Hastings Direct? Bah! So much for customer loyalty!

vaio

not really the same, a better example would be why would you changing from working as a chef in an NHS hospital to working as a chef in a charity run hospice where you drive less miles cause your insurance to double?

As mentioned above, in these days of outsourcing public sector jobs it could even be that you are doing the same job in the same place with the same people but your job has been outsourced so you now work for a charity rather than LA/NHS. Doubling of premium fair then?

Hastings_Direct_company_representative

Suzy_Hastings wrote: »

I'm spitting FEATHERS!! So much for supporting a local company, bah!! My car insurance renewal from Hastings Direct is more than double! I do exactly the same job as I've ever done, using exactly the same car as I've done for the past 7 years, even driving a shorter distance but... am now working for a local Hospice which is a charity... and because of this fact alone, my premiums have risen from £246.22 (when working at the Local Authority twice the distance away) to £513.67. Apparently, if I said I worked for the NHS it might be cheaper but I don't!!
I feel a letter to the local paper, my MP, and whoever else I can think off, is in the offing!

Hi Sue, Thanks very much for taking the time to post about your experience. I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy, I would like to help. If you could send me an email at [EMAIL="socialmedia@hastingsdirect.com"]socialmedia@hastingsdirect.com[/EMAIL] with some details about your policy I would be happy to look into this for you. Many Thanks, Jamie

Suzy_Hastings

Was contacted today by a gentleman from Hastings Direct's customer services who was very helpful indeed. He spoke to the underwriter to clarify my employment category; checked the computer system (found a glitch), arranged to have it fixed, and finally arrived back at the initial renewal quote of £246.22. He apologized saying it was a shame it had to reach him before being resolved... However, and regrettably in a way because they're a local employer, I'm still moving to a different insurance company. I'll be phoning the gentleman in customer services tomorrow to thank him for his efforts though. I know it's his job but he did it very well. It's a shame the renewal service wasn't of the same standard... ah well.

mikey72

Suzy_Hastings wrote: »

Was contacted today by a gentleman from Hastings Direct's customer services who was very helpful indeed. He spoke to the underwriter to clarify my employment category; checked the computer system (found a glitch), arranged to have it fixed, and finally arrived back at the initial renewal quote of £246.22. He apologized saying it was a shame it had to reach him before being resolved... However, and regrettably in a way because they're a local employer, I'm still moving to a different insurance company. I'll be phoning the gentleman in customer services tomorrow to thank him for his efforts though. I know it's his job but he did it very well. It's a shame the renewal service wasn't of the same standard... ah well.

I wonder how many others were caught by the "glitch" who didn't post on here, and get it noticed? But I do agree, it's a shame it went so far before being resolved. Possibly they need to look at their internal systems if the operators are happy to keep telling customers there is nothing they can do, and doubling premiums seem normal to them. Was it the social media department who sorted it, as per the email above? Is it me, or that rebadged PR, and not actually customer services?

vaio

surely, like on other financial services mis-selling events, now the "glitch" has been discovered then, to comply with the "treat the punter fairly" rule, Hastings need to identify other cases where the same happened and refund those too.

How about it Jamie?

mikey72

Perhaps it needs pointing out to the FSA.

vaio

Nah, [STRIKE]not yet[/STRIKE], I'm sure they will do the right thing, they are responsible insurance companies after all

kelloggs36

I had my renewal quote from Hastings Direct today, went online to various comparison sites, all of whom came up with them as cheapest, BUT Gocompare was much cheaper than the renewal quote as a new customer. Bought policy online and will cancel renewal - saved over £50 doing this. Never renew policy, always compare first and call them to ask them to match; if they won't, then switch.

mikey72

kelloggs36 wrote: »

I had my renewal quote from Hastings Direct today, went online to various comparison sites, all of whom came up with them as cheapest, BUT Gocompare was much cheaper than the renewal quote as a new customer. Bought policy online and will cancel renewal - saved over £50 doing this. Never renew policy, always compare first and call them to ask them to match; if they won't, then switch.

I never give them a chance to match. If they try to rip me off at renewal, they don't get another shot.

lippy1923

mikey72 wrote: »

I never give them a chance to match. If they try to rip me off at renewal, they don't get another shot.

Same here! I always let them have a go at reducing it though. They always say "let me see what I can do... O wait a second, I can reduce your renewal price to X"

Then I ask why they never offered me the cheaper rate in the first place... they can never seem to answer that one. I still move providers in the end out of principle!