1st CENTRAL Reviews

4.0 Rating 5,188 Reviews
76 %
of reviewers recommend 1st CENTRAL
4.0
Based on 5,188 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

Tell us how 1st CENTRAL made you happy
Help future customers by talking about customer service, price, delivery, returns & refunds.
Minimum 10 characters
Would you like to add a photos or videos?
Strengthen your review by uploading photos & videos.
Drag files here or browse
(Supported files: jpg, png, mpeg, ogg, mp4 & webm)
What's your name?
Leave this blank if you'd like to publish your review anonymously.
(Optional)
What's your email?
We need your email address to verify that your review is genuine
Please note that we may share your email with the company to verify your order.
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 20th December 2023
Scam Insurance
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 30th November 2023
Attila Balogh
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 26th April 2023
Anonymous
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th October 2022
A. T
1st CENTRAL 1 star review on 8th October 2022
A. T
Anonymous
Anonymous  // 01/01/2019
Had my policy cancelled with no notice either by phone, email or letter. I’d failed to login into the portal after a text instruction asking me to do so requesting for “information” (sounds harmless enough right?) I was so busy with work and caring for my terminally ill father at the time I figured that if it was important they’d get in touch with me directly. They did after all, have my details. However I received an email on the 13th October informing me that my insurance had been cancelled on 20th September due to failure to comply with their terms and conditions for not notifying them of SP30 (speeding) points and was ordered to pay a cancellation fee £176.61. I was shocked. No duty of candour protocols followed?! You’d expect such a serious action would come following expressed written warning or at least a heads up of the severity of the situation!? Nothing. No email, No text, No phone call, No letter….NOTHING!!….other than the email received on the 13th October chasing me for the payment (which I made) of the fine. 21 DAYS AFTER THE POLICY HAD BEEN CANCELLED BY THEM!!!!???? My father had died 2 days after my policy was cancelled on the 22nd September and unbeknownst to me I was driving an uninsured vehicle for all those days!! (21 days) I explained this to them on the phone and they didn’t care. I was treated like I was some kind of criminal! They think because they’ve set up a “convenient online portal” for you to login, check and see your status and messages that some how this exempts them from basic protocols of human decency, behaviour, duty of care, customer service or professional candour. They did use my details in contacting me in chasing payment of the fine. Email and phone call on 13th October but didn’t think to extend me the courtesy to use those details to warn me in advance of the heinous actions that they took putting me and my family in danger of driving a uninsured vehicle. I’ve been driving and insuring cars for 28 years. In all that time I have only claimed on an insurance policy once. Never before have I been treated so shoddily, especially at such a sad and difficult time for me personally. Additional irony here is my dad was a retired high ranking police officer. I’m very angry with this company and have insured vehicles with them before. I have 4 cars and a commercial vehicle. They won’t get a penny from me ever again! I hope someone from 1st central insurance reads this and ask some serious questions about how such an injustice could possibly occur? Because in my mind it rails against all commonly regarded rules of fair play. These people have the moral code of school yard thugs and I (just like my dad did) hate bullies!
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
The prices. Last year, insurance cover was £260, renewal came for £463 this year... That's quite a shocking increase. I tried to cancel, I got told l will have to pay £50 though set up fees. I am still within 14 days of renewal so that's a shocking part of the contract. Luckily the complaints department managed to waiver that, thank you.... Then I got put through to sales to give me a new quote. Now here's the ridiculous bit....I was transferred from complaints....they knew I had a renewal of £463 that I refused....so the new quote (which is for the same thing as the renewal was) was......A BIG FAT SILLY £700.... Give me your brain! Absolute joke, will never use this company again, ever! Thanks for the extremely awful service
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
Left out to hang. AVOID!!!!!! I set up a policy on the 31 August 2023 to start on the 02 September 2023, paid the deposit and moved on. With in the next few days I receive the "welcome" email and emails to leave a review. At that point I just move on like you do. This is the 2nd car I had on the policy at the time, and I then sold one of them and had to cancel the insurance for the 2nd car, witch I did and I agreed to pay the cancel price on the 13/09/10. Which I done over the phone. Nothing was said to me about the matter on what I'm about to discuss. Some time passes and I get text messages about a cancellation fee due, so I ring up explaining I've already cancelled and paid for the car I wanted to remove. The reply I got was yes that's a mistake on our end. Some days pass and I keep getting messages about a cancellation fee, so I let a few go without responding thinking it hasn't been fixed yet, it gets to the point where I end leaving a email (no reply) and me ringing again to find out if there going to fix it soon, After some conversation I then find out (this is on the 04 October 2023) that my car I set up a policy for has been cancelled. They sent me ONE email warning me about this that I had missed on the 05 September saying I had 2 weeks to change my bank details ( the problem was when I set it up I accidentally put a 6 instead of a 9 on the phone keypad on my sort code when I set it up) all there systems let me go ahead with it in the first place anyway and even gave me all the welcome emails ect. They managed to send me more emails asking for a good review than warning me about this matter. Had I received more than 1 stupid email warning me I would obviously rectify the matter!! (Bare in mind they have my correct details already for my previous car wich at one point where both active) They made 0 attempts to call me, 0 text messages, when I asked y they didn't they said they don't send messages, but they managed to send me 5 messages asking for money ok?? Had more than 1 email been sent to me I would have noticed, but all I got was the 1 email on the 5th wich was a extremely busy day for me and It got lost within all my other emails I got. So I'm now left with a cancellation of insurance because they couldn't take payment even tho they wasn't even due money for the 1st payment until the 09/10/23!!! Jokers! And then told nothing can be done. I now can't get any affordable insurance for my car as they have all doubled in price, 1st central won't even give me a quote! Along with most of the other reputable company's. I'm now forced to either fork out £1000s for insurance because I have a cancellation on my name, even tho I've never made a claim, or missed a payment in my 7-8 years of driving. All this mess over 1 simple mistake that had the most poor communication attempt for something so serious I've ever seen. I would STRONGLY RECOMEND no one uses this company as there willing to help or fix anything is non existences. I spook with a manager and even tho money wasn't due for another 5 days they have left me out to hang even when I offered to rectify my bank details on the spot. My credit score is now effected by this lack luster company and there poor communication skills!
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
Terrible company! been on hold for over an hour and still waiting to talk to somebody. I had an accident in December 2022 and to date, I've had three physio appointments and one Dr's appointment. I have asked for some help with obtaining an MRI this was over 3 months ago and to date, I have heard nothing back. Their online portal states they will answer you within 2 days is rubbish. I messaged them back in June 2023 and I have heard nothing despite leaving several messages in the last 3 months. Stay away from them and use a no-win no no-fee claims company instead. I'm just about to do that as I need medical help and 1st Central Law has just left me with constant pain and has ignored me since June 23!
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
*AVOID* I was certain I had purchased… *AVOID* I was certain I had purchased insurance at 1st Central but each time I logged into the portal I saw an old policy from years ago, I could not find any emails with their details that had been sent to me when I took it out, but luckily found the charge coming out my account. When I managed to get through to a super loud call center at first they could find it, they then reset my password with a link then 3-month-old policy appeared I made them aware that I wanted to cancel which they proceeded to do for £105 I asked for the breakdown they said the £5 charge was telephone admin fee, but I could have done it online. I said well I wish you would have made me aware before proceeding as I would have done as you were aware my policy was not showing as you had to reset my password even though it was correct as I could see my old policy. He didn't care, no sorry, no I thought you aware. Horrendous customer experience based in an outsourced office in South Africa.
Helpful Report
Posted 6 months ago
1st Central asked a company called Copart to pick up my car, and when they delivered it back, it came with a huge dent in my hood. 1st Central closed my claim as it was my fault and doesn't want to ensure me anymore. Now I have a damaged car and am not insured - stoping me from driving! Shame on you, 1st Central!
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
Systemic problems;. 1) The 'Customer Service' team, although well meaning, do not have the same systems we as consumers have. So, if there's a problem you are experiencing as you conduct business online ("to save admin costs") , and you encounter a problem, guess what? 'Customer Services have no idea what you are viewing, they cannot replicate your online account and see the issues experienced. So they can't help. They also cannot escalate it to someone that does know how to fix it. Customer Services also dispense different, conflicting advice depending on whether the touch-point is 'chat' or on the phone. 1st Central have an excellent looking dashboard, where you 'cam save money by administering changes online'. But I have never been able to change any data on my dual car policy, and 'Customer Services are polite but completely unable to solve the problem. But they can merrily charge the service fee as I have to call them (and wait more than 40 minutes for the transaction to be processed). It honestly is a very broken, frustrating customer journey at many (not all) touchpoints. If anyone from 1st Central reads this and cares enough to want to know more, then contact me on 07432857155. Happy to be very specific on areas where you can go from Zero to Hero.
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
I booked car insurance a month in advance - i tried to cancel 1 hour later and they said yes £50!?! What happened to the cooking off period ?! Disgraceful !!
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
Terrible experience Insurance cancelled because my daughter was on the phone whilst my son was driving. Dreadful experience phone in car but NOT used by driver - Disgraceful DO NOT USE.
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
I had taken out insuranc on my car for a year with first central but unfortunately something went wrong with the car and i had to get rid of it. Cancelled my insurance and first central said i was owed 258.82 back from them and that it would be returned to me within 10 days. This was on the 23rd of august 2023 and today is now the 17th of sept 2023 so way over ten days and still no refund even after contacting them multiple times about the issue. Never will i use them again. Really unsafe company to deal with and I will never trust them again
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
Absolutely terrible company have had car insurance for over 52 years and have never known such terrible service. Avoid at all cost I had a none fault claim last year which I told them about contact my previous insurance company for information they said they required and gave them my permission for them to contact the AA for the information they require,they state their not allowed to do this (someone is lying and I don't think it's the AA) so today they state that they want £60 to update my policy and £140 as I have not given them the information they need bunch of crooks
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
Zero customer loyalty… poor service … renewed my car insurance policy with 1st Central in July… I have 12 yrs no claims… I failed to notify them of a 3pt fixed penalty speeding offence in February as an oversight … they were notified by price comparison sites as I had disclosed this when comparing quotes in July, so my failure to disclose was an oversight… premium increased by £265 in total which included £50 admin fee (nearly 50% increase) for a 3pt fixed penalty notice … won’t be going near this company again … avoid
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
1stCentral CANNOT BE TRUSTED - AVOID AT ALL COSTS First Central charged me £80.54 for a 'mistake' on my application. The mistake was caused because the DVLA had the date incorrect on their system for the date that I purchased my car. Not only did I explain this to them, but they proceeded to take the £80.54 out of my account without my permission and after I was told, 'don't worry it won't be taken'. Now that I have had the DVLA change the date and emailed this to them, they have avoided contacting me back on 2 occasions to discuss having the £80.54 refunded. It seems like it is very easy for them to take this charge, but very difficult to actually speak to someone competent who is able to refund it. Every single staff member gave me different information, eventually I escalated the complaint to a manager, who assured me they would call me back. 2 Weeks have gone by and 1st Central have not contacted me back. I would have preferred to pay more money, for a more competent service. Lesson learnt.... YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET.
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
Horrible insurance company. During time they adjust monthly price nearly double and for cancellation had to pay few hundred pounds extra. Avoid
Helpful Report
Posted 7 months ago
If you call them to get information, they will charge you 50£! They will add to your insurance 295£ if you say you change your occupation 295£! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY NEVER!
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
Bunch of crooks,got called to say my occupation was wrong as i'm now retired and they charged me £100.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
1st Central Insurance auto-renewal process kicked in and my premium went from £24 to £42 per month! No claims (EVER in my life), no alterations, nothing. Exactly the same circumstances led to 1st Central hicking my premium up by 75%! Then they charged me £55 for the privilege of canceling. Grab yourself a first-year deal, make sure auto-renew is OFF, then leave after a year. This is the second car 1st Central have done this on. No interest in retaining customers or nurturing loyalty whatsoever. Pile it high and sell it cheap in year one. Pull your pants down and hope you don't notice the draught in year two!
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
Woke up to an email from 1st Central to say our telematics policy is being cancelled due to unrecorded trips being made, which we categorically refute. The trips in question have been accurately recorded via the mobile app, and there is clearly a data collection fault on the company's end. You’d think 1st Central would give us a courtesy call to check if the sensor is working properly and gather more information before abruptly cancelling the policy, but no. Despite providing evidence that the trips in question have been properly recorded on our end, 1st Central is proceeding with the cancellation, which will impact the cost of our future insurance policies massively. We have raised a formal complaint, and if we don't reach an adequate solution, we will contact the financial ombudsman. A quick Google search will reveal similar issues with other 1st Central telematics users. I know the company has a bad reputation overall, but the telematics department is particularly unprofessional. Would recommend avoiding them completely.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
Absolutely disgusting, took out a policy and 10 mins later the car i had just bought broke so got my money back for the car and cancelled the insurance the day after and was charged more money to cancel the policy. Even though there is a cooling off period. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY they are crooks
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
0 stars. I hope you will bankrupt.
Helpful Report
Posted 8 months ago
1st CENTRAL is rated 4.0 based on 5,188 reviews