anyone got 1st central car insurance?

dacouch

Slipper, ring your current insurer and tell them of your cheaper quote and that you would rather stay with them if they can give you a discount. Some Insurers will give you an extra discount

KELL30

As they were half the price of the nearest competitor I got my insurance from 1st Central last year (comprehensive) and on my certificate it stated that I could drive my own car and any courtesy car. I was surprised that I could not drive any other car third party, but obviously I had the sense to read my insurance certificate and not just assume things! I have renewed my insurance with them this week and was informed that this year I AM insured to DOC with owners consent. I have no idea why this is on my policy this year, the only thing that has changed is that I now have legal protection. All in all I am satisfied with them, although I have never had to make a claim so that might be why!

a.murdoch

Last Thursday I purchased a car for my daughter to drive, as she needed it for work. She immediately took out insurance with 1st Central, having been given a quote for fully comprehensive.
Today, she received an email stating that the insurance was put on hold as they did not recognise the number plate.
Before I purchased the car it had a personalised plate & when purchased I received a number plate authorisation certificate.
After speaking with the company's advisor, they demanded a further £4000 immediatrely, otherwise the car would be illegal.
She was intimidated to cancel the insurance, to which they would only reimburse the deposite, detucting £60 for only three day's cover, which I feel is extortionate.
Please advise, as I am considering taking the matter up with the FSA & insurance ombusdsman.
My daughter's reference number is:- PMC0000053315FC
I await your kind reply

MathewLisett

i was just about to have them as our new cover, and whilst still not having anybody pick the phone up after a stupid 30 mins ..., YES 30 MINS, the reviews of the company ...well havent been great so thanks guys im now looking at others, next one being swiftcover.

Quentin

MathewLisett wrote: »

...well havent been great so thanks guys im now looking at others, next one being swiftcover.

You can pick 'em!

Do the same research!

MathewLisett

well its swiftcover , simply down to cost.

Quentin

There's a reason why they are so cheap - have you checked them out and compared them with 1st central???

MathewLisett

well i put it this way, 1st may have been the cheapest around, but when i phone a company up i expect them to pick up, and after 30 mins thats simply not a good sign at all. and then you have the feedback on here and other places about 1st central which just makes me want to go elsewhere.

so the next option was only swift cover simply becuase of how much we could afford.

if how ever we were richer and were not scrappign the money barrol to buy food etc, then we would have likely gone to other companies.

the recent company ive just come away from was express insurance, which i was originally on i think £271 at £23 a month, but there renewal was going to be £544

TonyTouch14

Hi,

I recently made the mistake of choosing 1st Central. Having taken the policy online, due to start next month, I noticed that my car details were slightly wrong. I telephoned 1st Central to correct this and was on hold for twenty minutes. I'd hate to be unfortunate enough to make a claim with the most unprofessional insurance company I have ever dealt with. I thought better to get out now only an hour into my 14 day cooling off period but was laughably told I needed to speak to another department which they were unable to transfer me through to! So, faced with starting again I sat on hold another ten minutes before giving up. I tried again later on in the day and eventually got through only to be told that they would refund me minus a ten pound "brokers fee". After arguing for a while with an operator who claimed to be the senior person in work then a supervisor who also claimed this rank (do they think we're idiots?) I was told it costs them £45 for I presume an automated computer to set up your policy and the ten pound charge was to recoup some of this. A few days later I received a letter from 'customer services' saying I could not have a full refund. My favourite part being when they "hoped I would consider them in the future".
My advice, stay away from 1st Central.

spoikee

My advice would be avoid this company like the plague. My partner was with 1st Central, we moved house about 3 months ago and although it was to a lower crime rate area and the car would now be parked on a driveway overnight instead of on road parking they wanted to double the price of the monthly payment from £32 to £65 which we both had a blazing row with them over, my O/H then refused to stop calling them until she spoke to a supervisor there called Andrew who although couldn't do anything to amend the price did offer to cancel the policy with no cancellation fee, we then got confirmation over the phone that it had been cancelled and we have now taken out a policy with Hastings.

However this morning my partner had noticed 1st central had taken payment again this month, luckily as it was on the same day we managed to get the bank to reverse the payment and terminate the direct debit. We called them up and after about 30mins of being put on hold etc we were eventually told that the policy was still active as they couldn't cancel it due to an outstanding claim, this 'claim' they speak of was not even a claim, basically a taxi bumped into my partners car in a car park and although there was no damage to either vehicle my partner called 1st central just to make them aware this had happened incase the other party tried to make a claim, she stated numerous times over the phone that this was not a claim she is making and they assured her it would just be recorded on her records for reference purposes but suprise suprise that seems like a lie also.

Anyway she phoned them again to confirm she had cancelled the direct debit and suggested they did not contact her again, the advisor said she would be liable for an invalid claims charge if it turned the claim was false (what claim???) and would need to pay until the end of september as the policy can not be cancelled until the 'claim' is closed.

Just wondered if anyone knows what we can do to get them to stop hounding us as we had confirmation previously over the phone that the policy was cancelled and no outstanding balance remaining, luckilly we made that call from our work line which has all calls recorded so if needs be we could get an mp3 file of the call.

SO YES AVOID!!