1.3
Companies on Trustpilot can’t offer incentives or pay to hide any reviews.
Tried to make a simple change to my policy. Could easily be done online but not with Peoples Choice. Gov.uk does this change online yet im forced to call Peoples Choice. Changed license plate numbers on my policy to mirror the government/DVLA and was charged £20 for 5 min conversation that could easily have been done online in 1minute. Seems any change you make is £20.
Will not renew my policy here 110%
Spoke to dave on customer services today brillient company and excellent customer services most insurance companys dont care about you but this one makes you feel like a person and not a number, thank you dave
Insurance premiums have fallen across the board not with this lot, last year £250,renewal £290
Just brought today £180, if topcashback pay me out, £142 a total saving of £148, always shop around people don't get ripped off, companies like this like people especially pensioners that don't shop around and accept been ripped off, should be a law against it.
They should feel fortunate to receive even 1 star. I just had my insurance canceled because I made modifications to my car. Unfortunately, I didn't inform the company about these changes because I was on holiday for two weeks. Currently, I can't drive the car, and it has been sitting in my driveway for eight weeks. The representative I spoke with was very rude and didn't give me a chance to explain my situation. As a result, my insurance will now cost me over £1000 due to the cancellation.
Never use this company.
TN39 3LW, Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Spoke to dave on customer services today brillient company and excellent customer services most insurance companys dont care about you but this one makes you feel like a person and not a number, thank you dave
Date of experience: 17 December 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi Kito,
Thanks for your review, it’s amazing to see you’ve given us a 5 star rating for the service you received from Dave.
Feedback is really important to us, so please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) if you want us to share your feedback with the relevant colleague.
If there’s anything else you need, just get in touch and let us know.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Tried to make a simple change to my policy. Could easily be done online but not with Peoples Choice. Gov.uk does this change online yet im forced to call Peoples Choice. Changed license plate numbers on my policy to mirror the government/DVLA and was charged £20 for 5 min conversation that could easily have been done online in 1minute. Seems any change you make is £20.
Will not renew my policy here 110%
Date of experience: 17 December 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about our fees.
We appreciate no one wants to be charged fees but, like most other insurers, these cover some of our business costs - like the costs of staffing our contact centres, managing your policy, creating and sending documents and maintaining and developing our systems.
We try to keep these in line with everyone else and make it as clear as possible how much these fees are and that they’re non-refundable.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Insurance premiums have fallen across the board not with this lot, last year £250,renewal £290
Just brought today £180, if topcashback pay me out, £142 a total saving of £148, always shop around people don't get ripped off, companies like this like people especially pensioners that don't shop around and accept been ripped off, should be a law against it.
Date of experience: 27 November 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the price of your renewal.
It might be that the quote you’ve found with someone else is cheaper because the details are different or it’s for a different product or lower level of cover. We always try to make sure your renewal price is competitive based on details we hold about you, so if those have changed, you can always review your policy in the Hastings Direct app.
I'm glad you were able to find a more competitive price in the end and thank you for having been insured with Hastings Direct over the past year. ~Theo, Social Media Team
I had an extremely disappointing experience with Hastings People's Choice car insurance. As soon as my policy started, the price was bumped up unexpectedly, with no clear explanation. I needed to make some amendments to my policy, but it was impossible to get through to anyone – their customer service is practically non-existent. The online portal is another nightmare; it never works properly, leaving you stranded when you need assistance the most.
Frustrated and unable to manage my policy, I had no choice but to cancel it. To make matters worse, they continued to take money from my bank account even after I had complained about their appalling service. This is completely unacceptable – payments should have been suspended until the complaint was fully investigated.
Overall, I found Hastings People's Choice to be untrustworthy and utterly unhelpful. I would strongly advise others to avoid this company if you value your time, money, and peace of mind.
Date of experience: 15 November 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello Shelley-Anne,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry to see that you had such a poor experience with us and that this led to the cancellation of your policy and that you had to raise a complaint.
I hope that progress is being made concerning this. If not and you’d like us to arrange a complaint handler to contact you, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) or call our Complaints team on 0333 999 8904. ~Theo, Social Media Team
They should feel fortunate to receive even 1 star. I just had my insurance canceled because I made modifications to my car. Unfortunately, I didn't inform the company about these changes because I was on holiday for two weeks. Currently, I can't drive the car, and it has been sitting in my driveway for eight weeks. The representative I spoke with was very rude and didn't give me a chance to explain my situation. As a result, my insurance will now cost me over £1000 due to the cancellation.
Never use this company.
Date of experience: 29 October 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi J Marshall,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you’re unhappy your policy was cancelled.
We always let our customers know in advance why we need to cancel a policy. You should’ve received a letter or email, depending on your preference, explaining the reason and the date we’d cancel it from. We’re sorry if you didn’t get these.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
My car insurance went up 65% and I had selected to not automatically renew and they did it anyway. Went from being charged £40 to £70 a month. All the web portals are broken and nothing works.
Date of experience: 02 November 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello Hannah,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry to read about the increase in price this year and that you've had to raise a complaint concerning this.
I hope that you get a quick resolution to your complaint and this can be dealt with soon. If you would like to discuss the complaint or add anything further, please give our team a call on 0333 999 8904 so they can discuss this with you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
You'll have read other reviews where they stealthy charge £20 because they automatically apply auto-renew, and their directions to remove auto-renew don't work. It's now late September 2024 and they still have this hidden charge. When I called two days ago, I got Solomon on the phone and he told me that if I don't pay it a debt collection firm will be instructed to retrieve it. This is within one hour of their phone lines opening on the day when the insurance supposedly started, I had already purchased insurance with another company for a few a third of the People's Choice / Hastings insulting renewal price. Do yourself a favour and pay a little extra with another company and this monstrosity will disappear.
Date of experience: 24 September 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi Wayne,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with your policy renewing automatically.
All policies are set to automatically renew unless you tell us. We do this so you’re never uninsured and so that if you forget to give us a call, you can still legally drive.
It’s easy to change this at any time throughout the year, especially in the first 11 months of the policy in the app, or by contacting our renewals team on 0333 321 9790. You can read more about automatic renewal in the very first set of documents that we send you. I'm sorry if this wasn't seen. Social Media Team
Dishonest liars - back street garage type insurance providers. Quotes presented by these liars on the usual shabby comparable sites are different when speak to their tacky call handlers. Stay clear of these Clowns Choice & Hastings Insurance.. Should be struck off the Comparable Sites.
Date of experience: 14 September 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello,
Thank you for your review, we're sorry to see that there was an increase in price. I can appreciate the frustration this causes. I'm afraid we can only check the quote and see if there are any changes when compared to the one on the price comparison site. This can be done by calling the sales team on 0333 321 9829. I hope that you have since been able to find competitive cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Still waiting for a refund almost two months after cancelling my policy. Was lied to and said a cheque would be in the post as the card I used to purchase the premium was cancelled long ago but when I phoned up to chase them for the cheque they refunded me two payments to two credit cards and sent the rest to my previous bank. So they lied. No cheque was ever sent. They don’t want to help once they have ur money. AVOID!
Date of experience: 27 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello Daniel,
Thank you for your review, I'm sorry to read about this situation and I hope that the refund has since arrived. If not, please send us an email at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com so we can take a further look at this for you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
I cancelled my policy well within 2 weeks of it starting, but they still want to charge me £20 fee for "setting up" the policy in the first place. This company is a joke and I am so glad I've cancelled. My refund will also be issued "after the date of starting policy" which is ridiculous. Never again!!!! AVOID!!!!
Date of experience: 03 September 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about our fees.
We appreciate no one wants to be charged fees but, like most other insurers, these cover some of our business costs - like the costs of staffing our contact centres, managing your policy, creating and sending documents and maintaining and developing our systems.
We try to keep these in line with everyone else and make it as clear as possible how much these fees are and that they’re non-refundable.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
I purchased the insurance policy for my car on 20/08/2024 which was supposed to start from 21/08/24 and I paid in upfront for the whole year, after 2 hours reading too many bad reviews on web (trust pilot) people who bitterly regretted about that, I decided to cancel it, but for a policy that it wasn't even started they have charged me 20 pounds, stay away from this awful company.
Date of experience: 20 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about our fees.
We appreciate no one wants to be charged fees but, like most other insurers, these cover some of our business costs - like the costs of staffing our contact centres, managing your policy, creating and sending documents and maintaining and developing our systems.
We try to keep these in line with everyone else and make it as clear as possible how much these fees are and that they’re non-refundable.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
People's choice OR Hastings direct?
Went with People's choice as they offered windscreen protection
Now it seems that windscreen doesn't come as standard on most policys and although never used it its nice to know you have it.
The problem:
Received A Text.
After call centre closed on a Friday evening for the weekend requesting Ferther information!
Licence check codes for myself and other drivers on the policy
And a photo of another drivers. driving licence photo card front and back.
And occupation and industry
For a driver That on the schedule was clearly stated as being unemployed
Industry None: Unemployed.
And a picture of my v5 vehicle registration document.
Had to contact them as I wasn't happy to send a picture of the part of the v5 that says Document reference number
Do not share!
I was told by the man on the phone this is fine. He said I work for an insurance company! I did not have the same views as this man And after a debate on my own views about any of my. Or anyone else's personal information and who we decide to share this information with was A choice including A reference number that clearly stated DO NOT SHARE.
My personal choice was not to share this information. Much the same as I wouldn't my bank details that say Do Not share.
It was eventually agreed I could (Try) and sent the document with out the number displayed.
The Day After the documents was sent off.
Text received
This Time requesting
Check code for the licence I had sent a pictures of.
And pictures of all other drivers licences that I had previously sent check codes for.
Phoned Again asking why all information wasn't requested at once explained I have to contact one of my named drivers again to request That This time they send me pictures of their licence front and back.
To do this I explained To the man on the phone made me feel uncomfortable to approach The named driver again after already asking they send me a Dvla license check code.
I have Never had such a bad experience with a insurance company I received the schedule and checked all details are correct and they Are perfectly correct.
I discussed cancellation of the policy
Was actually surprised I would receive a part refund.
But after all of this nightmare I have decided to see it too the end and not end the policy at this time.
They behave like I have something to hide although all details are correct. Once This what ever This is.
I may possibly still end this policy early
Because of The way This has been handled and the fact that everyone I seem to talk to is from Hastings direct leaving me confused that peoples choice doesn't seem to have any In house staff.
What Ever I decide to do with my policy this time I probably wouldn't use This company again (people's choice) And would aso be careful of using Hastings direct in the future because of the link that I believe between the two companies but still unsure of.
I have put in a complaint to the company
On a people's choice telephone number
To a man working for Hastings direct
And I will hopefully have this nightmare of sending so many documents to them sorted soon.
Hope this review helps you if you find yourself in the same situation part of me wishes I had just cancelled the policy before I started this long drawn out process of sending more and more documents from all deivers on the policy.
Update: after posting this review I see all of the other people that had similar issues even one person they got to send pictures of his car! I will wait for that request next. lots of the reviews are a interesting read.
Yet many of the replies are very same old same old
Policy's are looked at (At random)
And standard practice
I await my reply from this company.
Can I please ask that within the reply you tell me and others for what legal reason and law should I send you photographs of my named drivers information Thanks
Date of experience: 20 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi Mr Bishop,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with our validation checks.
Our Policy Review Team review policies at random to make sure everything checks out and the policy details are correct. They do this to prevent fraud and make sure customers are paying the correct amount for their insurance (this is because fraudulent claims can increase insurance premiums).
This is our standard business practice, and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. Also, if you need more time to send us the documents we’ve asked for or, you have a question about this process, give the team a call on 0333 321 9757.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Policy started then they sent me an email saying I need to take pictures of the car and will be charged £30 what a waste of time, lucky I'm in my 14 day cooling off period if you are on the fence don't go with this insurance company.
Date of experience: 13 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with our validation checks.
Our Policy Review Team review policies at random to make sure everything checks out and the policy details are correct. They do this to prevent fraud and make sure customers are paying the correct amount for their insurance (this is because fraudulent claims can increase insurance premiums).
This is our standard business practice, and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. Also, if you need more time to send us the documents we’ve asked for or, you have a question about this process, give the team a call on 0333 321 9757.
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
Cheap for a reason nvolved in accident last night person on the other end of the call unable to help as did not have policy number to hand.
Was put through to hastings direct insurace company said must be because out of hours
I laughed and said sorry did not realize you can only have a accident during office hours
I will definitely not use these clowns again quick to take your money put no help when needed
Date of experience: 11 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry you weren’t happy with our service.
We always aim to deliver the highest level of service to all our customers. When it comes to a claim being made, this is even more important.
If you’d like to discuss this further, make a complaint or have any questions, please call our Claims team on 0333 321 9800 or send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
Thanks,
Nicole, Social Media Team
This company is scammer. Very very bad company. They charged nearly £200 for updating car purchased date for car insurance. The first I saw such awful company.
Date of experience: 09 August 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi Joy,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the price we offered.
Our quotes for changing your details and getting a quote for a new policy are valid until midnight the same day.
When we offer a quote, we always try to give you the best price we can, based on the information you give us. However, this price may change even if your details stay the same, because your insurer may adjust the risk level of your policy.
If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, please send us a message via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). ~Theo, Social Media Team
Very poor experience. I've only just taken out a policy last night and I'm unable to access my account. The password I set up isn't recognised and I'm unable to set up a new one, stuck in an online loop. The hyperlink in the first email received from People's Choice to "Contact us" for help doesn't work - it takes you to a page which says "Sorry, but the page you were trying to view does not exist. It looks like this was the result of either: a mistyped address an out-of-date link" - yet it was People's Choice themselves who sent the link! I have absolutely no faith in this company now. Call themselves People's Choice?? No, I don't think people would willingly choose this terrible level of service.
Date of experience: 29 July 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello Pat,
Thank you for your review. I'm very sorry to see that you've had a poor experience when trying to arrange this. If you continue to have issues, please send us an email at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com. I know that the team will be happy to help you. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Awful company do not use. From the start made several complaints as like many others here could not access my documents online. Just got renewal and thankfully I opted out to auto renew. Even if I wanted to renew a year later I still can't access the portal to log in despite resetting password several times
Date of experience: 29 July 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello Justin,
Thank you for your review and I'm sorry to see that you were unable to access your account when you needed to do so. If you need any documents sent to you or need any help, please email us at customersupport@hastingsdirect.com so we can take a look.
I appreciate you may have since insured elsewhere so thank you for having been insured with us over the past year and I hope that you have since been able to find suitable cover for your vehicle. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Shocking scamming company! Day 2 of my policy and they are demanding a tonne of photos for no reason or else they’ll cancel my insurance AND charge me? Sorry?? They’ve also said they may want to amend my policy which they owe me the pleasure of a higher price and admin fee?? For what exactly, I don’t know.
I will be taking this further.
They claim to have a fabulous rating on trust pilot with is evidently a lie, my fault for not doing more research.
They also use the scam method of urgency to secure your deal within the day of being quoted, taking money too soon and the quotes are not true if they wish to amend prices unlawfully.
Disgusting, hope they get what they deserve judging by all these poor reviews. Scammers!
Date of experience: 10 July 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy with our validation checks.
Our Policy Review Team review policies at random to make sure everything checks out and the policy details are correct. They do this to prevent fraud and make sure customers are paying the correct amount for their insurance (this is because fraudulent claims can increase insurance premiums).
This is our standard business practice, and we apologise if you weren't aware of this. Also, if you need more time to send us the documents we’ve asked for or, you have a question about this process, give the team a call on 0333 321 9757. ~Theo, Social Media Team
I sent my fee for car insurance and within 30 minutes phoned Peoples Choice when I read the one-star Reviews / Complaints on Trustpilot. I asked them to cancel the insurance as there were so many reviews on the £20 that were taken after no work had been done. It wasn't even instigated on my account when I spoke to CS about it. The Customer service agent was well versed in this complaint as it was not clear many customers have addressed this in Peoples choice. I have read the complaints about this and are using this to scam people. Whenever I asked to speak to a manager or supervisor they refused to let me speak to one. I would advise anyone not to go here. They say the money paid will be refunded BUT!
Do not contact me to tell me it was in the terms and conditions as this seems to be a scam and those making the rules will not speak to you, the CS seems well-versed in this.
Date of experience: 09 July 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your review, we’re sorry to hear you’re unhappy about our fees.
We appreciate no one wants to be charged fees but, like most other insurers, these cover some of our business costs - like the costs of staffing our contact centres, managing your policy, creating and sending documents and maintaining and developing our systems.
We try to keep these in line with everyone else and make it as clear as possible how much these fees are and that they’re non-refundable. ~Theo, Social Media Team
Stay away from Hastings Direct and Peoples Choice. I purchased car insurance almost a month ago and I am unable to create an account. No errors or anything, the login button doesnt work, tried on different browsers and devices. Their customer service has been abysmal - Not understanding.. I have spent hours via email and phone with them but they just ask the same questions and get no where. Stay away from their services.
Date of experience: 12 June 2024
Reply from Peoples Choice Services
Hello. I'm very sorry to read about this and I hope that some progress has been made with regards to getting this resolved. If there is still an issue, please send us a direct message on X (formerly Twitter) @HastingsDirect or on Facebook as we may need to raise this with the IT team for you. We'll do all we can to help on that platform. ~Theo, Customer Care
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.
Learn more about other kinds of reviews.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people write reviews about real companies.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.
