Hastings direct, non fault accident advice needed

[missmop]

Last Thursday I was in a accident. My vehicle was hit from behind whilst stationary shunting me into the car in front.

 

I am a vauxhall trained mechanic and my car is a vauxhall do did a brief check of the vehicle, mainly bolt on parts needed, a bit of paint and two radiators (one being air con)

 

I got in touch with Hastings direct and the moment I informed their call centre worker of the accident she said 'ohhh it will probably just be written off' now my car is a special car and not many where made, and fewer in the colour I drive. Under no circstances did I want my vehicle scrapped especially for cosmetic damage.

 

She informed me that I would be given the option to buy it back if that was the case, so I began pricing up parts headlights etc just in case.

 

Hastings direct use a company called national for their repair centre and after ME spending the past few days chasing them I got a quote for damages.

 

£3,500

 

The repair list made up of bumpers

Paint and then they claim a jig is needed (to pull the underneath of the engine straight again) this is what has bumped the bill up by over 1000!!

 

Now I know this jig is not needed. I inspected the car myself before it went to national. The lines on the front of the car are all sitting straight. There are no kinks in the wings of the car (and national have quoted bumpers are only body part needed) I am very very suspicious of their quote.

 

So I've got back in touch with Hastings direct. They claim that national are independant blah blah and they wouldn't lie (sorry but they are on your books, I've been told they are the ONLY company you deal with) so I have asked if I can have a independant check at my expense done. They have told me no as I could get a 'friend' to do it. I then asked for them to provide a price to buy te car back, and that is also a no. Apparently I can't do that even tho the lady I spoke to originally claims I could.

 

Is there anyone who can offer me any advice on this? Surely I must be able to get a independant check? They are also asking me for everything I have on the car eg log book my service book receipts from day one but will NOT accept copy's. I really don't want to hand this over yet.

 

 

Can anyone offer me any advice on this claim please. This is my first insurance and Hastings are about as helpful as my local council!!!

[Guest Cathy Eastwood Customer Relations Manager Hastings.com]

Last Thursday I was in a accident. My vehicle was hit from behind whilst stationary shunting me into the car in front.

 

I am a vauxhall trained mechanic and my car is a vauxhall do did a brief check of the vehicle, mainly bolt on parts needed, a bit of paint and two radiators (one being air con)

 

I got in touch with Hastings direct and the moment I informed their call centre worker of the accident she said 'ohhh it will probably just be written off' now my car is a special car and not many where made, and fewer in the colour I drive. Under no circstances did I want my vehicle scrapped especially for cosmetic damage.

 

She informed me that I would be given the option to buy it back if that was the case, so I began pricing up parts headlights etc just in case.

 

Hastings direct use a company called national for their repair centre and after ME spending the past few days chasing them I got a quote for damages.

 

£3,500

 

The repair list made up of bumpers

Paint and then they claim a jig is needed (to pull the underneath of the engine straight again) this is what has bumped the bill up by over 1000!!

 

Now I know this jig is not needed. I inspected the car myself before it went to national. The lines on the front of the car are all sitting straight. There are no kinks in the wings of the car (and national have quoted bumpers are only body part needed) I am very very suspicious of their quote.

 

So I've got back in touch with Hastings direct. They claim that national are independant blah blah and they wouldn't lie (sorry but they are on your books, I've been told they are the ONLY company you deal with) so I have asked if I can have a independant check at my expense done. They have told me no as I could get a 'friend' to do it. I then asked for them to provide a price to buy te car back, and that is also a no. Apparently I can't do that even tho the lady I spoke to originally claims I could.

 

Is there anyone who can offer me any advice on this? Surely I must be able to get a independant check? They are also asking me for everything I have on the car eg log book my service book receipts from day one but will NOT accept copy's. I really don't want to hand this over yet.

 

 

Can anyone offer me any advice on this claim please. This is my first insurance and Hastings are about as helpful as my local council!!!

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think. I’m so sorry that you’re not happy the service from us. I would really like an opportunity to look into this for you and need your help to do so. Please would you let me have a bit more detail such as your policy number and contact details? I look forward to helping you very soon. Cathy EastwoodCustomer Relations ManagerHastings Direct

[crem]

Shouldn't the Hastings Customer Service department have handled this situation correctly when missmop first reported it?

 

Looks pretty bad when a Hastings Customer Service Manager has to try and pick this up from an internet self help forum!!

[missmop]

Yes cream they should have but up to now their call centre workers have just lied and mislead me since the start of my claim.

 

I wouldn't mind this accident was not down to myself, I am not costing Hastings any money at all as they will just reclaim their costs from the driver who hit me up the rear end.

 

I have contacted a solicitor for some advice on what I have been told up to now regarding logbook etc. aparently this is a known tactic by insurance company's lately. They ask for your log book and then have ownership of your car to sell on to their salvagers etc (tho Hastings direct denied they deal with the salvage and it's actually national, now national tell me it's Hastings!) And they do all of this before paying you out or even making you a offer.

 

I await contact from you Cathy, I have sent the details you have asked for. And I will be updating all who have any interest in this as time goes on

[missmop]

Well I'm still waiting for contact from Cathy or from anyone else at Hastings direct about my complaint!!

 

Over the weekend I went to take some personal belongings from my car. The guys at nationwide repair centres informed me that Hastings rude assessor guy had told them not to allow me to take anything from the car, guess what HASTINGS it belongs to me and I will take away what I want!

 

I also re-assessed the damage and again The wings do not need painting nor does it need a jig.

 

What I did find out about insurance company estimates is that any front end damage that has damaged the bumper will often often go down on paper as needing a jig. They also have put down that the wings need painting because they tend to paint them if a bonnet or bumper needs painting for colour match purposes then all your front end matches even if it is off shade from your doors, bumping up costs even furthar!

 

I did get a letter from Hastings direct in Saturday again requesting all MY paperwork for valuation purposes, no copy's. I will be following solicitors advice on this.

 

I also managed to get my hands on some very interesting documentation from the guys at nationwide. the guys I spoke to at nationwide were beyond helpful, just a pity Hastings can't be half as helpful. The paperwork they gave me lists what hastings direct value the car at, well I say the car. But I should say A car because it appears who ever has done the valuation for Hastings has cocked up. I don't want to go into too much detail at present but it shows the lack of knowledge the people have who are given the job of putting a value on a car.

 

Come on Cathy or anyone else at Hastings who are reading this message. I have pm'd you my details twice now no excuse for you not to make contact. ACTIONS speak louder than words

 

 

To be continued..........

[Guest Cathy Eastwood Customer Relations Manager Hastings.com]

Yes cream they should have but up to now their call centre workers have just lied and mislead me since the start of my claim.

 

I wouldn't mind this accident was not down to myself, I am not costing Hastings any money at all as they will just reclaim their costs from the driver who hit me up the rear end.

 

I have contacted a solicitor for some advice on what I have been told up to now regarding logbook etc. aparently this is a known tactic by insurance company's lately. They ask for your log book and then have ownership of your car to sell on to their salvagers etc (tho Hastings direct denied they deal with the salvage and it's actually national, now national tell me it's Hastings!) And they do all of this before paying you out or even making you a offer.

 

I await contact from you Cathy, I have sent the details you have asked for. And I will be updating all who have any interest in this as time goes on

 

Hello, I am very sorry but I have not received any contact directly to myself to look into this for you. could you please call 01424 739338 between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday once I have your details I can then look into this for youCathy Eastwood, Customer Relations Manager

[missmop]

just to update on this thread.

 

i telephoned the above number and by later on that afternoon i got my claim settled and my car back.

 

It all happened very quickly once i telephoned customer relations, its just a pity it couldnt be resolved without me starting a thread on here!

 

They agreed to let us have the car back as salvage, tho they attempted to make me pay the rest of the years premiums off the settlement, i declined ever so politely and will continue to pay my premiums monthly. It just shows they CAN and WILL allow you to keep your car but you do have to kick up a stink and spend hours/days on the phone to get this sorted.

 

Hopefully hastings can learn from their mistakes handling the claim so in future innocent perties in an accident are not left mad and fustrated by hastings claim handlers and their mistakes and mis-informing.

 

result with the car - was not as badly damaged as hastings loss assesors claimed. But we have since purchased the same car in the same colour etc with a busted engine and put my own engine in it to get it up and running very very lucky indeed. My original car will now be restored and kept as it is a limited edition and the work will be taken out slowly over the next 12 months or so.

 

 

My advice to others, if you want your car back FIGHT to keep it. And never ever hand over any original copys of log books etc before a claim is settled unless you may find your car on ebay or heading to the local salvage yard before you have chance to get anything agreed.

 

If possible do not get your car recovered and try and get your own quotes done by someone you trust, as you never know who is assesing the car. You never know if they even know what car they are looking at (as proved in my case)

 

And finally air your problems on websites such as consumer action group as i feel that without getting a number for customer relations i would still be struggling on with hastings call centres who spend all their time telling diffrent tales.

[oddjobbob]

the only problem with this is that you'll probably find that your car is a cat c write off.... which affects its future value.

 

but if its more than 5yo this shouldn' matter too much as long as you bought it from them at the right money

[missmop]

Evening. I wonder if i could get some advice from you good people.

 

Last october we were involved in a car accident. The accident was not our fault. A car hit us at speed causing us to be shoved into the car infront.

 

The car that hit us has admitted liability both to hastings and our own solicitor who is handling the claim for return of excess and injurys.

 

Shortly before christmas we received a letter from a company called DAS acting on behalf of the car we were shoved into. When they wrote to me we informed DAS that we were not at fault for the accident. The letter contained our name but the registration number of the car that hit us. I provided DAS with the at blame drivers name and adress. I also contacted hastings direct who informed me that they would deal with the above and since then all has been quiet.

 

Today ive come home from work to find a letter from DAS threatening to take us to court as hastings direct themselves have failed to contact them to resolve this matter. This does not surprise me one bit as hastings direct where absolutely useless when it came to my claim leaving me to post a thread on here to get any sort of contact and resolution.

 

The letter STILL contains the wrong registration (that of the car that hit us and caused us to hit thier client) and states that if we do not ressolve this matter and pay up within the next seven days we will be taken to court and we will be charged costs.

 

The amount they request is £100 policy excess and a £2.50 dvla search. I can afford to pay this but i really dont think i should!! I was not at fault but how do i go about sorting this out as i cant be trusting Hastings to ressolve this and i do not want to be in a positin where more costs are added.

 

Also ive been thinking if DAS have indeed preformed a dvla check then shouldnt they have noticed that the registered keeper of the car registration number they have does not match up with myself??

 

Any advice is greatfully received. If i begin writing to DAS to sort this out myself do they have a duty to stop any court proceedings when they investigate furthar or am i best to pay up and seek a refund from the insurance company of the vehicle that hit myself causing me to bump the car infront? or from hastings.

[reallymadwoman]

Pass the letter on to Hastings and let them deal with it. Do not pay or offer to pay anything (that advice would stand regardless of whose fault the accident is). If you want to, you could write again to DAS with the other driver's information.

 

They will not take you to court for £100, if they did you have an easy defence and it would be small claims so other than the issue fee they couldn't claim any costs.

[sailor sam]

Good advice above apart from writing to DAS. The only letter you should write is to say that their letter has been passed on to your insurers who are dealing with the claim. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

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