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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.718232357079510703 (966 reviews)

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1.72

Based on 966 reviews, last reviewed 18th 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

Absolute DISGRACE! Absolute DISGRACE! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY OR ENERGY ON THIS THIEVES AND CROOKS. Reviewed on: 18th 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 (966)

Steer clear of this company

The worst insurance company I've ever dealt with in more than 35 years of driving. I am due a partial refund as I changed car. I've have been chasing them for a month. I'm on my 8th call now. Still not got it back. They want almost six months worth of premium for me to cancel after 44 days of insurance! I can't believe I'll ever see that money anyway. I cannot even imagine what it would be like if I ever made a claim. Stay away! Reviewed on: 26th August 2022

con artisits

seriously pay the little extra and steer clear , they will hit you with hidden fees, and will contact you making up excuses to raise the price, rubbish horrible avoid. Reviewed on: 25th August 2022

Horrendous Experience

Total scam artists, avoid avoid avoid!!! Reviewed on: 25th August 2022

Rubbish

Avoid at all costs!! The worse car insurance company I ever come across. First I trying to change my address which is in a same area from my previous address so they wanted to change me more than £200 then I decided to cancel my policy to just get rid of them as I couldn’t trust them anymore. When I tried to cancel it they changed me cost for 70 days of cover £55.96 Interest for paying monthly £22.30 Arrangement fee £50.00 Personal Accident cover £30.00 Admin fee (for making changes during the year) £50.00 Cancellation fee £50.00 Be careful! All of this was not showing when the insurance was presented online. Reviewed on: 24th August 2022

STAY AWAY

Woke up to an email saying my policy was going to be increased by almost double with absolutely no reason or no consent from myself whatsoever. I was in shock. After ringing the insurance to find out more it was because they automatically increased my annual mileage from 10,000 to 20,000!!! Again with NO CONSENT. They done this, and it was admitted to me on the phone by them, because they seen one of my previous quotes was for 20,000 miles (this was auto filled by a comparison website due to my last year’s insurance requirements). But after i noticed the mistake i amended the quote and changed it to 10,000 miles as i don’t drive as much anymore for many reasons. So because of this they tried to accuse me of doing more miles and filling out incorrect information, so took it upon themselves to add more miles to my policy without consent! There was an email sent out to me regarding sending proof of no claims, which i done and it was all verified, but i missed the tiny part of the email at the bottom that said ‘please can you contact us to confirm some details over the phone.’ They said this was to discuss the mileage situation before they made the changes, but since i never got back to them down to a genuine mistake of my own, they decided to take matters into their own hands and actually amend my policy without asking me?!?! Instead of actually trying to contact me again via email or even better via phone call?? That’s just one of the issues i’ve had with the company since joining 3 months ago but i can honestly say they are the biggest con insurance companies out there. Constantly trying to rip customers off to make more money. STAY AWAY! Reviewed on: 19th August 2022

Will take every penny they can - even if the insurance period HASN'T STARTED

Forced into selling my car after taking out insurance. Was due to start a gew days later and asked to cancel. £50 charge... no debates - refused to waive or partially waive. No point going to people who see you as a piggy bank. Reading up, they also charge ludicrous mid-term change costs... just avoid. Their online staff were fairly nice, however useless. Reviewed on: 19th August 2022

Con artists

Was told if I wanted to ever cancel my policy it would be £50. Somehow turned into £168! Avoid!!!! Reviewed on: 18th August 2022

Worst company in the last 7 years

They increase my policy without a reason Reviewed on: 18th August 2022

worst company! avoid her!

I got a quote at £ 70 then they asked for pre-insurance papers and raised me to £ 120 a month! they don't reply to the e-mail, you can't get along with them, it's just stealings! Reviewed on: 18th August 2022

Terrible

choose 1st Central though a comparison site...which my details were already input in, the price was good...they asked for proof of NCD which I received from my previous insurer as an email which I forwarded. A few weeks later I received an email stating my account was over £500 in arrears ( original quote £314 which I'd paid in full) so I rang and rang to be told they didnt accept emails but needed a letter headed PDF as proof, my previous insurance company had never been asked for this by any other insurance company but did it. Thought that was it but received another email, I was in arrears for £270..this time it was my job title (I have 2 job titles and they don't appear together in a drop down box, but I work in education), ring, ring, ring again sorted, told I owe nothing...had an email to say I owe nothing...then got an email asking for £61...£50 of which was admin....rung again and again...got a bit shouty but paid £11 after standing my ground on the admin fee, told all sorted.....2 weeks on another email...want my driving licence front and back and a code from the government website to review it, I'm now sat here waiting for another email to arrive telling me I'm in arrears again after reviewing my licence (never had a point on it). 1st Central are awful, their customer service are arrogant and aggressive, if you don't stand your ground, produce evidence of communication they will rinse you. I have both my car and house insure which I would cancel but I pay upfront and they give you very little back. I will never ever use them again and certainly wouldn't advise anyone else to either. Reviewed on: 18th August 2022

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