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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.67 (885 reviews)

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1.50

Based on 885 reviews, last reviewed 25th Apr 2025

200% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

67% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Happy Driver Great experience got my car insurance straight away and was able to drive it that night fantastic Reviewed on: 22nd April 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

Cheap at first, but it will cost you later I took out a car insurance policy with 1st Central because it looked like a great deal. However, once they had all my documents, they suddenly decided... Read more Reviewed on: 25th April 2025

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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 (885)

Speechless

This is the most shocking customer experience I have ever received. I cancelled my policy and was due a £75 refund. I was not able to do this online as the bank details they held were out of date. I called and webchatted at the same time to explain this (I wasn't sure which one I would get through first!). I was told both on the phone and by web chat that their accounts team would call within so many days to take my new bank details to issue the refund to. This never occured. I received an email to say I will be sent a £25 refund to the card on file. I replied to explain I am due £75, and as I had said on the phone/web chat and that the bank details they hold are out of date. The response was that I am due £75 and they will refund it to my bank details on file. I replied again. I received an email today to say that the refund already was sent to my old account and they can do nothing more. I have tried to get through to their complaints team today. It's easier to get through a prison barricade. I was told eventually, after explaining the whole situation that 'the money has been refunded to the account on file and it takes 10 days'. When I said that I was frustrated at their lack of ability and understanding of the situation, they put the phone down one me. Seriously awful customer service. Typical computer says no behaviour. Please, please do not use this firm. I mean, how difficult is it to issue a refund to new card details? Reviewed on: 23rd May 2022

Tried to get my renewal quote

I received my renewal quote, it was a lot lower than expected which was great, I'd just moved house and was messaging them on their live chat, both to change the address and ask what the monthly payments would be for my renewal as the one I'd received though my email was the yearly payment. I changed the address no problem and then asked for the monthly payments for my renewal, baring in mind my new house is a 2 minute drive away from my last one, on a safer more out of the way street, my renewal price has gone from £664.52 to £1184.64. This is atrocious, I understand the system is going to calculate this all but a £520.22 increase for a street 2 minutes up the road from my last house is abominable. It very much seems as if the company is using the change of address, even for exceptionally small distances i.e 2 minutes, to drag the prices up. Reviewed on: 21st May 2022

Avoid

Had insurance for 6 months and changed vehicle and quoted rip of price and threat of cancellation charges if I went elsewhere so I did . Every bad review on here is true . Avoid Avoid Avoid Reviewed on: 20th May 2022

AVOID! AVOID!

I took out this insurance in March 2022, knowing it was one of the cheapest. After 20 days, I get an email to review all my details and after 10 days I get an adjusted amount of + £911 (a barbarity). Adding up what I paid + new adjustment after 30 days, the value was more expensive than other companies year market renowned, so I decide to cancel and paid in cancellations £220, another barbarity. So I do not recommend this type of insurance company. AVOID!!! Reviewed on: 19th May 2022

Should be illegal to trade like this. ConMenshor

Avoid at all costs there business practice should be illegal I'm trying to go through the Ombudsman Reviewed on: 17th May 2022

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

They emailed me 2 months into my insurance and asked me to provide extra documentation, very blunt, generic email. I tried to load on the documents to my account, went back a week later and they had disappeared. I tried again, next day they'd gone. I emailed them, no response but I kept getting rather threatening emails demanding the documents, I was trying! I then got an email telling me my premium had increased by £1350 and i had 7 days to pay. I panicked and called them. They had "evidence" that i had 9-points on my license, an at fault claim, and no no claims discount, none of this was true! I then began a rather long and very stressful investigation, accessing letters from previous insurers, checking my DVLA account and sending in MY evidence to their email address. They repeatedly told me they weren't receiving my documents and I had the pleasure of a further 3 telephone conversations with them. Finally they admitted they had my evidence and reduced their demand to £350 extra. I asked why when i had supplied all the evidence, and they said it was because I hadn't declared my NOT at fault claim and I had 3 points. The average increase for 3 points is 5%, thus amounted to about 75%!. They are a nightmare, will decide they that your premium is too cheap once the cooling off period has passed and do anything to hammer you. I then cancelled my policy and they charged me £133 for 60 days of cover and £150 of additional cancellation costs. AVOID AVOID AVOID!! Reviewed on: 16th May 2022

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!

I had been with 1st Central for a year with no issues, when it came to renewal they were again the cheapest. The second year of being with them is where the trouble started to happen. Any conversation I have had with them the staff have not had the greatest attitude. The day I took my policy out, I called customer services to get my payment date changed to the 1st of each month. When I was on the call I was told that my payment date could only be moved +/-7 days of the current payment date. I was then told that I could call each month to get my payment date changed to the 1st, so for 2 months I did this. On the third month I was told by the customer service assistant that this was the last time they would change my payment date as they occur a fee. I then asked for her to permanently change my payment date to the first as this is the date most suitable to me, to be told again, that no they could not do that and if I wanted to cancel my policy this would occur a fee. If I had known this when I first took out the policy I would have cancelled straight away, instead, I paid an extra £15 a month for 10 months of my policy due to their mistake. My renewal price is nearly double what I paid last year and when I told them I did not want to renew I got hung up on! Reviewed on: 14th May 2022

Thief's, lack of knowledge and u professional

Trustpilot reviews Trustpilot Thanks! Your review counts. You reviewed 1st CENTRAL Insurance Your review is pending—it may take up to 2 hours to appear on Trustpilot. Learn more Shuhud M 0 reviews GB Rated 1 out of 5 stars Unprofessional, cowboys and thief's Been with these guys 5 years and every year they auto renew policy when I've told them do not. Hence you get trapped and to leave u must pay a charge. They then claim every year that they have nothing on the system stating that I asked for this, even though I spoke to managers each time. Aside from this they team is not knowledgeable, they fob customers off and they really show no care. I only remain with these guys as I find the concept of moving insurance difficult and the auto renewal trap doesn't help. Would never advise anyone to use these guys, Complete waste of time, Unprofessional, cowboys to say the least. Increased my insurance this year by 500pounds even though there were no accidents or convictions this year and they justify it by saying it 'could be' because of many reasons, but they don't provide a reason and just blame the underwriter Reviewed on: 13th May 2022

AVOID!

terrible customer service, worst insurance ive ever been with so cancelled and took a hit. would hate to actually need them if i had a accident! Reviewed on: 11th May 2022

3 months on and they still have my car

Tell your friends and families to avoid this company at all costs. For 3 months + they have had my car and not started the repair. They have give me dates and cancelled on when it is going to be repaired, customers services won't let me talk to a manger and can't answer any questions. They are now damaging my mental heath as I suffer from anxiety, and worried if I will get my car back, this for a front bumbler and lights. I have had to go to the Financial Ombudsman service to start a case and get cooperation for the mental torture they have caused me. If you need their help here is the web page https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/ I have never been treated like this every in my life before, I really mean what I say about not using them, they are not fix to be in business, don't let your families and friends be treated like this. Reviewed on: 10th May 2022

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