I had a genuinely terrible experience trying to change my car mid-term with 1st Central. Before renewing my policy, I knew I would be getting... I had a genuinely terrible experience trying to change my car mid-term with 1st Central. Before renewing my policy, I knew I would be getting a new car within a few weeks. I compared quotes for both my current car and the new one in advance, and 1st Central appeared competitive for both, so I proceeded with them. However, when the time came to switch vehicles after receiving the new registration, I was quoted a fee that was higher than the entire 12-month premium just to make the change. I challenged this over the phone, but both the call handler and their manager simply repeated scripted responses and offered no meaningful explanation, blaming the underwriters and stating there was nothing they could do. My only option was to cancel the policy, which resulted in me paying £140 for just 26 days of cover. I then insured the new car elsewhere for less than what 1st Central wanted just to amend the policy. This experience felt completely unreasonable and suggests a business model that penalises customers once they are locked in. To add insult to injury, the call ended with “please consider us for your next car,” which I found quite tone-deaf given the situation. I will not be returning and would advise others to be cautious. Read more Read less

My experience with 1st Central was extremely disappointing. When I needed to make a claim, it was not accepted, despite paying for insurance and following... My experience with 1st Central was extremely disappointing. When I needed to make a claim, it was not accepted, despite paying for insurance and following the policy requirements. I also constantly received warnings that my insurance could be cancelled because of my black box score. No matter how carefully and responsibly I drove, it felt impossible to achieve the score they wanted. The system seemed unfair and created a lot of unnecessary stress. The whole experience left me feeling that I was being penalised despite trying my best to drive safely and comply with the terms of the policy. Based on my experience, I would not choose 1st Central again and would not recommend them to other young drivers. Read more Read less

Honeslty worst insurance company ever over charging me on a vehicle that’s is not in use refusing to swap my policy to another car that... Honeslty worst insurance company ever over charging me on a vehicle that’s is not in use refusing to swap my policy to another car that is in use without charging me a fee of 1k to 2k. I tried to cancel the policy as they are already charging me 200 and something a month for a car I have told them about months ago is not driveable!!!!!!! Regardless of that they continued to keep charging me. I will now be taking this up with financial ombudsman. Read more Read less

Quote price is competitive but making contact with anyone is extremely difficult. AI chat is next to useless, just go round around in circles. Talking... Quote price is competitive but making contact with anyone is extremely difficult. AI chat is next to useless, just go round around in circles. Talking to a person seems to be impossible, wait for a long long time and then call centre is in South Africa. Took days to cancel the policy and then was charged a lot of money. Sad because have used 1st central in the past but they seem to have gone downhill a lot. Not at all confident if insurance was needed so had to cancel the policy. Went to Hastings who sorted out in five minutes. Read more Read less

I explained a few things to them over the phone and they charged me £155 for that call.

Cancelled my policy without warning and charged me a cancellation fee. Impossible to get hold of, and when I finanally did, they refused to reinstate... Cancelled my policy without warning and charged me a cancellation fee. Impossible to get hold of, and when I finanally did, they refused to reinstate my policy or refund the money Read more Read less

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... 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 to access documents. Excellent communication and really helpful when I've had to make a claim Read more Read less

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... 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, I’ve heard nothing back. After updating my address and paying the increase in the premium and the remaining 3 months in full, I was asked to make an additional payment even though my policy had already been fully paid. They later admitted that the direct debit would have updated on my account and I shouldn't have paid this... but haven't helped at all with issuing me my money back for the over payment (Colleagues error on the phone). Ive chased numerous times, and they have stopped responding altogether. The lack of communication and accountability is extremely frustrating. I would not recommend this company based on my experience. I am now going through Finance Ombudsman Read more Read less

Worst insurance company I have ever dealt with. 1st Central have the incorrect date of passing my test, they told me to contact the DVLA... Worst insurance company I have ever dealt with. 1st Central have the incorrect date of passing my test, they told me to contact the DVLA as the information comes from them and it's wrong their end. I contact the DVLA who confirm they have the correct date on their system and the insurance company need to update on their side. Contact 1st Central again to be told this is incorrect and there is nothing they can do but they might be able to update it in 2 months time? No reason as to why? No answer as to where the 2 month time line comes from, nothing. Rude customer service staff who do not want to even attempt to help or make sense of the situation. Kept speaking over me, repeating the same thing over and over again and raising their voice. Don't even bother with the chatbot or chat service as even when you get through to a person you get preprepared AI responses. You can guarantee they will use the incorrect date as reason to not payout if I ever have an incident on the road. Absolute waste of time and will not be renewing with them in a few months. Read more Read less