Are they any good?

eamon

Hello Folks

Its car insurance time again. I've entered details into Confused, Gocompare, Compare the market, Direct Line, Aviva. Of the 3 comparison sites Hastings are coming top (or top 3 and beating current provider by at least £100). Yet there is something about Hastings that I'm struggling to reconcile, they get consistently rubbish reviews or least thats the consensus that I'm picking up from the review sites. I know that most people never make a claim and thus rarely interact with their insurance co. So I'm left reading poor reviews by unsatisfied people and that can really skew the numbers.

Are they really rubbish? Would you use them?

Look forward to any replies

Eamon

Mercdriver

There have been negative posts about Hastings here too.  Search the forum.  Nightmare has been mentioned sometimes...

Arklight

• Good
• Cheap
• Quick

You can choose two. 

Hastings are a budget insurer. You will get budget service when you go to make a claim. They will fulfill their minimum contractual obligations to you. Eventually.

When I was a new driver I used them for a couple of years because the next cheapest one was about £250 a year more. Nowadays I would rather pay £25 more for a policy from a company that at least has a brand reputation to protect. But insurers don't make money by paying out so I don't think any of them are going to that pleasing. 

HighamKneeDee

My experience of Hastings:-

1. cheapest of the lot
2. I was asked, for the first time ever, when I had passed my test. Being 30 odd years ago I put an approximate date
3. they asked for a photograph of my licence. 
4. They then disputed my date given and charged a £45 fee.

In summary, if you think you will know all the answers then you may be fine. Otherwise they will find ways to bump the once cheap costs up.

Personally, i will not go back.

treeroy

Call 0800 00 1066.

born_again

All I will say is.
Daughter cancelled with them. Received 17 emails within 10 mins stating cancelled. 2 weeks later debited the amount... 
Will say that when ring up up to complain it was dealt with without issue and refunded next day. 
I think the person that she spoke to 1st time did not know what they were doing....

WaywardDriver

Try LV - good Which review and, in my case, considerably cheaper than the quote from my usual broker for a company that I'd never heard of and, on checking, had very bad reviews.