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Hastings Direct was launched in 1997, originally as a broker for car insurance. Its product range has since expanded to include home, bike and van insurance.
It's part of Hastings Group, which also includes insurance brands Hastings Direct YouDrive, InsurePink and People's Choice. Its policies are underwritten by Advantage Insurance Company Limited.
Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.
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Get a quoteHere's how Hastings Direct scored in our latest survey:
See how this compares with the best car insurance.
Its standard policy, Hastings Direct achieved a score of 64% in our analysis, which is exactly average.
It includes a generous £500 medical expenses cover for every passenger in the car if you're in an accident.
On the downside, there's no cover for misfuelling (damage caused by putting the wrong fuel in the tank) or for damage to your car's sunroof.
A plus point is a very reasonable £45 compulsory excess payable in fire, theft and accidental damage claims. The average compulsory excess was £140 in the policies we looked at.
Hastings Direct's Essentials policy – which pares back various features including cover for your windscreens and windows – was the lowest-rated policy in our analysis, with a score of 44%.
YouDrive is a telematics ('black box') policy that uses a wireless tab and your smartphone to track your driving. It received the same 64% score as the standard policy, placing it in the middle of our table.
Fire excess | £45 | |
Theft excess | £45 | |
Accidental damage excess | £45 | |
Windscreen replacement excess | £135 | |
Is the policy holder's NCD affected if car is hit while parked | Yes | |
Windscreen damage - limit per claim | Unlimited / £100 | |
Window damage - limit per claim | Unlimited / £100 |
Tables last updated February 2024. Next update January 2025. We recommend checking policies before buying.
We asked Hastings Direct customers who've recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.
Hastings Direct performed poorly in our satisfaction survey, earning the second-lowest score (60%) when we asked customers to rate their overall experience.
When we asked policyholders about their most recent claim, Hastings received a score of 59% – third from bottom out of 25 providers.
Here's how customers rated Hastings Direct in various areas of service:
Application process | - |
Clarity of policy | |
Dealing with queries | |
Ease of managing your policy online | |
Fair treatment of longstanding customers | - |
Dealing with complaints | |
Value for money |
Table last updated in February 2024. Next update in January 2025. A dash '-' means we have insufficient sample size (fewer than 30) to generate a star rating.
Hastings' car insurance policies are sold via the following price comparison sites:
Hastings Direct offers discounts for covering multiple cars and for taking out both car and home insurance with Hastings.
Above information correct as of December 2023.
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If you need to make a claim with Hastings Direct car insurance, call 0333 321 9800.
You can also start your claim online or via email.
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