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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.67 (903 reviews)

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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

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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 (903)

Review of the 1st Central, Car insurance:

Shambles!

My insurance increased from £780 to £1080 after another year of no claims. Obviously, I then wanted to cancel my policy. I spoke to the online chat where I cancelled my policy and I received a confirmation email for this. £1080 was then taken from my account a few days later suggesting my policy was being renewed, even though I confirmed I was not renewing a few days prior! Having spoken to customer services, it will take up to 10 working days to get this money back. Absolutely shambolic. I will never use this company again and I will ensure all close family and friends do not use 1st central either. Disgusting. Reviewed on: 1st June 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Tyler, 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: 2nd June 2025

If it was possible to give no stars I would

Absolutely shocking company,I was happy to cancel my policy at a cost of £80 after 3 weeks..Customer service is possibly the worst and rudest I have ever come across,and having ensured the cancellation payment had been taken from my bank account, the extremely rude lady processed to put the phone down.This company will more than likely come out the cheapest on various comparison sites, but for your own sanity and peace of mind DO NOT GO WITH THEM . Reviewed on: 27th June 2023

Not helpful in the event of an accident

this company is good only if there is nothing happens. I had an accident on 11th June and they took my car to investigate the damage on 13th June. It is 27st June, and they are saying it will take FEW MORE DAYS to make any progress. They have written off my car just because of a damaged bumper. No courtesy car, no help, no updates. very disappointed, will never go back to this useless company. they never call to update about the progress. I am tired of calling them to know what is happening with my claim. policy ref: FPM6016208734FC Reviewed on: 27th June 2023

Cheap for a reason

So like most people, I used a price comparison site and 1st central were the cheapest for the cover I wanted. No issues at all for years when your paying and make no claims then this year I had a bump, took around a month for them to book my car into a garage, then weeks for them to give the go ahead on repairs and no courtesy car provided even though I'm covered. No updates I've had to constantly chase things up and they keep palming me off saying someone is dealing with it and will call back and I've not had 1 person call me back. The garage blame the insurance company and vice versa. I honestly wouldn't recommend this company to anybody it almost been a month without a car Reviewed on: 22nd June 2023

Rip off insurer

If I could give zero stars I would. Be careful even the smallest incorrrect detail will have them asking for a considerable amount of money. Owned car since 2017, go to insure it in 2023 as moneysupermarket had the date of ownership as 2016 they wanted to increase policy by 25%. Feels like they are ripping off customers. Paid the cancellation fee which was not much less than they wanted rather than be insured by this cowboy outfit Reviewed on: 22nd June 2023

Car insurance repairs

Got hit by a client with 1st central had nothing but hassle with them never answer emails no contact when requested information told will send nothing happens took over 4 and a half months to get the repair done Reviewed on: 21st June 2023

Avoid- feels like they are trying to scam customers

Bought insurance for car in May, got an email to send licence documents Docs were sent no issue Got a letter to say because the dates provided were wrong that there would be an increase of £137 At no point does 1st central ask you to input the dates and the customer advisor I spoke to Said it was because this was the dates I input into confused.com Very unhelpful and unsympathetic staff on phone which would make me believe they are getting the same type of calls over and over. AVOID 1ST CENTRAL AT ALL COST I cancelled my policy on the spot as was getting no where and took a finical hit rather than to pay the additional amount Reviewed on: 16th June 2023

Quick to take money don't follow up compromises when you claim

No follow up or feedback on progress of claim you have to do all the follow up Reviewed on: 16th June 2023

Can't even get the car model correct

Absolutely useless wrong car model on quote almost like it's purposely done for extra money as the only thing wrong was hp 60 more than my vehicle actually has but yet its correct anywhere else I have checked Reviewed on: 12th June 2023

The worst company

I had been messed about so many times with them. I Couldn't even access my account most of the time. They overcharge for everything, especially policy changes, which I have had to make because of their f**k ups, which even led to legal matters. I never write reviews but I have to WARN YOU NOT TO CHOOSE 1STCENTRAL.!! Reviewed on: 11th June 2023

Rip off

1st central charged me £350 for amending my employment status. I renew my policy after two years with them but as I was on maternity leave and didn't return to work I changed my mileage per year when I was renewing. Unfortunately I omitted to also change my work status from employed to unemployed. I got an email to call 1st central to verify some details. Woman on the phone was wondering why my mileage changed so much as it went down from 11000 to 4000 I told her I'm not traveling to London every day which is around 70miles a day and now I'm at home after the maternity leave and didn't go back to work. She said I forgot to amend it in my new policy and said she will change it. When she asked me how I want to pay the £350 cost for changing this detail that she made I actually had to ask her three times what she wants from me as I couldn't believe that cost! I cancelled insurance with 1st central on the spot over the phone. Avoid avoid! Reviewed on: 8th June 2023

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