Hastings Direct Insurance

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:12

Hello,

Are any of you currently insured with this company? Have you had any good or bad experiences if you've had to make a claim?

Just doing some quotes on the various comparison sites...
ecar insurance is the cheapest (that isn't renault insurance - not buying a renault so I don't want genuine renault parts....)
thepolicyshop follows, then asda online, admiral and hastings.

I was with admiral a few years back. Never had to make a claim...

ecar seem to be AVOID AT ALL COSTS, thepolicyshop gets ... well i'm not sure - never heard of them. Nor asda or any other supermarket insurance.

I've only heard of hastings and admiral, but they're only about £20 a year more expensive than ecar.

Any thoughts?

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:15

Hastings are just Brokers, you need to know who the actual insurer is to make an informed decision with regards the quality of the product.

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:17

Well you know about this stuff don't you

You helped me before... How could I find out I wonder? Ask them?

Mucky_Pup · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:19

I'm with ecar, was the cheapest for me, not had to make a claim though, so I dunno, lol.

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:21

Jono said:
Well you know about this stuff don't you You helped me before... How could I find out I wonder? Ask them?

Yeah. It should provide you with a note of whom the actual insurer is online, maybe within a keyfacts form? Otherwise yes you'll have to ring them.

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:32

Another thing... I don't currently have a car. The old car's policy will run out on the 17th of May. That'll give me 5 years NC (should be 6, but that's the post office's fault).

Companies seem to be wanting proof of NCB within 14 days. Is that going to be a problem? I mean, since there's about 20 days of the year left until it's a full year...

Liquidfox · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:41

Jono, the NCB should be on your renewal quote.

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:50

Liquidfox said:
Jono, the NCB should be on your renewal quote.

Yeah it is. But I was just wondering if you can use that, since technically I'm not due to start a new year of NC accumulation until the 17th.

But I've not cancelled the old policy, it's just being allowed to run out, though I've informed the DVLA and insurers that I no longer own the car.

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:54

Jono said:
Another thing... I don't currently have a car. The old car's policy will run out on the 17th of May. That'll give me 5 years NC (should be 6, but that's the post office's fault).

Companies seem to be wanting proof of NCB within 14 days. Is that going to be a problem? I mean, since there's about 20 days of the year left until it's a full year...

They mean within 14 days from the start of the policy, not 14 days of instructions to arrange the new policy.

Don't arrange the new policy to start any earlier than the expiry of the old one.

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 12:57

merlin said:
They mean within 14 days from the start of the policy, not 14 days of instructions to arrange the new policy.

Don't arrange the new policy to start any earlier than the expiry of the old one.

That ... might be a problem.

Maybe i could ring up current insurers to change car for the next 3 weeks - and keep things sweet that way?

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 13:27

Jono said:
That ... might be a problem.

Maybe i could ring up current insurers to change car for the next 3 weeks - and keep things sweet that way?

You shouldn't have told them you disposed of the car - you should have just let it run.

Yes, swap it to something else to keep the policy live, whatever it is say you own it and you are the registered keeper even if you're not.

If your policy doesn't run to expiry you revert to whatever NCB you had at last renewal. A years NCB required a full years insurance, unless you can talk them round - which you probably won't.

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 13:39

I'm just going to change car on current policy and all will be well, I think.

I told them because...
I thought if it was involved in some kind of accident between now and end of policy then I'd be responsible for it - maybe I still will be anyway :confused:

I don't know how these things work, should've waited in hindsight.

I was always going to let it run. But I guess I couldn't have got another (separate) insurance policy for a different car while this one was still ongoing?

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 13:44

I see your thinking but your ncb is only portable once the policy has finished or been cancelled. So you either let it run to expiry, or you cancel and move it to another policy (but this way and in your scenario you just flushed 11 months NCB down the pan).

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 14:00

merlin said:
I see your thinking but your ncb is only portable once the policy has finished or been cancelled. So you either let it run to expiry, or you cancel and move it to another policy (but this way and in your scenario you just flushed 11 months NCB down the pan).

It's the same policy, no? Just a different car? The policy is kept, but the car details have changed. That's allowed, right, and keeps the NCB.

merlin · 28 Apr 2009 at 14:09

Jono said:
It's the same policy, no? Just a different car? The policy is kept, but the car details have changed. That's allowed, right, and keeps the NCB.

If you do a car change - yes, sure, but you suggested you'd cancelled the present policy?

Jono · 28 Apr 2009 at 14:57

merlin said:
If you do a car change - yes, sure, but you suggested you'd cancelled the present policy?

Noooo, I probably did, but that's not what I meant at all

. Had to cancel one a few years back and it cost me a year of NCB

Thanks for your help