A sorry tale about Hastings Direct car insurance

Playlord

chanz4 wrote: »

Op get over it, stop been spoilt its christmas and places are not always open. Also remember that you will look stupid in court as you have to allow a period to resolve.

I accept that places are not always open. Had the claims staff told me this I wouldn't have written the original post.

What period do you suggest I should have allowed to resolve after spending almost 90 minutes trying to get reliable information only to learn I'd been lied to? Should I have spent a couple of hours every day hoping, against initial evidence, that I'd get someone who would tell me the truth and then try and do what they had contracted to do?

I have still not had a call back. Should I wait till next year some time?

Playlord

hairypitz wrote: »

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.

Thank you very much

Playlord

ACG wrote: »

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

What was unreasonable and ridiculous about me ringing my insurance company, being perfectly civil with them, outlining my situation, and making clear the action I proposed to take if they did not fulfil their side of our contract?

Playlord

dunstonh wrote: »

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



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.



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

I have bought cheaper and had much better service. BTW, there were three policies cheaper than HD when I searched. I chose the one that best suited my needs.

On your point about DIY/brokers, I did the research and I made the decision. Nothing about my research was wrong, that I can see (for example there was no clause which said, "if we cannot solve your problem we will just tell you a lie to get you off the phone")

Regarding the 14 day limit on court proceedings, on reflection, you are right, that is unreasonable. I'll give them 30 days.

ACG

Playlord wrote: »

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.

Funny that isnt it?

Have you never been wrong? Ive told people they can expect a call back within an hour or half an hour and its not happened. As much as i can tell people something and have full faith it will happen, as it is physically out of my hands i cant be 100% sure it will happen.
I would say you have been given bad service, but thats different to buying a policy that isnt fit for purpose.

Your trying to over complicate things.

Youve been given rubbish service, but im surprised your surprised you had to wait ages for a call to be answered. Put in a letter of complaint you might get a bit of compensation (£20-50 maybe).

Take you "not fit for purpose" argument to a no win no fee solicitor. If they pick it up, your on to a winner but i would be very surprised.

Otherwise i think you need to just get on with life, ask them what their processes are and follow the route they tell you, rather than trying to force something you want to happen.

Playlord

It's the first time I've posted here. It took me quite a while to put the post together. The main aim was to try and alert others to be very wary about dealing with HD.

The secondary aim was to try and get some action from HD - I'd hoped they might have some form of brand monitoring which might pick up complaints.

I'm surprised at the level of animosity the post has stirred. I should probably have read through a few threads before posting to try and gauge the tone of forum users. If this thread reflects the general reaction on MSE to people reporting their bad experiences as consumers, I won't be starting any more threads. I guess the Newbie Alert! message should have offered some warning.

dalesrider

Playlord wrote: »

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.

They were NOT alternative No's.

They were the numbers for GLASS claims.
It is a totally diffrent number to the Hastings claim (read accident) number.

CrazyAngel_3

Playlord wrote: »

It's the first time I've posted here. It took me quite a while to put the post together. The main aim was to try and alert others to be very wary about dealing with HD.

The secondary aim was to try and get some action from HD - I'd hoped they might have some form of brand monitoring which might pick up complaints.

I'm surprised at the level of animosity the post has stirred. I should probably have read through a few threads before posting to try and gauge the tone of forum users. If this thread reflects the general reaction on MSE to people reporting their bad experiences as consumers, I won't be starting any more threads. I guess the Newbie Alert! message should have offered some warning.

The problem you had OP is that you werent asking a reasonable question - you were being completely unreasonable. When people ask genuine questions they get helpful answers. I would consider any 'problems' you have in the future in the eye of reasonable person first, before threatening to complain to your 1700 twitter followers - comments like that just make you seem like a sensationalist.

CrazyAngel_3

ACG wrote: »

lol. You sound like my mum when i blew something up out of all proprtion as a kid....

Im saying nothing more on this thread because its rediculous. Its nothing to do with you complaining, everyone is within their right to complain. But when your making am mountain out of a molehill and after an Oscar it just gets peoples backs up. Im guessing CrazyAngel is a northerner like myself and we just say it as it is.

Haha, I have a 'take no !!!! policy'. I work in an environment where I get it all day every day and being direct is best in my experience. :rotfl:

ACG

I tend to agree. Thankfully im no longer in a customer service job with all the corporate bull...... that comes with it.