MSE Blog: How far should insurers go to market their polices? 28 August 2012 at 3:48PM edited 28 August 2012 at 4:06PM in Insurance & life assurance 6 replies 1.2K views

Former_MSE_Wendy

This is a thread to discuss the MSE blog:

How far should insurers go to market their polices?

"I'm at that annoying time of year – my car insurance is due for renewal."

InsideInsurance

A fairly nothing article, as seems to be the norm these days.

You will find almost every piece of marketing that a different telephone number is used so that the analysts can identify the most cost effective marketing materials. You may also find different offers being available but I suspect not in these cases. This is a fairly noddy case/ question.

As to sending a text to stop messages, firstly remember the character limit for a txt message and secondly there is no "small print" on a txt message? Thirdly, what marketing txt have you received from any company that goes into the cost of stopping the txts?

Of cause, sending your own data out to as many companies as possible as per MSE's recommendation you are opening yourself up to receiving marketing materials and in this multimedia age it isnt just going to be a flyer through the door. If you !!!!! your data you've got to accept the consequences.

There are many many things that can be said about Swintons that is bad and worth writing an article about you really haven't touched on any of them. The article is closer to google spam than anything else

dunstonh

Most insurers do not actually market their policies. They market their brand.

Swinton are not insurers and don't have a great reputation. There is plenty to have a go at them on but not sure text messages are the thing

Former_MSE_Wendy

Well it annoyed me briefly so I thought I'd briefly share my annoyance

As to sending a text to stop messages, firstly remember the character limit for a txt message and secondly there is no "small print" on a txt message? Thirdly, what marketing txt have you received from any company that goes into the cost of stopping the txts?

I am aware of the text limit but I think if they had to include the small print, meaning it would cost twice as much to send, firms might think twice about sending so many texts.

Of cause, sending your own data out to as many companies as possible as per MSE's recommendation you are opening yourself up to receiving marketing materials and in this multimedia age it isnt just going to be a flyer through the door. If you !!!!! your data you've got to accept the consequences.

My details didn't go in the comparison sites, I have a backup phone number for that, but it does go to firms I am an actual customer of, as in this case.

dacouch

The person who paid 96p for a Swinton policy paid 96p too much if your talking value for money

Methusela

Most insurers will limit their letters to one reminder at the end of the year's insurance. But you are right about Swinton. My wife insured her car with them 10 years ago and until recently she got at least three letters every year around the anniversary date of her original insurance. Ironic and frustrating, as she stopped driving 9 years ago. I phoned Swinton on at least 6 occasions and asked them to stop sending reminders. Each time they promised to do so but guess what? they never did. This year I resorted to sending back every letter unopened and marked - "Gone away - Not known at this address - Please remove from your database". I'll find out next year whether this worked or not.

kernowkarmann

I've had this text message, I sent back the STOP reply thinking it would be free as part of my bundle. It wasn't. It cost 10p + VAT. OK, so only 12p but seeing as I have never used them and didn't want the text I think this is totally disgraceful.


Oh well, I never will use them now so they have lost a potential customer.