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Hastings Direct, launched in 1997, is part of Hastings Group, which also includes the brands Insure Pink and People's Choice.
It offers car, motorbike and home insurance. Policies are underwritten by Advantage Insurance Company Limited. You can buy a policy directly or through comparison websites.
We've reviewed four of Hastings Direct's policies: its standard car insurance, referred to simply as Hastings Direct, as well as its Essential, Premier and YouDrive cover. We've also surveyed 97 customers who've claimed on its policies.
All four policies cover drivers aged between 17 and 82.
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.
Hastings Direct's Premier, telematics and standard policies only managed the same below-average score
73%
Policies
out of 12 car insurers with a customer score
See how this compares with the best car insurance, or read more about how we rate car insurance.
We reviewed four Hastings Direct policies. Select a policy from our table to see what it offers and what we scored it.
| Compare insurance providers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire excess | £45 | Check you're getting a great deal on car insurance using the service provided by Confused | |
| Theft excess | £45 | ||
| Accidental damage excess | £45 | ||
| Windscreen replacement excess (approved repairer) | £135 | ||
| Is the policyholder's NCD affected if car is hit while parked | yes | ||
| Is the policyholder's NCD affected by vandalism | No | ||
| Windscreen damage - limit per claim (approved repairer/non-approved repairer) | Unlimited/£100 | ||
| Window damage - limit per claim (approved repairer/non-approved repairer) | Unlimited/£100 | ||
| Cancellation fee after cooling-off period | £45 | ||
| Repairs guarantee period | 5 years | ||
| Total loss courtesy car | Optional extra | ||
| Replacement car provided during repairs following an accident | Included | ||
| Replacement car - guaranteed availability | Yes | ||
| Misfuelling cover - what's covered | Not covered | 0 out of 5 | |
| Onward travel limit | £250 | ||
| Driving other cars - level of cover | Third party |
Tables last updated January 2026. Next update January 2027. We recommend checking policies before buying.
Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com
Get a quoteDean Sobers, Which? car insurance expert, says:
Hastings Direct's Premier policy ranked in the middle of our policy tables.
It achieved 60% in our analysis, two percentage points below the 62%.
It includes a comparatively generous £500 medical expenses cover. This contributes towards such expenses as prescription costs, physiotherapy treatment, dental treatment and optician costs.
On the downside, there's no cover for misfuelling (damage caused by putting the wrong fuel in the tank) or damage to the vehicle's sunroof.
A plus point is a very reasonable £45 compulsory excess payable in fire, theft and accidental damage claims. Across the policies we looked at, the average excess was £160.
We rated three other policies from Hastings. Its standard policy earned the same score of 60% for its car insurance cover – but it doesn’t bundle in breakdown cover, which Premier does.
Meanwhile, YouDrive is a telematics (black box) policy that uses a wireless tab and your smartphone to track your driving. It comes with many of the same features as the standard policy and earned the same 60% score.
Hastings Direct's Essentials policy pares back various features, including cover for your windscreens and windows. It was the lowest-rated policy in our analysis, with 45%.
We asked Hastings Direct customers who have recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.
Hastings Direct earned a customer score of 73%, which put it 10th in our customer satisfaction table (out of 12). It scored 71% when assessed specifically for its claims service (joint 12th out of 14). The average customer and claims scores were 76% and 75%.
One policyholder said that while the customer service is pretty good, 'the claims process was convoluted'. Another thought 'communication was ridiculously poor', yet others told us they believed Hastings Direct were 'fair and transparent'.
Here's how customers rated Hastings Direct in various areas of service:
| How comprehensive the policy cover is | |
| How affordable the policies are | |
| How thorough the application process is | - |
| Clarity of policy | |
| Dealing with queries | |
| Fair treatment of long-standing customers | - |
| Dealing with complaints | |
| Value for money |
Tables last updated in January 2026. Next update in January 2027. '-' represents where we have insufficient sample size (less than 40) to generate a star rating. Sample size: Customer score: 97. Claims score:127.
You can buy Hastings Direct policies directly from its website, or from the following comparison websites:
On all of its policies except YouDrive, Hastings Direct offers discounts for covering multiple cars.
Hastings Direct may also be willing to offer additional discounts if you contact it at renewal to discuss its renewal offer.
You can choose to pay your premium in one go or in monthly instalments. Paying monthly usually costs more overall. This is because paying by instalments is usually provided as a form of credit, with interest or other charges applied.
When we reviewed the policies from Hastings Direct, its rate for paying in monthly instalments was 22.8% APR. This was a little more than the average rate (20.49% APR) charged among providers that told us their rates.
It may be worth thinking about paying annually and spreading the cost with an interest-free purchase credit card.
The above information is correct as of December 2025.
Three of Hastings Direct policies scored 60% – the standard Hastings Direct car insurance, the premium Premier cover and also the YouDrive policy.
In our table they are just behind Privilege's Comprehensive policy, Sheilas' Wheels' Essentials cover, 1st Central Extra + Breakdown car insurance and the AA's Silver policy. They each earned 61%.
The Essential cover received a policy score of 45%, and is at the bottom of our table, falling behind Swiftcover's standard car insurance policy with 47%.
If you need to make a claim with Hastings Direct car insurance, you can make a claim online or call 0333 321 9800.
Probably not. Neither Hastings Direct’s policies nor its customer scores even managed an average performance. We think you can probably do better.
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