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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)

Late fees galore

Got payment date changed to avoid late fees, they agreed. They didn't bother changing the date and I got charged the late fee AGAIN. Called up they apologized and changed date and said they'd removed the late fee. They didn't and when I called up again said a load of nonsense and they have to talk to a manager. Fed up paying late fees because of their mistakes! Avoid! Reviewed on: 9th May 2022

Do not use this company

Decided to add an additional £140 to my policy because I was unable to provide details of a claim I had declared from 2019. I had declared it was a stationary accident in a car park and that it was my fault when taking out the insurance. I didn’t have the additional information so they added an additional £140. I cancelled the insurance at an additional cost to me of £190. Disgraceful service Reviewed on: 6th May 2022

Shocking service. Validation process gets lost in amongst promotional emails and my insurance has increased without any explanation.

Received validation checks, supplied all documents. Insurance increased, no explanation in the emails and the life chat service was unavailable all day today as “all agents are busy” in amongst this 1st central sent me multiple promotional emails trying to promote a £50 referral scheme. I would not recommend this company to anyone. Abismal service Reviewed on: 6th May 2022

Please avoid at all costs

I am currently on hold with this dreadful company. I haven't even started the policy yet and went through my policy and decided within a week that this company is not the right insurance company for my needs they are not fit for purpose. They have charged me for not going ahead with the policy and it is £50 and claiming it is called an arrangement fee. However they have said they are not a Brookers and yet charging customers arrangement fees. Absolutely disgraceful. Please avoid. Reviewed on: 5th May 2022

Cowboys - make sure to complain!

I’ve used them for the first time recently and like many others were hit with an extra charge after they asked me to send additional docs in and low and behold the date I passed my test was wrong as well as NCD. I argued regarding my NCD but can’t see how I possibly put the wrong date down for passing my test but either way I accepted that must’ve been my error. I believe it’s down to pre saved data in these comparison sites and 1st Central are sneaking in catching people out after the usual cooling off period so they can throw cancellation charges left right and centre. I found the staff rude, one hung up on me, was passed around, failed promises until I eventually raised a complaint and a manager has called back and offered me compensation and apologised. My extra charges have also been fully written off so PLEASE don’t just accept their crap, if you feel they have been shoddy then make that complaint. They are meant to be offering customer service but you can barely call it that at present. I appreciate a small amount of compensation doesn’t always fix an issue but if they are trying to shove your premium up and have treated you badly then raise a complaint and get the comp offered to take the edge off. Every little helps in this day and age!! Reviewed on: 4th May 2022

Awful service

Son took out insurance online. Got an email saying they needed extra docs by a certain date,which son sent. Only realised they had cancelled his policy when he saw he had extra money in his bank. No communication of ANY kind telling him what they had done. Lucky he was off for a few days. He could have been done for no insurance and he needs a clean license. Simple txt or email to let him know before they sent the refund and it could have been all sorted. Absolutely useless. Reviewed on: 3rd May 2022

Car insurance

It's an unbelievable ,how this company, can exist in England. They have a horrible behaviour with the clients. Are focused to make money at any ways. Best advice:just neglected Reviewed on: 2nd May 2022

No Claims Proof Issues

I've never had any issues with 1st Central until it came to obtaining my proof of No Claims discount. Long story cut short, 1st Central admitted to an admin error / glitch which meant the wrong number went on my certificate and after being passed around different departments who each claimed it wasn't their issue, i spoke to Chris today who sorted it out for me (a week after i had originally tried to sort the problem) and explained what had happened. I had been cut off from multiple phonecalls and online chats regarding this issue and almost had my new insurer cancel on me because of this issue. So absolutely awful service in resolving this problem from everyone apart from Chris in Customer Service, he gets 5* and deserves a raise but everyone else needs training on basic jobs such as not cutting off an online chat or call as they don't seem to understand how detrimental a policy being cancelled on you is. Reviewed on: 28th April 2022

Still waiting for repairs 6 months on!

1st central car insurance are absolute liars with no care for customers. Had an accident in November and, up to now, they give endless excuses as to why repairs haven't started for a claim they accepted. Raised a complaint via resolver and considering taking them to small claims court as well Reviewed on: 27th April 2022

Dreadful company with a Useless South African call centre .

Complete catalogue of problems with my daughters car insurance. Wrong registration number in the first place . Then she was asked to upload V5, driving license, No Claims proof and get a code from DVLA. - not one upload worked on the site. Their Call centre ( which is in South Africa) is hopeless, very difficult to understand them plus they can’t help you at the weekend because ‘policyanalysis’ only works week days. So you can’t get anything changed over the phone. The online account was locked . So completely useless. God knows if it was an accident to report ! My daughter needed to change car details that day. It meant she wouldn’t be able drive to training for a new job. Ended up buying new car insurance from Admiral who were brilliant. Now 1st Central want £95 to cancel ! What a rip off company. Reviewed on: 26th April 2022

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