Direct Line is a United Kingdom insurance company based in Bromley, London. Founded in 1984, as the country's first direct car insurance company, it has since expanded to offer a range of general insurance products. Its policies are underwritten by the regulated subsidiary U K Insurance Limited, and it is owned by the Direct Line Group.
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Company history
Founded in Croydon by Martin Long and Peter Wood with £20 million from the Royal Bank of Scotland, Direct Line sold its first motor insurance policy in 1985. It was the first UK insurance company to underwrite using computers and sell insurance directly by telephone, thus removing the need for a broker and reducing costs. The company was also the first UK insurer to open its office in the evenings and weekends, and the first to offer a 24-hour help line. In 1988 it started to sell home insurance. Direct Line is renowned for having transformed financial services in the UK.
The company grew by advertising in the national press, TV and marketing to RBS customers. It launched a long-standing mascot of a red telephone on wheels in 1990, which rapidly established high levels of recall among consumers. In 2015 the brand worked with Saatchi and Saatchi to relaunch its advertising using Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel as Mr Fixer The company had one million customers after eight years.
The company expanded with a series of new offshoots in the 1990s. In 1995, a Spanish offshoot, Linea Direct, started offering motor insurance in Spain. They expanded into travel insurance in 1996, pet insurance in 1997, and Direct Line Breakdown started offering breakdown insurance in 1998. Their non-general insurance products umbrella Direct Line Financial services launched their first non-insurance product Direct Line Personal Loan in 1993, the following year they started to offer mortgages, in 1995 Direct Line Life started offering life assurance, in 1996 they launched savings accounts and a PEP unit trust, and in 1998 the company started to offer pensions. The company's first website, directline.com, was launched in 1999. The innovations extended into the 2000s with the launch of the UK's first online claims registration and tracking facility for its motor insurance customers in 2001, and Home Response 24 emergency insurance launching in 2003.
Direct Line was bought by RBS Insurance, a subsidiary of RBS Group, in 2003. Royal Bank of Scotland was forced to sell Direct Line as a result of European regulations that prevent companies receiving state aid. Direct Line floated on the London Stock Market in October 2012. The Direct Line Group owns a number of brands including Churchill Insurance, Privilege and Green Flag. The company made a number of tough financial decisions in the early 2010s, including abandoning some lines of business, making redundancies, and closing 14 of their 27 UK offices.
Maps Direct Line
Controversy
In January 2012, Direct Line, along with sister company Churchill Insurance, was fined £2.17m by the FSA, after being found guilty of altering complaints files.
Awards
Direct Line has won a number of awards including:
- The Financial Services Forum Awards 2016: Advertising; Customer Experience; Customer Loyalty and Retention, Judges' Special Award for Marketing Excellence.
- YourMoney.com Awards 2016: Direct winners - Best Direct Car Insurance Provider
- Your Money Awards 2015: Direct winners - Best Direct Car Insurance Provider
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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