UK: CMA ‘sets ground rules’ for price comparison websites

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Tuesday, September 26, it was setting “clear ground rules” for how consumer price-comparison websites operate following a year-long review but was opening a formal investigation into only one site, offering home insurance, as a result of the review.

Comparethemarket.com, owned by insurance and financial services company BGL, is the company to be investigated further, over it having preferential pricing deals with certain suppliers, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Comparethemarket.com said it would be discussing its home insurance service with the CMA but declined to comment further. The CMA declined to comment on the identity of the company.

The CMA said its review had found price-comparison sites for insurance, energy supplies, travel and other products and services, offered a range of benefits for customers but that more improvements were needed to help them get better deals.

Full Content: The Times

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