anyone got 1st central car insurance?

SimonSays

As I said previously, When YOU screw the bottom line so much they need to make money in other areas. Such as charging to ring them. Don't want to get charged? Then don't screw that bottom line.

Northern957

Having read this forum, and been a 1st Central customer for 6 months, I felt reasonably grateful that i had not got any reason to complain...yet. I shouldnt have let the thought enter my head. Same day I get an e-mail from 1st Central telling me that, AFTER 6 months(!!) I have failed some verification checks and they want me to provide copies of all drivers licences and vehicle docs. OK, fair request?

Catch is that if not done in 2 weeks, they charge me £75 and cancel the policy

Now call me a cynic, but you cant read all the posts here and wonder if they will just ignore the email, take the £75, and close the policy. One less client to worry about, and lets face it, theyre not really client focussed. I will be £400 out on the premium PLUS £75 for the pleasure. So far I have spent near half an hour on the phone and no answer, and all I want to know is why, after so long they need this. BTW - the only documentation I ever got from this company was an emailed certificate - nothing else. Strange?

My advice to anyone consdiering 1st central would be - can you afford to ignore how many failings this firm has?

My question to the Insurance Ombudsman - how come they are still trading?

stolt

hmm i wish i had read about them before, ive got a fw days cooling off, but something that made me worry is i went through confused.com to get my policy and when i checked my policy ive noticed that the vehcile reg is a old reg before i put my prviate plate on ( this isnt recent and my confused.com account shows the right plate) contacted 1st central and they told me when the policy goes live they the system will update itself. Seems weird that it didnt just show the right ref at the start.

hamster67

I am not one to post but First Central Insurance in my mind are a bunch of crooks. I was insured by them for a total of 14 hours and it has cost me £80 ( and that's if they repay the rest of the premium as they have said)


I had a problem where I had bought a new car and had to send off to get it reregistered as I live in NI. I expected the car to have its new reg in time for my insurance renewal but it did not arrive. When speaking to an advisor I pointed this out and was told it was not a problem. Well 10 hours into the policy and the postman delivers the new registration forms so I ring up to change the registration and am billed £30. When I said I wasn't too happy about the charge the person on the other end of the line could not appear to have cared less. It was more or less well you have paid now so tough.


I had also had a few problems with the employee I had spoken to the day before and alarm bells began ringing concerning this company's credibility.


I decided there and then enough was enough and asked for a cancellation quote as I was well within the 14 day cooling off period. The operator said a full refund would be given minus 63p for a days insurance and the £50 cancellation fee!


I dread to think of the kind of service these gangsters would offer if a person insured by them was unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, I'm not even sure how their service is considered by the comparison websites.


Be warned , steer well clear.

dacouch

hamster67 wrote: »

I am not one to post but First Central Insurance in my mind are a bunch of crooks. I was insured by them for a total of 14 hours and it has cost me £80 ( and that's if they repay the rest of the premium as they have said)


I had a problem where I had bought a new car and had to send off to get it reregistered as I live in NI. I expected the car to have its new reg in time for my insurance renewal but it did not arrive. When speaking to an advisor I pointed this out and was told it was not a problem. Well 10 hours into the policy and the postman delivers the new registration forms so I ring up to change the registration and am billed £30. When I said I wasn't too happy about the charge the person on the other end of the line could not appear to have cared less. It was more or less well you have paid now so tough.


I had also had a few problems with the employee I had spoken to the day before and alarm bells began ringing concerning this company's credibility.


I decided there and then enough was enough and asked for a cancellation quote as I was well within the 14 day cooling off period. The operator said a full refund would be given minus 63p for a days insurance and the £50 cancellation fee!


I dread to think of the kind of service these gangsters would offer if a person insured by them was unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, I'm not even sure how their service is considered by the comparison websites.


Be warned , steer well clear.

Try sending a well worded, concise and polite letter headed "Official Complaint".

They're obliged to properly investigate it and report back to you within 8 weeks.

I recommend you include a final sentance to the effect "If I do not receive satisfaction I will refer the matter to the Ombudsman" (If the case ends up at the Ombudsman it's free for you but costs 1st Central a lot of money even if they win so often means they make a financial decision to write off money).

I would also suggest your complaint concentrates on the costs involved as well as the attitude of the member of staff which prompted you to want to cancel.

Keep the letter polite and well worded, make it clear what your expectation of the complaint is.

If you word the letter well, you will probably get all or some of the £80 refunded.

hamster67

Dear Sir/ Madam


I took out the above policy on 13th February 2015 which began on midnight of the same date. I informed the operator at the time that I was waiting for new Northern Ireland registration plates for this vehicle and was not informed I would incur a £30 charge to change over.


The new registration documents arrived the following morning and when I phoned yourselves ( at considerable cost to myself via your premium rate phone line) I was informed of this charge which I stated I was unhappy paying as I was only hours into the policy and had not even driven the car. The phone operator was pushy saying it was company policy and there were no exceptions after which feeling pressurised I give over my bank details.


However as I felt increasingly uncomfortable with the service I was being offered I decided it was best that I exercised my right to change my mind as I was only 14 hours into the 14 day cooling off period


Although £261.02 was refunded I was still charged £ 30 for changing a policy I cancelled, a cancellation fee of £50 and a further charge of £6.33 which I assume was for the 14 hours cover I had.I find these charges excessive in the extreme and would like to think that you would agree. I would expect the bulk of these charges to be refunded.


If I do not receive satisfaction I will refer the matter to the Ombudsman.

dacouch

hamster67 wrote: »

Dear Sir/ Madam


I took out the above policy on 13th February 2015 which began on midnight of the same date. I informed the operator at the time that I was waiting for new Northern Ireland registration plates for this vehicle and was not informed I would incur a £30 charge to change over.


The new registration documents arrived the following morning and when I phoned yourselves ( at considerable cost to myself via your premium rate phone line) I was informed of this charge which I stated I was unhappy paying as I was only hours into the policy and had not even driven the car. The phone operator was pushy saying it was company policy and there were no exceptions after which feeling pressurised I give over my bank details.


However as I felt increasingly uncomfortable with the service I was being offered I decided it was best that I exercised my right to change my mind as I was only 14 hours into the 14 day cooling off period


Although £261.02 was refunded I was still charged £ 30 for changing a policy I cancelled, a cancellation fee of £50 and a further charge of £6.33 which I assume was for the 14 hours cover I had.I find these charges excessive in the extreme and would like to think that you would agree. I would expect the bulk of these charges to be refunded.


If I do not receive satisfaction I will refer the matter to the Ombudsman.

That's a good complaint letter, you've kept it polite and avoided rambling and getting emotional.

I would elaborate the first paragraph as this is the crux of your arguement eg the operator did not point out to you there could be an admin fee, if they had it may have affected your decision to purchase thus avoiding the amendment fee and cancellation fee.

I would not sign off with asking for the bulk of the charges to be refunded as this tells them they can buy your complaint off with giving your back £40. Try signing off with had the administration charge been clearly communicated to me at the time of purchasing this would have influenced my decision to buy and thus I would have avoided these charges I would therefore ask you refund the amendment and cancellation charge.

You can then negotiate from there.

Incidently did they communicate their terms of business (Where their admin charges are explained to you whilst on the phone or while you were obtaining the quote on line? They have to do this.

Be aware there's a good chance they monitor this thread or are alerted to it via google alerts so may be aware of your letter before they receive it. That's not a bad thing as they will know you are receiving advice and are minded to take it to the Ombudsman if they don't play ball.

Your policy wording or their website gives the address to send the complaint to. Make sure you head the letter "Official Complaint" and ideally send it by recorded delivery

sorrentoking

As I type I have my hands free activated and have been in a queue with 1st central for an hour, I determined to get through as one of their poicy holders damaged my car and they will not reply to my insurance company, its been over two weeks and work has not begun on my car as we can't get hold of 1st central for approval. I would never use this company clearly customer service is not an option for them.

My insurance has sent them email after email and has attempted several times to call all to no avail......the hold times are ludicrous

Quentin

As you have put in a claim to your own insurers then you have no need to waste your time like this.


You need to get on to your own insurers and complain to them about the delay in getting your repairs done.


Once you make a claim they should get on with the repairs - sorting out their reimbursement from the other side is their problem, and generally takes months to finalise rather than a couple of weeks.

whothe

Hi....

I have had lots of car insurance over many years. And until my son tried as many of you here have already with the same " send proof etc" and cancell the policy with a £75 charge.. This has to be a scam folks.....Is the Insurance regulation lot gone on holiday ?
I have never come across a so called Insurance firm as this 1st Central, look back from 2008 and its crazy what people have posted here, surely we must have some rights ? or i suppose the government dont care as usual for the motorist. Just keep getting easy money off us.

SO PLEASE DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT 1ST CENTRAL.
Ohhh where is Tom1stcentral these days ?