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Hastings Direct car insurance review
With so many car insurance providers to choose from, use our analysis to see if Hastings Direct is right for you.
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Hastings Direct offers third party; third party, fire and theft; and comprehensive car insurance. Within comprehensive, there are three options: Essential, Standard and Premier car insurance. The policies have different features so it’s important to check you have the right one for you.
We know that insurance can be complicated, so here we decipher Hastings Direct’s car insurance policies to give you the key information.
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 Hastings Direct’s car insurance cover options?
Third party
Third party cover is basic, and is the minimum car insurance legally accepted on UK roads.
Features of Hastings Direct’s cover include:
- Legal liability for damage to other people’s property (third party)
- Driving abroad cover
- No claims discount
Third party fire & theft
Third party fire and theft cover offers slightly more protection than third party car insurance.
Features of Hastings Direct’s cover include:
- Damage or loss by fire or theft
- Legal liability for damage to other people’s property (third party)
- Driving abroad cover
- No claims discount
Comprehensive
As the name suggests, this offers the highest level of protection for you and your car.
Features of Hastings Direct’s cover include:
- Damage to your car
- Damage or loss by fire or theft
- Legal liability for damage to other people’s property (third party)
- Driving abroad cover
- Personal accident cover
- Medical expenses cover
- Personal belongings cover
- Windscreen cover
- Protection against uninsured drivers
- No claims discount
- Vandalism promise
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.
| Benefits | Hastings Essential | Hastings Direct | Hastings Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured driver protection | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Vandalism cover | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Courtesy car as standard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insured in the EU for up to 90 days per trip | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Personal accident cover up to £5000 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| In-car entertainment cover | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Child car seat cover | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Windscreen cover | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 4 tiers of breakdown cover | ✓ | ||
| Motor legal expenses | ✓ |
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
- Legal expenses cover (comes as standard with Hastings Premier)
- Personal accident cover
- Substitute car if your car is written-off
- Key cover
- Breakdown recovery (comes as standard with Hastings Premier)
How do I make a claim?
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.
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.
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