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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.68 (924 reviews)

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1.53

Based on 924 reviews, last reviewed 6th Sep 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

43% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

12%

79%

Latest highest rating:

5

I have used this company before, and have never had... I have used this company before, and have never had any problems. Reviewed on: 6th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

I have never had such an appalling experience with a... I have never had such an appalling experience with a company in my life. 1st Call Central Car Insurance has shown me exactly how NOT to treat a custom... Read more Reviewed on: 5th September 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 (924)

Insurance is secondary, locking you in and admin fees is the buisness

Avoid Avoid Avoid Insurance time and 1st central came out best on the quotes engine so went with them and at quote and sale everything was smooth sailing. After that started the requests for further information, I had four drivers on the policy so these requests added up photos of licences, share codes etc but it was when I'd done all this and uploaded to their site and gave the team a ring. First literally hours in queues to get through then more hour on hold as my proofs where checked at the end of all this they want to charge me a extra £50 admin fee for changes on the policy, this was due to insignificant details like the exact date a licence had achieved or the number of years held 26 rather than 20. These changes we all absolutely necessary and being done for my benefit apparently I ultimately got the "it company policy" you can pay or cancel response. So my advice would be not all insurance is the same 1st central will not tell you up front but expect them to need more of your time and if anything is not 100% correct expect an admin fee (have to wonder if that's there business model) alternatively save yourself the headache and the time/money and choose anyone else I know I will in future Reviewed on: 27th January 2022

SHIT

6 months has past and i'm still waiting for a simple wing mirror repair to be sorted. Ask for a manager multiple times and they're always conveniently in meetings, the company is shambles. They can't and wont give time frames to when things will be sorted. They say they'll request a call back from a manager which they can't guarantee will happen and it doesn't happen. Worst company EVER. STAY FAR AWAY!!!!!! Reviewed on: 24th January 2022

Awful company - will try and get extra money from you when they know you're locked in!

Avoid at all costs. Any small typo/mistake will be highlighted and your premium will go up. How can the insurance cost double by getting your NCD wrong by a year? £115 to cancel is the best money i'll ever spend - please avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 18th January 2022

SCAMMERS

This company is scum and lie to the customer Reviewed on: 17th January 2022

Disgusting

Son cancelled policy agent very rude no compromise on anything. Can’t speak to a manager to complain. Even if you cancel when receiving renewal still get charged for cancelling. The staff do get flustered wen arguing with them and tell you different information. Disgusting company would not use or recommend to anyone. Reviewed on: 17th January 2022

Cowboys

You can easily summaries their service to one word, "COWBOYS" Stay far away from this company as you will be regretted big time. Reviewed on: 17th January 2022

Avoid if you were not born in UK

I lived here since 2003. They have just raised my premium by almost £150 because I can't prove it because I can find an 18 year old bill or bank statement. I've been British citizen for over 11 years! They will not listen to any reason and are threatening to cancel my insurance. Disgusting Reviewed on: 13th January 2022

Default fee on substitute bank holiday

me to put money in my account. Company and their customer service has absolutely no understanding of these circumstances and punishes me with £15 default fee. When I called them they tell me to send an email. Answer me to the email to call. Wasting my time with the same words I heard already. On the other side they would cause issues if I ask for a fee for taking money too late. lol. Anyway learned a new way to make money. Think twice before signing up. Reviewed on: 5th January 2022

Dodgy company

First time in my 13 years 'car insurance experience' I've seen something like this... They charge for policy cancellation even if it haven't started yet I still had my cooling-off period.. they sent me terms and conditions and even there it's stayted if your policy started but it did not. Also be aware that your down payment (deposit) doesn't come off from your monthly payments they explained to me that it's simply fees. Meanwhile other companies take your down payment off from your annual payment. Reviewed on: 5th January 2022

1st Central are despicable, dysfunctional, con-artists

My accident took place on 12th October 2021 and I have been repeatedly let down by 1st Central’s complete lack of service delivery. Still no repairs done and its 4th January. A complaint was registered from me previously but has since been marked as Resolved (via an automated email). This is a sick joke, as matters will of course only be resolved when I have received the repairs covered by my insurance policy, which I paid for in good faith and now bitterly regret, as I have never had the misfortune to deal with such a useless, dishonest and despicable company. I want to ensure that no other unsuspecting motorists have the misfortune to sign up for this so-called insurance which, as things stand, is robbery, as I have received nothing for the premium paid, apart from a lot of wasted lunch times phoning repeatedly to chase things up and either not getting through or getting no help whatsoever. To summarize: the garage, which 1st Central recommended took photos of the vehicle damage on 19th October. It was only after repeated chasing on my part that they said they would collect my vehicle for repair on 26th November. That day came and went and I was told it would be the next day, but it turned out I was simply being lied to, having emptied my car and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking I was finally “booked in” to get the repairs done. After this disappointment and failure to collect my car on the second day, with no single word of apology or explanation, I concluded that this repair shop should not be trusted with my vehicle anyway, as they were clearly another untrustworthy outfit. I decided to have a quick ring round a few local repair shops myself and subsequently had photos taken of my car on 3rd December, which were duly emailed over to the 1st Central team. I had also taken the trouble to phone and explain that I would find my own repairer, which was agreed, along with an acknowledgment that the fee (?!?) for using my preferred repairer would be waived, due to me having been messed around so much. I chased this up to check that the estimate for repairs had been received, which it had. But one month on I am still waiting for the green light to take my car for its repairs? Have just been in the online "Chat" with a 1st Central "Advisor" and all they did was tell me they could tell me nothing and to call a phone number, which I have called repeatedly and been fobbed off. Reviewed on: 4th January 2022

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