Write a review

1st Central: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 1.68 (862 reviews)

View other 1st Central products

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

Read all reviews Write a review

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.

Review 1st Central: Car Insurance now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

1st Central Car Insurance reviews (862)

Rubbish company

My daughter purchased her first car and chose 1st central for her insurance, they a rubbish company do not use . Reviewed on: 9th August 2022

Trap for customers

Three weeks have passed and they still haven't done anything and they're asking for longer . They told me to find another work shop and I found one within an hour and today they told me to wait another week for probation. They told me they would lend me a car similar size to the one I have for my holiday and they still haven't done this. This company traps clients into spending money with no effect and continuously lie saying that they will do something. Due to this, they will ruin mine and my family's holiday. Never buy insurance from this company because all they do is lie. This is a jock, don't buy policy with the company just lost time and money. Reviewed on: 8th August 2022

Trying to speak to someone............

Wanted me to send them invoices, but post only......in 2022 no direct line to accounts or email address. Reviewed on: 5th August 2022

Evil

They marked my credit file claiming I owe them £90, AFTER they told me they cancelled the debt and there would be no further action against me. I’ll remove this review IF they remove the illegal marker on my file and financially compensate me. Due to the marker they put on my file, I was turned down to move house which I needed for my family. EVIL. Reviewed on: 5th August 2022

Money grabbing scammers and very rude staff

COMPANY DOSENT EVEN DESERVE THE ONE STAR! So I purchased my policy paid it everytime on time. One payment I was a couple days late which I had called up on the day it was due to let them know it was going to be a few days late. They cancelled my policy I called up to make the payment was happy to make the late payment fee aswell was told everything went through and next payment would come out on the 4th of next month. So driving home and got stopped with the police no insurance showing on the vehicle apparently. Had to sit and go through my online portal to prove them i made payment even had to call up and they say yeah you've made payment but we cancelled the Insurance cause of the few days I was late. And wouldn't reinstate the money I paid. You think they would have told me or sent me an email to tell me my policy was getting cancelled cause I was a couple days late. Even the police officer I was with said it was very unprofessional. I would steer clear of this company absolute joke and money grabbing cunts laughing at there customers too and I come on to leave a review and every review is shocking exactly what I have went through with them Reviewed on: 5th August 2022

Absolute joke of a company

After having to search for a new insurance company, first time ever seeing and coming across this company. There rates seemed cheap. I wished at the time I had done some research first. As I was to find out. They first request me to send them the No Claims Discount (NCD) proof. That should have been my first clue as to the stupidity and unprofessionalism of this company, I started thinking I wouldn't need to send them it, as having been driving for 6 years and each time the company I chose was able to get prove from the NCD database. Imagine my shock when I received a letter a month later, of their intention to cancel my claim on the grounds of me not providing my NCD. So that day I contacted them, after speaking and get a email with proof from my previous insurance company, I sent it over and then contacted them a day later, asking if they had received it, as even though their website claimed I could send it over through the website, it was never an accepted format, despite me following the recommendations. After speaking to 3 different representatives, all of which had manners that left alot to be desired, I was lied to by all them, claiming there was no national database for NCD's, refusing to accept the email from another company dispite me speaking to the previous company and being told that should be accepted, as that is all they ever send, and is accepted by 90% of other providers. After again trying to get through to them to, explaining that they are the ones who are not accepting any of my attempts to get this sorted, yet they claimed they would still want money off me. I went else where, THEY wanted this to be cancelled, THEY refused to accept a standard Nationally recognised email as proof of my NCD's, THEY would not access a national database for NCD's. This is the kind of rubbish I had to deal with yet I was told I was the one in the wrong. This will be send to the financal ombudsman and the Insurance watchdog as this company is still claiming I should pay for THERE mistakes. I am a carer, for a severely disabled partner who does not need this cowboy, joke of a company accusing me of this. I will fight this if I have to, even though I really don't want to. Though I will if I need to. Reviewed on: 4th August 2022

Waste time and money

NOT RECOMMENDED -2 weeks after accident they don't provide car repairer. Car is still on the driveway and customer service just say.... We send email about etc. I'm spoke six times with customer service about. This is a jock, don't buy policy with the company just lost time and money. Reviewed on: 3rd August 2022

Paid 3 times, got two refunds then claim I haven't paid!

AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE. I ended up having 3 charges taken from my card because their website ffed up, managed to get one charge back, the second charge I had to get through my credit card because they refused to refund me, and now they are claiming I havent paid at all! Absolutely useless, I've wasted hours of my life on the phone. DISGUSTING COMPANY. Reviewed on: 3rd August 2022

WORST COMPANY IV EVER USED

I had another driver hit me while i was parked the spot that the accident was covered by cctv i told the insurance to get the cctv footage so they could use it against the other driver.. They didnt do anything i asked, they didnt offer to get my car picked up. They got another company involved with getting my car repaired, my car was collected many weeks later taken to a garage. Long story short my car was then taken from the garage an nobody knew where my car was for nearly 3 months, they had taken it to a scrap yard ready to sell without my permission as i asked for my car back to repair my self. They closed the case because there wasn't enough evidence even though the cameras would of shown everything they needed to know but they couldn't be asked to contact to cctv company.. Now they wont answer any calls. DO NOT EVER USE THIS COMPANY THEY ARE USELESS BUT HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR MONEY Reviewed on: 3rd August 2022

APPALLING SERVICE - STAY WELL CLEAR!!

APPALLING SERVICE - STAY WELL CLEAR!! My claim has been ongoing for nearly 4 months now & I’ve heard every excuse you could think of. “It’s been assigned to the wrong team”, “it’s with validations”, “it’s with a 3rd party company”, “it’s with the theft team”, “your claim handler isn’t available”, “we’re waiting for the manager to come back in”, “we need the keys to your vehicle” (the vehicle they collected with keys on the 26th April!) …The list goes on! I’m promised call backs that I never receive, I’ve already submitted a formal complaint which I was given some compensation for & told my case would be completed within 2 weeks & the service would improve. Yet 3 weeks later, I’m still waiting with no further updates despite me chasing!! Disgrace of a company, to leave a mother of 3 carless for 15 weeks with no help or support is simply disgusting! Reviewed on: 2nd August 2022

Do you have a different 1st Central product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Alternative products

Breakdown Cover
from Saga 4.13 from 62 reviews
Car Insurance
from LV (Liverpool Victoria) 4.11 from 315 reviews
Caravan Insurance
from AA 4.00 from 2 reviews

There's still more to see!

1st Central has a range of products available. Check the ratings of each product to find the right one for you. View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub