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1st Central: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 1.68 (862 reviews)

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1.51

Based on 862 reviews, last reviewed 11th Feb 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

32% 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

Seems that's it's not just me experiencing the same... Seems that's it's not just me experiencing the same thing. I just read this review. The same think happened to me. Sadly, it's quite common with this ... Read more Reviewed on: 11th February 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 (862)

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

The Worst Insurers EVER

They locked me out of my online portal by cancelling the wrong policy on there but not their system. They were told about this numerous times, then charged me to change my name even though I couldn’t change my details online for free, then apologised as they shouldn’t have charged me. Still didn’t fix the issue with online portal. A year of complaints about not having access to my online portal. My policy changed one day to expired so I couldn’t update payment details - I called and queried it. They said I had nothing to pay as it expired. Then debt collectors call. I do have to pay. I try to pay, I can’t because my policy isn’t active on the online portal. It’s revolved by the complaints team. They compensate me. Still nothing arrived. Now they’re calling me for payment again which I can’t make because I can’t access my policy? They’re terrible! They don’t communicate, incorrectly charge you, mismanage their own systems and deny access. I’d rather take the bus than deal with them again. Reviewed on: 14th September 2022

Scammers!!!

Be careful with this insurer, they don't refund all money before 14 days. Scammers !!! Reviewed on: 13th September 2022

1stcentral

Good value for money easy to join, renewal was less than last year. Reviewed on: 13th September 2022

Worst car insurance ever beware

Theyre getting the money to charge cancellation even if the policy havent started yet. Very poor customer service and trying to dig you more information to add and then charge you more . Ridiculous amount of money has been charged to our policy that is not even started yet. Worst car insurance ever and worst customer service ever, they will get money out of ur pocket . Admin fee and expensive charges. Too bad . Wont recommend at all and pls beware Reviewed on: 11th September 2022

The Deal will look attractive however

They will charge you huge administration fees - they will cease your insurace without warning for matters that they should know the answer to such as (transfer of no claims between policies) their online portal mostly doesn't work as it should. - do yourself a favour and go with someone with some street credit not mickymouse. Reviewed on: 7th September 2022

Worst insurance company

This is the worst insurance company I ever seen Reviewed on: 7th September 2022

AVOID BY ALL MEANS! absolute con artists! worst insurance company ever, over £200 charge just to cancel, over £380 to amend, do not go with these!!!!

Worst experience ever!!!!! tried to charge me £200+ just to cancel my insurance after only 2 months???!!! also massive hidden charges to policy when amending (which would have been only £10 extra per month in my situation), please be aware!! DO NOT insure with these cowboys. Cocky/threatening behaviour from phone operators who sound like are in another country, also it takes an age just to get through to them when you ring. Other insurers just updated my other policy on another car (same situation) hassle free without the £331 added premium and £50 'Admin Charge' or ridiculous £200 fee for cancelling, very unprofessional and very extortionate, an absolute disgrace of a car insurance company. Reviewed on: 6th September 2022

Con of a company- do not use

I paid around £300 for annual csr insurance. After 9 months I was told that I got the dates of my driving test (which was 20 years ago) wrong by a few months. They proceeded to charge me and extra £278. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY Reviewed on: 6th September 2022

Please listen to the poor reviews

Bad reviews are often written off as people having a whinge or a moan or a “Karen” moment … this is NOT the case with this company I have struggled for nearly 6 months, approximately 20+ hours in calls, emails, sourcing my own garage, contacting third party companies for clarification of absolute lies told to me by 1st Central … still to not even have had my vehicle approved for repair I am continuing to make payments as per my contract and all I get in return is stalling Please please seek another company for your insurance Reviewed on: 5th September 2022

No responsibility

My daughter had her car stolen, the car was recovered but required new keys as the thief had them.first central organised the new keys to her fiat 500 through a third party .all was ok for a week then the car wouldn’t start at all. The fiat dealer said the keys had corrupted the engine management system which would cost over £2000 to fix (the car is valued at about £1000) first central won’t take responsibility for the third party who wrecked the car and have even got my daughter to deal with the key company,when they should be doing it .I am livid she has been treated like this after the trauma of having her car stolen.please avoid these jokers at all costs she still has no car after 8 weeks and this lot are still fobbing her off .shameful. My email is Paperplane24@hotmail .co.uk if anybody would like to discuss this further, Steve. Reviewed on: 5th September 2022

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