Direct Line specifically eschewed this approach from the start, why would they change their minds now? A price comparison site is little different to an insurance broker.Cloudane wrote:I always fail to understand the benefit (Direct Line) of refusing price comparison sites. Unless they're really high class - which is not the image they put out with that silly talking phone on wheels thing - it just suggests to me that they're overpriced and don't want people to know.
Most obviously, it's because the price comparison site takes a commission, which comes directly and entirely out of your profit.
Less obviously, it gives the price comparison site at the very least, and probably your competitors as well, a great deal of the information out of your database. The most successful insurers of recent years have perceived that their success is due to a database advantage allowing them to more accurately price risk. The "We'll tell you our competitors prices even if they're cheaper" is a particularly insidious case of the latter.
You have to be big enough that people will check you anyway. Direct Line are probably the only one who can get away with it.
