Insurancewide: Norwich Union's ‘half-hearted' website

James Harrison, CEO of Insurancewide.com, commented: "Norwich Union's new initiative offering customers the chance to 'compare' Norwich Union car insurance quotes with other insurers is ill-conceived.

The system simply doesn't work in favour of the customer. The choice of insurers is inadequate in that the customer is only allowed to compare a Norwich Union quote with three other providers from a very limited panel.

If the customer does choose another provider, they are not able, unlike other comparison websites, to actually buy a policy using Norwich Union's site.

We are disappointed that Norwich Union has launched a half-hearted initiative here. It is simply not a valid player in the comparison website market. The customer will not get the satisfaction that Norwich Union has helped them find a better quote. A company proud of its products would be happy to compare itself with the best in the market. Norwich Union's policies do provide excellent cover but, as this initiative shows, they are simply not price competitive and they know it.

A well-designed comparison website allows the customer to access the entire UK market including specialists for niche insurance needs, not three or four general insurers. It should also allow the customer to enter a precise insurance profile of themselves so that no false assumptions are made and the price they see is the price they get. Insurancewide.com can confidently promise to deliver this service."