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1st CENTRAL Reviews

3.9 Rating 5,237 Reviews
75 %
of reviewers recommend 1st CENTRAL
3.9
Based on 5,237 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
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Phone:

0333 043 2066

Email:

marketing@1stcentral.co.uk

Location:

Capital House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath
RH16 3SY

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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
I have never had such an appalling experience with a company in my life. 1st Call Central Car Insurance has shown me exactly how NOT to treat a customer. I took out a policy with them, only to later be told (after the fact) that I’d be charged almost £500 more. When I challenged this, the representative on the phone openly admitted that they understood I had not been given the full information needed to make an informed decision about taking out the policy in the first place. So essentially, I was misled into agreeing to something I never would have accepted had I known all the facts upfront. Despite this clear failure in duty of care, I was still told I’d be charged a £100 cancellation fee just to say, “No thanks.” After more discussion, the agent acknowledged the lack of information and agreed to refund the £50 cancellation fee as a “gesture of goodwill” – yet refused to refund the £50 arrangement fee, even though it was agreed that had I been properly informed, I would never have taken the policy at all. When I raised this obvious contradiction – that if you admit fault, the arrangement fee should also be refunded – I was told it was simply “her decision” and that my only recourse was to take it up with the ombudsman. I fully intend to do exactly that. Even more disturbing, the conversation I had earlier in the day seems to have mysteriously changed. The written record now being offered to me does not match what was actually said. Instead, I’ve received an empty “gesture of goodwill” in writing – a far cry from what was acknowledged on the call. I will be submitting a formal Subject Access Request (SAR) so that the recording of this conversation can be passed to the Financial Ombudsman. They deserve to hear the full picture, not the rewritten version the company is trying to pass off. It’s not just about the £50, it’s about principle. A company that admits wrongdoing but still fines the customer for their own failings is not a company that deserves to be in business. I’ve now wasted hours trying to resolve this and will be exploring my right to bill them for my time as well. Steer well clear of 1st Call Central. They are untrustworthy, dismissive, and operate with a shocking lack of transparency or fairness. If I could give them zero stars, I would.
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Posted 1 week ago
I’ve been driving for over 20 years with a spotless record and no claims, but my experience with 1st Central has been nothing short of a nightmare. I took out a policy with them and just 6 days later had to return the vehicle due to engine problems. I called 1st Central to ask about my options and was advised by their own staff that the best (and cheapest) course of action was to cancel the policy within the 14-day cooling-off period and simply take out a new one once I got a replacement car. So, I did exactly what they recommended. But when I went back to arrange a new policy, I was suddenly denied – not just by them, but it seems this cancellation flagged me across insurers, leading to ridiculously high quotes everywhere. I called and spent over 2 hours on the phone with them, hoping for some accountability or at least a solution. Instead, all I got was shrugged shoulders and a flat refusal: apparently, I am now barred from ever insuring with them again. This is despite following their own advice and cancelling within the legal cooling-off period( only 6 days after it started) ! Absolutely shocking treatment. No help, no solutions, and no consideration for a loyal, claim-free driver with two decades of experience. If you value your peace of mind, avoid 1st Central at all!!!
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Posted 2 weeks ago
I cannot cancel my telematic policy through my account or make any significant changes, like opting out of the renewal. I feel like I have to have the right to do it by myself. But, to do so, I needed to call them. I have spent about 30 minutes on hold. When I finally reached them, the support assistant was quite rude. I inquired about why my account was locked, and she said that because she is making some changes, and I didn`t ask, so she didn`t feel a need to explain this. Also, they are not offering price matches and are charging a hefty cancellation fee. On top of that, the telematics sensor they are providing is making an annoying noise while driving, like a grain of rice is stuck inside and moving up and down when the surface of the road is a bit uneven. I don`t think I will be renewing with them.
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Posted 1 month ago
Cheap, but very poor customer service and internal processes if a query is raised. Received a text demanding payment of an apparent outstanding balance for the full value of a policy that had been cancelled before it came into effect 3 months previous to the message. It took 6 weeks of communication to get the correct information on the balance, the company had issued an additional refund in error when they cancelled the policy. During the 6 weeks of communication some teams provided false information, one example of this was a team who stated that the policy had recently been cancelled and cancellation fees were due, this was confirmed as false by a different team who provided the real reason for the outstanding balance. I am glad I'm no longer a customer.
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Posted 1 month ago
Even though it’s their responsibility to collect and verify all necessary documents, I personally called them, followed up over the phone, and insisted multiple times: If anything is missing or wrong, let me know now so I can find another insurance provider. They assured me everything was fine. Months later—after the contract was signed—they suddenly and without any valid reason doubled my insurance premium. They even threatened to cancel the policy if I didn’t comply. This behavior is not just unprofessional—it’s unethical and manipulative. To make things worse, they completely ignore my emails. I have reached out multiple times to try to resolve the issue, and they simply don’t respond. This level of negligence and disregard for the customer is unacceptable. My experience with this company has been overwhelmingly negative. Their process is unclear, unreliable, and riddled with last-minute surprises. They show zero accountability and absolutely no respect for the customer’s time, trust, or concerns. If you value your peace of mind and expect even the most basic level of professionalism, I strongly urge you to stay far away from this company.
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Posted 1 month ago
They offered great rates in the beginning, and seemed reasonable, until they refused to believe that I purchased the vehicle 6 years ago and have now issued a £79 fee, all because they believe my information is wrong. I've sent them all the evidence to prove otherwise but they simply refuse. The customer service team I spoke to were just awful and made it clear they simply do not care. They have also stated that V5 documents are proof of purchase, even though it states on the official document that V5 are not legally proof of purchase.... Do not trust these guys and be careful of hidden fees.
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Posted 1 month ago
I was completely locked out of my trading account after my withdrawal request got rejected. It felt like my entire investment was at risk. I’ve heard of this happening to others too, and it’s honestly terrifying. But when I reached out for support, Mrs. Mercy and her team didn’t let me down. They got me back on track and helped recover my money
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 4th June 2025
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Posted 3 months ago
AVOID THIS INSURANCE COMPANY. They cancelled my policy without telling me - I was still paying them for my insurance and I only found out they had cancelled it when I was pulled over by police. I ended up with 6 points on my licence and a £550 fine. Now they’re trying to charge me £57.43 for a cancellation fee, and have threatened that bailiffs will come to my home and my credit score will be affected if I don’t pay. They have called me multiple times chasing the cancellation fee, but never once phoned me about the actual cancellation. Absolutely disgraceful service.
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Posted 4 months ago
I took out a car insurance policy with 1st Central because it looked like a great deal. However, once they had all my documents, they suddenly decided to remove my No Claim Discount without proper explanation and increased my premium by over £380 — including a £50 admin fee. This was done without my consent, and I was told the new amount would simply be added to my monthly payments unless I paid it in full. I was left with no choice but to request cancellation. The whole experience felt dishonest and stressful. There was a complete lack of transparency, poor communication, and no accountability. What seemed cheap at the beginning ended up being a costly mistake. Avoid this company at all costs.
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Posted 4 months ago
I was involved in a car crash where I unfortunately crashed into the back of somebody. 1st central handled everything really well until it came to repairing my car. My windscreen was badly damaged in the crash and their engineer refused that the damage was made in the crash. There was quite clearly glass and debris at the foot of my windscreen but their engineer refused the damage from their computer screen. I have had to pay a £350 excess for some of the damage but will also have to pay for the cost of the repair of my windscreen which is outrageous as it was done in the accident. If 1st central won’t pay for damages created by accidents why do we bother being insured in the first place. Also the person I spoke to on the phone today was extremely rude and arrogant! Avoid at all costs.
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Posted 7 months ago
I was almost scammed $200k dollars by this establishment and I was very sceptic from the on set but all thanks to AIXALTD.COM for coming to my aid and I was really surprised at how quick they swung into action, I’m glad I have my investment back
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Posted 8 months ago
Loyal customer for 5 years. Never any problems until I renewed my insurance for a fifth year. Got a strange text/email from them. The text/email said that they need to do some checks and that I need to call them to ensure my policy is 'validated'. So gave them a call. Oh my word, the stress. They asked how many miles I do a year. Based on what I said, they calculated I do 6k miles and not 5k. (Not sure where they justify their calculations from). They decided my policy had to be changed - £71 for them to add incorrect info that shouldn't even change as I do 5k miles. Account is frozen online until I pay that sum of money. Can't cancel my policy online until I pay the money. So made a complaint by email. On the day I made a 2nd call back after the 1st one asap to dispute it. No call back yet - I don't think they'll ever return the call. Now I have the option to either cancel my policy, which I don't know how much it'll cost but imagining it'll cost a bomb. Or stay with them for another year and risk that they will look for other errors in my policy and charge other unnecessary admin fees. Awful. And not how you treat a loyal customer. DO NOT USE THIS CAR INSURER EVER.
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025 1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025
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Posted 8 months ago
Very rude customer service agents, bait and switch pricing after you’ve already signed onto their insurance, and just a generally scammy company.
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Posted 8 months ago
Do not trust this company. Please actually read the other review sites. They actively look for mistakes so that they can charge you an admin fee. They asked for me to uploads my v5 for no reason, then said I put the purchase of my car at a different day. It was 1 day out of the v5 but that was the day I purchased it. They then thrived to charge me £125 to change it. I argued about it and they cancelled my policy sending me a cancelation fee. They ate criminal.
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Posted 8 months ago
After losing $85,000 to what I believed was a genuine investment opportunity, I was devastated when I discovered it was a scam. My funds were gone, and the scammers vanished without a trace. I felt utterly hopeless. That’s when I found Supreme Assets Recovery, and they turned everything around. 𝘌𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭: 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘵7 @ 𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 .𝘤𝘰𝘮 𝘖𝘳 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩: + 44 73 -88 -69-79-58 Their team worked tirelessly to recover my money. Their professionalism, dedication, and knowledge made all the difference. I’m beyond grateful for their help and highly recommend them to anyone who needs assistance with fund recovery!
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Posted 8 months ago
I recently had an incredibly frustrating experience with 1st Central Car Insurance that I feel compelled to share. From start to finish, the service was appalling, with a series of lies, unprofessional behaviour, and unnecessary charges. First and foremost, I was left speechless when they ended the phone call on me not once, but twice. Despite being promised a call back, no one ever reached out to follow up. It’s clear they have no regard for their customers’ time or concerns. The lies told by the representatives were downright infuriating. Every time I spoke with someone, the information I received seemed to contradict what was said previously. I was given conflicting details about policy changes and cancellation fees, which left me completely confused and frustrated. Speaking of the cancellation fees, I was charged an outrageous £50 to cancel the policy. However, when I checked their website, it clearly stated the cancellation fee should be £35. This inconsistency only added to my frustration, especially since I was given no explanation for the higher charge. The situation became even more ridiculous when my son switched jobs from an Admin Assistant to a Sales Executive. For this small change, 1st Central increased his policy by a shocking £848. It’s hard to understand how a job title change could result in such a massive price hike, especially when no substantial risk factor was added. The lack of professionalism continued when I spoke with a manager who was not helpful in resolving the issue. Not only did they insist on seeing my son’s contract as proof of his job, but they also requested a payslip. Who asks for a payslip to make a policy adjustment? It’s not something any reasonable insurer would demand. This level of scrutiny was completely unnecessary. To top it all off, 1st Central made numerous mistakes on their end throughout this process. From incorrect information to errors in how they handled the policy details, it became clear that this company is disorganised and untrustworthy. I would never recommend 1st Central to anyone looking for reliable and professional car insurance. Their customer service is abysmal, their pricing is unreasonable, and they don’t care about resolving issues or treating customers fairly. Avoid them at all costs.
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Posted 8 months ago
I was also a victim, this company held my money for over 2 months I was lucky enough to see some positive reviews here about Mrs Tamine and my funds were successfully recovered, congratulations to myself I'm very happy I finally got back my money with the help of 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 ::: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 -: 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞@𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 _𝐎𝐑_ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱:::+1(505)4020714 after so many attempts with fake recovery companies, I almost gave up but decided to try her as well, now I'm very excited to have taken this last step, congratulations to myself
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Posted 9 months ago
Never use.Extremely unhelpful insurance company. You must avoid at all cost. Over a month since the claim and not fully settled yet. Despite I paid for excess protect this has not been returned. The policy has not been settled despite multiple emails. Despite I paid for a courtesy car, the car has been collected after 48 hrs without consideration for my needs or my situation.
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Posted 9 months ago
ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING COMPANY AVOID AT ALL COSTS IF YOU HAVE A CLAIM THEY DO.NOT FIGHT IT. I KNOW I WAS NOT AT FAULT AS THE OTHER CAR TURNED INTO MY REAR QUARTER INTO MY LANE AND HIT ME I DID NOT MOVE YET APPARENTLY ITS 50%MY FAULT AS I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED HIS LANE WAS CLEAR? WHY? I WASNT GOING INTO HIS LANE STAYED IN MY OWN LANE YET THEY FIGHT NOTHING, YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALL YOURSELF THEN THEY SAY TOUGH ITS CASE LAW THAT ITS 50 50 AND YOU LOSE EVERYTHING WHEN YOU KNOW 110% THAT YOU DID NOTHING WRONG AND CAN DO NOTHING AS THEY WONT LISTEN TO YOU. THEY ARE CHEAPER FOR A REASON AVOID AVOID AVOID
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Posted 10 months ago
Used these for years. left and came back for a quote. asked to check price with a remap. they wouldn't quote. asked for a quote without to see if worth doing or not. refused to quote and hung up on me. Awful since their call centre went to South Africa
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Posted 10 months ago
1st CENTRAL is rated 3.9 based on 5,237 reviews