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1st Central: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 1.68 (857 reviews)

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1.52

Based on 857 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Jan 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

24% 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

Will increase policy Started my policy they then asked me for more information I provided said information they then hit me with an increase and an admin fee which resulte... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd January 2025

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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 (857)

Review of the 1st Central, Car Insurance:

BEWARE!! Ludicrous charges! THEY DO NOT CARE!!

Took out insurance and over a week later they asked for proof of NCB and proof of claims. Asked my last insurance provider for this. When I didn’t get them in time they charged £175. I had told them I had contacted twice to get these documents. I decided to cancel after nearly 4 weeks and for this I was charged £156, minus my first payment, despite their website saying it’s a £10 cancellation fee after 14 days!! Very impersonal service and completely ridiculous charges!! Felt as though they grabbed me with a cheap quote and then added on extras to make money. My monthly payment went from £37 to £55!! Felt like dealing with robots whose job is to add money on excessively!! Wish I’d read these reviews first!! Reviewed on: 29th November 2024

Reply from 1st Central Hi Katharine, 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 to speak to the team about this process, please give us a call on 0333 043 2095. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 9am to 5pm. Ashley Response date: 2nd December 2024

Be very careful with dealing with this company

Be very careful with this company, they do not ask you if you want to auto renew, the opt you in without asking your permission. With my case a third party paid for my insurance as a gift and they auto renewed from their account without their permission, even though I didn't want their insurance. I explained this to them and they made it extremely difficult to receive a refund. So much so i had to register a complaint, their complaint handling times are 8 weeks for a response and this left the third party without the funds for a long period of time. Their response was lack luster and careless of somebody's situation. I would not recommend this company even of they are the cheapest provider you can find. They are cheap for a reason, specifically their poor service . Try the next insurer in the list, you will not regret it. Reviewed on: 10th May 2023

Waste of time - Misleading - over 80s BEWARE!!

Spent 2 days looking for a car policy for my 85 year old mother. 1st Central were the cheapest on ALL the comparison sites. Her DOB was entered as 1938 from the very first search. Only when we went to pay did a note come up to say that as she is over 85 years old they will not insure her. I called and they were unable to confirm that. There was nothing on their website about NOT insuring people over 80. Abysmal. Misleading. WILL NOT GIVE THEM MY HARD EARNED MONEY IN FUTURE Reviewed on: 10th May 2023

AVOID AVOID AVOID

AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID What a terrible company! As close to a scam as it can legally be! As already mentioned by other customers they will lure you in with a lowish premium to then find ways of increasing it, with £50's here and there for admin etc to bump up the cost. They have pleasant speaking personal but are ruthless in trying to catch you out to have you pay more for what you don't need. They inform you that they can not help you with your decision! Not at all customer friendly. I will not use again! Reviewed on: 9th May 2023

Worst insurance company

Cancelled my policy due to not paying £200+ fee for changing my millage a year, which I am not doing the millage they put down. Didn’t even ask to analyse and start charging me extra £50 fees for things I weren’t aware of. Awful company don’t use! Reviewed on: 9th May 2023

Awful service

Amended my policy with my new car details... for some reason this created a 2nd policy which I should never of had. Called them to sort, 1st advisor was very rude and patronising after going round the houses I didn't have it in me anymore to argue, she had agreed to waiver the £50 cancellation fee (as I'm still their customer) and would only need to pay £48 still don't feel that's fair but I'd had enough by this point. Told her to just waiver it and I'll pay the £48 ended the call cause I just couldn't deal with her, went to log on to make the payment and it's still showing as £98 a 2nd call to another person who was slightly more helpful explained the whole situation again, and again agreed to just pay the £48 to get this dealt with only to be told no you have to pay the full £98... she checked with her manager (who was to busy replying to emails to speak to me directly) who said no... when I told them to listen to the call the advisor went away and came back after some time and agreed they would waiver it but they can't get it amended as the accounts team had left and aren't back till Tuesday... I've left it with them to call me so I can make the payment of £48 just to get this sorted, but feeling robbed right now and I'm stuck with them for another 12 months as the 2nd policy only went live last week... awful customer service, rude and patronising advisors would definitely not recommend them. Reviewed on: 5th May 2023

Premium over DOUBLED!!!!

WOW from £300 to over £700!! No claim, no change of anything and BOOM shot up!! NEVER AGAIN 1st Central!! Message for Michael Lee, your company is an utter disgrace!!!! Reviewed on: 3rd May 2023

Rip off merchants

Take 2 months of payments then send you a deadline (in 4 days time over a weekend) for more documentation, in the email it says you get 5 working days. Surprise surprise you can get the documents off old insurance in time over a weekend and they charge you £50, despite in the email saying you get 5 worming days and giving you a 4 day deadline over a weekend. Frankly laughable. Stay away. Similar experience 10 years ago, stupidly thought they had changed. Reviewed on: 3rd May 2023

Avoid them

Unfortunately I had accident with my fault. After that i call them and send all the pictures of cars involved in accident. They cancelled my policy from the beginning. Reason... your exhaust is not original. Was standard with catalysis system. I ask lawyer and they just ask what company. 1 central insurance. We now them very well they do that for many people. It's a scam insurance. Reviewed on: 1st May 2023

DONT LET THEM RIP YOU OFF

Accepted my policy took my large deposit then cancelled it saying information was missing and they can’t insure if we have it any way so we want a large cancellation fee Well guess what your not getting it you are a disgrace LEAGALISED FRAUD Reviewed on: 29th April 2023

Shambles of a company STAY AWAY

Absolute shambles of a company do not use them stay away maybe cheap to start pff but lack of communication and awful to deal with when you have a claim Reviewed on: 26th April 2023

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