Write a review

1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.67 (903 reviews)

View other 1st Central products

1.51

Based on 903 reviews, last reviewed 17th Jun 2025

400% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

17% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Found you online,needed a cheap quote,you certainly... Found you online,needed a cheap quote,you certainly provided it.Thank you Reviewed on: 3rd June 2025

Verified source

Latest lowest rating:

1

It feels dishonest and manipulative!! Avoid them!! I initially received a quote over the phone, which I agreed to, and even got a confirmation email with the agreed amount. Later, I received another em... Read more Reviewed on: 17th June 2025

Read all reviews Write a review

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.

Review 1st Central: Car insurance now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

1st Central Car insurance reviews (903)

Worst service ever

After reading all the comments, I now regret that why I chose this insurance, had the worst experience so far ! Not helpful at all ! They are scammers . Very rude staff and no customer service at all. They don’t even know what they are doing, whenever I call they just pass my call everyone to atleast 10 of their dept and ask for the security check atleast 10x which irritates me, had an accident last month and still haven’t received any valuation for my car, which was a write off as per their So called TECHNICIAN says, on top they cancelled my insurance and didn’t even refund me any money, as per their saying’The car was imported’ and that’s the reason they cancelled my insurance. Be careful! Don’t get scammed by them. Reviewed on: 28th July 2023

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY

DO NO USE THIS CON COMPANY This company will try every trick in the book to con money out of you. I paid in full for my car policy, I then got a call to ask me my exact mileage for the coming year, and then asked my exact mileage to my work, as this didn't exactly match my estimated mileage they said I had to pay a fee to change the policy, along with an admin fee! I was then asked my exact NCB years, I said your website only allows me to choose 9+, they said as I couldn't give them an exact number there will be another fee, this totalled £141 or my policy is cancelled. They have a scam going to call people after their policy is paid and demand the impossible so they can charge unreasonable fees. I have a claim with the financial Ombudsman now. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. FPM6017572054FC Reviewed on: 27th July 2023

Scammers!!! Do not use

My insurance was due for renewal, the new quote that was sent through was over £400 more. Rang this company to question why it had increased so much and 4 claims had been lmade on my policy (apparently by me) that were false. One member of staff had a different story of the incident to the next. One member of staff stated I reversed into a busy road, causing a car to swerve into a ditch. Another claimed I reversed and hit into a fence, causing damage to the paint of my wing mirror. When I queried where these claims were made from, they stated they came from my phone number, and using all my details. These ‘accidents’ never happened and this then affecting my no claims discount. The staff were incredibly unhelpful and the mismatch of stories seemed very suspicious. One member of staff escalated this further and stated she was going to get ‘fraud’ investigators involved, although I am yet to hear anything back days later. Another rang me following this and stated there was a ‘system error’ and all claims were wiped from my account. I cancelled immediately!! Please do not use this company, or check regularly that no claims are being made on your account without you knowing!! Reviewed on: 26th July 2023

CRAP CLAIMS DEPARTMENT

WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST, ie A CLAIM, THEY ARE HOPELESS. YOU ASK THEM FOR INFORMATION, WHICH YOU NEVER GET. THEY JUST SEND OUT THE SAME EMAIL ABOUT EVERY THREE WEEKS AND CAN BE THREATENING...... STAY CLEAR Reviewed on: 24th July 2023

Dont go anywhere near this company

They give you a nice low quote to start with, then after about a month they email you to ask you to Contact them regarding a query with your insurance. For instance my wife put marketing Assistant instead of marketing co-ordinator on her insurance. When we rang, they informed us there would be no difference in overall annual price but to amend the insurance would be £120. Asking them to explain the difference in job roles they said a co-ordinator is in charge of people, my wife is in charge of nobody, but they would have none of as she had already confirmed her job role was actually marketing co-ordinator not assistant over the phone and reminded over and over that it was recorded. Then was told the job role effects the outcome of a quote and was told that we deliberately put in assistant as THEY told us we had searched other websites with co-ordinator and seen they where more expensive and deliberately changed it to Assistsnt to get it cheaper with them, (even though they have already mentioned that the annual price wouldnt change) They are just extorting money out of people over and over if you look at reviews (which aren't trustpilot) Reviewed on: 24th July 2023

Scammers

If you don't what problems just choose another company. I am shocked by what a tribute I got into working with them... They are blaming me for false claim that I didn't make, demand paying them a lot of money , threatening me with debt collection agencies and on top of this my 5 years no claim bonus is wasted... Reviewed on: 23rd July 2023

Avoid !!!!

Illegal money extortion practices, lack of communication between departments, employee incompetence, dishonesty ... I could go on and on. My policy has been illegally terminated twice just because the system information was not properly updated. First and last time I used this company. Absolute scandal and I will report it to the unit above them which is The FCA authority. Reviewed on: 18th July 2023

Scam company.DO NOT insure anything with them

Scam company.DO NOT insure anything with them If i could put ZERO.i would.DO NOT insure your car with these people, they will put you in debt!!!!!!!! This company and its highly untrained staff should be banned from operating as an insurance company. I get passed pillar to post to people who have no clue what they are doing. They decided to not pay out an accident as 1 person decided to lie that i use my car out of the terms - i have yet to hear any proof or recording justifying what they claim. Funny thing is , i had insurance for 6 months after the accident and even got renewed half way through!!!! so how have you put as voided ???? because you don't want to pay?!!?!?!?!? I am left with a £5,000 bill for the other driver involved! with 7 days to pay and after calling EVERYDAY and filing and complaint and requesting investigation - almost 2 weeks later and NOTHING. do you now why? because the racist ,rude unprofessional ,claims handler made it up and now they cant justify as to why this has happened. You have put me in financial difficulty because of your lazy liar team. you know whats the worst thing is, i would have been unaware completely as i received NO correspondance from them. NOTHING, not even online. i only found out when the other cars insurance sent me a bill. I will be going to the papers the media and any source to uncover the truth of your shoddy company.Happy to take peoples money but not to follow your own procedures. I know i cannot be the only one and i will make sure i round up all who have been done wrong by your company and bring you down. Date of experience: 03 July 2023 Reviewed on: 17th July 2023

Easy to use and no fuss

Really straight forward to use services and good communications. Great price, will continue to use if the price is good. Reviewed on: 17th July 2023

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

There isn't enough space to write the absolute farce we've had to go through with this absolute outfit of clowns. From call handlers, right up to senior management they're all completely inept at their job. Trading Standards, The Financial Ombudsman AND Watchdog have all been informed about 1st Central. Next, Main stream media and the national press! Reviewed on: 15th July 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 Carrot Insurance 1.40 from 46 reviews
Breakdown Cover
from Tesco Bank 2.51 from 10 reviews
Car insurance
from Direct Line 3.62 from 354 reviews

Want to see more from 1st Central?

Breakdown cover
from 1st Central 4.47 from 16 reviews
Personal accident
from 1st Central 2.00 from 5 reviews
Home insurance
from 1st Central 0.00 from 0 reviews

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