BBC: Comparison websites hide a third of deals

Fromply

This is outrageous if true!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29665221


I had no idea that "Do you want to switch now" really means "do you only want to see tariffs that give us commission".


I just tried to test it on Moneysupermarket (the owners of MSE?) but they are down for maintenance.


So I tried it on compare the market - and they didn't even ask the question - they just hid the 38 deals that didn't earn them commission, displaying instead 110 deals that did. Having said that, adding them in didn't change the deals at the top of the list.... but that's not the point....

torbrex

That will be why Martin recommends that you use all the different sites to get the best quote rather than just one of them, he even details the number of quotes added for each site used.

surfsister

not really shocking is it everyone's out to make a fast buck nowadays. the newspapers report supposedly highest interest rate savings accounts; but rarely list any good ones!

stick with martin and you can't go much wrong!

SnowMan

It was discussed on this thread a while back.

For example the way that energy helpline seem to direct customers to only those tariffs that pay them commission is set out in this post.

footyguy

Fromply wrote: »

This is outrageous if true!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29665221


I had no idea that "Do you want to switch now" really means "do you only want to see tariffs that give us commission".


I just tried to test it on Moneysupermarket (the owners of MSE?) but they are down for maintenance.


So I tried it on compare the market - and they didn't even ask the question - they just hid the 38 deals that didn't earn them commission, displaying instead 110 deals that did. Having said that, adding them in didn't change the deals at the top of the list.... but that's not the point....

You have to remember the guy who runs the other website (started this year) is effectively trying to compete against the comparison websites.

He was on LBC this morning about 7.30am and explained he offers a collective bargaining arrangement and claimed to obtain better deals than otherwise publicly available.

I have checked his website and, surprise, surprise, he doesn't actually detail the 'better deal' he claims to have obtained. :cool:

Anyway, what he is doising is misleading the press by saying all the available deals are not available from the comparison sites, because they are! But it all depends how you filter the results.

You claim comparethemarket.com does not allow you to see all the available deals (which would be a breach of the ofgem rules) so no surprise, it actually does if you remove the filters.

When you see the first results:
>Tab on "Refine your details"
>Tab on "Other options"
>check the box saying "Show tariffs I can't switch to now"


Comparison sites earn their money by earning commission from selected suppliers they have agreements with.
Some people would prefer to switch supplier using the comparison site they have consulted. (like some people who call directory enquiries like to be put through to the number they are seeking, despite it costing a small fortune, rather than dialling it themselves)
As comparison sites would not earn anything from suppliers they have no commission, they do not switch customers to those suppliers/tariffs (but they are shown if you don't filter them, out)
I see no problem with comparison sites offering customers who wish to switch via them, the possibility of filtering results to only show them.

SnowMan

footyguy wrote: »

I see no problem with comparison sites offering customers who wish to switch via them, the possibility of filtering results to only show them.

But do you see a problem with

a) that being the DEFAULT option?, and
b) with the questions being unclearly unworded and avoiding direct mention of the fact that the excluded deals are those that pay the comparsion site no commission?

There are usually boxes in the FULL results to say which deals can be switched to today (usually a bright coloured box saying 'switch right now' or something similar ) and those they can't which say something like 'give us a call'. That is the way for users to decide if they want to switch to a tariff that they can switch to today there and then (that pays the comparison site commission) or whether they want to make other arrangements to switch to a cheaper tariff that the comparison site doesn't offer.

At least in that scenario the user can easily make the decision process 'yes I will switch through the site as it is the cheapest tariff anyway' or 'I'd better look elsewhere as the cheapest deal isn't available through them'

footyguy

SnowMan wrote: »

It was discussed on this thread a while back.

For example the way that energy helpline seem to direct customers to only those tariffs that pay them commission is set out in this post.

Actually energyhelpline is the notable example that is not criticised by the press release, beacuse it does not filter the results by only those suppliers wit can switch you to.

It directs customers by default to only those suppliers/tariffs that allow you to pay by monthly direct debit (usually the cheapest, but can be changed to all payment types, as well as other filtered options) and defaults to all tariffs (although options exist to filter by fixed deals, paperless billing, no standing charge, etc)

Edit: As also mentioned by CashStapped in their response to your post on that thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=66581592&postcount=14
:cool:

Fromply

footyguy wrote: »

You claim comparethemarket.com does not allow you to see all the available deals (which would be a breach of the ofgem rules) so no surprise, it actually does if you remove the filters.

When you see the first results:
>Tab on "Refine your details"
>Tab on "Other options"
>check the box saying "Show tariffs I can't switch to now"

But that's my point - rather than show you all deals by default, they only show you deals that earn them money by default and then you have to go through options and change what is displayed to see other options .... and even then they're not honest about why the other deals are hidden...


Realistically, how many non MSE'rs will go through and change the options to see all deals?

footyguy

SnowMan wrote: »

But do you see a problem with

a) that being the DEFAULT option?, and
b) with the question being unclearly unworded and avoiding direct mention of the fact that the excluded deals are those that pay the comparsion site no commission?

You normally get nowt for nowt in this world, except with comparison sites which are required to show all suppliers & tariffs publically available. I think for such a FREE service, it is acceptable to expect to need to remove filters that otherwise earn the comparison site money.

If the comparison site did not earn money, it would not exist.

Fromply

And I understand the complicit motives of the person making the claims, but that doesn't necessarily mean that what he is claiming is untrue, and when I had a quick look this morning, it seemed that his claims were right and that I found the "big 5" comparison sites to be unreasonable in what they are doing.

footyguy

Fromply wrote: »

But that's my point - ...

Then with all due respect, I find your OP misleading

I read it as comparethemarket not showing all the deals at all, just those they earn commission on.

That is incorrect.

It only shows the ones they earn commission on if that is what the filters require (which may be by default, but the filtering options are there to open up the entire results if required)