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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.71 (965 reviews)

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1.71

Based on 965 reviews, last reviewed 7th Jun 2026

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

8% 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

Please avoid this company, money grabbers! I purchased car insurance and then found a more comprehensive cover for the same price, so within 12 hours decided to cancel whilst policy was pending... Read more Reviewed on: 7th June 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 (965)

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

Track Record of Extortion

I can see other reviewers have been had over on incredibly minor detail and charged £100 plus for ‘amendments’. In 45 years of being insured and having never made a claim in my entire driving history I have fell foul of these people who are clearly on a mission to obtain money by any means possible. I predict that they will be gripped by the relevant authority very soon and won’t be around much longer. AVOID Reviewed on: 14th July 2023

Disgusting company do not use ever!!

So disappointed at how my daughter has been treated by this company... she got a quote 1st on line then spoke to an advisor on the phone who never informed her the difference between social,domestic, pleasure and commuting policy covers . Especially knowing yes was a new young driver! Unfortunately this has left my daughter with a debt of £6600 . DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY Reviewed on: 14th July 2023

Scams scams scams

Be aware people this company doesn’t help when You have an accident and also steal your money Reviewed on: 12th July 2023

Rip off

They really will come up with any way to sting you for cash. It’s not an insurer, it’s more like a loan shark. 50£ for this, 45£ admin fee here, little bit more over there. Really such a dishonest and grasping company. They don’t inform you of consumer rights or misinform you instead. Not good, but only 10 months to go! Reviewed on: 12th July 2023

Shocking !

I work in both industry horticulture and agriculture, they have amended my policy occupation just to horticulture and have charged me nearly £200 extra without my permission!!! Reviewed on: 10th July 2023

MONEY GRABBERS NO CUSTOMER CARE

If you want to deal with actual decent humans that can relate to you and actual provide care in there service stay away from this company, find another company. They want your money only and do not provide a good service. They wouldn’t even spare 1 phone call to make important confirmations with you. DISGUSTING TERRIBLE COMPANY. They cancelled my insurance policy without actually making effort to ensure I am aware of this. I could have ended up in a really serious and dangerous situation and the weird unhuman person I spoke to on the phone could only say 2 things ‘I understand your frustration’ and ‘we sent an email’ mind you this was after I had already spoke with them on the phone to confirm my renewal and they just cancelled the policy no actual confirmation with me or even 1 phone call for a company I have put more than 2k into you’d think they’d be able to call you 1 time to speak to you about something this important. They want your money and that’s it there is no form of customer relationship or care. It’s disgusting! Reviewed on: 8th July 2023

Rip off for a company

Absolutely disgusting the way I have been treated by this company avoid at all costs !!! Rip you off!! Do not get your car insurance with them they will rob your money! Reviewed on: 6th July 2023

Absolute shocker of a company

So my partner had an accident which totalled his car, it's now a month and a half gone, I really don't know where to start with explaining the incompetence observed. Firstly my partner nas courtesy car cover, this took far to long to initiate with the rental company (Enterprise, who have also been completely incompetent during this) and the insurance company just not speaking to each other, both of them harassing my partner and asking him to send messages to the other company. This has been an on going issue the entirety of this claim, initially they said my partner was not at fault, then he had a letter saying it was partial fault, then he spoke to a chap who said he was fully at fault, followed by an email saying he wasn't at fault. 2 weeks into the claim, enterprise said they were taking the courtesy car off cover due to a dispute with who was at fault, my partner called his insurance who sent him an email saying they were arranging for the courtesy car to stay on cover.... Then 1st Central tried to offer 3.500k for my partner's 1 series BMW (valued at 7k) explaining thats the price any trader would pay for it, my partner explained he wasn't a trader and he'd be buying it at the prices a trader would sell it for, they came back with 4 k, this went on, and after another lengthy battle, he managed to get them to 5k which was still below the car value, but accepting it with fear of losing the will to live if this went on much more, we've found out this morning that neither party have spoken to each other and now we have a bill for the courtesy car as it wasn't put back on claim, even though they said it would be and the courtesy car should be covered until 5 days after the claim is settled and money has been received.,... Just avoid at all cost, I don't even know how they're still trading Reviewed on: 5th July 2023

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