Insurers use too much jargon and small print, raise premiums without giving reasons, have pushy salespeople and send too much direct mail, according to a customer survey by Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS).
CIS carried out the survey to highlight customer concerns about the insurance industry. Other key complaints included insurers not rewarding customer loyalty, their use of automated call centres and customers not being treated as individuals.
CIS believes that the industry has made improvements that are yet to be recognised by the consumer. CIS General Manager (Marketing) Martin Clarke said: "If you consider the consumer improvements offered by the arrival of ISAs and Stakeholder pensions and factor in the Raising Standards initiative, you can see that we are heading in the right direction."
He added: "It is imperative that our improvements are seen to be continuous, sustainable and delivering real value for consumers."
Hosted by comedian and actor Tom Allen, 34 Gold, 23 Silver and 22 Bronze awards were handed out across an amazing 34 categories recognising brilliance and innovation right across the breadth of UK general insurance.
