We welcome the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) work[1] on digital comparison tools (DCTs). We have worked with the CMA throughout its study, which looked at car and home insurance, and credit cards, to provide expert input on financial services.
We are encouraged that the CMA’s research has found that people mainly have positive views and experiences of DCTs. Further, we’re pleased to hear that vulnerable customers that can access DCTs find them useful, but it is concerning that some DCTs appear not to be doing all they could, or should, to make their sites user-friendly for some vulnerable people.
We note the CMA’s findings that certain types of contracts between suppliers and DCTs can limit suppliers’ ability to offer a lower price on one platform than on another. We are working with the CMA to assist their investigation into this.
The CMA’s report has identified a number of areas for us to explore that could help DCTs to work better for consumers. We share the aspiration to ensure DCT’s deliver good outcomes for consumers and so we’re actively considering what action to take in response to the CMA’s recommendations.