Price comparison sites Keeping your details safe on comparison sites
Make sure you protect your privacy when using price comparison websites
Some consumers are concerned that, by submitting their personal information to a price comparison website, they might be putting their details at risk. Other people are simply reluctant to give websites their names, addresses and telephone numbers for fear of being bombarded with marketing material.
Here, Which? Money experts explain what you need to know about keeping your personal details safe on price comparison websites, and how to avoid spam.
Check price comparison sites' privacy policies
The price comparison website you use should have a privacy policy, which you ought to be able to find easily by clicking on a link. It's likely you'll find a link to a company's privacy policy as you go through the process of getting quotes for whatever products you're comparing - so keep an eye out for this.
Take a look at the privacy policy, which should include information on how your personal details will be used and stored. It's possible that some boxes, opting you in to receive email marketing, postal marketing or even telephone marketing from the website itself and even third party firms, might be pre-ticked.
By unticking these, you can state your wish not to receive marketing materials. The comparison site you are dealing with should respect this and ensure you are kept off its mailing lists.
Alternatively, it could be that you have to tick boxes stating that you do not want to receive marketing materials from a website or any other firms it is affiliated with. Check carefully and ensure you have ticked or unticked all the options that apply to you before submitting your preferences.
Which? price comparison sites investigation
When Which? investigated the issue of privacy policies back in October 2010, we found two price comparison sites were breaching the rules on how customers’ personal details should be treated.
If you don’t feel confident that you can opt out of receiving marketing material from a price comparison site, but want to, don’t enter your details and go elsewhere. There are plenty of comparison sites to choose from.
How your data is controlled and used is governed by the Data Protection Act (DPA) and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). If you feel a company is in breach of the rules laid down in law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
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