Name: Hastings Direct Smart Miles
Rating: 3.31

“I got hasting on the 6th of March; around 2 weeks after I was notified that my driving score was low and my insurance may be cancelled. I started watching my driving curves, accelerations, braking etc. In the past two weeks my score is around 85 and overall is 52. I was well chuffed; but just today I got an email informing that my policy is being cancelled because my score is below 0. I have checked my app everyday in the last few weeks and not once my score my been low - still the overall score is above 52 and last 2 weeks score is over 50. Not sure what to do now as they are closed - I have to drop my son to school at 8:30 am and my insurance is cancelled at midnight.”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Ive only been using the app and tab since March 2021. It marked me down three times for speeding on a 30mph road, as it thinks its 20mph in places. I have tried disputing it and had an email requesting details and have heard nothing since. I also got marked diwn for accelerating 7 miles in 2.5 seconds! If it wasnt the cheapest (Im on a very low budget) I'd change as it is really making me anxious when driving. I usually have friends or family with me when driving and they think irs a joke. It is so frustrating.”

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Posted 3 years ago

“Everything is 90+ but time of day is glued stuck at 0 and it won’t change no matter how long I drive during the acceptable hours. I drove down and back from my Mums (3hr journey) and still didnt increased. I ain’t got a scooby”

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Posted 3 years ago

Hello Thomas, I apologise for any inconvenience caused by this, so we can look into this for you and advise on how to improve this score please call our centre on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 3 years ago

“I'm 48, I have always driven very carefully and never had an accident. But was without a car for many years so got this black box thing as had no no claims. The thing is insanely sensitive. Totally safe braking can give you a fault, normal acceleration gives a fault. Many times this penalised driving to avoid risk. Wouldn't recommend if you have any other options.”

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Posted 3 years ago

Hello there, I apologise you feel this way, to find out how to improve your score please call our SmartMiles team on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 3 years ago

“I'm new to Hastings Direct youngdriver insurance. So far I haven't experienced anything terrible with them. My insurance was reasonable price, the app is easy to use and it updates quite quickly. Only frustrating thing is the first day I installed the blackbox I had to drive to pick my partner up which is a couple miles out of my town. The national speed limit applies in most areas but I always do around 55mph as we have a lot of pot holes and road works and in some areas its 40 or 30. I lost points from braking as there is a lot of road works to begin with and there was police and ambulances speeding through the cars which meant I had to slow down and brake quickly otherwise if I continued it would of caused an accident. The second thing to happen was I was in a village called edgcott it is a 30mph zone. I don't do this speed as it has loads of sharp bends so I done maximum of 25mph. A dog walker decided to walk out on a blind bend which also meant I had to slam my brakes otherwise I would of hit him. He did apologise as he knew crossing there was dangerous but apologies don't change my score. In the same area a DPD van reversed out of a garden into oncoming traffic which affected my braking score too. I'm good at braking, its one thing I feel comfortable with and one thing my instructor complimented me on (believe it or not) but its just sad that other people actions can and will affect your driving daily which will affect your score.”

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Posted 3 years ago

Hello Eve, I apologise for any frustration this may have caused, we understand there may be some exceptions to our driving rules however we do need to take into consideration these braking instances. If you would like to discuss this further please call our SmartMiles team on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 3 years ago

“The customer service at Hastings Smart Miles is shocking. Being a new driver, blackbox insurance was on the cheaper end at £1300 for the year. Having spent such a large amount of money you would expect their data and black box to be accurate with regards to speed limits on roads. My speed score dropped to zero within the first week of driving, even though I drove below the speed limit all the time. I rung them up to enquire how this was possible given I was not speeding. This was the first time I rung them. The third time i rung I was told that I should just stick to the speed limit, not drive above or below it??? How is it possible to ensure I do not drive below the speed limit when I cannot influence how other people drive? Another month went by, and my speed score did not increase from 0. I was sent email saying that my insurance would be cancelled if i did not improve my score within a two week period. Again having stuck to the speed limit. I called to enquire again and was told they could offer me data from my last three "speeding" offences. These were two roads that had a national speedlimit. This was just for three speeding offences. I informed them that I would like to see that data from all my "speeding" offences which took two weeks to arrive. I had to manually enter all the data points into google maps which were all on the same two roads. It transpired that THEY had the incorrect speed limit for these two roads. So every time I exceeded 30mph on these two roads I got a speeding offence. Considering this was not my fault, i find it shocking that I was not offered any kind of compensation, such as an increase in my speed score as all of the data they had was incorrect. They would also not take back the warning they sent to me via email. I would not recommend this company to any new driver. Why should I have to inform them of the speed limits in my area? It leaves me with little confidence that any of their other data collection methods are accurate, when they cannot even have accurate data for speed limits on roads.”

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Posted 3 years ago

Hello there, I apologise for any problems you've experienced with this policy, we are unable to comment on the error seen with the road speeds however we recommend calling our SmartMiles team on 01733 308 380 so they can assist and resolve this with yourself. ~Freddy

Posted 3 years ago

“Been with them for a year, score was 90 for months and months. Final month just around the corner and it drops down to 74. Nothing changed, still drove the exact same way and then for the final month I was going to try and get it back up, andddd they logged me out of my app and emailed me with a renewal quote and locked my score at 74. Wouldn’t recommend, seems a bit shady. They also had no idea what locking wheel nuts, bucket seats, coilovers or a back box are, when I asked on multiple accounts with different people.”

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Posted 3 years ago

Hello there, I'm very sorry you feel this way and I appreciate your frustration. If you would like to discuss your score and how to maintain it please call the SmartMiles team on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 3 years ago

“We had a brand new box delivered and so as a parent I drove a 40 minute round trip left the house at 10 am and returned well within the time limit and yet only scored 90 for time of day?? I was under the speed limit at all times to the point that lorries were passing me by and yet my speed still came out at 40! I feel that this box is horrendous and how anyone can score within the recommended scores is impossible.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello there, I'm very sorry for any confusion caused by your Driving Score. If you would like to discuss how to improve this score and how we measure it please call us on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“This has got to be the worst company I’ve ever been insure with. I moved area to be closer to my partner and they added a fee of £1062. I cancelled my policy as I pay monthly and the amount of interested added on to the monthly fee was ridiculous. I then revived and email telling me I was due a refund of £897.82 and it would be in my account but the next 14 days. After the allocated two weeks I revived another email telling me that I owed Hastings money. I called too see what had gone on and spoke to 3 people I was told by one of the employees that she couldn’t help me, once I was transferred the second employee rudely ended the phone call and once I rang Hastings back I spoke to a man who was quite rude to me. After he put me on hold for 40 minutes he told me there was nothing he could do to help me. I asked him to transfer me through to someone who could help me, he just said no and that he has told me everything that I need to know . The day after I received a text from Hastings asking me to call them . Once I was on the phone they decided to tell me I owe them £277 even though the first agreed refund figure was £897.82 and the second email I received said that I had an outstanding balance of £168. Even though my bill for this month has been paid. I have been getting absolutely hounded for the money that they claim I owe them yet when I had a problem the other day it was so difficult to speak to them and they didn’t want to know. They’ve demanded a full some of money even though I’ve told them that I can’t afford it as my other bills have gone out already and I’m not left with very much; they have absolutely no compassion and are constantly demanding money off me. The absolute worse insurance company. The way I’ve been treated and spoken to is disgusting. I will never be using them ever again.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello there, I am very sorry to hear this and I apologise for any distress caused by this situation. So that we can rectify this please call our SmartMiles team on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“This is the worst insurance company I have ever encountered. The black box is a scam which is quick to deduct points from your score but hardly ever improve your score, no matter what you do. My score was 36 somehow and it needs to be 40 and they have now cancelled my policy because of 4 points, and given me a week to find a whole new policy. STEER CLEAR OF HIS SHODDY COMPANY WITH THEIR SHODDY BLACKBOX.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello Agnes, I'm very sorry you feel this way. If you would like advice on how to improve your score or discuss your policy, please call on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“The smart miles box is very frustrating for a young driver as penalises them very quickly and harshly but the score is very slow to go up , if at all when they are driving properly . If it goes in the red it’s very hard to get out and stay out so they will Inevitably cancel your policy , collecting £200 for doing so !!!!! If you even touch the brake the score goes down , time of day is quick to go down but rarely goes up ! Have had a shocking experience and they won’t help you out .”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello there, I'm sorry if you were unhappy with your SmartMiles policy experience. If you would like to discuss your driving score and how to improve this please call our SmartMiles customer service team on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“I am with Hastings Direct now, and have a Fiat 500. I am a new driver and am due to renew come October 2020. I check my scores religiously , and my score for speed as remained at 40 for some time now. Every other score is green so am happy with that. I have read that if my score drops below 40, my policy will be cancelled & I will struggle getting a policy elsewhere ? Is this true? Can someone let me know please.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello there, Sorry for any confusion regarding your driving score. If you would like to discuss this and find out how we measure this please call our call centre on 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“HORRENDOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE! Not to mention being ripped off money because the blackbox does not work! They will charge you a big cancellation fee through no fault of your own.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello Baxter, I'm very sorry you feel this way. If you would like to discuss the black box or anything relating to your SmartMiles policy please call 01733 308 380. ~Freddy

Posted 4 years ago

“Their Black box is a con. Even when driving within the speed limits and driving within the designated times. My scores have continued to drop at a slow rate over the past 6 months bringing it below 40. I have requested driving data twice because of suspicions with my driving scores and to their convenience I have been promised the data but have never actually been sent it. It’s only now my score has dropped below 40 that I’ve heard from them. Due to my score I was told about a speeding incident of me apparently going 45mph in a 30mph zone, this never occurred. This is what had took my score below 40. I was then informed where this occurred and I was driving on a national speed limit road. A so called “gps drift” had caused the blackbox to position me on the road that runs next to it which is a 30mph speed limit. This was then removed off my score which should have brought my score back up. However, to their convenience it didn’t affect my score at all and stayed below 40 which makes no sense, the threats to cancel my insurance have just continued despite their own mistake. Don’t go with Hastings direct. They’re cheap but it’s obvious to see why. I’d recommend spending more money to avoid the possibility of this happening to you.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hi Nathan, I apologise for any frustration caused. We have a team dedicated to helping you improve your score, you can reach the on 0333 999 8452. ~Melissa

Posted 4 years ago

“Good service and good options for younger drivers. Would recommend as a first time insurance company.”

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Posted 4 years ago

“This was a great choice for my daughters first insurance and by far the cheapest quote. We are coming up to a year now and her score is 98 out of 100. Most of the bad reviews for this product are by young men or their mothers claiming their driving is being wrongly represented. Let me assure you, when mummy is not there, those boys are trying to race me at traffic lights, breaking the speed limits, taking corners and braking too fast and driving too much after 10 pm. When mummy asks them about why their insurance is cancelled or their renewal is higher “ It wasn’t me mum, the black box is recording it wrong “ Anyway, just to recap..... if you are a genuinely compliant driver, this insurance is top notch !”

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Posted 4 years ago

“Great insurance company. Helped me increase my miles for as little as 79 pence.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hi Laura, Thank you so much for your 5* review, we appreciate it! ~Lillie

Posted 4 years ago

“If you're looking for accurate information reflecting your driving and a lower premium as a result of good behaviour, DO NOT - I REPEAT - DO NOT use this company. When I first bought the policy and had an appointment booked to fit the box I was then threatened with cancellation a few days later because apparently I hadn't set an appointment date, which they were able to later verify I had. I have always driven respectfully and within the parameters the box (excluding when the car is driven admittedly, but that's unfortunately related to work as with many others) and yet, when I went to look at my renewal quote it had all but doubled with it set for AUTOMATIC renewal. I then looked into the dashboard to see that much of the information is inaccurate. I have already previously phoned to notify them I don't wish to renew my policy and whilst the customer service was polite and respectful, it seemed as though my leaving wasn't a concern of theirs at all. My Time of Day score sat at 30, but 84% of my driving had been done during the day according to the dashboard so how can it fall so low? My braking score also sat at a marvellous 1! I was never once notified of this fact and I would uphold it to be a completely unfair and inaccurate representation of my braking. I'm a young, male driver who has worked hard to keep his premiums as low as possible against the prevailing tide of insurance companies scalping my age group and this last year has been an absolute waste of time because of faulty information on their end. When I spoke to customer services I was told that it wasn't possible to tell me how my driving is rated, nor am I able to know why this affected my premium so greatly. It feels to me, and clearly many others, that this company is geared to either using faulty technology or trying to drive up insurance premiums for younger, more vulnerable drivers. I WOULD IMPLORE YOU NOT TO EVER USE THIS COMPANY, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR CHILDREN'S INSURANCE. YOU WILL NOT BE VALUED AND YOU WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM THEIR SERVICE.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Hi Adam, I apologise if you were unhappy with the use of your telematics box. We have a team dedicated to helping you improve your score and you can reach them by calling 0333 999 8372. ~Elle

Posted 4 years ago

“If you're looking for accurate information reflecting your driving and a lower premium as a result of good behaviour, DO NOT - I REPEAT - DO NOT use this company. When I first bought the policy and had an appointment booked to fit the box I was then threatened with cancellation a few days later because apparently I hadn't set an appointment date, which they were able to later verify I had. I have always driven respectfully and within the parameters the box (excluding when the car is driven admittedly, but that's unfortunately related to work as with many others) and yet, when I went to look at my renewal quote it had all but doubled with it set for AUTOMATIC renewal. I then looked into the dashboard to see that much of the information is inaccurate. I have already previously phoned to notify them I don't wish to renew my policy and whilst the customer service was polite and respectful, it seemed as though my leaving wasn't a concern of theirs at all. My Time of Day score sat at 30, but 84% of my driving had been done during the day according to the dashboard so how can it fall so low? My braking score also sat at a marvellous 1! I was never once notified of this fact and I would uphold it to be a completely unfair and inaccurate representation of my braking. I'm a young, male driver who has worked hard to keep his premiums as low as possible against the prevailing tide of insurance companies scalping my age group and this last year has been an absolute waste of time because of faulty information on their end. When I spoke to customer services I was told that it wasn't possible to tell me how my driving is rated, nor am I able to know why this affected my premium so greatly. It feels to me, and clearly many others, that this company is geared to either using faulty technology or trying to drive up insurance premiums for younger, more vulnerable drivers. I WOULD IMPLORE YOU NOT TO EVER USE THIS COMPANY, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR CHILDREN'S INSURANCE. YOU WILL NOT BE VALUED AND YOU WILL NOT BENEFIT FROM THEIR SERVICE.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

Hi Adam, I apologise if you were unhappy with the use of your telematics box. We have a team dedicated to helping you improve your score and you can reach them by calling 0333 999 8372. ~Elle

Posted 4 years ago

“Been with smart miles for just over 6 months and honestly think it’s great value for your money. I’m seeing all these negative reviews on here but everything’s been fine with me, I was in contact with them last week and the customer service was great and friendly. Only thing I do have to agree on is that acceleration score is low for me even though I’m very careful. Overall great value for money especially for a first time driver who can’t afford 2k for insurance. I’m excited to see my quote for next year.”

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Posted 4 years ago

Hello Charlie, This is really good to hear. It's good to see that you're having such a positive experience and I hope this continues to be the case. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review with us and I hope that you'll be offered a competitive renewal to reflect your careful driving. ~Theo

Posted 4 years ago

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
On-time Delivery	Greater than 72%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour

Hastings Direct Smart Miles Reviews