Hastings Direct - is fully comprehensive really fully comprehensive insurance?

[robster234]

Dear All,

 

My wife was this afternoon involved in a clearly non fault accident (third party reversed into front wing and door of her car while it was parked - she was not even in the car). The third party has admitted liability verbally. The damage is wing minor dent (would need to be replaced though) and door minor dent (might be repairable with a skim of filler and respray).

 

We rang our insurance company (Hastings Direct) this evening, their immediate response was to pass us on to a claims management company (Albany Assist), Albany Assit immediately rejected the claim saying the car would be a write off.

 

We spoke to Hastings again and they said that due to the age of the car (05 plate - pre accident value £3k to £3.5k) and "government / VOSA guidelines" (I can find no such thing) the car would be a write off if we used their approved repairer.

 

They then went on to say that we could go to a repairer of our choice get a quote then depending on what Hasting's inspector says they 'may' payout for the repair and claim back from the third party. But we would have to pay the excess and they migh be able to claim it back.

 

Hastings also suggested that we contacted the third party and sort it out ourselves!

 

To me the whole situation feels like they cannot in anyway be bothered and is little better than Third Party only insurance.

 

I have read various post regarding Hastings and Albany and between them they sound like total [problem] merchants, only interested in credit hire and commission.

 

I do not consider that Hastings are providing the service you would expect of fully comprehensive cover and instead are doing everything possible to avoid getting involved, they have not and at this stage will not even contact the third party's insurer.

 

Has anyone else dealt with this situation?

 

To make matters worse the car has a car finance loan secured against it and if the car is written off the payout will likely be less than the outstanding finance leaving us severely out of pocket though no fault of our own and in fact from Hastings' inaction and refusal to represent the insured parties interests.

 

Thanks

[tony3x]

Get your own quote and deal direct with the other insurer. Not difficult to do.

[unclebulgaria67]

Dear All,

 

My wife was this afternoon involved in a clearly non fault accident (third party reversed into front wing and door of her car while it was parked - she was not even in the car). The third party has admitted liability verbally. The damage is wing minor dent (would need to be replaced though) and door minor dent (might be repairable with a skim of filler and respray).

 

We rang our insurance company (Hastings Direct) this evening, their immediate response was to pass us on to a claims management company (Albany Assist), Albany Assit immediately rejected the claim saying the car would be a write off.

 

We spoke to Hastings again and they said that due to the age of the car (05 plate - pre accident value £3k to £3.5k) and "government / VOSA guidelines" (I can find no such thing) the car would be a write off if we used their approved repairer.

 

They then went on to say that we could go to a repairer of our choice get a quote then depending on what Hasting's inspector says they 'may' payout for the repair and claim back from the third party. But we would have to pay the excess and they migh be able to claim it back.

 

Hastings also suggested that we contacted the third party and sort it out ourselves!

 

To me the whole situation feels like they cannot in anyway be bothered and is little better than Third Party only insurance.

 

I have read various post regarding Hastings and Albany and between them they sound like total [problem] merchants, only interested in credit hire and commission.

 

I do not consider that Hastings are providing the service you would expect of fully comprehensive cover and instead are doing everything possible to avoid getting involved, they have not and at this stage will not even contact the third party's insurer.

 

Has anyone else dealt with this situation?

 

To make matters worse the car has a car finance loan secured against it and if the car is written off the payout will likely be less than the outstanding finance leaving us severely out of pocket though no fault of our own and in fact from Hastings' inaction and refusal to represent the insured parties interests.

 

Thanks

 

Not just Hastings that do this.

 

Best thing to do is get a quote from a local garage that does bodywork repairs. Approach the third parties insurers first and see whether they will deal direct. If they will, then if the repair is a lot cheaper than the write off value, they may just pay for the repair and you have no excess to worry about.

 

If the third parties insurers won't deal direct, then approach Hastings to pay the repair, but then you will have the excess deducted, which you then have to pursue with the third parties insurers.

 

A number of insurers have scaled back their claims departments and outsourced to claims companies who try to keep the process simple. But they appear to create a lot of write off claims for older cars. The base it on new parts being needed and not repaired parts.

[robster234]

Hi People,

 

Thanks for your replies. We will contact the third party insurer tomorrow (they weren't open this evening as it was a commercial insurer) to see if they will be willing to pay if we get a reasonable quote. Seems utterly ridiculous though that insurers would rather write off cars at considerably more cost (and without even seeing the car) than carrying out a relatively small repair. No wonder insurance premiums are so high.

 

Cheers

[Astronaughtwannabe]

Ring the other party's insurer and ask for the innocent third party claims department. I'm sure they'll be only to happy to get your car fixed and save on costs. There's less chance of your car being written off due to your own insurer inflating costs.

[tony3x]

They may insist on 3 quotes, one of which will be at a repairer of their choice. I would also get one from a repairer of your choice, ie recommended.

[Old Cogger]

unfortunately that is the state of this country (businesses) to-day they want the business and farm any claims out to companies who are only in it for profit i .e. claims companies, another word pass the buck, claims department/ assessors/engineers seem a thin g of the past,m,(You wonder why your premiums are high) when there is a dispute of your own cost i.e. hire car companies they send you insist you pay £15.00 etc for deposit and it is non refundable then they fail to collect from the other parties insurers when their fault ( out of pocket expenses they call it) you end up out of pocket it is a admin fee ?

[Hammy1962]

Regarding the last part of the original post. Remember when the sales guy tried to sell you gap insurance and you thought it was a con and wasn't necessary, well................................................

 

H