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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.72 (961 reviews)

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1.72

Based on 961 reviews, last reviewed 26th May 2026

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

50% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

11%

80%

Latest highest rating:

5

Just started my third year of car insurance cover wi... Just started my third year of car insurance cover with 1st Central. Good value for money, helpful customer service, clearly laid out website and easy ... Read more Reviewed on: 17th April 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

Honeslty worst insurance company ever over charging... Honeslty worst insurance company ever over charging me on a vehicle that’s is not in use refusing to swap my policy to another car that is in use with... Read more Reviewed on: 26th May 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.

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1st Central Car insurance reviews (961)

Misleading information

I requested a quote to renew my policy and accepted it over the phone. On the very last day of my cooling-off period (22/12/2025), I received an urgent message saying I needed to contact them, with no prior warning. I was told I had to pay £95 for increased mileage, despite explaining I had quit my job and my mileage had actually decreased — this was completely ignored. When I tried to cancel online, my policy was locked, and although their phone lines were open, the policy analysis team only works Monday to Friday 9–5, so I couldn’t cancel over the weekend also asked to authorise my husband to manage the cancellation as I was busy, but they refused, even though their website and portal clearly allow this — they selectively shared information that suited their interests. I ultimately cancelled my policy as a matter of principle. Overall, this experience was stressful, pressured, and had extremely poor customer service. I would not recommend this insurer due to a lack of transparency and unfair practices. Reviewed on: 24th December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Efie, Thank you for your feedback and we're sorry to hear of your policy issue. 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 (if applicable), email, name, DOB and details of what's gone wrong and we'll do our best to put it right. Clare Response date: 2nd January 2026

Bad practices to charge customers additional admin

Best price from price comparison and then 3 weeks after policy started queried some dates and wanted extra £75 Reviewed on: 22nd December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi C M, 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: 23rd December 2025

Took money out of my account but DIDN'T SET UP...

Took money out of my account but DIDN'T SET UP A POLICY Reviewed on: 16th December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Michael, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. Let’s see if we can help put this right for you. Just give our team a call on 0333 043 2066 or speak to us on web chat which can be found on our website. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Ashley Response date: 23rd December 2025

If a price is too good to be true, it probably is!

If a price is too good to be true, it probably is. I had read online of 1st central customers claiming that they had their premiums increased and charges shortly after taking out a policy but thought it would give them a try. This company uses shady tactics to add additional premium charges and admin costs. I had used a comparison site to apply for my insurance, and they ask a date of purchase of the vehicle. The comparison site only asked the month and year but if this does not match to your V5C exactly like mine did not, the premium increases and a 50 pound admin charge is added on for the privilege. This is the first time i have ever been asked for a V5C, so this should have raised red flags. Technically in their right to do so, but this is a shady underhand tactic to raise extra income. And it is very clear this happens to many of their customers. This should not matter anyway as you do not need to own a vehicle to insure it. Reviewed on: 10th December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Matt, Thank you for your feedback and we're sorry that your experience hasn't been as positive as we'd hoped. We don't change the information that you input into the Price Comparison Website, so whatever you enter into the PCW is what comes through to us. This is why we give everyone the opportunity to check and amend their details, on our website, prior to payment. All your policy details are checked through various other systems, such as the DVLA and shared insurance motor database, amongst others. If your details are found to be different to those that you put on your policy, when taking it out, we contact you by email and SMS, to check them with you. We're sorry to hear that there was an increase in your premium with the changes needed and we'll pass on your review to help improve our services. Clare Response date: 16th December 2025

1st Central won’t refund me my money

Their website crashed as I was purchasing insurance with the result being two identical policies set up and two payments taken. The issue was raised with them quickly but over a month later they still have not refunded the money and just make excuses. Reviewed on: 7th December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Ben, We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. Let’s see if we can help put this right for you. Just give our team a call on 0333 043 2088 or speak to us on web chat which can be found on our website. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Ashley Response date: 8th December 2025

AND YET ANOTHER PROBLEM..

I recently was in an accident and my car had been written off. I kept being told over the phone to just transfer my new car over to my current policy when I got one. When I got a quote online using the change the car on my policy feature the breakdown it gave me was ridiculous. They wanted me to pay for a year’s worth of insurance for the new car over 4 months which is when my policy ends as well as paying the current policy I have on my car. I used the web chat to try and talk to someone as I wasn’t understanding this breakdown when they’d been saying transfer a new car I thought it would just let me pay for the new one until the policy ran out. The person they connected me to (Sinothando) was completely useless I was talking to them for 40 mins and I just couldn’t get an answer as to why I was being charged for two policies and why I had to pay for 12 months of coverage over 4 months. They just kept telling me that there are different premiums for different cars which I was obviously aware of and that I wasn’t going to be paying for two cars but clearly I wasn’t from the breakdown. Then any time I asked about why I would have to pay for 12 months of coverage over 4 months they just would not answer the question. It was 40 mins of just going round in circles and they just wouldn’t answer my question. I looked it up online afterwards and if you make a claim you still have to pay out the policy, so I would have been having to pay the rest of my policy for my written off car and the new one. So the person I was speaking to was outright lying to me as it was completely the case that I would have to be paying premiums for two cars and yet they said multiple times that wasn’t the case. Then for the paying 12 months insurance over 4 months looks like it was just to maybe align with what they have on their system but then I would have been stuck with them for another year which I definitely didn’t want to be after the hell they have put me through the last few weeks and I would have had to have paid it in 4 months for no real reason other than to align with their system. Again the person I spoke to just wouldn’t answer this question I have no idea if they were just clueless or knew there was no real reason for this but they were awful and gave me no help. Just avoid this company they’re a nightmare to deal with and everything just feels like a lying scam with them. Reviewed on: 3rd December 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Chloe, 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 would like to look into this further for you to help resolve this, please send an email to [email protected] with your policy number a summary of your experience similar to your review and we will look into it. Ashley Response date: 8th December 2025

Rip off company! AVOID AVOID AVOID

Rip off company! Scam you into paying another £60 after paying in full for the policy to change the date the car was purchased 3 years ago as i got the dat a month wrong. A completely irrelevant detail to the cover just a scam to get more money. Funny how they only asked for the info after the 14 day cooling off period and wanted a big cancellation fee. Worst of the worst company. When questioned they didnt care Reviewed on: 26th November 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Scott, 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: 28th November 2025

After I was hit by a van and this was no fault

After I was hit by a van and this was no fault accident where other party accepted full liability, my actual nightmare started with 1st Central Car insurance. A car hire company, repair shop and 1st Central, they all made me chase these 3 separate companies repeatedly for my courtesy car and getting my accident car repaired. After 2 months when I got my car back it was very shoddy repair with water leaks coming in, lights not working and wrong car logo stuck on! I made a written complaint (they acknowledged receipt) but they have still not responded after 2 months!! Now I am escalating my complaint to Financial Ombudsman. AVOID buying car insurance from them at all costs, you will regret it. Reviewed on: 25th November 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi AS, We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. You can find our complaints details here, including a contact number - https://help.1stcentralinsurance.com/general/contact/how-do-i-complain-about-my-insurance. Ashley Response date: 26th November 2025

wankers!!

avoid at all costs you r not covered shameful service!! 7 days on no call back Reviewed on: 24th November 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Guss, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. Let’s see if we can help put this right for you. Just give our team a call on 0333 043 2066 or speak to us on web chat which can be found on our website. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Ashley Response date: 26th November 2025

AVOID AT ALL COST

They have been awful to deal with the last few months. One of the first things was that I needed to update one of them named driver's details and tried to do it online but I kept getting an 'oops something went wrong' page every time I tried to submit. I had to call up and do it over the phone and was charged a fee, I told them I wasn't able to do it online because it wasn't working, but they were still happy to charge me. I've since read a lot of reviews saying the same thing, it seems like an extremely common occurence and conveniently they get to charge fees when it happens. We also unfortunately, had to make a claim recently when we got hit in the rear by a direver who was speeing and changing lanes wihout indicatind and hit us when he was trying to sped up and squeeze behind us. We had 3 witnesses that put him at fault due to his reckless driving. We tried to call 1st central to get our car picked up from the road wherer the accident happened. I couldn't ge through to a preson the automated phone system made me click for a breakdown pick up and they asked why I clicked it and I clicked the accident option and it kept taking me back the the breakdown options and just kept me in a loop between the two. We had to call someone else in the end. They were completley USELESS at even try to contact for a service they offer. Then for the claim they put us fully liable despit the fact we had witnesses and the third party was driving recklessly as caught on a dash cam. The best part was when the claim agent called me to say we were going to be fully liable and even said themselves that they could see the the third party was speeding and changing lanes illegally an that they know we have 3 witnesses who say the same thing and he had none but we were still going to be put at fault. They also looked at our case for about day before decing this no back and forth with the thrid party insurance company. They didn't even try for joint liability, which definitley would have been possible give how the third party was driving and we had 3 epople to back it up and they SAID THEMSELVES that he was driving dangeously. There was also a clear reluctance to go to court, ehich is very convenient since legal fees are covered in my policy. They clearly just didn't want to actualy have to put the time or money into fighting the case, but what is the point of having legal feed covered in a policy to then never bother fighting for your customers. I was essentially paying for somehting they clearly had no intention of paying for. I wish I had read the reviews before using this company as I've read so many reviews where people have been in the same situation as us. They've had evidence and the company has just settled almost immeadiately and showing signs of ebing reluctant to go to court. Never use this company they have loads of hidden fees and they WILL NOT FIGHT FOR YOU even if the evidence is stacked against the third party. They are completley USELESS if you have an accident. I have been telling everyone I know not to use them and I will continue to do so, they are scammers. I will not be renewing my policy and I will never use them again. Reviewed on: 23rd November 2025

Reply from 1st Central Hi Chloe, 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'd like to look into this further for you to help resolve this, please send an email to [email protected] with your policy number a summary of your experience similar to your review and we will look into it. Ashley Response date: 24th November 2025

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