Consumer advice centers surveyed users
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VZ-RLP. Comparison portals on the Internet repeatedly attract attention through manipulation of the ranking, unfulfilled advertising promises or lack of service after the conclusion of the contract.
The consumer advice centers present the results of a nationwide survey on usage.
Anyone who knows the tricks and pitfalls of the portals can use them safely and find suitable offers.
Find out with just a few clicks which provider offers the most attractive tariff for credit, insurance, mobile communications, hotel or power supply? This is exactly how comparison portals advertise on the Internet. At the end of November, many people will be asked to change their vehicle insurance. What could be more obvious than to take a look at the common comparison portals? But do they really offer quick help and a good overview of the market? The consumer advice centers surveyed thousands of users across Germany.
A closer look at the business model shows that the portals are usually neither neutral nor do they act selflessly. “The supposedly free comparison is mostly financed by the providers’ commissions for the conclusion of contracts,” says Julia Gerhards, consultant for consumer law and data protection at the Rhineland-Palatinate consumer center. “The portals only earn money if contracts are concluded through them. And best of all with the provider who pays the highest commission. ”The providers, in turn, are under pressure to have to appear in one of the first places in the comparison – those who appear further down in the ranking have little chance of new customers. A business model full of false incentives that invites lack of transparency and false promises.
The consumer advice centers repeatedly receive complaints from consumers who are disappointed with the concluded contract, for example if they do not receive the promised premiums or bonuses, are later surprised by additional costs or are left alone with contractual problems.
In autumn 2020, the consumer advice centers carried out a representative survey on the use of comparison portals. In the second half of October, the KANTAR survey institute conducted an online survey of thousands of users of comparison portals between the ages of 18 and 80 after signing contracts on comparison portals in the last 12 months.
Most frequently, 72 percent of those surveyed compared insurance tariffs, followed by around 70 percent who checked the tariffs of energy providers. The respondents across all age groups largely agreed on their expectations of comparison portals: 96 percent of users rated the best value for money as “important” or “rather important”. Ease of use of the portal and clarity of all offers are also important to many. So overview and transparency are the keywords here. Very few users wanted to be impressed by attractants such as bonuses or bonuses – younger users were more likely to look at them than older ones.
Regardless of which aspects ultimately determine the choice of a certain offer: The respondents mostly concluded the contracts directly via the comparison portal. 61 percent of those surveyed concluded an insurance contract directly via the comparison portal; a further 22 percent were forwarded to the selected provider from the comparison portal to conclude the contract. 67 percent of users concluded contracts with an energy supplier immediately and a further 16 percent after being forwarded to the provider’s portal.
For the majority of those surveyed, the costs and services of the contract were presented transparently and clearly. Younger users found their way around the portals less well than older users. According to the users, advertising promises were mostly kept. However, they only asked about contracts concluded in the last 12 months. In contracts with energy suppliers, however, rising costs usually only arise after the first year of the contract due to the loss of new customer bonuses. And some people may only notice in an insured event that the chosen insurance tariff does not include important benefits.
Conclusion: The market power of comparison portals is enormous, because they are used by many consumers. “The portals offer the unbeatable opportunity to get an overview of the market and to compare prices and services,” says Gerhards. “However, it is important to know the tricks and pitfalls and to make the correct default settings.” The consumer advice centers have put together important information and tips for dealing critically with comparison portals. Consumers can also report their complaints on the website of the consumer advice center. They help us to collect information about problems and to address grievances.
Interested parties can find more information and tips on how to use comparison portals safely at https://www.verbraucherzentrale-rlp.de/internet-vergleichsportale.
Text and logo: VZ-RLP
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