Smart Money People Logo

1st Central: Car insurance reviews

1.49
Based on 915 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Aug 2025
33% decrease in 5 star reviews
in the past 90 days
46% decrease in 1 star reviews
in the past 90 days
See only 5 star reviews
12%
See only 4 star reviews
5%
See only 3 star reviews
2%
See only 2 star reviews
2%
See only 1 star reviews
79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Easy to apply, easily understandable Easy to apply, easily understandable Reviewed on: 11th August 2025
Verified source

Latest lowest rating:

1

Terrible company The first issue was, they took money from my account, for the monthly payment, then bounced it back in and claimed I hadn't paid, (there was money in ... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd August 2025
Jessica H's avatar
Jessica H

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.

Review 1st Central: Car insurance now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience. Write a review

1st Central Car insurance reviews (915)

Racist

1
Very distraught with my experience with them Reviewed on: 10th August 2022

RACIST COMPANY!!

1
I spoke to a manager named John who cancelled my insurance due to the fact that I simply didn’t reply to ONE email. They did not text me (which they have done before for providing them with documents) or make me aware that they will be cancelling my insurance only 3 weeks after, they texted me stating that my insurance got cancelled. I called them and spoke to the manager John and was very unhelpful with resolving this solution all because I have an ethnic last name. I am DISGUSTED with this company and to be honest, I would not reccomend ANYONE use this insurance provider as they only care about customers with Anglo-Saxon last names. I’m surprised they’re even still operating as I’ve been told by numerous people before that they’ve received racial abuse from them. Reviewed on: 10th August 2022

weeks waiting to be paid out

1
weeks… Been off the road now for 2.5 weeks with no car and I'm waiting for an offer on my car that's written off. I'm be waiting and waiting!! Everytime I call the customer service team for help they say there a two to three week backlog of claims to process on there offers. I ask can you give me a better idea as I need to buy a new car and they said no they can't give me an idea of how long I will be waiting. I think this is really poor service Reviewed on: 9th August 2022

Rubbish company

1
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

1
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............

1
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

1
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

1
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

1
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

2
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

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

Want to see more from 1st Central?

    View all products