Price comparison websites: No comparison

When price comparison websites arrived on the insurance scene in the early noughties they were hailed as consumer saviours, bringing a much-needed dose of disruption to an insurance market that relied on asymmetric information to stop customers from switching.

But as the years have passed, PCWs have moved from renegade upstarts to part of the establishment, yet their close relationship with insurers has led to questions about where their allegiance really lies. They have also drawn scrutiny from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority, which have suggested the limited information available on aggregator sites does not always allow customers to make informed decisions.

Post's article studies the impact of PCWs and their current role.