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1st CENTRAL Reviews

4.0 Rating 5,233 Reviews
75 %
of reviewers recommend 1st CENTRAL
4.0
Based on 5,233 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

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1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025
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1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th January 2025
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1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 22nd August 2024
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1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 21st August 2024
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Marcus Wickwar
5
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
AVOID Hung up on me twice Ask for ncd proof which I could only provide 9 years instead 20+ years so hit with a massive price hike So i cancel with them because they don't believe you and got hit with £150 of rip off charges,they only tell you there's a £50 cancellation fee Do not use if you need to change your car,address or cancel Go to the next cheapest quote instead RIP OFF MERCHANTS that need reporting YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear about the experience you've had with your policy. Unfortunately, we can't see any of your details, but we would like to look into this further for you. Please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please remember to include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
After been 3 years your customer it was disappointing to get double price for renewal when you compared with other companies so had to cancel policy and inform the advisor on the phone we don't want to renew for that price but still been renewed also can't never log in to online account so couldn't check it or cancel it.Been charged arrangements fee for £50 cancellation fee £50 and with extras all together been charged £350 which is not FAIR to been charged which haven't used that services..
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Yusuf, Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about your experience with us. If there’s anything you’d like us to look into for you, please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
AVOID AT ALL COST!!! Awful company, do not take out insurance with them. I called to cancel my policy and the advisor failed to cancel the policy the first time round so now I have been charged again. What should take 2 minutes to cancel is taking over a month.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear about the experience you've had with your policy. Unfortunately, we can't see any of your details, but we would like to look into this further for you. Please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please remember to include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
I sold both my car's and cancelled both policies, one company charged £43, 1st central charged £131. Absolute rip off. I understand there might be costs involved but this is just a blatant money grab. Also they say do everything online to get a 50% discount on admin charges but you can't cancel online you have to phone them which is also a pain in finding a number then trying to get through. Avoid
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Dan, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service and training for our agents. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Daniel, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We're unfortunately facing some issues with our phone lines at the moment. So, if you do need to contact us, you can via webchat (which can be found on our website). Or, alternatively if you try later, you can call us on 0333 043 2066. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
Do not buy insurance with this company. And everyone with a bad experience should complain yo their complaints department and if they don't uphold your complaint refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. They have a tendancy not to address all of your complaint. They should list yout complaint points and address them in turn.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Brian, I'm sorry to see you haven't had a great experience with us. I hope we are able to change this in the future for you. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us on 0333 043 2066. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Thank you Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
This insurance is totally rip off..I have been to a lot of insurance but they never asked to provide the photocopy of my license,dvla check code & no claim bonus,and this insurance 1st central is the first insurance that they will changed the monthly payment because I can’t provide the no claim bonus ..they put my monthly payment 10£ more and so I cancelled it it’s totally rip off the cancellation fee plus interest for the installation,there’s no insurance that I’ve been that I need to pay for the interest when I will cancel..so before you want to get insurance in this company think millions times as they are totally rip off…
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with us. Unfortunately all details on the policy impact the price of the policy we offer, if details are found to be incorrect we need to update them and this can impact the price of the policy. We would like to look into this further for you, please email us at customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
Tried to change my address via the website but it quoted me £450 to do so, so I called them up to change it instead (netting myself a sweet £50 admin charge at the same time), they charged me £320 to just change my address. I said would I be able to cancel my policy and get a refund and they offered me 30% of what I actually paid back - I’ve only had the policy for 4 months. They tried to justify this by saying it’s towards separate fees, £50 admin fee, £100 cancellation fee etc. Bottom line is never use this company, and as soon as my year is up with them I will be running in the complete opposite direction. This is the first time I have left a review for any company at all but this has just enraged me to the point I had to make one. They lure you in with their cheap premiums and then whenever you need to change any minuscule detail it feels like you’ve been hit with a bill at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Lewis, Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about your experience with us. If there’s anything you’d like us to look into for you, please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
They do not answer the telephone no's on their website. I waited over 2 hours and got nowhere. Rubbish Company. Get more staff!!
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Andrew, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
1st Central Car Insurance - My daughter had a crash on Friday and today is Wednesday and her car is still sitting on our driveway waiting to be dealt with. 1st Central gave her a repairer that's nearly an hours drive away (apparently they have no other repairer in our area) which doesn't have a courtesy car. My daughters car is undriveable and leaking fluid and she is paying for cabs to and from work on a daily basis with no answers from 1st Central as yet. This is my daughters first accident and the service she has received has shown her that she will not be renewing her policy when the time comes. Their breakdown cover is useless too. I would definitely not recommend them to anyone.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Christine, Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about your experience with us. If there’s anything you’d like us to look into for you, please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
Definitely don't recommend this insurer. After more than months, I bought car insurance received an e-mail that something is wrong with my information. Where have they been before giving me a contract? The funny thing is they were my previous insurer. How hard is it to get information from their own system? Few clicks and done. I even call them and asked to do so but they said it is not so easy? What? They checked information on a new contract and can't do it from my previous contract with them? How profesional is that?
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
Horrible company and services. Don't recommend anyone to have them. They don't have employees and all is online. They never reply to your emails or calls. No customer service or care. They charge a fee for cancellation even if your contract is ending. Really horrible. Do not recommend it. I ask everyone affected by this company to complain to the trading standards
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We do have a call centre, where you can speak to our colleagues. You can call us on 0333 043 2066 or speak to us on web chat which can be found on our website. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
SAY WAY FREM THE COMPANY AVOILD KEEP YOUR MONEY IN YOUR Pocket
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi, I'm sorry to see you haven't had a great experience with us. I hope we are able to change this in the future for you. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us on 0333 043 2066. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Thank you Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
Dishonest, scam company. They will steal your money. We were racially profiled. AVOID this company. Worse than the Tories.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Jim, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with us. Unfortunately, at times, we may need to request some additional details to confirm a policy, if details are found to be incorrect we would need to update them. We would like to look into this further for you, please give us a call on 0333 043 2095. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
I would not recommend this company. I insured my car 2 months ago, I was asked to provide information, I provided all the information, but I was asked to provide evidence even though 48 hours passed and they did not verify the information I sent and all the information was uploaded , in the end I had to call me. I was asked when I arrived, I indicated 2017 as a permanent residence, since I have all the evidence, I also said that before that I came a couple of times before 2017, though I have no evidence, and I I was temporarily in the UK. I got the right in 2018 and bought the car in 2018, but she was interested in when I arrived. During our conversation, she said that I need to make changes in my insurance, I did not correctly indicate the date of arrival in England and pay 150 pounds I ended up canceling my insurance today but have to pay £ 100 in fees. I would not recommend this company to my friends.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Sergey, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear on this occasion your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll use your comments to help improve our service. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
Wrong reg on car Can not understand people you talk too and very rude
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi, I'm sorry to see you haven't had a great experience with us. I hope we are able to change this in the future for you. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us on 0333 043 2066. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Thank you Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
I insured my car with 1st Central for the first time this year and I will not be returning or recommending them to anyone else - in fact I would actively discourage people from insuring with them. They accused me of providing them with incorrect information via the comparison site that I found their policy through and tried to charge me to make a change to the policy! They were very unhelpful and if it wasn't for me being confident in my challenge they would have taken advantage of me. If I was a vulnerable person, I'd have had no hope. While they are completely within their rights to conduct vigorous validity checks, their checks are far greater than any other insurer I've been with. So much so, that I got the sense that they were actively trying to find reasons to find fault with the information I had provided so that they could charge me for the privilege of making a change to my policy information. I would be intrigued to know how many policy information changes they initiate compared to other insurers and how much of their revenue is generated from this practise. In my case, the challenge concerned the question 'when did you buy the car?' I bought the car around 10 years ago, so this is how I answered the question on the comparison site. However, my ex boyfriend was the registered keeper for most of that period, and I only became the registered keeper two years ago. They said that my answer around 'buying' the car was wrong because they actually wanted to know when I had become the registered keeper. I might even add that on the V5C document it distinctly says 'this is not proof of ownership - it shows who is responsible for registering and taxing the vehicle'. They then proceeded to blame the comparison site saying that they didn't have any control over the questions they asked and that they categorically would not waive the policy change fee. I'm sorry, but if you're paying a comparison site to acquire new business you have an obligation to ensure that you're aligned in the way you are interpreting the questions and answers. And certainly not charge people for the administration it takes to get the information right post-quote! I do also appreciate that my case may not be 'typical', but some understanding on 1st Central's part would have gone a long way. Ultimately it wasn't my fault that this information was perceived by them to be incorrect. I'd answered the question to the best of my ability. They did eventually concede (after some difficult and stressful phone calls) and waived the administration fee, but still charged me for the premium increase caused by the updated information. I begrudgingly paid it, but ultimately I shouldn't have been charged given that as far as I was concerned their price advertised on the comparison website was correct according to the information I had entered. They just wanted to squeeze every penny out of me and had no concern for my customer experience. This experience also completely diminished any faith that I had in them to actually insure my car. If I'd had an accident I can only imagine the holes I would have had to have jumped through in order to have claimed. I've now cancelled my policy and I'm with another insurer whom I trust.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Sheri, Thank you for your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear about your experience with us. If there’s anything you’d like us to look into for you, please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
Rip off merchants extortionate price to cancel .Making it an expensive experience I understand there would be some charge but £94 !!!! Would not recommend to anyone it’s not as cheap as you may think . Beware of the very small print £50 to take out policy ! £50 to cancel policy ! Before you start . AVOID AVOID AVOID
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Deborah, Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear your experience with us hasn’t been as positive as we’d hoped it would be. Let’s see if we can help put this right for you. Just give our team a call on 0333 043 2066 or speak to us on web chat which can be found on our website. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
1st Central is the worst car insurance company ever. Suggesting this company only to my enemies. They make changes to your car insurance 14 days after you have taken out the insurance, charge you for them, then don't answer your e-mails, long phone waiting queues, don't call you back when said they would, don't talk to the driver, cancellation fees are written £50, but they want to charge you £145, basically, making it impossible to cancel it, customer service is horrible, no way to do anything online, just waiting till the policy finishes and NEVER again with this company. If you think it's cheaper than others, think twice, they will make some changes and will charge you more than more expensive companies, you will fall in a trap. Can't imagine what would happen if needed to make a claim.
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi Sandra, Thank you for your feedback. We're so sorry to hear about the experience you've had with policy. We would like to look into this further for you to help resolve this, please send an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk with your policy number a summary of your experience similar to your review and we will look into it. Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
They are stealing money from customers. Avoid
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hi, I'm sorry to see you haven't had a great experience with us. I hope we are able to change this in the future for you. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us on 0333 043 2066. We’re here to help from Mon-Fri: 8am to 8pm, Sat: 9am to 5pm, Sun: 10am to 2pm. Thank you Yasmin
Posted 3 years ago
Cancelled insurance earlier in the year. Shocked to find months later they have been taking money from bank account. Then they 1) refused to refund by saying the cancellation had not been confirmed by me, and 2) quoting small print from T&Cs to justify their action!!
Helpful Report
Posted 3 years ago
Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We’re really sorry to hear about the experience you've had with your cancellation. Unfortunately, we can't see any of your details, but we would like to look into this further for you. Please contact us by sending an email to customer.relations@1stcentral.co.uk. Please remember to include your policy number and details of what’s gone wrong, and we’ll see if we can put things right. Ashley
Posted 3 years ago
1st CENTRAL is rated 4.0 based on 5,233 reviews