Direct Line Car Insurance Review

Overall Rating

I insure my car with Direct Line for 5 years. However I was involved in an accident (the only one I've ever had) where another driver (also insured with Direct Line) went in to the back of my car. The impact was low speed causing, to my knowledge, a dent in the rear boot lid, a cracked brake light cover and damage to the exhaust. Since the accident was not my fault (as confirmed with Direct Line) I claimed against the other parties insurance. However Direct Line claimed my car was a write off (category C), despite an RAC insepection (prior to Direct Line collecting my car) confirming the damage suffered was minor and it was safe to drive. I was offered much less than I feel it was worth and bullied to accept on the basis if I did not accept they would refuse to pay for the courtesey car I had been supplied as I would be "delaying the claim". As this was over £40 a day I could not afford this and was forced to accept. Direct Line wrote my car off as a category C, which invalidates the MOT, is recorded on the cars V5 document and the car requires a VIC check by the DCLA. Once my car was written off Direct Line suspended my cover until I obtained another car, even though my policy covered me to drive other cars (with the owners permission) on a 3rd party basis, which I had been doing and was then prevented from doing by this policy. When I got another car they charged me an "administration charge" to put it on my policy even though Direct Line had forced me to do so by writing off my old car. I asked what would happen to my old car and was told it would be scrapped. I specifically asked if it would end up back on the road and was told it would not. 8 months after the accident I was contacted by the garage that collected the car asking if it was OK to scrap the car. Sadly I agreed, but 2 months ago spotted my old car been driven having been repaired and re-taxed. It had not been scrapped but had been repaired and put back on the road. I complained to Direct Line over the way they handled my claim, asking them for the address to write too. After more than a month and no reply to my letter I called them up. They confirmed they recieved my letter but I sent it to the "wrong" address (which was the address they told me to use) and they told me it had got "lost" when they sent it on to the correct department to respond.

So there you have it. Despite the accident not being my fault, I lost my car, found it was sold to someone else, was paid a derisory amount for it (and bullied into accepting it) and my complaints to them ignored. I would strongly advise against doing business with this company.