Online protection sales require care, warns Fos

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Protection intermediaries must ensure they satisfy the same consumer understanding requirements when selling products online or over the phone as they do in a traditional sales process, warns the Financial Ombudsman Service (Fos).

Peter Hinchliffe, the lead ombudsman for insurance at the Fos, says consumers are increasingly buying insurance over the phone or on the internet and, as a result, a growing proportion of insurance complaints to the Fos involve the sale being carried out by “instant” means. Although the ombudsman does not have problems with online or other non-traditional methods of applying for insurance, including protection products, Hinchliffe warns care must be taken to ensure they understand the terms under which they are buying and have disclosed all the information necessary to prevent non-disclo...

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