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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)

Shockingly bad

I cancelled my policy earlier this year and paid the cancellation fee. Since then, I have had to prove to them that I paid it (I sent bank statements), which they have ignored and I am now being chased my a debt collection agency with the threat of my credit score ruined for a bill I’ve paid. Absolutely useless, no customer service, scammers who have caused me stress for several months. Avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 30th December 2022

Nightmare is understated

Nightmare is understated. I filed a claim in August 2022. It's now a few days to Jan 2023 and my car hasn't been sorted out after doing all the legwork myself. I spoke to different people in their call centre in South Africa who gave me varied information. First I had to source my own repairer because theirs are not bothered. Second I had to chase them all the time, no courtesy calls for an update. The courtesy car company kept calling me for an update, which I didn't have. I had to cancel the courtesy car to stop the annoying calls. I have been passed on, put on hold, etc. Endless. Don't be deceived by low prices. Reviewed on: 30th December 2022

Extra charges

Avoid at any cause, they are applying extra charges to everyone. That is how they make money. Reviewed on: 29th December 2022

Horrible company. You will regret your decision.

They quote cheap on GoCompare, all obliging and attractive. Then they will find fault with your application input information to cause them to slap an admin fee change on you. I was bombed with £150! The following experience got so bad I was really upset as I reckon I do not cheat as a way of life. Over the phone I was challenged because I could not remember the day of the month I passed my test! ( 40 years ago) You will regret Could you? It got worse from there. I paid and ended up owing them! Reviewed on: 27th December 2022

Cancelled my policy and charged me

I renewed after a year of being with them to avoid having to sign up to a new company (might aswell have) I even paid an extra £100 they added onto my insurance quote. Paid the whole year then a month after my renewal they needproof I'm from the UK, I sent them my bc, council tax bills, national insurance number, p60s etc anything I could find to proof I was born and live in the UK, then they said they needed a 5 year or older bank statement which I told them I couldn't get from the bank at short notice they need to send it to my house, so they've cancelled my policy and deducted a £75 cancellation fee plus I've lost a month's insurance so I'm nearly £200 down and my car is now uninsured for tomorrow! It's ridiculous why I would need to provide so much details when I've sent the correct proof you guys need, and I renewed to avoid having to send all my documents to a new company!! Reviewed on: 22nd December 2022

Awful do not insure with this company

Took out policy.. after 14 days they asked for NCD proof which I haven’t been asked for by previous company’s for years. I thought I had 12 years but I only had 11 so they they have charged me £11.02 plus £50 admin charge. They state on their website that there is no admin fees. Clearly they do so miss selling policies.Customer services are not helpful, even spoke to manager. They should have requested this within 14 days so that I had the option to cancel and go elsewhere, which would have now been a lot cheaper. Do not use this company, avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 20th December 2022

Tried to cancel a day after auto renewal

Should have caught it earlier but illness and hospitalised prevented this. They will charge a £50 admin fee so whilst I still might make a saving there is little point. Cx service not willing to help. Cost for the days insurance £1.91, total cost £51.91 Reviewed on: 20th December 2022

SCAM PREDATORS OPERATING ON COMPARISON SITES

As with everyone else I signed up to them as they came up the cheapest with decent reviews on GoCompare, all was fine until ONE MONTH later (after the cooling off period!) when they asked for further information, this was sent within minutes of their request, and a follow up telephone call to check they had everything they needed, yes they said. Another ONE MONTH later they decide the information is wrong and added an admin fee of £50, when I told them no way and I wished to cancel they added a £180 cancellation fee. They have now been chasing me relentlessly for nearly a year threatening ruining my credit record. I have lodged an official complaint about them with the ombudsman which i suggest you all do too. I don't know how they are still operating or why the comparison sites are allowing them to advertise on there????!!! Absolute SCAM operation, cowboys. Avoid at all costs! Reviewed on: 19th December 2022

Unhelpful and rude

Tried moving my Direct Debit from the 24th of each month to the 25th. You would think that was a simple request/process. I was advised that they can only move payments 6 days either side of the inception date. Annoyingly this would make managing my finances for the month awkward and simply by pushing the payment back 1 day would help with my admin! Chatted on the phone to Mogamat a team leader who cut me off (these things happen but no sign of trying to call me back - after all they confirmed my contact details plenty of times getting me through security, so they must have them!). I then live chatted Stacey who was extremely rude and cut me off. I asked to cancel the policy but was told one day into my cover I would be charged £50 cancellation fee. What happened to the 14 day cooling off period? Ultimately stay away, they are unhelpful and rude. I don't want to find out what the claim service is like! Reviewed on: 19th December 2022

The Worst Ever!

Sent out car to scrap yard after saying its going for a repair. Would not bring car back with all sorts of excuses. Finally the real reason was exposed as under their care our car was badly damaged! No courtesy car offered. No car for two weeks over Christmas. And for how long still. customer service rude and sarcastic. Cant seem to understand why we would be upset about the major damage to our car Reviewed on: 19th December 2022

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