Gocompare tells Which? ‘Stick to reviewing washing machines'

The UK car insurance comparison site Gocompare.com has commented on Which? magazine's latest review of insurance comparison websites:

Hayley Parsons, chief executive of Gocompare.com said; "I think Which? has shot itself in the foot here. If this represents their level of understanding about insurance and comparison sites, then I'd suggest they stick to reviewing washing machines in future.

"The subject of excesses is an industry-wide issue (as highlighted in the FSA's recent review of the comparison industry in December 2008) and we are currently working with insurance companies to provide us with the information we need to be able to split out excesses and help consumers make even more informed choices. We depend on the information that the insurance company provides us with and some companies do not currently split the voluntary and compulsory excesses.

"In the meantime, we display the total excess because it is the figure the customer would actually have to pay in the event of a claim. All the quotes will contain the voluntary excess input by the customer and then any compulsory excess the insurer needs to add to cover that risk. Our experience shows that customers can very quickly decide which combination of cover, excess and premium is right for them once they have been shown all the different options available.

"The reason why the cheapest quote on each site might not always be the same is simply because the insurers featured on each site might not be the same! If consumers use comparison sites with a wide panel of insurers they will get the broadest comparison. Interestingly Which?, who claim to be impartial, recommend using their own ‘Best Buys' table. Their ‘Best Buy' panel for car insurance consists of 30 insurers whereas Gocompare.com compares over 90 different insurers and brokers."