Anyone used them?
Loads cheaper then my current insurer but looking at some reviews they seems to score poorly.
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Hastings Direct is an insurance broker rather than an insurance company.
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I used them three or four renewals ago and they were pleasant and efficient.
The policy looked OK to my untrained eye.
But as I always say with insurance, you only really know how good it is when you make a claim, which I didn't have to.
Only stopped using them because I got significantly better quotes elsewhere.
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As per ifithelps - my comments would be identical.
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I first used Hasting Direct three years ago. It was a competitive quote, so I went for it. However, when the paperwork arrived, the price had gone up by about £30.00. I reluctantly agreed to the higher price (It was still under what I was paying with the Post Office and I?d cancelled their auto-renewal). I wasn?t alone feeling aggrieved, because a while later, I received a £20.00 refund forced on Hasting by the Insurance ombudsman.
I vowed to cancel the following year, but the next renewal remained static and I find the paperwork involved in changing companies a pain. This year their quote was up a little. I looked around and like you, discovered several review websites rating Hastings badly, but when you look, pretty much all the others rate as bad. The only well known one that seems to have at least some satisfied customers is Direct Line, so I might try them next year. As previously noted, all the agro seems to be when you claim.
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Been with them since before they turned into a broker and have been competitive ever since, I also have my buildings and contents with them.
I have made two claims with them on each of our cars and not had a problem, even when taking my car to my own repairer of choice.
Currently claiming under our contents policy, again efficiently processing the claim.
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Been with them for a year on my bike. Did a comparison last year, found them cheapest and bought a years cover. Renewal tomorrow was costing £111 comp which I thought was not too bad. Did another comparison site search and got a quote from Royal Sun Alliance for same cover at £65........no contest.
I 've noticed this over the years.....they get you for a year and then are not very competitive on renewal....I expect the same increase from RSA next October and will search again.......cat and mouse !
Ted
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Tried for a quote last night but found the website kept tripping up on my answers eg asking for cover for self and spouse but then refusing to accept Commo Law Wife as description for second driver. Also, the massive list of jobs and employers businesses is a disaster waiting to happen if a claims handler later turns picky.
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Common law wife isn't a legally recognised status - if you're not married she's not your spouse.
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PU
I know that but also recognise the term as being in common usage. It should either not be used (which thb I.d prefer) or applied consistently. The site also threw hissy fits over dates and gave an unhelpful generic error message.
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...The site also threw hissy fits over dates and gave an unhelpful generic error message...
It clearly doesn't approve of cohabiting. :)
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Seems to me that the term partner is generally used and accepted these days.
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Seems to me that the term partner is generally used and accepted these days. >>
In everyday life, yes, that is the norm. The term "Common law wife" is definitely avoided among my circle of friends.
But for legal descriptions of the relationship such as on Insurance quotes, the option is usually limited to spouse for hetero couples or "civil partner" for gay couples.
Job descriptions for insurance are another matter altogether - see
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=844...1
If you don't fit any on their standard lists, you should phone them.
www.carinsurance.alliance-leicester.co.uk/webapps/...P
The option to choose househusband or housewife is there.
Edited by jbif on 11/10/2009 at 19:53
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I 've noticed this over the years.....they get you for a year and then are not very competitive on renewal...
Seems to be the same for most insurance companies. What really aggravates me is when you go onto a comparison site, and your own existing insurer quotes you cheaper as a new customer than the renewal premium they gave you as a current one (I've had as much as a 15% discrepancy). Seems a very odd way to retain customers. I believe they rely on the "hassle free" mentality of people who just pay the renewal premium and don't want to be bothered with proving NCB, filling out forms, sending in copies of driving licenses, or any of that malarkey involved with changing insurance companies.
I have brand loyalty in many areas, but insurance I buy purely on price, and fundamental Ts and Cs. The only claim I've ever had to make was a decade ago on a stolen and written off mk2 Astra. That was Kwik Fit, and they were excellent (apart from a stupidly low initial offer, which they upped without too much haggling).
One very nice experience I had was with People's Choice a few years back. SWMBO had the Scenic insured with them, they came up with a great price on the Mondeo I had at the time. I called them to confirm everything and buy the policy, and when I told them we had another car insured with them, they knocked another 10% off the premium!
Edited by DP on 11/10/2009 at 12:21
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I was with Hastings for a few years as they consistently underquoted the rest. However they eventually refused to insure my girlfriend, who was driving on a US licence, so I switched.
An interesting aside (and an unexpected one): after enduring a few website sessions getting quotes for this year's policy (I am also an unashamed price shopper, on the grounds that all insurance companies are rogues, so go with the cheapest) and having found the lowest quote, almost on the off-chance, I asked a small broker to quote as well - and he beat all the websites, coming up with a good policy with a major insurer.
Prior to this, I'd assumed the day of the small broker was all but over. It seems I was wrong and that they can still come up trumps. Incidentally, He reinforced his usefulness by performing a similar trick on my (complicated) household insurance, a few weeks later.
So much for the websites. Maybe.
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I asked a small broker to quote as well - and he beat all the websites coming up with a good policy with a major insurer.
>
Local brokers can be valuable.
Years ago NU Direct insured son's car GP 12 coupe Comp @£500/yr.
Car sold and new coupe Group 15 bought - NUD said too young - go away.
Local Broker gets cover for £450 (then £30 rebate after fitting approved immobiliser) -
Guess the Ins Co? NU Broker Policy!!
Up 3 groups and saves £80 / year.
Ins Cos try to make £££s at every turn but are sometimes too clever and defeat themselves.
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My dealings with Hastings Direct (~6 years ago) showed that although they may be cheap for initial premuim, they were outrageously expensive if there were any changes in the policy with their charges. To move to a lower rated area to live, they wanted a lot more money far above what could be considered a reasonable admin fee.
I'd never use them again, and haven't.
Worth a read : preview.tinyurl.com/yfuuxq2
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I found them expensive to change policy details, and they were utterly useless when I had to claim.
Guy hit me and drove off. I traced him myself (as a witness left a note) and he admitted guilt to police. He then denied everything, and I needed to sell the car at a £600 loss (the quote for repair) before it was all settled.
Hastings washed their hands of me as I'd sold the car, and I eventually got my money back by getting lawyers onto the guy directly. I wouldn't use them again.
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Wasn't it Hastings Direct who a few years ago realised that they had undercharged hundreds of their customers then proceeded to write to them giving them 7 days to pay the correct premium or their policy would be terminated leaving them without cover ? Anyone who was away on 14 days holiday would not even realised that they were uninsured !
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Wasn't it Hastings Direct who a few years ago realised that they had undercharged hundreds of their customers then proceeded to write to them giving them 7 days to pay the correct premium or their policy would be terminated leaving them without cover ? Anyone who was away on 14 days holiday would not even realised that they were uninsured !
Hastings was fined £750K for this - they also had to compensate people affected!
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Many thanks! I insured with them now.
Next year I will look again
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