Login
Start Free Trial Are you a business?? Click Here

1st CENTRAL Reviews

4.0 Rating 5,230 Reviews
75 %
of reviewers recommend 1st CENTRAL
4.0
Based on 5,230 reviews
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods
Own Driver, Postal Service
On-time Delivery
99%
Customer Service
Communication Channels
Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In
Under An Hour
Customer Service
4.1 out of 5
Read 1st CENTRAL Reviews
Visit Website

Phone:

0333 043 2066

Email:

marketing@1stcentral.co.uk

Location:

Capital House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath
RH16 3SY

Write Your review

1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025
Anonymous
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025
Anonymous
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 22nd August 2024
Mehrdad
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 21st August 2024
Valeria
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 21st August 2024
Valeria
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 21st August 2024
Valeria
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 9th May 2024
Marcus Wickwar
5
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
Avoid like the plague. The policy that requires you to have a sensor in you car is insane. If you drive your car without your phone present/ low battery, it doesn't track your trip and then they will threaten to cancel your insurance. I have an additional driver on my policy (my boyfriend) so when I am the passenger it thinks I am using my phone, which they also then threaten to cancel your policy over. If anyone drives your car without you present- negative strike as your phone is not there! Not sure how this can even be legal as is completely unrealistic and an invasion of privacy. Have now been charged £88 to cancel the policy because of the "breaches" above. Will never use again- clearly this is how they make their money.
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Called to insure a new car and was advised to renew an expired policy (£307) and then change my registered vehicle (£212 admin fee). Called to resolve the next day and was told there was nothing they could do. Mid-sold insurance to the tune of £212. Absolutely furious.
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 26th April 2023
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Box never worked . Phoned within 14 days and told to wait , still didn’t work called again to be told wait. Tried to cancel policy via app no option on app to cancel telematics . Sold car had to phone to cancel to be told owe over £100 wish I’d cancelled within 14 days in fact wish I hadn’t taken policy at all .. dreadful service will never use again or recommend ..
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Would give them 0 stars if I could!!! Went for this insurer as they were competitively priced, but wished we hadn’t now! Sent two texts asking for documents and that they sent an email with the details. No emails were received. We emailed them and asked what documents. No response. Next thing we know we receive an email from them advising the premium was increasing by £23 a month due to the changes we had made. We had made no changes. After 2 unhelpful web chats one of which was ended by them they advised they had done a check and I had 3 points on my license (I have no points). Asked for a copy of my driving license and my partners and a copy of a DVLA access code for me. Provided this for them to say it had expired (it last 21 days and they tried to access it in under 24 hours it had not expired). Sent them a new one but then they wanted one for my partner as well. I did this and then they put me on hold for a long time to reverse the previous changes they made to the points. They then came back and said the day we past our tests did not match so the premium would be £10 more than it was previously quoted a month. Utterly ridiculous when you don’t put a date in when applying and just the month and year. Asked to speak with a manager to get the fees waived. Waited 30 mins on hold to get through for them to tell me this was not in their remit and would need to submit a complaint. What’s the point of having a management team when they can’t do anything! Just another way to infuriate your customers. I have already submitted a complaint yesterday when this all started due to the amount of time wasted, stress and anxiety caused and their standard of customer service. Also emailed them with details of my complaint and have received no acknowledgment. After the additional time waster today will send a further email and hold with bated breath for a response. Wish we could just cancel but at a charge of £169 that is not financially doable! Working in insurance myself I am so shocked at their service they really shouldn’t be running. Feel I will need to take this further to the FOS when they finally respond to the complaint and make it my mission to ensure that no one I know ever takes out insurance with them. Social media will be the next outlet to let as many people know to avoid!
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Had issues putting the correct job details in on the comparison website for the registered drivers of the vehicle, we couldn't put the correct sectors of the company (such as a manager, assistant, etc) in but the company/job title were all still correct, so we just put the closest possible options. After the policy was taken out we phoned the company (as requested by the company) only to find that they had raised an issue with the job descriptions/sectors, the person on the phone even struggled themselves to define the job titles appropriately on their end. Was told that the person on the phone would 'just have to put the closest possible option' (as we did before taking the policy out) and that we would be charged an additional fee (including £50 administration fee!) which put the policy as more expensive than the other quotes we had received. Cancelled the policy altogether, raised a complaint with the company, and are waiting on a refund
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
The only Wabt your money . They don’t care for anything else . Don’t waste your time with this company
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
How stupid was I but MORE how frustrated are we !! Writing on behalf of our daughter. Because I did search on her behalf for a reliable car insurance cover. Decided on 1st Central. Comprehensive car insurance However!! My daughter had an RTA on 3rd March She’s a single parent with 3 children 4,6 & 9 yrs. I thought I’d arranged replacement car by paying extra for ‘like for like, important as she needed to fit three children car seats. only to find out if car is Written off or Stole Loan car is void !! How stupid if insurance cover AND me,for missing!! When loan car is key it’s not an option ( unless you pay EVEN MORE ) More to the point, at time of writing this on 21.03.23 she has filled in umpteen forms. Made umpteen calls and STILL NOT had her car valued so she can get a replacement 😡 SO DISAPPOINTED. LET DOWN DEFINITELY WILL NOT RECOMMEND 1st Central. EVER
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
The scam ,costumer service speak non understandable english , hanging up on you , after accident claim impossible to speak with them
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
I started my policy with 1st Insurance in 2022. Unfortunately my car was stolen that year and I had to make a claim. On the following year my premium was excessive, which it was understanding after a claim. When I tried to get few NEW quotes prior to deciding to take the one. It cost me £132 a month, because I did not have other opinions I paid for it. I asked 1st Central insurance if I could pay a higher deposit so the instalments were cheaper but they refused. Nevertheless, I decided to pay 4 months payments in advance this for January, February, March and April 2023. And it was just over £700 to pay for the rest of year 2023. However, few days later I had a text message on my phone from 1ST CENTRAL saying they added additional charged to my policy. Now I have over £1000 to pay, almost DOUBLE of the initial price. I called them and explained that for two weeks I had about 4-8 quotes from them. I had to tick boxes on the go compare website. Because of a mistake of not ticking a box, a error they charged me DOUBLE as if it was a fraud ( I am a student nurse I don't need to make a fraud). They have all my details, all my details are on their system, none of my details have changed, same name, same phone number, same address and email.. I tried to explain that it was an error, I would not LIE they paid for my previous system Its all on their system. They refused to listen, were very rude condescending and extremelly unhelpful. I had tried many quotes, 7 quotes in a period of 2 weeks. All the quotes were expensive. I went with one although it was expensive I could not find a cheaper quote but all my details still same. First Cental staff said I did not disclosed a claim from 8 months before. I made a claim with 1ST CENTRAL I had no reasons to lie it was an error on the document was filled online they charge me double on my policy so I am paying almost £2000 for my policy. 1st Central Insurance stuff are rude, incompeten, very unprofessional, Not a clear English and poor communication skills. The worse customer service. They will put the phone down on you if you complain, customer service nonexistent! They will hang up on the phone on you. The worse customer services. And no I would not recommend you to any family and friends 😤. Very unhelpful, customer services hon existent, rude and they will speak down on you. Take your money 💰 somewhere! You will spend a fortune. Don't you dare make any mistakes t filling forms online. You will get charged for it. Its all about the 💰 🤑 💸 💲 😤 Take your money somewhere! Run!!! You will be disappointed
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Terrible customer services, and a the worst insurance company I ever had to deal with. It took them 8 emails, 5 phone calls, and 6 months all together to cancel my policy. In the meantime they kept charging me the monthly fee for 9 months after I sold my car ! At the end they even overcharged me with a ridiculously expensive cancellation fee that costs more than the policy itself. Absolutely ridiculous! I do not want to hear about them ever again. Worst rip off ever.
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
Horrible experience with my motoring insurance by 1st central… and the cancellation fee was £59…more than the insurance itself…avoid this company!
Helpful Report
Posted 1 year ago
I received a phone call today from this insurance company. They wanted to discuss with me my yearly mileage which I was absolutley fine with. When I was asked the question I replied that I will do between 6k and 7k miles as I won't be driving as much this year. I was then forced to give exact figure so I replied 7k and that costed my extra 65GBP!!!!!I feel like I was forced to give the answer which allowed this firm to charge me 20% more for the insurance I already paid for! Discusting way to treat your customers!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
My wife was comparing policies and did not intend on completing the policy... Website very unhelpful and certainly not user friendly, once the mistake was realised the policy was cancelled within the 1hr... you supposedly get 15 days cooling off... but what they hide in the small print is there is a massive £50 cancellation fee... absolutely disgraceful and we won't ever consider this company in the future and will warn everyone we can. At these difficult times how can you justify a £50 cancellation within 1hr of application?
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
My Grandaughter is insured with company she had an accident and bumped into another car unbenomed to her she was not insured for travelling to and from work. After the bump she came home and got ready to go to work she got a taxi to work and had a receipt from the taxi driver in the form of a text to prove she got a taxi to work 1st central refused to accept the text as a receipt so refused her claim. The claims team are based in South Africa and it takes nearly one hour to get through on the phone I escalated the claim to a complaint with the threat of going to the ombudsman. The complaints dept situated in Manchester phoned up and said they will pay for repairs for both cars it's been going on for over 2 weeks. They look out for ways to stop paying out on a legitimate claim. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Terrible service, bullying tactics
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Poor customer service, mismanagement of policy rules and personal rules Happily to continue take payment till you have to make a claim then their attitude changes
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
DISGRACEFUL COMPANY HOLDING CUSTOMERS TO RANSOM IF THEY DONT PAY EXTORTIANATE FEES OF £173.00 TO CHANGE THE DATE OF PURCHASE ON A CAR POLICY THEN THEY WILL CANCEL AND PROMISES OF CALLBACKS THAT NEVER MATERIALISED , AVOID
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
Opted to not renew my policy. Since then they keep telling me I owe money. I've phoned spoke customer services made complaint and been given compensation . Now again they asking for money or ballifs will be at my door. Avoid at all costs
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
I opted for NOT renewing automatically my car insurance, and to my surprise, I was charged. I called to ask them to correct the error, and again I was surprised to learn that I would need to pay £61 because THEIR system failed to recognize that I opted out of the automatic renewal. I didn't pay and then I received an email threatening legal action. That's unacceptable, and I'll pursue my legal rights against the company if they don't correct their mistake without charging me for that.
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
My daughter was killed in a car crash while driving a hire vehicle. It took over 3 months of chasing settlement of her own vehicle then they sent settlement letter addressed to her despite knowing she had died. I have had no success regarding her accident in hire car. Shocking treatment!!!
Helpful Report
Posted 2 years ago
1st CENTRAL is rated 4.0 based on 5,230 reviews