Insure and Go price comparisons upset insurers
Travel insurance specialist Insure and Go has been plunged into controversy over the use of price comparisons on its website.
Complaints have arisen over the way the company's travelinsurance.co.uk website uses the brands of major insurers, including Norwich Union and Direct Line and other travel insurance providers such as Boots.
The ploy has prompted some insurers to take legal advice on the matter, and are now watching the site closely.
One complainant told Insurance Times: "It is frankly misleading. Consumers click on what appears to be a link to major travel insurers only to be told how much more expensive it is [compared to Insure and Go]."
If potential customers click on the link for Boots they are taken to a screen that says: "Have more spending money, and save on your Boots travel insurance."
There is no link from there to the Boots website.
A spokesman for Norwich Union said: "We have put this in front of our legal team and as far as we can tell they are not doing anything illegal. But it is not a practice we would employ ourselves.
"We will be watching carefully."
A Direct Line spokeswoman said: "This has come under our radar and we will continue to monitor the site closely."
Insure and Go director Perry Wilson responded: "This is just a price comparison. I can't believe that anyone else is actually concerned about it. "We put through £100,000 of travel premiums per day, which I think gives an idea of just how prominent we are."
