Leading motor insurers are, in some cases, declining to give quotes on more than 50% of inquiries, according to independent research commissioned by Budget Insurance Services.
Budget said the research, which was carried out across six direct motor insurers, revealed how one company declined to offer a quote on 64% of risks.
The six companies surveyed in the Budget report were Churchill, Direct Line, More Than, NU Direct, Esure and Tesco Financial Services.
Overall the research showed that direct insurers declined to quote on just over a third of all inquiries.
Simon Jackson, head of insurance services at Budget, said insurers were "cherry picking" their customers. "Many of these `big names' promote what appear to be competitive rates when, in fact, in a large proportion of cases, they are declining to quote because the profile of the customer does not suit them."
