Write a review

Newsletter

Go to business site

First Alternative: Car Insurance reviews

Name: Car Insurance
Rating: 2.72 (14 reviews)

View other First Alternative products

2.72

Based on 14 reviews, last reviewed 12th Oct 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

21%

4 star

14%

2 star

64%

Latest highest rating:

5

Very good customer service Great customer service. Very helpful and polite. I would recommend to family and friends Reviewed on: 6th January 2018

Latest lowest rating:

1

Avoid. I’ve referred them to the financial ombudsman... Have had to refer my case to the financial ombudsman as was insured by them and involved in a fraudulent accident. I informed them immediately after t... Read more Reviewed on: 12th October 2026

Read all reviews Write a review

About this product

Read First Alternative car insurance reviews on Smart Money People, the UK's #1 independent financial services review site. If you're looking specifically for First Alternative reviews, see what insight our community is offering before deciding if it's the right product for you. Or if you've used First Alternative car insurance previously, please share a review of your own and help our community!

Review First Alternative: Car Insurance now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

First Alternative Car Insurance reviews (14)

Avoid. I’ve referred them to the financial ombudsman...

Have had to refer my case to the financial ombudsman as was insured by them and involved in a fraudulent accident. I informed them immediately after the incident and my concerns about a claim and asked to be kept updated should a claim be entered. They said they would. They didn’t and now I’m have a fraudulent claim settled in the other parties favour without investigation and hence am having to take further action. They acknowledged partial failings and offered £200 which doesn’t covered the increased cost over 5 years of declaration. However, that offer didn’t come easily and I’ve had serious difficulties accessing the my information in relation to the claim (despite it being my data). I would have no faith in them dealing with any sort of complex case when they struggle with the simple matters. Reviewed on: 12th October 2026

Avoid!!! Withholding MY information

Avoid - a car rolled back into me and they’ve recorded it as an at fault incident without any investigation. Despite joining with 13 years NCB protected, they’ve given me proof for 8 years only (when companies cap the total NCB discount for X years, they can provide a letter to this effect). They’ve refused to give me any details of whether the third party has a settled claim or the cost, meaning I’ve been jumping through hurdles at my renewal date with other companies as I don’t have this info and the cost isn’t available on the database other providers can check. Repeated failures to provide this information means I’ve have to raise a formal complaint and fully accept I will need to refer this to the FCA. I hate to think how hard they would make it for a customer if they needed to claim! Reviewed on: 16th April 2026

Online chat unhelpful

Online chat unhelpful and confusing causing mistakes and fobbed off. Esure no better Reviewed on: 2nd September 2025

Fine if you don’t actually ever have to use them

They were easy to contact initially on my claim, however they let my car sit in the garage for a whole month without doing anything and didn’t try to contact me once with any kind of update. I had to continually chase them and could never get an answer about what was going on. I then was told by the garage that it had been written off and had to chase the insurance up multiple times to get this confirmed. It was fairly stressful and annoying to get such little information out of them every time I tried to call Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Disgusting

massive price hikes, deliberate incorrect information put into policy so they can claim the insurance is invalid. online chats are appalling. quite often chat to people who DO NOT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH PROPERLY. PHYSICALLY LAUGH AT YOU DOWN THE PHONE. Disrespectful, uncooperative, arrogant, discriminating. VERY DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH. Reviewed on: 3rd June 2024

terrible customer service , long waiting time and no investigation into fraudulent claim

fraudulent claim has been filed which has affected my no claims . Zero correspondace with them eventhough i notified them after waiting two and a half hrs to report the claim . Have been waiting over a month to for a call . I cancelled my policy , but they still seem to find the time to forward new quotes which have doubled . Why trading standards dont have stricter laws on these companies , which by law you have to have to be legal on the road is beyond me . You dont know where you stand and they make no attempt to clear the matter !!!!!!!!!!!! Reviewed on: 16th October 2023

60 quid cancellation fee

Been with them a few years but just bought a new car and in the deal for the new car was free insurance for a year so naturally cancelled with first alternative- I paid in full til next April and they charged me 60 quid for cancelling policy - daylight robbery- never again ! Reviewed on: 29th September 2023

HORRIBLE SERVICE CANT GET HOLD OF THE TO CLAIM BACK EXCESS WHEN THEY SAID IM NOT AT FAULT

Horrible company, no one picks up the phone and when they do they give an excuse say its busy or the line gets cut. They then say to email when you email you get no response or acknowledgement. They said im not at fault as i provided witnesses and cctv footage but they wont give me back my excess out of pocket of £250. They are part of the esure group so if your insurance is either first alternative or esure don't use them same as first choice repairs. Invest in a good insurance company that would look after you and communicate Reviewed on: 12th July 2023

Scammers! avoid! Please read all reviews

You think your saving money , well yes you are, but it WILL COST YOU later!! This company is a con, they are scammers. In a normal world you would receive money back if you cancel your insurance, But this company robs you, using the small print in their policy . Rude rude customer Service advisors, who pushed me to swear at them, I should not have , but the foolish person was about to cut me of and then did cut me off! So I don’t care if I said a bad word . She deserved it and I would do it again. The service advisors need more training . Do not put patronising customer service advisors on duty when you know that customers will be wound up after waiting for so Long in the queue to get through and then be Rude to them. To hell with this company And their complaints department who also are useless and arrogant Reviewed on: 22nd July 2022

Disgusting after sales service

Tried to swap cover to another car, went ok at first then they had a technical problem part way through making payment. Tried to get them by phone but ALWAYS got cut off! Tried to send email but First Alternative did not accept email. email. So there is no way to contact this company. As I said, disgusting after sales service. Reviewed on: 17th December 2020

Review First Alternative: Car Insurance now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Motorhome Insurance
from Safeguard UK Insurance 4.05 from 4 reviews
Cycle insurance
from Yellow Jersey 4.81 from 423 reviews
Cycle insurance
from Bikmo 4.46 from 533 reviews

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub

First Alternative: Car Insurance reviews

No new 5 star reviews

No new 1 star reviews

Latest highest rating:

5

Latest lowest rating:

1

About this product

Review First Alternative: Car Insurance now

First Alternative Car Insurance reviews (14)

Avoid. I’ve referred them to the financial ombudsman...

Avoid!!! Withholding MY information

Online chat unhelpful

Fine if you don’t actually ever have to use them

Disgusting

terrible customer service , long waiting time and no investigation into fraudulent claim

60 quid cancellation fee

HORRIBLE SERVICE CANT GET HOLD OF THE TO CLAIM BACK EXCESS WHEN THEY SAID IM NOT AT FAULT

Scammers! avoid! Please read all reviews

Disgusting after sales service

Review First Alternative: Car Insurance now

Join Smart Money People

News, guides and insight from our team

UK money news stories - 24 July 2024

Your Money, Your Voice: Have your say

Our latest research - customers see little impact of FCA's Consumer Duty one year on

Consumer credit awards winners 2024