Dial Direct Car Insurance Review
verified information
Information verified by Adeline Harmant
Our articles are written by experts in their fields (finance, trading, insurance etc.) whose signatures you will see at the beginning and at the end of each article. They are also systematically reviewed and corrected before each publication, and updated regularly.
Discover the methodologyThis is the ultimate review to guide you through Dial Direct car insurance.
You might already know that Dial Direct offers several car insurance policy options.
Some are great, others not so much.
So if you want to get:
- Better value for money for your car insurance
- Indicative quotes
- Tips to lower your insurance premium, then you might love the following article.
Let’s dive right in.
Is Dial Direct the best car insurance provider?
Getting the best car insurance deal is not all about the price. Indeed, focusing on just getting the cheapest deal might be a bad calculation when it comes to getting a good payout if you ever have an accident.
We’ve studied in detail Dial Direct car policy terms and conditions and given our own ratings based on different criteria.
4 Safe overall rating for Dial Direct
| Our rating | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service & satisfaction |
High customer satisfaction rate on Trust Pilot | |
| Cover provided |
Wide range of covers available such as Van insurance | |
| Value for money |
Reasonably priced premiums | |
| Financial strength for pay out | Dial Direct Insurance is one of the many trading names owned by BISL Limited, an insurance company that has vast experience in the industry making it capable of paying out claims. | |
| Technology |
User friendly and well organized website |
Expert and customer reviews on Dial Direct
We compiled expert and customer reviews from independent institutions, to give you an overall idea of Dial Direct's reputation.
| Review organisation | Consumer satisfaction rates for Dial Direct |
|---|---|
| Defaqto expert rating for Dial Direct |  |
| TrustPilot | 4,5/5 based on more than 9300 opinions |
To check if Dial Direct is the right car insurance for you, you can use our free comparison tool and finally compare coverage features, optional extras, excess, admin fees and customer rating without having to give any personal information.
Our review on Dial Direct car insurance policy
Dial Direct Insurance is one of the insurance brands provided by BISL Limited offering car, van, and home insurance.
The company’s insurance products are underwritten by a panel of leading UK insurers.
They offer 2 types of car insurance: Standard Car Insurance and Premier Car Insurance that are available across Comprehensive, Fire Theft &Third Party and Third Party Only levels of cover.
This insurance company is suitable for people looking to get several benefits across any of the 3 main levels of cover.
What does Dial Direct car insurance policy cover?
Are TPO, TPFT and Comprehensive covers available at Dial Direct?
| Car insurance policy | Available at Dial Direct | Coverage in a nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Third-Party Only |
| |
| Third-Party Fire and Theft |
| |
| Comprehensive |
|
Keep in mind that you can always add optional extras to your policy.
Main guarantees at Dial Direct explained in details
Let's find out what does Dial Direct covers in its car insurance policy.
Breakdown cover at Dial Direct
Dial Direct Insurance offers RAC Breakdown Cover as a standard across all level of covers: Comprehensive, FT&TP, and Third Party Only.
Breakdown Cover is not available as an optional extra. The following are the benefits that come with the standard cover:
- Roadside assistance in the event of your vehicle breaking down more than 1/4 mile from you home
- Transport cover for you, your vehicle and up to 8 passengers to a destination of your choice in case the vehicle cannot be repaired on the same day.
- No call-out charge.
Keycare cover at Dial Direct
- Up to £1000 for replacement of locks or keys in case of loss or theft of keys as well as reprogramming immobilisers.
- It covers car keys, home keys and business premise keys.
Windscreen cover at Dial Direct
- Windscreen cover is only available as part of the comprehensive level of cover. It is not available as an optional addition.
- Unlimited cover subject to an excess of £75 unless you get it repaired at a repairer that is not approved by the insurer. In that case, you’ll get a cover limited to £150 less excess.
Motor legal protection at Dial Direct
Up to £100,000 to cover for legal costs and expenses when pursuing for compensation after an incident that wasn’t your fault.
Personal policy injury available at Dial Direct
Dial Direct (Budget Insurance) Personal Injury Policy covers the following:
- Up to £30,000 in the case death and permanent total disability
- Up to £50 per day for hospital up to 80 days total in case of hospitalization due to a car accident
- Up to £22,500 in case of permanent loss of sight or hearing
- Up to £750 for whiplash as a result of the accident you were in.
Coverage abroad at Dial Direct
Dial Direct Insurance offers up to 60 days cover for traveling within the EU as a standard. The level of cover will be the same as the one you have back in the UK.
Courtesy car at Dial Direct
Dial Direct Insurance offers 2 levels of Guaranteed Replacement Car Policy:
- Basic: this covers you for up to 28 days if your car is deemed a total loss in case of an accident, fire, theft or attempted theft. If the accident was your fault or is in dispute, you’ll be provided with a car that has an engine size of 1000cc.
- Guaranteed Replacement Car Plus: this covers a replacement car that has the same features as your car for up to 60 days. You also get the option of taking a £100 payment in case you don’t want a replacement car.
No-Claim Bonus (NCB) at Dial Direct
Your NCB will keep increasing every year provided you don’t get yourself involved in any incident that may require you to file for a claim or have a claim filed against you. No NCB rate is stated in the website. You can also opt for an NCB protection cover at an additional charge.
If the incident caused was not your fault and Dial Direct Insurance was able to recover all costs from the responsible party, your NCB will not be affected. However, if they’re not able to recover the costs of the incident, your NCB will be affected.
Claims on the following will not affect your NCB:
- Windscreen cover
- Medical emergency cover
- Incidents caused by an uninsured driver.
At Dial Direct, you can apply for the NCB protection. The NCB protection allows you to make a certain number of claims within a period without losing your No-Claim bonus.
NCB protection claims (number per year): 2 claim in 3 years.
Good to know
A No-Claim bonus is a reward that you get from driving during a long time (at least one year) without making any claim. The more years you drive without claims, the higher your NCB rate gets hence the higher the discount on your insurance premium.
Dial Direct car insurance terms and conditions
How much does Dial Direct car insurance cost?
You'll find below indicative car insurance quotes at Dial Direct:
| Drivers'age | Monthly premium |
|---|---|
| 18 years old | £105,85 |
| 40 years old | £43,65 |
| 60 years old | £32,19 |
Costs of Dial Direct insurance car policies vary widely based on different factors such as:
- The driver’s age
- The date on which they received their driving licence
- The type of car
- Expected repair costs if the car is damaged
- The performance, safety and security of the car
- The driver’s address and how busy the streets in the neighbourhood are
- Who drives the car (any additional driver on the policy)
- The driver's record of accidents and claims (number of injuries, No Claim Bonus etc.)
- Insurance taxes.
Good to know
The higher risk you represent, the more expensive your policy will be.
Is there any promo codes or discounts available at Dial Direct?
There is no specific discount apart from the No-Claim Bonus available at Dial Direct Insurance.
If you want to get a cheaper car insurance policy, another good way to do so is to never auto renew and always compare car insurance quotes.
Save more on your car insurance checking out our 13 tops tips to cut your insurance premiums!
Dial Direct car insurance policy summarized
Guarantees
| At Dial Direct | |
|---|---|
| NCB benefit | Yes |
| Uninsured driver NCB benefit | Yes |
| Loss or theft of keys | Excess- £100 Limit- £500 |
| Personal belongings | £150 |
| Audio equipment | Excess- £100 or more |
| Medical expenses | £200 |
| Liability limit for property damage | Not stated |
| Legal expense | £100,000 |
| Courtesy car benefit | As standard |
| Courtesy car cover | Duration of repair of your car. |
| Coverage abroad | 30 days to 60 days |
Excess
| At Dial Direct | |
|---|---|
| Fire excess | Excess- £100 or more Limit- £150 for personal belongings |
| Theft excess | Excess- £100 or more Limit- £150 for personal belongings |
| Accidental damage excess | Not stated |
| Windscreen replacement excess | Excess- £75 Limit- Unlimited when using approved repairer, £150 limit if using unapproved repairer. |
| Young driver excess | £400 |
Admin fees
| At Dial Direct | |
|---|---|
| Interest charged by payment installments | Not Stated |
| Renewal fees | £0 |
| Cancellation fees | Cancellation fees during cooling off period : £38 |
| Modification fees | Mid-Term Adjustment fee: £21 |
Other car insurance policies available at Dial Direct
Dial Direct short term cover
Dial Direct Insurance offers temporary car cover through their sister company, Jaunt.
Jaunt offers temporary car insurance for as little as an hour and as much as 30 days. Their cover is available for cars, vans and motorhomes and the application process is pretty quick and effortless. It is also important to mention that is a comprehensive level of cover.
Dial Direct business car insurance
Dial Direct Insurance has not stated anywhere if you could use your vehicle for business use. We would advise you to contact them directly and enquire about this before taking out an insurance policy with them if you’re looking to use your vehicle to go to and from work or for business purposes.
Dial Direct van insurance
Dial Direct Insurance offers Van Insurance across all the 3 main levels of cover: Comprehensive, Fire, Theft & Third Party and Third Party Only.
The following benefits are available as standards across all the levels of cover:
- Up to 30 days of travel within the EU. Level of cover is the same as the one you have in the UK
- Up to £100,000 to cover for legal costs and expenses when pursuing for compensation after an incident that wasn’t your fault
- RAC Breakdown cover
In addition to the main level of cover you can also opt for any of the following optional extras:
- Key Care Cover
- Guaranteed Replacement Vehicle
- Personal Accident Cover
- Tools and Van’s Contents Cover.
How to contact Dial Direct auto insurance?
Dial Direct phone numbers
You will find all important phone numbers to contact Dial Direct car insurance:
| Contact number | Opening hours | |
|---|---|---|
Customer Service | 0344 412 2137 | Monday to Friday: 8am to 9pm |
Claims | 0344 412 2142 | Available 24/7 |
RAC Breakdown | 0330 332 8471 | Available 24/7 |
Windscreen Claims | 0330 018 3243 | Available 24/7 |
Van Customer Service | 0344 412 2135 | Monday to Friday: 8am to 9pm |
Van RAC Breakdown | 0330 332 8471 | Available 24/7 |
Dial Direct other contact details
You'll find below Dial Direct main contact details:
| Contact details of Dial Direct | |
|---|---|
| Email address | |
| Customer account with Dial Direct login | |
| Social media | no |
| Chatbot | No |
You can also contact them by mail by writing to Dial Direct car insurance:
Dial Direct Insurance,
Pegasus House,
Bakewell Road,
Orton Southgate,
Peterborough, PE2 6YS
How to claim at Dial Direct?
You can make a claim by calling the claims department at Dial Direct.
| Service | Car claim |
|---|---|
| Claim by phone | 0344 412 2142 |
How to cancel your car insurance at Dial Direct?
You can always cancel your car insurance policy at any time. However, some fees may apply especially if you cancel it after the 14 cooling-off period after your contract's anniversary date.
Since car insurance is a legal requirement, Dial Direct as well as other insurers will renew your policy automatically at the end of the policy period without any notification from your side. However, Dial Direct has the obligation to send you a renewal notice within 7 to 21 days before your contract comes to an end. You will therefore have 14 days - the cooling off period - to cancel your policy at reduced cancellation fees.
For the same reason, if you cancel your car insurance policy, you must sign up to a new one immediately. Find out more on car insurance legal requirement.
You would need to have various documents ready such as:
- your policy number (right hand corner of your documents);
- your bank details; and
- your payment method in case there are cancellation fees.
Dial Direct could also refuse to cover your car any longer if you don't pay for your premiums within the time allocated, or if they find out that you omitted important information that was required by the company such as your driving experience or you if have committed a fraud of any kind. This act is known as ‘fronting’.
