Britain’s motorists may be being misled by inaccurate information price comparison websits when it comes to purchasing their car insurance according to one of the UK’s leading consumer groups.
Which? Researched online policy descriptions for 21 brands on the four main price comparison websites, Compare The Market, GoCompare, MoneySupermarket and Confused.com. They looked at information given on the comparison website and compared it with the actual policy details on policy documents and on insurance brands’ websites and found a litany of errors.
The errors are many, including claims of a courtesy car being guaranteed during repairs, not showing on original policy documents. Sunroof cover being included on the comparison site, but not reflected in policy wording, inconsistent levels of cover for personal accident and incorrect information for cover in cases of loss and theft of keys.
The research found that at least one detail published on the comparison sites that differed to the original policy documents in six out of 10 policies.
“We were staggered to see such a high amount of errors across the policies listed on price comparison sites,” said Which? Money editor, Harry Rose.
“Millions of consumers visit these websites, hoping to find all the information they need to make an informed decision in one place - yet our findings cast real doubt on their ability to do so.
“These sites should up their game to ensure customers know exactly what they're purchasing and from whom, otherwise they might well end up with policies and contracts that simply don't meet their needs.”
With cooling off periods available on many car insurance policies purchased, it is good and solid advice to ensure that you carefully check the policy documents to ensure it reflects the policy you think you have bought.