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NEW DELHI:The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has advised motor insurers to discontinue advertisements not related to insurance claims as may be provided by motor garages/workshops.
Typically, general insurance companies enter into service agreements with motor workshops/garages for the purpose of providing motor insurance claim services for repair of accident vehicles. It has been noticed that the service agreements in addition to claim services, extend certain assistance services not related to insurance claims such as free pick up and drop of vehicle, body wash, interior cleaning, inspection of vehicle etc.
Irdai said while the bundling of the above facilities with insurance is left to the motor service providers, general insurers issuing advertisements on the said services, projecting them as benefits provided within the insurance cover is unacceptable. “The main objective of service agreements with motor garages/workshops shall only be providing insurance services for claims of accident vehicles and it cannot arbitrarily expand to include scope of services which are not relevant for insurance claims," said Irdai.
It added that a perusal of advertisements issued by a few general insurers showing discounts up to certain percent, saving in the premium etc., and the illustrations provided therein, reveals that the features or benefits are applicable under extreme or exceptional scenarios. The discounts in certain advertisements are not shown objectively on filed rates but expressed in comparison to rates of erstwhile tariff. This is not to be done. “Considering that the quoting of motor premium rates is dependent upon multiple factors and a variety of risks, the contents of the said advertisements which may be applicable under extreme or exceptional scenarios would make a large number of prospective customers vulnerable to wrong understanding, said Irdai.
Hence, the regulator advised insurers to do the following:
To discontinue the advertisements in respect of the services not related to insurance claims as may be provided by motor garages/workshops.
To stop displaying discounts with reference or comparison to rates of erstwhile tariff.
To ensure that the discounts and saving in the premium which may be applicable only under extreme or exceptional scenarios shall not be displayed as examples.
