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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.51 (957 reviews)

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1.51

Based on 957 reviews, last reviewed 17th Apr 2026

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

53% 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

Do not use this provider for your car insurance I’ve had a very poor experience with this insurer. They failed to respond to three or four of my emails, and despite requesting a call from management... Read more Reviewed on: 10th April 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 (957)

Nothing short of DISGRACEFUL

Nothing short of a DISGRACE! This company is nothing less of a DISGRACE! Empty promises and poor service. Completely unorganised and NEVER DO AS THEY SAY WILL. Have caused me so much more distress at a very difficult time and simply don’t care. Heartless, cruel and unprofessional. Reviewed on: 19th March 2022

Huge cancellation fees

Cheap until you want to amend or cancel policy, better off paying more and go with a more reputable company. Reviewed on: 18th March 2022

Best insurance company

Very efficient in making changes to the policy via the website and friendly customer services there if needed. Reviewed on: 17th March 2022

Charging for glitchy system

After paying in full for my insurance, they wanted me to send lots of info to them. They claimed me and my partner had put the incorrect dates for when we passed out driving tests. Tried charging me £90+ to change to correct dates. I thought to myself, it’s weird how they both are apparently wrong. I can understand one being wrong, but both.. somethings not right there. Looked online and seems they do this to lots of people, so it must be a glitch in their system or a total scam. Will never take out insurance with 1st central again!! Reviewed on: 16th March 2022

AVOID at all cost! They invent 1000 and 1 ways to take your money.

I was charged 65£ just so they update the date I passed my driving test!!!! According to them it has to match what's showing in the licence, they didn't care about the fact that the date shows in my EU licence is not the date I passed the test (date of my first licence) but the date I received my new biometric licence. They waited 2 weeks since I bought the insurance so i cannot cancel free of charge and then they asked for more evidence for me...it seems like they were trying to find a reason to put their hands in my wallet. At the beginning they said my NCD cannot be approved, when I walked them throught the ncd certificate they found the issue with the date that I passed my driving test 15 years ago!!!! Avoid and dont do the mistake I did in order to save a few pounds - go with a proper insurance company that care about their customers. Trust me, having peace of mind is more important than saving on car insurance. If they target you they will take money from you and you will feel that you have been robed. They are a joke. Customer service said that they need to charge me because they put it through a computer, like making the programs work extra for updating the date and month. They don't care about their customers!!! Trust the reviews you see on Google. Reviewed on: 14th March 2022

Avoid - opened a claim without my knowledge

After going over a pot hole and travelling home to my mums my car wheel completely came off and I was in shock. I pay for breakdown cover within the insurance - would recommend to never do this as they left me stranded and said they would not collect my car as I was using it for commuting and not SDP. I’m 20 and this is the first time in 3 years I’ve needed to ask for recovery team as my car was in the middle of the road. Instead I had to go elsewhere and pay extra for it to be moved after police knocked on our door at 2am asking if it is being recovered. The phone call asking for breakdown is now being used against me and they opened a claim without my knowledge which will most likely effect my NCD. My car is a write off and they still expect me to pay and won’t let me pause until I can afford a new car and finish my contact (even if price changes due to car). They are ignoring my emails but soon sent one when I cancelled my policy after my monthly payment came out a few days ago. Absolute disgrace I could’ve been left on a motorway and now they are using a claim I never asked for I just wanted my breakdown cover that I pay for! Reviewed on: 14th March 2022

VERY BAD COMPANY

I am totally dissapointed and upset with them. I will never go back to them even if they give me the cheapest quote in the world.... If you've been with them for 1 year, watch out, because they automatically renew your policy and charge you more, not less, as a "regular customer" :). Also they "refunded" my money back into my non existing account, that was closed 1 year ago. I had to through numerous calls and emails trying to explain to them that it makes no sence to charge me 1 year from 1 account and refund money into a non existing one. Total mess! Save your mental health and stay away from them! Thats why they are so cheap.... Reviewed on: 11th March 2022

Process is so bad you end up paying for their system mistakes.

Absolutely disgusted! I insured my Mini Cooper with them for 1 year. I lost my no claims? Due to an accident that never happened? Only after I cancelled my next car a Skoda, due to having to scrap my mini due to a dropped valve. For another new car a Skoda I reinsured through 1st central, again this car died on me and that went to scrap too. My new car (third time lucky) I put no claims and they said I have due to an accident in my previous Mini I insured with them. I have never been in an accident? They asked me to check with the company they insured me through? Ageas. They could not find my apparent policy. Then 1st central charged me an admin fee of £50 and an additional £250 on insurance! I can’t not make sense of all this? I have cancelled my direct debit and will getting on the phone again and hopefully not be penalised again? Reviewed on: 8th March 2022

As the rest of the review says Scammers, Con Artists, avoid avoid avoid

I went with them as with the cash back it made it slightly cheaper than my previous company admiral. They never provided the cash back and also in September someone reversed into me and I am still waiting for the go ahead from them to get this fixed in March. I can only assume they have pocketed the claim money as it was a council vehicle that reversed into me and the driver admitted fault straight away. Con Artists. Reviewed on: 8th March 2022

Scammers

Very shit. Quick to upsell cannot delivery with services. Horrified wait times. Staff that dont know what they are talking about. Had to wait 20weeks for payout. An to top it off the charges/fees when transfering vehicle after being written off Reviewed on: 4th March 2022

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