Hastings Direct - painful, degrading experience - DO NOT USE

[MammaP]

I have not had to use insurance services for making a claim in 20 years of driving.

I was involved in a no fault accident, and Hasting Direct advised me that Albany Assistance would be calling me to deal with this, I thought this strange at the time, but thought no more of it at the time.

 

Albany called me and started their blurb....not connected to HD in any way, .......sign a credit agreement............STOP......why am I signing a credit agreement for a no fault accident? if you aren't happy speak to your insurer.....so I did, to be told that was the process, I had to go with Albany, and they would deal with everything, but I wanted to go through my insurer, as it was non fault..... after 45 minutes of wrangling with a HD claims rep, regarding why I pay 250 a year for fully comp insurance , what was I paying them for - well apparently it's only in case of accident so the third party can claim, effectively telling me no difference to third party insurance, and it's not fully comp, its comprehensive insurance with add ons!!!!!! - misleading, when you choose full comprehensive on go compare, Money Supermarket etc....

 

Now I was under the impression that my insurance company should have contacted the 3rd party to see if they accepted blame then co-ordinate with me to ensure the whole process goes as smoothly as possible......NOOOOOOO, nothing so simple. They only offered me the option to pay my excess and go through their recommended repairer, so I opted for this option.

 

After 7 days Nationwide declared my car a write off, and within 20 minutes were demanding their courtesy car back! I called HD to see what happens next and they said nothing as I hadn't gone with Albany, they wouldn't offer me a hire car until the claim was settled. Now no money for replacement car, no offer of same, no hire car to get me to work.

 

After a further 1 hour conversation with their rep I called the 3rd party insurers who sorted everything out for me - hire car, injury claim, and hopefully a good offer for my car. So BIG SHOUT OUT TO SAGA. I feel like I am in safe hands. and thankfully have been able to cancel the claim through Hastings.

 

I will not be renewing with HASTINGS DIRECT, and will be making a formal complaint to them, but having read some of the threads here they don't seem to take them seriously so is there any point?

 

I would like HD to respond to the questions below -

 

1 - Why do you not give your customers - the people who ensure the continuity of your business - the ability to make INFORMED choices about what they want to do - EG You can either go with Albany, sign a credit agreement and waive your excess OR Pay your excess and go with nationwide, (and have us be as unhelpful and give you NO advice or guidance as to your rights..........)

They treat their customers with indignity and like cash cows, to pass on to others to squeeze for as much money as they can......

 

2 - Why do you not give your customers any help, if they decide NOT to use Albany? You gave me no help, advice or support throughout my whole experience with you.

 

3 - Why do you as insurer not be a bit more transparent in the way you work? You tell customers one thing, yet write different things in your policy books - which state clearly they will pass you onto Nationwide their recommended repairers, but you don't.....

 

DO NOT USE!!!!!

 

I have had to edit quite a lot of detail from this post, and it's still awfy long! sorry....

 

PS Asked to speak to a manager, but not had a call back yet.....

Edited January 26, 2014 by honeybee13
Pejorative terms removed

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi MammaP, Thank you for taking the time to post about your experience. We are very sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the service that you have received, can you please contact us directly and we will assist you in making a complaint, please supply the policy/claims details by email to [email protected]. With regards to the questions you have posed above, we would not be able to comment without first fully investigating your case. Many Thanks, Jamie

[MammaP]

Hi Jamie,

I thought this post might elicit a response!

I will contact you, but I would ask why it takes posting on HERE to get a response at all????

MammaP

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi MammaP, Thank you for your reply, I look forward to your email so that we can investigate this matter for you. I am sorry that you feel you have had to post here on CAG in order to get a response, once we have your policy details we will be able to investigate this further. Many Thanks, Jamie

[apsax]

I have not had to use insurance services for making a claim in 20 years of driving.

I was involved in a no fault accident, and Hasting Direct advised me that Albany Assistance would be calling me to deal with this, I thought this strange at the time, but thought no more of it at the time.

 

Albany called me and started their blurb....not connected to HD in any way, .......sign a credit agreement............STOP......why am I signing a credit agreement for a no fault accident? if you aren't happy speak to your insurer.....so I did, to be told that was the process, I had to go with Albany, and they would deal with everything, but I wanted to go through my insurer, as it was non fault..... after 45 minutes of wrangling with a HD claims rep, regarding why I pay 250 a year for fully comp insurance , what was I paying them for - well apparently it's only in case of accident so the third party can claim, effectively telling me no difference to third party insurance, and it's not fully comp, its comprehensive insurance with add ons!!!!!! - misleading, when you choose full comprehensive on go compare, Money Supermarket etc....

 

Now I was under the impression that my insurance company should have contacted the 3rd party to see if they accepted blame then co-ordinate with me to ensure the whole process goes as smoothly as possible......NOOOOOOO, nothing so simple. They only offered me the option to pay my excess and go through their recommended repairer, so I opted for this option.

 

After 7 days Nationwide declared my car a write off, and within 20 minutes were demanding their courtesy car back! I called HD to see what happens next and they said nothing as I hadn't gone with Albany, they wouldn't offer me a hire car until the claim was settled. Now no money for replacement car, no offer of same, no hire car to get me to work.

 

After a further 1 hour conversation with their rep I called the 3rd party insurers who sorted everything out for me - hire car, injury claim, and hopefully a good offer for my car. So BIG SHOUT OUT TO SAGA. I feel like I am in safe hands. and thankfully have been able to cancel the claim through Hastings.

 

I will not be renewing with HASTINGS DIRECT, and will be making a formal complaint to them, but having read some of the threads here they don't seem to take them seriously so is there any point?

 

I would like HD to respond to the questions below -

 

1 - Why do you not give your customers - the people who ensure the continuity of your business - the ability to make INFORMED choices about what they want to do - EG You can either go with Albany, sign a credit agreement and waive your excess OR Pay your excess and go with nationwide, (and have us be as unhelpful and give you NO advice or guidance as to your rights..........)

They treat their customers with indignity and like cash cows, to pass on to others to squeeze for as much money as they can......

 

2 - Why do you not give your customers any help, if they decide NOT to use Albany? You gave me no help, advice or support throughout my whole experience with you.

 

3 - Why do you as insurer not be a bit more transparent in the way you work? You tell customers one thing, yet write different things in your policy books - which state clearly they will pass you onto Nationwide their recommended repairers, but you don't.....

 

DO NOT USE!!!!!

 

I have had to edit quite a lot of detail from this post, and it's still awfy long! sorry....

 

PS Asked to speak to a manager, but not had a call back yet.....

 

I have had EXACTLY the same problems regarding Hasting's Direct. I was driven into by a man who claimed full responsibility for the accident. Hastings told me they'd get their accident management company to deal with the request, Albany Assistance. My vehicle was assessed by Albany Assistance engineers and deemed a Total Loss so Albany Assistance asked the 3rd party insurers to raise a cheque for the value of my car, minus the salvage amount.

The salvage of my vehicle is now the issue as my insurers say that by accepting payment from the 3rd party insurers, I am accepting that they will deal with the logistics of salvaging my car. However, the 3rd party insurers say that as I am not insured with them, they do not take on the salvage of my car and that I personally, will have to salvage the car. They have placed a high valuation on the salvage, and I feel certain this is not achievable, therefore if I do go ahead and salvage my car, I will lose out financially and will not have been compensated for the financial loss of my vehicle.

I have asked Hastings to organise the salvage, pay me the value attributed for the salvage, and seek reimbursement from the 3rd party insurer should there be a shortfall, but they refuse to do so. This is my insurance company I have paid a premium to, and the accident is no fault of my own - what should I physically organise the salvage of my vehicle?

I spoke to Hastings raising the following points:

-I want them to organise the salvage and pay me the salvage cost

-That I will collate all of the information I have (I have made painstaking notes on every phone call and correspondence...hours worth!, and will be forwarding it all to the Financial Ombudsman.

 

The rep I spoke to in the Total Loss dept (Joel) told me he'd put me through to their complaints procedure dept., and promptly cut me off.

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi apsax, Thank you for taking the time to post about your issue. I am very sorry to see that you are unhappy. Can you please contact us directly and supply some details of your policy so that I can follow this up with our claims team on your behalf? [email protected] Many Thanks, Jamie

[apsax]

I have contacted the address you supplied Jamie, with the reference details and quoted your comment above. I look forward to hearing your response with regard to the Salvage of my car and the misleading manner in which I feel I have been dealt with by Hastings.

[apsax]

I am expecting to hear something back tomorrow morning from Hastings Direct regarding the issue with them refusing to organise the Salvage/Total Loss payout for my car, and them instructing Albany Assistance to deal with the claim.

I'll keep all posted

[citizenB]

I dont understand why you would need to sign a credit agreement for anything ?

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi apsax, Thank you for your email, I will respond shortly with details of the actions that are being taken. Many Thanks, Jamie

[apsax]

Social Media Manager has referred it to the claims team to review and let me know what is happen ending. I'll keep all posted.

[apsax]

Jamie at Hastings said my case was being escalated, but I still haven't heard anything. Friday afternoon now, so that's another week goes by and the Salvage of my vehicle is still not organised by Hastings Direct, therefore further delaying the payout for the Total Loss of my car, where I wasn't even liable for the accident.

I now have NO courtesy car as I was forced to return that today - you are only given 7 days from what insurers deem to be 'settlement' - but I don't class a payout for the value of my car minus the salvage value (that which they deem it is worth to a scrap dealer which in my case is around £4000 set by Albany Assist who have been equally difficult) as being a settlement.

The accident happened over a month ago now and I still don't have the money to put me back to a place where I was before I was driven into by the guilty party.

[dacouc]

Hasting are miss advising you regarding the salvage.

 

If you were claiming from your own Insurer (With whom you in effect have a contract) then in the event of an accident your Insurers would normally handle and deduct the value of the salvage from your claims settlement.

 

However when you claim directly from the other Insurer there is no customer / supplier arrangement eg you have no contract with them, they are simply paying out to settle their clients liability to you following the fault accident.

 

It's very very very rare for a third party Insurer to handle the salvage of the vehicle, they simply deduct the value from the amount they send you and they've full filled their responsibility.

 

Are you aware that Albany will have paid Hastings about £300 commission for palming your claim off onto them so they can make money from the very lucrative credit hire car they put you in?

 

Are you also aware Albany's reputation have ? google them, you'll find plenty of people posting about them.

 

It's nice to see that when selecting which accident management company to use Hastings did not look for the company paying the most commission and strove to find a company with a good reputation to work on behalf of their customers. Oh they didn't

[apsax]

Thank you so much for that dacouc. It IS as I thought and Hastings Direct are pulling the wool over my eyes attempting to tell me that I am now effectively in the hands of the 3rd Party insurers since I have received a cheque from them and paid it in for the valuation minus the salvage - but Albany Assist, who are acting on behalf of Hastings, asked the 3rd PT insurer to raise that cheque and send it to me. I categorically stated to the 3rd PT insurer at the outset, that I did not want them dealing with my claim, but my own insurer for the precise reason you state. Who in their right mind would want to go with the 3rd party insurer when you have no contract with them?!

What you say regarding the back handlers is of no surprise either, I sensed it was a very incestuous business from the way Albany and Hastings were stone walling me with the same story.

I have since googled Albany Assistance and Hastings a Direct, and the web is rife with worrying stories of the same kind.

I just hope they see that what they are doing is incredibly unfair on their consumer - a paying customer, and do the right thing and Salvage my vehicle, raise a cheque for the specified amount, and reclaim it from the 3rd PT.

 

Thanks again! Much appreciated.

[apsax]

Have had no communication from Hastings regarding my issue with the salvage of my car through Albany Assistance. When I heard from them through this thread 5 messages ago, I imagined they would come back to me.

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Have had no communication from Hastings regarding my issue with the salvage of my car through Albany Assistance. When I heard from them through this thread 5 messages ago, I imagined they would come back to me.

 

Hi apsax, Thank you for posting an update. As I informed you via email your file has been escalated to our Customer Relations team to carry out a full investigation, this will take some time. However, I will chase them for you and ask that they give you a courtesy call to provide an update on what timescales you can expect. Many Thanks, Jamie

[apsax]

Spoke to one of the Hasting's customer care team today who is going to look into the 3rd PT involvement and see if he can clear up what's going on. Great to hear from him, and actually have a point of contact. Fingers crossed we get a resolution.

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Spoke to one of the Hasting's customer care team today who is going to look into the 3rd PT involvement and see if he can clear up what's going on. Great to hear from him, and actually have a point of contact. Fingers crossed we get a resolution.

 

Hi apsax, Thank you for taking the time to provide an update. I hope that we are able to find a suitable resolution for you soon. Many Thanks, Jamie

[apsax]

It's now looking like we finally have a resolution. I've been liaising with a terrific chap Joe in the Hastings Complaints dept. He has been very transparent (that's all you need to put your mind at rest - to know you're actually being represented by the insurance company you've paid your premium to). He has spoken to the 3rd party insurer to insist they organise the salvage of my vehicle, and raise a cheque for the full salvage value. The 3rd PT have agreed, so I'm now in the process of transferring my car ownership to them.

Still possibly a few weeks to go before I get my money, but it's looking promising.

I will post the final outcome once I actually have the money in my account. It's not over till the fat lady sings and all that.....

[dacouc]

It's now looking like we finally have a resolution. I've been liaising with a terrific chap Joe in the Hastings Complaints dept. He has been very transparent (that's all you need to put your mind at rest - to know you're actually being represented by the insurance company you've paid your premium to). He has spoken to the 3rd party insurer to insist they organise the salvage of my vehicle, and raise a cheque for the full salvage value. The 3rd PT have agreed, so I'm now in the process of transferring my car ownership to them.

Still possibly a few weeks to go before I get my money, but it's looking promising.

I will post the final outcome once I actually have the money in my account. It's not over till the fat lady sings and all that.....

 

Good news.

 

I assume you read the reviews / complaints online about Albany and are aware one of their failings is dragging their feet.

 

You would almost certainly have had your claim settled much quicker by avoiding Albany and going direct to the other company who appear to have acted correctly throughout their dealings with you.

 

By using Albany you enriched Hastings by about £300 commission and Albany by whatever inflated hire car charge they raised, going direct would have saved the other Insurer a serious amount of money

[apsax]

I have FINALLY received a cheque from the TP insurer ELDON for the salvage of my car. This was only after more chasing by myself, not Hastings.

I am now left with 2 months of 'chasing up the monies' phone bills that have cost me £140 more than my contract; this is because both companies use premium cost phone lines of 0845/0844: and remember this is all through an accident where I didn't make a claim, and the 3rd Party claimed full responsibility from the start. Isn't that a disgrace?

I still don't believe I was given a fair price for my car - I couldn't find a 'like for like' replacement for the same money, and had to take out a loan to pay for the replacement car since the insurance took 2 and 1/2 months to pay out in full.

The whole episode has left me feeling quite ill and shocked at the state/morals of the insurance companies in the UK. My new car insurance will not be taken via the cheapest quote from comparison websites, but from companies I HAVE had fair dealings from in the past - namely NFU Mutual with whom I have Horse Trailer, Home Isurance and Equine policies have always been outstanding.

[tobyjugg2]

Jesus wept.

If I had read this I would never have taken a policy out with them.

[tobyjugg2]

I have not had to use insurance services for making a claim in 20 years of driving.

I was involved in a no fault accident, and Hasting Direct advised me that Albany Assistance would be calling me to deal with this, I thought this strange at the time, but thought no more of it at the time.

 

Albany called me and started their blurb....not connected to HD in any way, .......sign a credit agreement............STOP......why am I signing a credit agreement for a no fault accident? if you aren't happy speak to your insurer.....so I did, to be told that was the process, I had to go with Albany, and they would deal with everything, but I wanted to go through my insurer, as it was non fault..... after 45 minutes of wrangling with a HD claims rep, regarding why I pay 250 a year for fully comp insurance , what was I paying them for - well apparently it's only in case of accident so the third party can claim, effectively telling me no difference to third party insurance, and it's not fully comp, its comprehensive insurance with add ons!!!!!! - misleading, when you choose full comprehensive on go compare, Money Supermarket etc....

 

Now I was under the impression that my insurance company should have contacted the 3rd party to see if they accepted blame then co-ordinate with me to ensure the whole process goes as smoothly as possible......NOOOOOOO, nothing so simple. They only offered me the option to pay my excess and go through their recommended repairer, so I opted for this option.

.....

 

....

 

 

Now I am no expert in claims and I am under the same apparently mistaken delusion as mammaP in that with comprehensive insurance, my insurance company deals with everything - and not by selling me to some other company who wants me to take up credit agreements and liability for paying costs - that is what I took out the insurance to protect me AGAINST after all ....

 

I am also deeply concerned that apparently some call centre folk tell their policy holders

1. that they HAVE to go through Albany

and/or

2 That if they go through Albany the customer wont lose their no claims (thereby at least implying that they would lose their NC any other way)

 

 

Can the Hastings reps clarify please?

Edited February 13, 2015 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

Now I am no expert in claims and I am under the same apparently mistaken delusion as mammaP in that with comprehensive insurance, my insurance company deals with everything - and not by selling me to some other company who wants me to take up credit agreements and liability for paying costs - that is what I took out the insurance to protect me AGAINST after all ....

 

I am also deeply concerned that apparently some call centre folk tell their policy holders

1. that they HAVE to go through Albany

and/or

2 That if they go through Albany the customer wont lose their no claims (thereby at least implying that they would lose their NC any other way)

 

 

Can the Hastings reps clarify please?

 

No edit option showing so I'll update via reply with quote

 

Well no reply so far from the Hasting reps, and the longer they take, the more time I have to think about this.

 

MammaP,

The first thing Albany said was that 'they are not connected to HD in any way'.

Beggars the question to Albany - then how do you have any information on me?

It would seem to be them starting their contact with a blatant lie if as reported, HD call centers send their customers to Albany AND apparently telling at least some of their (HD) customers that they HAVE to go through Albany.

 

It certainly seems immoral to me, but I wonder if this is actionable by the regulators if anyone has evidence (recorded call, email etc)?

Edited February 17, 2015 by tobyjugg2

[dacouc]

No edit option showing so I'll update via reply with quote

 

Well no reply so far from the Hasting reps, and the longer they take, the more time I have to think about this.

 

MammaP,

The first thing Albany said was that 'they are not connected to HD in any way'.

Beggars the question to Albany - then how do you have any information on me?

It would seem to be them starting their contact with a blatant lie if as reported, HD call centers send their customers to Albany AND apparently telling at least some of their (HD) customers that they HAVE to go through Albany.

 

It certainly seems immoral to me, but I wonder if this is actionable by the regulators if anyone has evidence (recorded call, email etc)?

 

Albany pay Hastings a commission of circa £400 if they refer a customer to Albany who uses a credit hire vehicle