Who is Hastings Direct?
Based in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex, the broker first started out in 1997. It also has offices in Leicester, South Africa, Gibraltar and London.
There are around 3,300 members of staff working for Hastings Direct and it has around 3.1 million customers across its range of insurance products.
It is part of the Hastings Group which owns a number of different companies selling a range of insurance products. Its policies are underwritten by a small group of insurers. These include Advantage Insurance Company Limited, Lloyds, and Axa.
Along with car insurance, you can also buy bike, van, and home insurance through the broker.
Hastings Direct is not short of awards, in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2023 they won the Car Insurance of the Year award from Moneyfacts. Hastings Direct and Hastings Premier insurance policies are also Defaqto 5 star rated.
Hastings Direct car insurance policy details
Hastings Direct offers a selection of car insurance policies and types. Not all policies and types are available through our site, so the exact levels of cover and benefits may vary. Before buying car insurance, we recommend you check the cover and benefits included.
You can choose from six different policy types:
- Hastings Essential
- Hastings Direct
- Hastings Premier
- Hastings YouDrive
- Hastings Online
- Hastings MultiCar
Hastings Essential is the most basic type of cover offered. This means that it is usually the cheapest Hastings offering, however the actual price you pay will depend on a number of factors, including your age, location, and the car you drive.
Hastings Direct is the next level of cover offered. It includes additional features as standard, like windscreen cover and driving other cars cover. This level of cover is 5-star Defaqto rated.
Hastings Premier offers the most features as standard. Like Hastings Direct cover, Hastings Premier is 5-star Defaqto rated.
Hastings YouDrive is a telematics, or black box, policy. This involves fitting a telematics device in your car to track your driving behaviours and calculate a driving score. A good score could lead to lower insurance prices when you come to renew.
Hastings Online is a lower cost, self-service policy that you manage yourself through their app or with their online account called MyAccount.
Hastings MultiCar lets you add up to four cars for anyone who lives with you at the same address, and you get a discount for every car you add. Pay monthly with one payment and manage everything with one policy too.
There are a number of features that are included as standard with all of these policies:
- Courtesy car provision to keep you on the road while your car is being repaired
- European car insurance, covering you for on-the-road travel throughout Europe for up to 90 days
- Access to a 24/7 helpline so you can make a claim whenever you need
Hastings offer two different levels of cover for their car insurance:
- Third party, fire and theft means you'll also be covered if your car is stolen or damaged by fire.
- Fully comprehensive is the highest level of car insurance available. But it’s not always the most expensive option, so it’s worth getting a quote to see how your prices compare.
With a fully comprehensive Hastings Direct, Premier or YouDrive policy, the following features are also available:
- Driving other cars cover
- Windscreen cover
- Uninsured driver cover, so you're covered if you're in an accident involving an uninsured driver
- Personal belongings cover
Car insurance guides
Page last reviewed: 29/10/2024
Reviewed by: Rhydian Jones