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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.67 (901 reviews)

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1.51

Based on 901 reviews, last reviewed 3rd Jun 2025

400% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

37% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

Found you online,needed a cheap quote,you certainly... Found you online,needed a cheap quote,you certainly provided it.Thank you Reviewed on: 3rd June 2025

Verified source

Latest lowest rating:

1

Totally Fed up I had insurance with Ist Central on my new car. They took £538 out of my bank account after I had informed them I wouldn’t be renewing with them. My... Read more Reviewed on: 3rd June 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 (901)

Bad customer service

They charge way too much for change of address. I raised a complaint and it took me nowhere. They did not care they would loose another customer. I can't wait when contract is finished and I will not renew it. I would recommend other people to be aware of this company. They claim to be cheap when you first take an insurance but if you change details during your policy such as address , etc they charge you more than 50%. Don't bother with complaints because they will not consider it. Reviewed on: 8th June 2022

Disgusting customer service

Never experienced such bad customer service. Will never ever use them again. Tried to make me pay over £500 just to change my address Reviewed on: 8th June 2022

Terrible AVOID

They are keep sending me texts that I owe them money. I emailed them back with my bank statement to prove I pay monthly by direct debit. In the end I've cancelled my insurance with them but guess what. I still owe them money because I cancelled!!! Over 200 pounds for fee. I'm fuming Reviewed on: 8th June 2022

Reliable company to work with

No bad experience still this moment Reviewed on: 29th May 2022

Utter clowns

Don't wast your money or your time they treat you disgusting Reviewed on: 24th May 2022

AVOID

Absolutely fuming! They are a pain from the start. Get held on hold for 20mins at a time for a phone call that took 1hour and 30mins. After that phone call the situation was NOT resolved. After paying money in full they tell me I have to send documents over after being with them 2 months then they proceed to tell me I owe another £451 plus an additional £50 administration fees. Seems they just add on money randomly. I have refused to pay any more after all I paid the full amount at a price that was agreed from the start! DO NOT go with this insurance if you want to save yourself the headache Reviewed on: 24th May 2022

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

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