them for anything other than a Vehicle change (which was expensive).

    The elephant renewal was £188 more than Hastings with a £350 higher excess. and Could only get it close by removing all the named drivers other than myself.

    granny_ring
    Full Member

    Aren’t Elephant, Hastings & Admiral all under the same ‘umbrella’?

    @ mrmonk,

    Fairly pricey admin fee (£45?) for a car change this year.

    was that due to a higher insurance group car or is it just an admin fee?

    dlr
    Full Member

    Hastings Direct are actually in Bexhill about ~8 miles down the road, that alone annoys me on principle and I don’t even use them! (live in the area) 🙄

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    never claimed so can’t comment on that but in second year the premiums went up by around 25%. i called, told them I’d renew but not not at that price so they dropped their price without further discussion.

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

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