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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

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

Terrible advice, terrible service

Called to insure new vehicle. Was advised to reactivate my expired policy (£307) and then change car details to new car (£212). Called back the next day to rectify this obvious mistake only to be told there was nothing they could do. I cancelled the policy immediately at a personal cost of £82. Absolutely appalled. Reviewed on: 26th April 2023

Ridiculous policy change prices

Awful, just awful. They quote cheaply but my goodness the adjustments are absurdly priced, complete rip off! Beware!! Reviewed on: 26th April 2023

Zero stars!!!

This insurance company is a MISUNDERSTANDING! The liquidation of the damage through no fault of my own takes more than half a year. Nobody replies to messages. No workshops in the area - yes for 4 months. The payment of compensation make problems and the other contracting company decides whether the indicated body repair shop can do it. They do NOT pay on time for repairs to the body repair shop. Workshop without payment will not return the car. Replacement vehicle problem, only for 2 weeks. Reviewed on: 21st April 2023

Charged an extra £280

Good luck getting any customer service. I Was subject to cloned plates in 2019, cloned vehicle caused a crash. Have a letter from police confirming. Every insurance company I have delt with use the letter to ignore the "fault collision" except this company! Now charged £280 for the privilege of having plates cloned, won't accept any evidence its nothing to do with me! Can't wait for the insurance to expire so I can go to a proper company. Reviewed on: 21st April 2023

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