Hastings Direct car insurance review

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Our verdict

Our verdict

If a choice of cover options is what you're after, Hastings Direct is well worth a look. It offers 3 levels of comprehensive cover (Hastings Essential, Hastings Direct and Hastings Premier), third-party, fire and theft cover, a telematics or "black box" policy, and multi-car cover.

However, its website could be more user-friendly to make it easier for customers to understand what is and isn’t included in their policy, and it doesn't make it obvious at first glance that third-party, fire and theft is an option. It only offers third-party insurance to existing customers, not new ones.

Get started by visiting Hastings Direct’s website and sign up for a policy. If you have read this review and decided that Hastings Direct car insurance is not for you, you can also compare other car insurance policies on the market.

Best for: A wide choice of cover options

Pros

• Windscreen and personal belongings cover included as standard in the Direct and Premier comprehensive policies.
• Hastings Direct has multi-car and ""black box"" cover options and cover is available to new and young drivers.
• The claims line is open 24/7.

Cons

• It doesn't offer third-party only cover
• There isn’t a lot of information about its third-party fire and theft policy available prior to quote stage.
• The Hastings Direct website could be easier to navigate.

★★★★★

User survey

★★★★★

Finder score

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Hastings Direct has three comprehensive car insurance policies on offer: Essential, Standard and Premier. We looked at what each policy includes, the pros and cons of cover and how to make a claim with Hastings Direct.

Who is Hastings Direct?

Hastings Direct was founded back in 1997 and has since grown to offer the UK everything from bike and van insurance to home insurance.

Who underwrites Hastings Direct car insurance?

Hastings Direct insurance is underwritten by a range of insurers. Information on who underwrites your specific policy will be given in your policy documents, as well as on your certificate of motor insurance.

The main underwriter for most of Hastings Direct’s car insurance policies is Inter Partner Assistance S.A.

What are Hasting Direct’s cover options?

Alongside three comprehensive car insurance policys, Hasting Direct also offers a telematics policy as well as multi-car insurance.

YouDrive is Hasting Direct telematics car insurance policy. After set up, you’ll be able to track how you’re driving via their app. YouDrive looks at your actual driving style and gives you a price depending on how safe and well you drive.

What are the cover benefits of YouDrive?

• Manage your policy in the Hastings Direct app
• See how you’re driving in the app
• 24/7 accident support
• Courtesy car included with comprehensive cover
• Uninsured driver promise when you choose comprehensive cover

What is covered under multi-car insurance?

With a Hastings Direct Multi Car policy you can have one policy for all the cars registered at your home address and you’ll get a discount for every car you add.

• You’ll get a discount for every car you insure
• Same renewal date for all cars
• Premier and Direct Policies are 5 Star rated by Defaqto
• Comprehensive policies include windscreen and £5,000 personal accident cover as standard*
• Uninsured driver and vandalism promise (comprehensive only)**
• EU cover up to 90 days per trip.

*Hastings Essential policies don’t include windscreen cover and come with £1,000 personal accident cover as standard.
**Not included on Hastings Essential policies.

Compare Hasting Direct’s comprehensive car insurance policies

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Name	Product	Courtesy car cover	New car replacement	EU Cover	Personal accident cover	Multi-car discount	Link
Hastings Direct Standard					Up to £1000		Compare quotes	Finder's summary: Hastings Direct does offer strong options for comprehensive car cover, as well as other types of car insurance, such as multi-car and Black Box cover. However, its website could be a lot more user friendly to make it easier for customers to understand what is and isn’t included in their policy. Who it might be good for: Someone who wants an all-round comprehensive policy, that can also have multi-car or a black box policy.	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hastings Premier					Up to £5000		Compare quotes	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Hastings Essential					Up to £1000		Compare quotes	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What’s covered under my comprehensive policy?

Hastings Direct offers three comprehensive car insurance policies which differ in price, benefits and the cover they provide.

There is not much information about the Essential policy on the Hastings Direct website, though the company describes this policy as ‘no-frills policy with basic and affordable coverage’.

Here is what the other two comprehensive options cover:

Optional extras

Hastings Direct offers a range of optional extras you can add to your policy to give you even more peace of mind.

These include:

• Breakdown cover
• Motor legal expenses cover
• Enhanced personal accident cover
• Key cover

If you need to make a claim on any Hastings Direct insurance policy, call the claims team on 0333 321 9800.

The Hastings Direct claims team is available 24/7.

Contacting Hastings Direct

You can contact Hastings Direct customer services by email through customerrelations@hastingsdirect.com or by calling 0333 321 9801.

What is my excess

An excess is the amount of money you contribute to the cost of your claim. The amount of your excess will depend on the level of cover you have and the nature of your claim. Details of your excess amounts will be displayed in your policy schedule.

In some instances, more than one excess will apply, in which case Hastings Direct will add them together.

There are two types of excess and these are:

• Compulsory excess which is set by the insurer underwriting your policy.
• Voluntary excess which is in addition to any compulsory excess. You can set this as low as you want to reduce the amount you have to pay if you make a claim, or you can increase it which is likely to reduce your premium.

Hastings Direct car insurance customer reviews

Customers who took part in Finder’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey were positive about Hastings Direct, with many highlighting its good customer service and “fair prices”.

One customer said, “I’m currently in the process of settling a claim, and their customer service agents have been excellent.”

Hastings Direct received an overall customer satisfaction score of 4.5 out of 5, and 81% of customers said they would recommend the brand to a friend.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I drive other car with my Hastings Direct policy?

  Yes, you are insured to drive other cars with your policy, but cover will be third party only (even of you have comprehensive cover for your own car).

• Can I pay for my car insurance in monthly instalments?

  Yes, you have the choice of paying for your Hastings Direct policy in full or by monthly direct debit payments. Note that an interest applies to monthly payments.

• Does Hastings Direct offer daily or temporary car insurance?

  No, Hastings Direct doesn’t currently offer temporary car insurance cover.

• Is there a cost to cancel your car insurance with Hastings Direct?

  You are able to cancel your car insurance with Hastings Direct up to 14 days after your start date with no cancellation fee. After this time period, a £45 cancellation fee will be charged.