Affinity insurances, in particular those covering smartphones, will have to be presented in a more transparent way from now on. Above all, the withdrawal period has been extended and can no longer be erased by a free period.
Affinity insurance, in particular that covering smartphones, remains the sector’s bad students, the insurance mediator regretted at the end of the summer. But one judgment of December 5, 2022 goes strengthen the protection of individuals from 1 January 2023. In fact, the text modifies the information document which must be communicated to the consumer subscribing to affinity insurance. This measure was introduced by the purchasing power law of 16 August.
It will henceforth have to mention the period of 30 days against 14 currently to exercise its right of renunciation from the conclusion of the contract. And if the consumer benefits from a free commercial offer, one month of free insurance for example, this period does not begin to run until effective payment of all or part of the insurance premium. And in the event of waiver, the insurer is required to reimburse you the premium paid, also within 30 days.
Above all, this information must be communicated by post, email or message on a customer account and not orally in the buying crowd. Consent and full awareness of the contact commitment must be better guaranteed, claimed for several years by insurance mediation.
Affinity insurance is heavy
A scenario has often been denounced to the mediator: the insurer offered a free month and this covered the 14-day withdrawal period. At the end of this free month, the client was hired for a year with no possibility of going back. These affinity insurance contracts, often of little benefit to consumers, are nevertheless sold on a large scale, under sometimes dubious conditions. Affinity insurance covers between 2 3 billion euros in France in 2020 according to figures from the sector Federation (FG2A).
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Another situation denounced by the Fraud Control this time: in 2021, the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) cracked down on companies such as Darty, Boulanger, SFR or Orange accused of maintaining , purpose, a confusion between the legal guarantees, free, and the extensions of guarantees and paying insurances which they market to cover these goods.
In 2021, insurance mediation received nearly 22,000 referrals from consumers. A total increase in recent years.