1st Central Car Insurance

scheming_gypsy

you can't blame an insurance company because you can't provide the information that you have to give to any insurer. If you've got 6/7 years then you'll have a proof of NCD from your last insurance company, it's not up to them to chase people round on your behalf.

they also ask for proof of NCD as soon as you take out the policy, like with any other company...

Red_Elle

Actually they don't ask for proof of NCD as soon as you take out the policy and not every insurer does. Some of my previous insurers simply asked who I had been insured with and confirmed the information themselves.
My Husband took out insurance with this company on 28/06/11 and they sent him a letter 2 weeks ago saying, 'despite previous reminders, we do not appear to have received your proof of no claims bonus,' yet this was the first letter he had received, some 1.5 months after taking out the insurance.
My husband straight away contacted the previous insurer, but they are being incredibly slow to get the information over to him and he's now received a letter from 1st Central saying they are cancelling the insurance and charging him a £75 administration fee.

scheming_gypsy

If you took out the insurance online they request it as soon your policy is created. They don't phone you or send you a letter but it's on your portal as one of the things you need to do, and they give you the email address to send it to.

rpitts

1st Central Car Insurance - In my Experience the worst Company I have had dealings with.

I too was attracted by a low Quote, took out policy on line over a weekend and deposit. Awaited debit agreement for monthly instalments. 4 days later an email to say agreement available online. Payments should have been round about £36 per month agreement was for £147 per month. Made lots of phone calls to sort it out, every one blaming everyone else. In the mean time I checked that I was on MIB register, the one the Police use to check if a vehicle is insured, as I was still trying to pay them, at this time I was. Each time I phoned, they said very sorry they would sort it out and don't worry I will be covered as it's their fault. Then six weeks later I went to Tax car online, came up that MIB register is saying car not insured, this was 6.30pm Friday, tried to phone them Office closed till Monday. On Monday morning they were very apologetic and assured me I was covered, they didn't know why I was no longer on the MIB register. They would rectify it by the end of the week? They said if I was pulled by the Police to get them to phone them to verify I was covered, I guess that is OK provided their office is open.
Sorry this is a bit long but far from finished yet.
Still can't seem to sort out instalment agreement by now have had several agreements posted all wrong and very overpriced. Bearing in mind no agreement has been signed or agreed, very overinflated payments were taken from Bank Account. Bank did refund them as there was no mandate for them to take it. Then in September I got an email saying they had cancelled Insurance Policy had been cancelled the policy on 15 May 2012 yes 2012! This was followed by an email saying it had been cancelled on the 18 August 2011, so I had been driving without insurance for 3 weeks! I the took out insurance with a reputable company, dearer yes but I can drive knowing that I am legal.
A week later I got a phone call from a very nice lady asking for money? After hearing this tale she went away and phoned me back agreeing that I owe nothing and also that agreed my payments should be £36 per month and the nearest they had got with a agreement was £41. She said that she would get our NCB certificate sent to us and get the complaints department to get in touch so I can try and reclaim some of my money back for the period uninsured. As yet 3 weeks down the line I have heard nothing. Fortunately when my current insurance company, who were the one I was with before, asked for proof of NCB and I told them who I was insured with, they said because of previous experience with 1st Central they would accept the one they issued.

I am sorry this is long winded but please think twice before going for cheap insurance, I am only glad I never had to submit a claim to this company.

steve_1

oh i wished i had read this before i signed up with them, yet again i got dragged into cheapest insurance from a compare site, 1st central was my 1st mistake, so my story so far, previously had a 4x4 with insurance which didnt use my no claims bonus, when i talked to the lady on the phone i explained all this and they said it didnt matter,went through there speel and jobs done i was insured on my new car... week later they wanted proof of no claims bonus so i emailed them my last 2 years that clearly shows 9 years no claims bonus, i then had a reply saying that i couldnt use my no claims on 2 vehicles, even though i had already stated my ncb wasnt used on my truck, i even rang my truck insurers whom said the same and if new insurers had any problems to get in touch with them, which i promptly emailed, and also rang yet again... today i now have recieved an email threatening a £50 fine if i do not provide a letter confirming that i have terminated my 4x4 insurance.... i immediately rang and got someone whom really didnt want to deal with me, had no phone manner and i think lack of braincells to the point where i was ready to hang up but luckily my partner stepped in, so now need to resend yet proof of ncb for the 3rd time and a letter with proof of no insurance, to save £20 its been a nightmare,i have never in my life had so much trouble, 37yr old here so ive had a few change of insurance companys, if youre after an insurance company who you like to hang around on phone for ages,a robot the other end who can only read and reply from a list pre written,like spending time resending emails and not being understood,i could go on but you get the picture... this is one insurance firm that would take some beating

dacouch

Steve send 1st Central an "Official Letter of Complaint" by recorded delivery, make it clear the person you spoke to originally was aware of your no claims bonus situation. Also clearly state that if they do not resolve the matter to your satisfaction that you will request a copy of your file including call recordings / transcriptions of phone calls under the data protection act.

Jon2008

There is a reason 1st central come out the cheapest on comparison sites, it’s because their customer service is so poor.
I recently took out a policy with them, but failed to report a minor incident on the application form (my wing mirror was knocked off by another two months prior to making the application). Thinking that the claim was closed, as I paid for the repairs myself, I didn’t record it on the application. I then received an email from 1st Central to say that I had been fraudulent & that they were cancelling my policy and charging me a £75 admin fee. At no stage did they ever try to pick up the phone to me discuss the matter, all I aver received was threatening and aggressive emails. Whenever I tried to contact them I could never get through. I emailed them leaving my number, but no one from 1st Central ever got back to me.
To make matters worse I then submitted a new application on the comparison sites with the incident above recorded and the quote from 1st Central came out exactly the same, so it is not even as if is effected the price of the policy.
Reading the other forums that seems to follow what other people experienced and, that 1st Central are just out to make a quick buck. If I was you I would steer well clear of 1st Central Insurance, I wish I had read the other review forums before I took out a policy with this company. If you do decide to go with 1st Central insurance make sure you spell your name right on the form, otherwise they may accuse you of been fraudulent and slap you with a £75 fine.

scheming_gypsy

They're an online insurance company and they're online for a reason - to cut admin costs.

1 - you made a claim but paid for it yourself and didn't declare when asked
2 - you couldn't be bothered phoning them but just sent an email with your phone number expecting them to phone you because you omitted information you should have told them.

I pay them my £32 a month and have no problems, but if I did have a problem I wouldn't start bitching about it if it was my fault and I made no effort to correct it.

Jon2008

Scheming Gypsy, did you not read what I said above, I made every effort to contact them, by phone & by email. I think you need to stop trawling website forums all day, making negative comments and get back to your day job of working for 1st Central Car Insurance.

scheming_gypsy

Jon2008 wrote: »

Scheming Gypsy, did you not read what I said above, I made every effort to contact them, by phone & by email. I think you need to stop trawling website forums all day, making negative comments and get back to your day job of working for 1st Central Car Insurance.

I missed the part where you said you tried to get through. I gather from your tone you realise I'm right, which is why you accuse me of working for them.
The strange thing is, I insured one of my cars with them and realised I'd put the wrong start date on. When I phoned the customer services number straight after, on a Saturday I got straight through.

I have one car insured with them, I made a mistake and phoned them. I didn't come on the internet blaming them for my own mistake. After that point I sent off my proof of NCD and pay my direct debit each month.
Although they could do with letting you do more from your portal as you can't add an additional (temporary) car