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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.66 (947 reviews)

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1.51

Based on 947 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Jan 2026

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

31% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Good and not too expensive Was looking for good value car insurance and found this one. Not too expensive and so far can’t say anything bad. Very easy to sign up. Reviewed on: 5th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Bait-and-switch insurer Feels like a scam – stay away Quoted one price, then after the policy started 1st Central changed things retrospectively, increased the premium and a... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd January 2026

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About this product

With 1st Central, you can insure a single car or opt for a multicar policy. There’s also a telematics policy.

As standard, you get up to 90 days free cover when driving in Europe. There are five policies to choose from giving different levels of cover: ValueOnline, Online, LegalOnline, PlusOnline and PremierOnline.

1st Central car insurance reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used 1st Central before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

1st Central Car insurance reviews (947)

Review of the 1st Central, Car insurance:

Great customer service!

Easy to navigate website, friendly staff & competitive prices Reviewed on: 6th July 2019

The Worst Insurance Company, Awful, Greedy, Deceitful,

Why do 1st Central do their so called checks after the cooling off period. I would have cancelled immediately. I purchased this insurance via a comparison site and forgot to update that I am now retired, and to update this info , I am being fined £338.74. This is extortionate, and they have my card details which I will not be authorising. These people are greedy and are not cheap at all. If I had seen these reviews, I would not have purchased. I WILL SPREAD THE WORD: DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR THESE PEOPLE. I could have rated a negative number if possible. Why so many bad reviews, there must be a problem. I am so angry that I will review these people everywhere!!! Reviewed on: 30th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi J U, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with us. All details on the policy impact the price of the policy we offer, if details are found to be incorrect we need to update them and this can impact the price of the policy. If you’d like us to look into this further for you, please give us a call on 0333 043 2095. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 9am to 5pm. Ashley Response date: 2nd September 2024

I found joining them easy.

I found joining them easy. answered the phones quickly and helped me purchase insurance swiftly Reviewed on: 28th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Katy, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 2nd September 2024

I was mis-sold a change to my policy, having answere...

I was mis-sold a change to my policy, having answered their questions the way their system had them setup. Then told it was non-refundable and non-changeable, even though i had just made a change. As soon as i can i will be cancelling my policy and finding another insurer. I say as soon as i can because they tell me my policy is currently "locked". I've made no claims, just tried to add a driver through their website. Heaven help anyone who actually needs to make a claim. Reviewed on: 26th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Nige, Thank you for your feedback and we're sorry that the set-up of your adjustment hasn't been as smooth as we'd have hoped. If there's anything you'd like us to look into with regards to your policy please contact us by sending an email to [email protected]. Please remember to include your policy number, claims reference number, email, name, DOB and details of what's gone wrong and we'll do our best to put it right. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

good price & cover service and contact with me good...

good price & cover service and contact with me good would recommend Reviewed on: 25th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Barry, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

Very straight forward switch from a more expensive r...

Very straight forward switch from a more expensive renewal Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi G, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

Simple insurance, managed online.

Simple insurance, managed online. Competitive prices. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Leanne, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

Excellent value with no hidden costs

I have had a few policies with 1st central and they have always stood out. They have great communication and regular updates without being overbearing. The policy portals are easy to use with quick access to all documents associated with the policy. With excellent value for money and no hidden extras. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Tillytot, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

Hassle to begin with but stuck with them!

When creating a quote, I accidentally wrote the wrong date in a box and my goodness, it kicked off a chain of events where I had to provide bits of paperwork I’ve never had to provide to any insurance companies before (I’ve been driving for 16 years). So trying to start the insurance was a lot of hassle. HOWEVER I’ve had to change parts of my policy throughout the year e.g. adding on my husband, changing car and it is very simple and straightforward on the app! A competitive quote again this year so I am staying with them. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Francesca, Thank you for your review and for choosing 1st Central this year for your car insurance. Ashley Response date: 27th August 2024

Best car insurance company

Going to be my second year with 1st central, and I am very happy with the Company. It is the best one out there, I would recommend one million time of her to everyone Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi es, Thank you for renewing with us. We’re happy to have you on-board for another year Response date: 27th August 2024

Wish we had read all the bad reviews on here for the...

Wish we had read all the bad reviews on here for the company, before we took a policy out for my son ,customer service staff not helpful, some were rude put the phone down on us ,cost us 135.00 pounds to cancel a policy we only used for a month, but that's a small price to pay ,better companies about, would not recommend this company to anyone Reviewed on: 17th August 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Ma w, We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service and training for our agents. Ashley Response date: 20th August 2024

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