1st Central

1st Central car insurance review

Get all the facts about car insurance through 1st Central, which specialises in enhanced comprehensive cover.

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Liz Edwards

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The comprehensive car insurance that 1st Central sources comes with a range of benefits as standard, including a courtesy car while yours is being fixed by an approved repairer, and cover for lost keys and personal belongings. But what else is covered, and what are the options? We’ve analysed this top-rated car insurance broker and have the lowdown for you.

Who is 1st Central?

1st Central has been operating as a car insurance broker since 2008.

1st Central is the trading name of First Central Insurance Management Ltd, a subsidiary of First Central Group Ltd.

Who underwrites the car insurance from 1st Central?

1st Central works with a panel of insurers to offer optional extra benefits that can be added to the policies it sources; the car insurance itself, however, is provided by one source and is underwritten by Skyfire Insurance Company Ltd.

First Central Insurance Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Compare 1st Central’s car insurance policies

1 - 2 of 2
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Name Product Courtesy car cover New car replacement EU Cover Personal accident cover Multi-car discount Link
1st Central Comprehensive
1st Central Comprehensive
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Up to £5000
1st Central Third Party, Fire & Theft
1st Central Third Party, Fire & Theft
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N/A
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What is covered under my policy?

1st Central offers two levels of comprehensive car insurance. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property, as well as your own car.

Have a look at the table below to see what the two cover options from 1st Central offer.

Product Name1st Central Third Party, Fire & Theft1st Central Comprehensive
Damage to your car✓
Damaged windscreen and window glass✓
Fire and theft✓✓
Personal accident cover✓✓
Medical expenses✓
Personal belongings✓
Liabilities to third parties✓✓
Using the car abroad✓✓
Alternative travel costs✓
No claims discount✓✓
Replacement locks✓
Permanently fitted audio equipment✓

Optional extras

1st Central offers a range of additional protection to bolt onto your policy, including:

General exclusions

Any cover offered by 1st Central is likely to become invalid if any of the following arises:

  • You change the use of your car from its original use. For example, changing from social domestic and pleasure to business use.
  • Your car is being driven by an unnamed driver on your policy or by a person that does not have a valid driving licence.
  • You use your car at rallies, races or competitions.
  • You are paid to carry passengers.
  • You fail to pay for your premium.
  • You change your car during the policy term to a car that the insurer cannot cover.
  • You do not provide the correct documents to support your application.

Check your policy for further details to confirm your cover is valid.

How to save on your car insurance policy through 1st Central

  • Increasing security. If your car is not currently fitted with an alarm, think about adding one to reduce your premium.
  • Having a secure location to park your car. Cars kept in a garage or on a secure driveway are usually cheaper to insure.
  • Reduce mileage. If you start working part-time or your long commute becomes much shorter, letting your insurer know about a reduction in your mileage could result in cheaper insurance.
  • Fewer drivers. Only add drivers to your policy that regularly drive your car
  • Larger excess. Agreeing to pay a bigger voluntary excess could make your overall premium cheaper. But remember that your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess. So be careful about making it too high, as it could leave you out of pocket if damage occurs.

What is my excess?

Your insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount. A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.

A voluntary excess is on top and is normally set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess – which should lower your premium.

You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.

What is the claims process for 1st Central?

Call the 1st Central 24-hour claims helpline on 0333 043 2011 to report and incident and register a claim. This claims helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You will need to provide your policy details, personal contact details and information about the incident.

It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.

1st Central car insurance customer reviews

On customer review platform Trustpilot, 1st Central as a company has 4.5 out of 5 stars and a rating of “Excellent”, based on more than 17.6k reviews.

On similar platform, Reviews.io, the company has 4.07 out of 5 stars, based on more than 3,600 reviews. 79% of customers say they would recommend the service.

Customers praise the great service and quick claim handling, but some complain of high admin fees and premium hikes (updated December 2020).

Pros and cons for 1st Central car insurance

Pros

  • 24/7 UK based claims helpline.
  • Up to £1,500 key cover.
  • Ability to manage your policy online 24/7.
  • Free courtesy car included as standard.

Cons

  • No third party only cover option.
  • Some customers reported a hike in renewal prices.

Verdict

1st Central is a good option for drivers looking for affordable and flexible car insurance and are often found to be price competitive across a range of age groups and circumstances. Both their third party, fire and theft and comprehensive policies are bundled full of impressive features (included as standard) which makes their overall policy score strong.

They also have a large range of optional extras that you can add to your policy for an additional premium and a 24/7 contact centre based in the UK in the unfortunate event of a claim.

One downside is that they don’t offer a “third party only” cover option and some users have reported price hikes when it comes to renewal.

All in all, this 5 star Defaqto rated insurer is a good choice for most when it comes to looking for a provider. However, as always, it’s important to compare other car insurance providers based on your individual circumstances to see which one is best for you.

Frequently asked questions

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

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