First Response Finance Reviews 1,267

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.4

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 406 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently highlight the excellent service and the helpful, friendly staff who guide them through the process. Many appreciate the quick response times and the smooth, stress-free user experience, often noting that the company goes above and beyond to assist them. However, some customers also noted issues with loan approval, experiencing last-minute withdrawals or rejections without clear reasons. A few other people also felt that communication was not always clear, leading to confusion or dissatisfaction with the process.

What people talk about most

Service

Customers had positive experiences with service, often highlighting the helpfulness and efficiency of the... See more

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, frequently highlighting their helpfulness, friendliness, and... See more

Customer service

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of customer service, with many praising the helpfulness and... See more

Response time

Users describe positive interactions with response times. Many customers praise the quick and clear... See more

User experience

People report positive experiences with the user experience. Many customers found the application process... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I'm on a debt management plan and find it very difficult to obtain finance. Unfortunately our car was written off in an accident, meaning we needed to buy a new vehicle. First Response came to our res... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Even with being messed around by one dealer so changed to another, First Response just took everything in their stride and even suggested a courser of action as a result that I didn't ask as I thoug... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have some health problems which have suddenly caused me to require medical time off work, at greatly reduced pay. I spoke with Max at First Response who was calm, kind and extremely informative pf... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Bought a car in September and had massive problems with the turbo, timing chain and the DPF. Dealer I bought it from ignored all my calls, emails and basically scammed me. First response could not of... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Car Finance and Loan Company
  2. Non-Bank Financial Service

Written by the company

Founded in 1998, First Response Finance is a leading vehicle finance company in the UK, with offices in Nottingham, Leigh, and Glasgow. With a strong team of over 300 employees, we believe everything starts with our own people, sharing the same values so we can deliver the best possible service to our customers. 💚 Here at First Response Finance, we offer Hire Purchase (HP) finance on three types of vehicles – cars, vans, and motorbikes – without charging our customers any extra fees. Putting customers at the heart of everything we do, our main purpose is to provide great credit solutions for non-prime customers, while creating an extremely positive and trust-based working environment. Our unique way of thinking and excellent customer service has helped us win “Sub-prime Finance Provider of the Year” five years running and has seen us rated as the UK’s number one motor finance lender on Review Centre.


Contact info

4.4

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Replied to 90% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

First Response is something else,I…

First Response is something else,I still can’t believe they were able to get things done for me in a real quick way. I hope to honour my commitment and will recommend to friends and family.

January 27, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from First Response Finance

That's great to hear, thank you! 💚

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible company

Terrible company ! They are robbing customers . Dis not call back they work with fraud companies

February 7, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from First Response Finance

Hi,
I'm sorry to hear this!
Customer service is really important to us, but without knowing more about your experience, I can't comment or pass feedback on to the relevant department(s). Please get in contact with our Customer Experience team with more information so we can look into this for you - their phone number is 0115 946 6368 and their email address is complaints@frfl.co.uk.
Take care,
First Response Finance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have some health problems which have…

I have some health problems which have suddenly caused me to require medical time off work, at greatly reduced pay. I spoke with Max at First Response who was calm, kind and extremely informative pf my options. This is a day and age where people need alot more mental health support, and this call took away alot of the stress I could have experienced, were we in another time. So thank you guys, I really appreciate it.

February 19, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you, we'll be sure to let our team know that you’re happy with their service! 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service

Great service, straight forward and professional.

January 23, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you Maria, we’re happy that we could help you! 😊

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent company they really…

Excellent company they really understand your lifestyle platform they are an excellent understanding company I’d put them forward to anyone wanting finance and it was straight forward no hassle 5 stars

November 21, 2025
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you for the five-star review! 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent customer service from Natalie!

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Natalie at the first response finance company during what was quite a stressful time for me. I was experiencing difficulties with my repayments, and she couldn’t have been more understanding or supportive.

Natalie took the time to carefully go through an income and expenditure form with me, ensuring everything was accurate and fully understood. She didn’t rush the process and made sure I felt comfortable discussing my situation. Thanks to her patience and professionalism, we were able to set up a repayment plan that is genuinely affordable and manageable for me.

She was sympathetic, caring, and completely non-judgmental throughout the entire conversation. It made a huge difference speaking to someone who truly listened and wanted to help.

Thank you, Natalie, for your kindness and outstanding customer service — it is very much appreciated.

February 13, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you, we'll be sure to let our team know that you’re happy with their service! 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Amazing service provided which entitles…

Amazing service provided which entitles me to finally stop snooping for cars under low value due to poor credit history. Now I finally have a car worth looking after and at great quality and affordability too.

January 17, 2026
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you Dave! We hope you're happy with your new car. 😊

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very friendly

Very friendly

January 15, 2026
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Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you Ian for the five-star review! 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is the 3rd time I have used the…

This is the 3rd time I have used the company. Easy to apply easy going and very flexible with how you can pay weekly or monthly. I choose weekly its so much better.that way it makes it so easy to never worry about making a larger payment at the end of the month

February 4, 2026
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Reply from First Response Finance

It's great to see that you're a returning customer of ours Keith! We hope you're happy with your new vehicle. 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great help

Really helpful kept in contact with me answered any questions i had. Just kept the whole experience simple, clear and easy

January 22, 2026
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Reply from First Response Finance

That's great to hear, thank you Chris! 😊

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Loan was approved

Loan was approved, vehicle choice was clearly defined on the agreement they created.
All forms signed including a direct debit mandate.
At this point a cash deposit was paid.
First response withdrew the loan at the 11th hour on the grounds they wouldn't finance the chosen vehicle.
This was after the vehicle was agreed. They knew from the beginning exactly what make/model the vehicle was. I have partially lost the cash deposit I paid as well as the costs I have incurred driving 150 miles to and from the dealership.
The contract was signed!
I am disgusted with the way I have been treated and I would not recommend these people to anyone as I have had it confirmed that 'yes' first response finance did break the contracted agreement.
In fact the contract shouldn't have even been generated if they had no intention of upholding their part.

February 9, 2026
Unprompted review
First Response Finance logo

Reply from First Response Finance

Hi Mark,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
We’re sorry to hear how disappointing this experience has been for you - we appreciate how frustrating it is when things don’t go as expected.

To clarify the timeline, the initial application we received did not include any vehicle details. The agreement that was created was based on a provisional approval only, and final approval could only be confirmed once a specific vehicle had been added and assessed against our lending and vehicle eligibility criteria.

When the vehicle details were later provided, our checks showed that we were unfortunately unable to finance that particular vehicle. We appreciate that this was not the outcome you wanted, and we’re genuinely sorry for the inconvenience this caused, Thank you again for your feedback.

Take care,
First Response Finance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great company

Great company, intrest may be higher than I would like however they make up for it , I am able to spread the cost of my payments monthly or weekly , the weekly option has been a godsend , I don't have to worry about missing a payment or not having the funds at the time cuz we all know life gets in the way. First response has fantastic customer service.

February 10, 2026
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Reply from First Response Finance

We’re happy that we could help you Natasha! 😊

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

No star

No star. I had a reduction in my hours at work, so I did the application online for my outgoings. Then I phoned them up to ask them to reduce the car finance, which is monthly.
So after all the talking on the phone, he went through all my application outgoings, and he said you seem to be earning more money, and you should have told us this before that you were earning more money. So I said to him, I've put less money down on this second application than my first application. So, to cut to the chase, I said to him all I want is a reduction of the monthly cost on the car. So he said the first response account management guy, that it does not work that way to reduce the monthly cost of the car. Once you set that agreement, you can't change it. Only if you bring back the car can we come to some arrangement to settle on an affordable cost every month to suit you, he said. So I knew that I wasn't gonna get anywhere with this, So ill have to just manage somehow to pay off the car. But I won't be doing this ever again for the rest of my life. I'll just get a second-hand car in the future. And the guy on the phone was a bit rude, but I'm not gonna argue with the guy, because it's just pointless, but never again. I mean how they talk down to you like your dirt on the floor is unreal.

February 10, 2026
Unprompted review
First Response Finance logo

Reply from First Response Finance

Hi Gillian,
I'm sorry to hear this!
Customer service is really important to us, but without knowing more about your experience, I can't comment or pass feedback on to the relevant department(s). Please get in contact with our Customer Experience team with more information so we can look into this for you - their phone number is 0115 946 6368 and their email address is complaints@frfl.co.uk.
Take care,
First Response Finance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic experience from start to…

Fantastic experience from start to finish.
Very straight forward no hassle.
Everything explained properly. Friendly staff who assisted every step of the way. Found my new van on the friday, picked it up 4 days later.

Highly recommend.

January 20, 2026
Unprompted review
First Response Finance logo

Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you! We hope you're happy with your new van. 😊

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good rate

Good rate, really helpful. Made the whole process straightforward. Will use again

January 12, 2026
Unprompted review
First Response Finance logo

Reply from First Response Finance

That's great to hear, thank you Jonathan! 💚

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Im really grateful to First Response u…

Im really grateful to First Response u had my dream car in 48 hours after applying online..very smooth and easy process you will never regret your experience with them im deffinately refinancing with them again for my next car

January 14, 2026
First Response Finance logo

Reply from First Response Finance

Thank you Talyn! We hope you're happy with your new car. 💚

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