The pros and cons of travel insurance comparison websites

The dawning of the price comparison site era

We all want to get the best deal, but we re also all so strapped for time that, with all the will in the world, it just isn t possible to visit 30 or 40 travel insurance providers to find out who offers the most cost-effective policy.

A decade ago price comparison sites arrived on the scene promising to solve all this. These handy research sites can compare in seconds what could have taken weeks. Now from just one place we can compare and contrast many providers and find out who s offering the best-priced travel insurance.

Popular price comparison sites are now household names with catchy tunes to their adverts and cuddly animals fronting their campaigns. They include:

• GoCompare.com
• CompareTheMarket.com
• Moneysupermarket.com
• Confused.com
• Virginmoney.com
• USwitch.com

The drawbacks of relying on price comparison sites

The price comparison revolution has made comparing travel insurance products easier and made finding cheaper products simpler but at a cost. Those who rely solely on them may be missing out on quite a lot.

In reality, you never actually compare the market you compare the policies listed on the respective sites. It may well be that the best policy for you in terms of cover and price is not featured as a listing.

As sophisticated as the price comparison sites have become, it s rare that you can find an exact like-for-like insurance cover, so you still need to check very carefully the details of the actual cover you re being offered.

Finally, don t expect advice on the best level of cover for you from a price comparison site. They don t claim to be experts in their field just a way to find the cheapest deals around. Where insurance is concerned, the cheapest may not always mean the best for you.

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