The Direct Line logo

Direct Line offices in Croydon

Direct Line is a division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services over the phone and internet.

There are divisions of Direct Line in Italy and Spain (Línea Directa in Spain).

It was the first telephone insurer in the UK when launched in 1985 by founder Peter Wood, and soon became the UK's largest provider of motor vehicle insurance. Its head office is located in Croydon, but the company also has offices in Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester. Overseas, the division has expanded into Spain, Germany, and Italy.

Direct Line is particularly known in the UK for its distinctive logo, a red telephone on wheels, which is used extensively in advertising, although recently, this has been accompanied by a mouse to reflect changes in purchasing habits through the internet. In a 2009 advert, the phone and mouse appeared together, Stephen Fry provided the voice of the phone and Paul Merton did the voice work of the mouse.

Directline was effectively nationalised alongside RBS in November 2008 during the banking crisis, due to the financial crisis, and RBS's dependency on UK taxpayers money.

[edit] Products, facts and figures

Products include home insurance, home emergency cover, pet insurance, travel insurance; as well as a range of financial products under the DLFS umbrella.

Direct Line also runs a roadside recovery service, which operates under the name of Green Flag. Green Flag is the third largest vehicle accident and breakdown company in the UK. Green Flag's head office is at Pudsey in Leeds. It operates a 24-hour call centre for vehicles in distress. In 2005, Green Flag took its ten millionth call.

The company in 2007 started to promote SME business insurance products, aimed at companies with 1-9 employees throughout the UK ranging from tradesmen to shops as well as offices.

[edit] External links

• directline.com
• Company history