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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.5 (952 reviews)

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1.50

Based on 952 reviews, last reviewed 4th Mar 2026

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

25% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

11%

80%

Latest highest rating:

5

Good and not too expensive Was looking for good value car insurance and found this one. Not too expensive and so far can’t say anything bad. Very easy to sign up. Reviewed on: 5th September 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

FRAUDSTERS!!!!!!! BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!! DO NOT BUY!!!! In 35 years of using car insurance companies, I have NEVER been robbed/conned like this before! This company comes up as cheap but I can now see why, ... Read more Reviewed on: 13th February 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 (952)

Appalling company with terrible ethics!

After taking out a policy I was asked for documents to be sent to clarify information. I had made a small error when completing the info (different purchase date). They charged me an admin fee of £50 to amend this which I completely appreciate I am liable for for my small mistake. What I don't understand and find disgusting, is the fact that the premium went up significantly just because of a small change of the purchase date which makes no difference to my ability to drive/car value etc. Very disappointed!! Both myself and my partner insure with this company and definitely won't be renewing next year!! Avoid Reviewed on: 7th December 2021

a shitty company

For 45 days insured I paid 360 pounds because they have to many charges and fees...stay away of this company Reviewed on: 6th December 2021

Very bad customer service

Wished to cancel within 14 days and before insurance due to begin. Told I am eligible for a £50 arrangement fee. I will complain to the ombudsman as they need to be held accountable. It will also mean they get charged £750 for each complaint Reviewed on: 5th December 2021

Stealers stay away ! VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID

I canceled both cars cause they increased the monthly payment , and now the request £383 cancelation fees I had already report them to FCA/FOS , they need to shut down this company its illegal Reviewed on: 2nd December 2021

DO NOT USE!!!

Cancelled my insurance renewal as no longer have the car and found somewhere cheaper to insure my new car. 1st central charged me £50 'arrangement fee' which is apparently for them registering your details with dvla, I questioned what exactly the deposit I paid when I took out the policy was for but the lady in the call centre couldn't tell me. It's OK though as they didn't charge me the £50 cancellation fee on this occasion. What an absolute joke! Take out an insurance policy with these and you'll have to keep it for life with hiking renewal fees or pay ridiculous amounts to cancel. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!! Reviewed on: 29th November 2021

Scam

Basically a scam to bring in new customers then charge them extra once you've signed up. I got quoted £20 a month but when I signed up they asked me to validate my policy and requested numerous documents and details to verify my details, including proof of residency in the form of a document from OVER 5 years ago. If you don't do this by a certain deadline they hike up your premium and charge you a £50 admin fee - for something a robot clearly did automatically. No other insurance company asks for this much information - if I did try to make a claim they'd verify my details anyway and if they were incorrect then they wouldn't pay out, so this is obviously a scam. I've now cancelled my policy and ended up paying a £93 cancellation fee, stay away from 1st Central. Reviewed on: 26th November 2021

Second 1 star review

econd review, since it's now over a year since my claim started. Still no contact from the claims department about why the claim is still open after they paid out to me and the other party...but clearly not paid everything because the other party is now taking me to court. 1st Central have never informed me of any decision they have made to pay or not pay to the other party, which is this case they have not informed me that they refused to pay this part of the claim (confirmed in writing to me by the other party after I asked the reason for the court letters) After multiple emails about updates on this the claims department have not responded and the person handling my claim is not available and does not return calls (as she has done for well over a year now). So the claim is still open, they don't update at all on any part of the claim at all unless you hound them and pray they send something that makes sense (which the claims handler in question actually did so bad the last time no one else on the department could make any sense of) but it doesn't matter.. So not sure of the process at moment but Im going to be quite alot more broke having to defend for something this pitiful excuse of an insurance company is meant to deal with and inform the customer that paid in full for the insurance contract. Anyone 5 stars you see on here are from the automated email sent out after your sign with them and is about the sign up easily process. They are not about the utterly useless service you get, Which by the way calls are farmed out to a call center in South Africa and no one actually works for the company as they are a call center. So genuinely please avoid the this company you will regret it. Also for the Two faced appology that some person will return to this review about please don't say your sorry because you genuinely are not and they last time i posted a negative review about this matter someone said sorry and they want to sort this.... nothing happened, not a thing. FPM6008961793FC - So you don't do the we can't find your details rubbish response either Reviewed on: 26th November 2021

Con artists! AVOID LIKE A PLAGUE!

DO NOT INSURE WITH THESE PEOPLE! They offer you a competitive price on comparison sites. When you get their product they will wait for at least a month and start asking for information that NO other insurer ever bothered to ask. Such as proof from how long you have been in the country. Conveniently for them they ask for these over a month after your cooling-off period has finished. They will go through the information with a fine comb and if you made any mistake they will use this as an excuse to charge you £50.00 for the privilege and will increase your premium! Check the reviews on Trustpilot ( ignore the obviously fake ones) and google reviews. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! . A Reviewed on: 25th November 2021

just thieves

Money taken out of my acc without my knowledge, no emails, no phone calls. 75£ two months after taking car insurance. outrages ! phoned to cancel the insurance as don't want to be with company that steals customer's money and I have been charged 150£ extra!! Arrangement fee £50.00 Admin fee (for making changes during the year) £50.00 Cancellation fee £50.00 never again with this micky mouse comp Reviewed on: 24th November 2021

Avoid this company

I have opened the policy with them few month later they asked me for some documents, One of the documents they asked me for is to provide a letter dated all the way back in 2016 or earlier!! Who TF on earth would keep a letter for that long , why would you ? I have managed to find it but they said they don’t accept it . It was NHS they say they will but no ! So i am now waiting for them to cancel my policy. Just try to stay away from those people as far as you can !! Unprofessional customer service!! Reviewed on: 24th November 2021

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