Write a review

1st Central: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 1.68 (866 reviews)

View other 1st Central products

1.49

Based on 866 reviews, last reviewed 16th Feb 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

14% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Very good quote on car insurance, and recommended on... Very good quote on car insurance, and recommended on go compare site Reviewed on: 25th September 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

I changed the address to another one 200 yards away... I changed the address to another one 200 yards away from the first one. They wrote that they would pay me 17 pence extra. But my renewal went up from ... Read more Reviewed on: 16th February 2025

Read all reviews See your review

About this product

Here at Smart Money People, we collect 1st Central car insurance reviews from genuine customers, to help you make an informed decision about your next provider.

1st Central was founded in 2008 and has been growing fast ever since. Specialising in car insurance, the brand offers a variety of products with different levels of cover, including a telematics policy for newer drivers.

When choosing a new policy, take the time to ensure it is suitably robust and meets all of your needs. Do you want breakdown cover included in the policy? Do you need legal cover? What about cover for any medical expenses that may occur after an accident? Working out your priorities before searching for a policy can make the selection process much easier. Check out our 1st Central car insurance reviews to find out what others think.

Have you had a car insurance policy with 1st Central? Whether good or bad, share your experience with the Smart Money People community to help us increase trust and transparency in financial services. Were you satisfied with the price of the premium? Did you have any interactions with the customer service team? Leave a 1st Central car insurance review today to help other drivers just like you.

1st Central Car Insurance reviews (866)

Review of the 1st Central, Car Insurance:

the duplicate your policy by accident.

the duplicate your policy by accident....I did get a refund for this but it was a headache.... I called them when i got a new car to cancel and go with someone else and they didn't do it so months later I had to ring them up again where they required email proof I was with someone else.....then said they have to wait to get that email cause the person on the phone couldnt see emails....will not be going with them again. Reviewed on: 20th January 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Tzice, 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. Ashley Response date: 21st January 2025

Great broker, decent price.

They are a great company to deal with. Easy options of phone or online chat. A modern insurance company for this day and age. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2023

Affordable and quick

Cheap easy to complete all online great value for the cover and saved me hundreds of pounds year on year to insure my car Reviewed on: 23rd August 2023

good price

good price , all easy to use, another year Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

Great value and hassle free

They offer great value for money and it was so easy to set up. It is also super easy to make adjustments online should you need to Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

Good. Not needed to use them but big hike in renewal premium

Not needed to use this insurance company. I was with them for 1 year. The renewal premium was double what I was paying. I know recent inflation and expenses hike etc but it was still very expensive. I contacted them and they were unable to match price other providers. Renewal cancelled. Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

They're running a late-payment scam

They failed to take payment, then waited 24 hours to inform me just so they could add a late payment fee. Obviously they blamed the bank for not being able to take it, even though there was absolutely no reason why not. I rang them up to pay within minutes of receiving this notification, but of course, they'd delayed to inform me so they could add £15 to my payment. A reputable company would have apologised and waived the late payment fee on the spot. Well, a reputable company wouldn't add a late payment fee until after you've been informed, but then the scam wouldn't work. The 'customer service' agent couldn't confirm if they would run this scam every month, obviously, but instead advised me I should ring them on the day it was due every month to make sure they took it to avoid getting a late payment fee, otherwise they'd delay contacting me every month which would ensure the fee was added. I'd never heard of them when I insured with them, but gave them a chance since I only needed third party insurance on a little run-around. I was very wrong to do so, but you can avoid making the same mistake. Stick with a reputable insurer who has a track record. Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

A 75% premium increase for year two! Extortionate doesn't cut it.

Auto renewal process kicked in and my premium went from £24 to £42 per month! No claims (EVER in my life), no alterations, nothing. Exactly the same circumstances led to 1st Central hicking my premium up by 75%! Then they charged me £55 for the privilege of canceling. Grab yourself a first-year deal, make sure auto-renew is OFF, then leave after a year. This is the second car 1st Central have done this on. No interest in retaining customers or nurturing loyalty whatsoever. Pile it high and sell it cheap in year one. Pull your pants down and hope you don't notice the draught in year two! Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

Cancelling policy for fake reason

Cancelling my policy for not recording trips even tho I record trips daily , scam of a company avoid at all costs Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

AVOID - Unfair telematics cancellation

Woke up to an email from 1st Central to say our telematics policy is being cancelled due to unrecorded trips being made, which we categorically refute. The trips in question have been accurately recorded via the mobile app, and there is clearly a data collection fault. You’d think 1st Central would give us a courtesy call to check if the sensor is working properly and gather more information before abruptly cancelling the policy, but no. Despite providing evidence that the trips in question have been properly recorded on our end, 1st Central is proceeding with the cancellation, which will impact the cost of our future insurance policies massively. We have raised a formal complaint, and if we don't reach an adequate solution, we will contact the financial ombudsman. A quick Google search will reveal similar issues with other 1st Central telematics users. I know the company has a bad reputation overall, but the telematics department is particularly unprofessional. Would recommend avoiding them completely. Reviewed on: 22nd August 2023

Let down

Purchased insurance with a one off payment of 240 pound which includes Rac cover happy with policy then the harassment started .Wanted proof of no claims for me and my wife and proof of non fault accident I was constantly bombarded with texts and e mails from this company even though I asked them to wait for my previous insurance to send details I eventually downloaded all relevant details and was told not good enough all though it was stated non fault accident by this pointI am passed right off and cancelled the policy as I could not take another week of harassment, subsequently lost 160 pounds including my rac membership this company is a joke and I would recommend every one steers well clear of this bunch of incompetent individuals Reviewed on: 21st August 2023

Do you have a different 1st Central product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Alternative products

Car Insurance
from Sheilas Wheels 2.23 from 182 reviews
Motorbike Insurance
from Devitt Insurance 1.80 from 10 reviews
Caravan Insurance
from Ripe Insurance 4.92 from 5028 reviews

There's still more to see!

1st Central has a range of products available. Check the ratings of each product to find the right one for you. View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub