Smartphone insurance: too many French victims of forced sale – Freebox universe

In his latest report, the insurance mediator denounces bad commercial practices around contracts protecting mobile phones. Some are said to be a scam.

When purchasing a mobile, whether from a distributor or an operator, it is not uncommon to be offered insurance to cover the device against damage and theft. The insurance mediator Arnaud Chneiweis has also published his annual report on Monday, August 30, where he denounces certain bad commercial practices leading to complaints on the consumer side. In 2020, this service would have represented 7% of the 10,500 referrals recorded around non-life insurance.

In particular: the lack of transparency around the subscription. “Policyholders are sometimes not even aware of having signed an insurance contract, which they discover the existence of due to withdrawals from their bank account”, explains the report, adding that“At that moment, it is too late to renounce the contract, because the withdrawal period of fourteen days fixed by the Consumer Code is then exceeded”. According to the mediator, the honesty of the seller also comes into the equation. “A number of testimonials we have received mention forced sales”, he explains, with in particular the case of the seller stressing that his job is at stake and that the consumer can terminate after a month. “In law, this is called a swindle” Arnaud Chneiweiss point.

Should we denounce?

The mediator did try to curb the problem by approaching the companies concerned. “What must be done to be able to be heard? Make ‘name and shame? “, wonders Arnaud Chneiweiss in the face of the lack of reaction. “It is inconceivable that professionals do not realize that this practice considerably harms their image”, he believes. And to add: “We must really put an end to these behaviors which are first of all contrary to the law and which considerably damage the image of the profession”.

For the mediator, there are two avenues, namely improving the training of salespeople and extending the withdrawal period to one month. Arnaud Chneiweiss also hopes for a simplification of the process for the aggrieved consumer, with a reform of the referral to mediation. “The ball is in the court of the Prudential Control and Resolution Authority”, he explains.

It is necessary to relativize

For his part, Patrick Raffort, the president of the Federation of guarantees and affinity insurance, invites us to put the figures into perspective. According to him, the complaints represent “A few hundred out of around 1 million new contracts sold per year”. Contracts which, according to him, would prove useful for the subscriber. “In 9 out of 10 cases, they are taken care of”, he emphasizes concerning the claims.

Sources: The echoes and Capital