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1st Central: Car insurance reviews

Name: Car insurance
Rating: 1.72 (966 reviews)

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1.72

Based on 966 reviews, last reviewed 18th Jun 2026

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

15% 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

Absolute DISGRACE! Absolute DISGRACE! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME, MONEY OR ENERGY ON THIS THIEVES AND CROOKS. Reviewed on: 18th June 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 (966)

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

Scam Artists

Took out a new policy online through Compare the Market. They got the start date wrong and now required to cancel policy. Now keeping paid deposit as part payment towards the £50 'set up fee' and billed for the balance for a policy I never used, and had for less than 12 hours, since they got the dates wrong. Will be reporting yo relevant bodies. Avoid at all costs. Reviewed on: 4th January 2022

Ridiculous

Tried to charge me over £200 to change my vehicle over for my disabled son, doubling the monthly payments. I shopped elsewhere and found the exact same policy for half the price. Upon cancelling the policy they have charged me over £90. Absolutely scandalous. I will never use this company again - learned my lesson this time around to stick with high end companies such as Admiral! Reviewed on: 3rd January 2022

Awfull

Be carefull. Offer a good price then try and alter stuff. I am 42 years old been driving since I was 17. I said I had 20 years no claims. I have never made a claim. My previous insurer only sent out 10 years no claims. So 1st wanted an extra £78 plus £50 admin fee. Ridiculous. So I said I wanted to cancel the policy. For the 3 weeks I had been with them they wanted £14 plus £50 setup and £50 cancellation disgusting. They offer a cheap price then change you to the hills Reviewed on: 31st December 2021

AVOID

Will ask you to "confirm" details on your policy, then charge you an admin fee, and hike your insurance up. Call handlers are incompetent. AVOID. Reviewed on: 23rd December 2021

Rip you of mid way through your policy

Only been with them two months, first my date of birth was wrong, so i rang them & got it changed, days later they email me saying i had to contact their policy checking team & if i didnt they would cancel my policy.. Rang them up, went through all their checks they wanted & they hiked my insurance up by £150.00 Utter con merchants... Reviewed on: 22nd December 2021

Worst car insurance company out there

Terrible service, no information provided and a lack of any contact when querying things. Pick anybody else. Reviewed on: 20th December 2021

Appalling

Avoid this morally bankrupt outfit of sharks Reviewed on: 17th December 2021

no service, care or accountability

Reported a claim 19 days ago. Did not hear from them until I called them after waiting for 12 days without hearing anything. Assured I would hear from repair centre and hire car company within 48 hours. I did not. I still have not heard from the hire company. I have since called 1st Central twice more and still nothing, each time being told I would hear from someone in 24 hours.. My claim was non fault. I use my vehicle for work. It is now nearly 3 weeks and nothing. I have never been contacted by the 1st central with an update and when I call them I get passed around several times on each call. No one takes responsibility and sorts it out. I have raised a complaint and not heard anything, giving 1st Central an opportunity to sort the unacceptable situation out before posting a negative review. Unfortunately no one has reached out to me or rectified this hence the review I am now posting. Reviewed on: 14th December 2021

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