A sorry tale about Hastings Direct car insurance

Playlord

I found my current car insurer - Hastings Direct - using the MSE links to comparison sites. I made the assumption that these comparison sites do some form of vetting before allowing companies to quote via their 'shop window'. I don't think it unreasonable that insurance sold through these sites should be 'fit for purpose'.

Read my report of what happened when I tried to claim for a broken windscreen; I'd be interested in your opinions on whether the insurance sold to me was fit for purpose.

My windscreen was broken on Saturday morning 22nd Dec 2012. I called Hastings Direct claims line and got the usual 'experiencing unexpected number of calls' (translate to - we don't employ enough agents). 27 minutes later my call was answered by a perfectly civil young man who said he would put me through to the 'windscreen dept'

Two minutes later the girl in the windscreen dept told me 'my colleague who deals with windscreens is out at the moment . . . he will call you back within half an hour' What? One person only dealing with windscreen breakages, possibly one of the most common claims?

90 minutes later, no call returned. I ring Claims line again - 53 minutes of recorded music (at 5p a min to me) I abandoned the call and rang customer services. Just a 17 minute wait this time: Here's a the gist of the call (I recorded it)

Me: 'Is this call being recorded?'
Agent: 'Yes.'
Me: 'Good because I want to make it clear to you that if an appointment has not been made to repair my windscreen by the end of this call, I am going to get it done privately and invoice you.'
'OK, that's fine. What's the problem'
I explained what had happened.
Agent: 'What I can do is put you back through to claims.'
Me: 'That's pointless, I just waited almost an hour and got no answer.'
Agent: 'But I can put you straight through. It will take a minute or so and I will stay on the line with you and listen to your conversation with the claims dept'
Me: 'Ok.'
More recorded music. For more than ten minutes: The agent had obviously abandoned my call despite a promise to 'stay on the line with you'.
I then called three repairers for quotes to replace the screen. The third one asked who I was insured with. 'Hastings Direct'
'Well you are in trouble because their windscreen repairer Nationwide Motor Glass are closed until next Thursday.'
'You are kidding!'
'I'm not, I had a guy yesterday who was insured with them and he went right to the top and that's what he eventually found out. They are pretty awful. Cheap premiums, terrible service. All they're interested in is getting you off the phone.'
So I'd been told by their windscreen dept I'd be called back within half an hour when she knew full well it would not be for almost a week. In the depths of winter. No windscreen. Consider that if you're thinking of using HD. BTW, the first quote I got from Auto Glass was £812.

So I have found someone local who can do the repair. I will then invoice HD for the cost (less excess), the cost of my time in dealing with it, the cost of the phone calls and any other costs incurred between now and when I get the car back.

Given their miserable service so far I'm preparing for a long battle with HD but will continue adding costs for my time in dealing with it, and, if I am not paid within 14 days of invoicing them, will begin county court proceedings.

I will report progress through my twitter feed and hopefully my 1700+ followers will be able to warn off all of their followers from getting involved with Hastings Direct

Update, I was told today, Monday, that even if their windscreen contractor had been working over the holidays, they employ only 4 people to cover the whole of Scotland.

(1) If your insurer is happy to leave you without a usable car for a week, have their reps lie to you about callbacks, 'staying on the line with you', is that product fit for purpose?

(2) Should comparison sites accept companies who operate in this fashion?

(3) Should MSE be linking its customers to comparison sites who do not properly vet companies?

ACG

Im confused, other than delays i dont understand where the fit for purpose problem is coming from? How can MSE or anyone make sure all insurance companies are fit for purpose for everyone of the people that visit their site?

Its your job to read the terms and conditions (hence why you tick the box to say you have read and agree to the terms of the bits nobody reads).

Im with hastings, someone bumped into me he admitted full fault. I gave up the will to live on their phone after 20 minutes and emailed them. I had a reply within 36 hours (probably quicker than they would have answered the phone).

You choose cheap and cheerful for a reason. You get what you pay for. I chose cheap because i was going through the process of buying a house, at my renewal ill be going with a decent company again.

Life goes on.

(1) If your insurer is happy to leave you without a usable car for a week, have their reps lie to you about callbacks, 'staying on the line with you', is that product fit for purpose? - nothing to do with fit for purpose. Did you include replacement car cover in your policy? If so then ask for a replacement car.

(2) Should comparison sites accept companies who operate in this fashion?
Its entirely up to them. If you dont like it, dont use them. Go to a broker or do your own research.

(3) Should MSE be linking its customers to comparison sites who do not properly vet companies?
As above.

CrazyAngel_3

Is your windscreen 'broken' or just cracked? If its just a crack then you can continue to drive it. Modern windscreens are now laminated so you can continue to drive without risk of it caving in on you.

No need to be so dramatic about things! They have other customers, not just you and cant be at your beck and call.

You havent been left with an unusable car. What do you expect over the busy christmas period? No ones going to come out to you on a bank holiday thats for sure. I think Thursday is quite reasonable considering the incident occured on Saturday - You have to wait 2 working days to get it fixed - quite good as far as I am concerned!

hairypitz

Crazy Angel. Isn't the etiquette on here 'be nice'???
I really don't think the tone of your last post was necessary.

I wouldn't be happy if my windscreen was left unusable for that length of time. One of my windows was smashed by vandals and despite phoning at midnight when I discovered it,one call to my insurer and I was booked in for a new window with Autoglass at 10am the next day. I think that's a reasonable service.

I also understand frustration with being kept on hold for long periods, (often on an 0845 number) and with promised ring backs that fail to materialise.

Sorry there's no advice I can offer ACG. Best of luck with it though.

CrazyAngel_3

Hi Hairypitz, thanks for your feedback, however I would disagree that I have been off tone with the OP.

The OP is being irrational and overdramatic. People are too quick to issue proceedings for no reason, without giving it any thought. Has the OP actually suffered any loss? No, because Hastings have already said they will repair the windscreen but the OP is not giving them the opportunity.

We dont want a compensation culture do we? That just pushes everyone elses premiums up.

dalesrider

Wonder if the OP called the windscreen co direct.... Or simply believed what a 3rd party (who has a vested interest in selling what the OP is looking for)....

Seems the tel No is 0800 1694677 (took all of 2 mins to find on the hastings site) or try 01424 735735....
I guess the Op was calling from a mobile.... As its a free phone no.

A tip to many people. When you take insurance out. Do a internet search for alternative numbers to contact them on and store them in your mobile. So you do not get stung by call charges..
A few mins is usually enough to get the info.

ACG

CrazyAngel is right. The OP is looking for an Oscar by the sounds of it.

Their is etiquette, but sometimes people just need to be told. I used to work in customer services for a bank and would deal with unreasonable people all the time, unfortunately as it was my job to offer a service i wasnt able to tell people they were being rediculous.

Hairypitz i dont need any help...not unless its medical help :P

dunstonh

got the usual 'experiencing unexpected number of calls' (translate to - we don't employ enough agents).

Translate to - thats what you get when you buy cheap.

(3) Should MSE be linking its customers to comparison sites who do not properly vet companies?

The point of using a DIY service is that you do the research yourself and make the decision to buy yourself. If you want an advised service then use a broker. If you want quality then pay for it.

if I am not paid within 14 days of invoicing them, will begin county court proceedings.

And the court will likely through it out due to you being unreasonable. You cant go to court like that.

Playlord

ACG wrote: »

Im confused, other than delays i dont understand where the fit for purpose problem is coming from? How can MSE or anyone make sure all insurance companies are fit for purpose for everyone of the people that visit their site?

Its your job to read the terms and conditions (hence why you tick the box to say you have read and agree to the terms of the bits nobody reads).

Im with hastings, someone bumped into me he admitted full fault. I gave up the will to live on their phone after 20 minutes and emailed them. I had a reply within 36 hours (probably quicker than they would have answered the phone).

You choose cheap and cheerful for a reason. You get what you pay for. I chose cheap because i was going through the process of buying a house, at my renewal ill be going with a decent company again.

Life goes on.

There was nothing in the T&C which said they would do the following:

Mislead claimants by saying 'my colleague is out at the moment and will call you back within half an hour', knowing there is no 'colleague' and that there would not be a callback.

(2) Mislead claimants when given a second chance to put things right after said claimant has held for almost an hour waiting for an answer.

Is a policy fit for purpose when the holder follows his/her side of the T&C in pursuing a claim while the insurer deliberately lies? How many more calls should I have made given that I was lied to and 'got rid of' in my first 2 attempts? 1? 5? 10? At which point do you conclude that you are not only unlikely to get what you paid for, but that you will constantly be shunted off the phone?

How was I to seek a replacement car when they would not admit their 'windscreen dept' was, in fact, closed for a week?

I might have chosen cheap and cheerful but I did not get what I paid for.

Playlord

CrazyAngel wrote: »

Is your windscreen 'broken' or just cracked? If its just a crack then you can continue to drive it. Modern windscreens are now laminated so you can continue to drive without risk of it caving in on you.

No need to be so dramatic about things! They have other customers, not just you and cant be at your beck and call.

You havent been left with an unusable car. What do you expect over the busy christmas period? No ones going to come out to you on a bank holiday thats for sure. I think Thursday is quite reasonable considering the incident occured on Saturday - You have to wait 2 working days to get it fixed - quite good as far as I am concerned!

As I said in my original post, the windscreen was broken. I didn't ask that they be at my beck and call, I asked if they would do what they'd contracted to do in the policy.

Are you happy to carry on driving a car with no windscreen? You consider a car without one usable?

The screen company I found works bank holidays as do many others so how do you conclude that 'for sure' nobody will come out on a bank holiday?

Playlord

dalesrider wrote: »

Wonder if the OP called the windscreen co direct.... Or simply believed what a 3rd party (who has a vested interest in selling what the OP is looking for)....

Seems the tel No is 0800 1694677 (took all of 2 mins to find on the hastings site) or try 01424 735735....
I guess the Op was calling from a mobile.... As its a free phone no.

A tip to many people. When you take insurance out. Do a internet search for alternative numbers to contact them on and store them in your mobile. So you do not get stung by call charges..
A few mins is usually enough to get the info.

I called 3 screen companies direct, after HD failed to return my calls.

The call number for claims was an 0845 one - I wasn't using a mobile.

Thanks for the tip on alternative numbers.