For some reason, I have become more interested in the roguish behaviour of some financial services businesses online.
Today it is a lead generator trying to look like Aviva. A lead generator is a “middle man” website that collects customer data (a “lead”) and sells it on to one or more third party insurance brokers, often resulting in a flurry of phonecalls and emails that can take years to shake off.
The below example - www.myavivaquote.co.uk – is advertising on Google with the following text (correct as of 14.55 10th June 2015):
The website in the link is yellow and blue and has great pictures of the countryside and people being happy. It looks a lot like the Aviva website, but it isn’t.
In the smallest print on the page in the footer it says, “Aviva Life Quote is an independent life insurance website created to help users find the best possible life cover quote for their circumstances. We work with Financial Conduct Authority regulated brokers who search and compare life insurance policies from all the high street insurers for the best deals available for you.”
Many members of the general public will think this is Aviva and get quite disenchanted when they get passed from brand to brand, a practice that just damages all of financial services.
Surely this is something FCA should be acting on and policing even though the domain name doesn’t belong to a regulated entity?
Customer warning: If in doubt, check that the website is FCA registered, and that their details match up with who they claim to be. Customer reviews on third party websites like TrustPilot are also a good indicator of authenticity and satisfaction.
