SKS: Complaint against Ringier
According to the Foundation for Consumer Protection, the *Blick am Abend* is engaging in unfair competition with its health insurance premium calculator.
A text message with the age and zip code of the place of residence, and shortly afterwards the interested party receives the three cheapest premium offers from the health insurance companies for 2010. According to the NZZ am Sonntag, this is how Blick am Abend advertised a fee-based comparison service several times last week. The SMS request costs 90 centimes, and a written offer can then be requested for the same price. Although the campaign is declared as a "promotion", it comes across as an editorial article.
Sara Stalder, Director of the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS), is quoted in the Sunday publication as saying that because the advertisement is presented like a newspaper article, it deceives the readership. Even more disturbing for Stalder, however, is that the calculator does not provide the premiums of the three cheapest health insurers as promised. It is therefore obvious that not all insurers are cooperating with the newspaper's comparison service.
The SKS has now filed a complaint against Ringier with the Swiss Commission for Fair Trading. According to the complaint, the advertising is "misleading and deceptive within the meaning of the Federal Act against Unfair Competition".
The traditional premium models of the most important and largest health insurance companies are included in the SMS calculator, according to Ringier spokesperson Edi Estermann, quoted by NZZ am Sonntag. In principle, every health insurance company has the right to participate or not.
Sara Stalder, Director of the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS), is quoted in the Sunday publication as saying that because the advertisement is presented like a newspaper article, it deceives the readership. Even more disturbing for Stalder, however, is that the calculator does not provide the premiums of the three cheapest health insurers as promised. It is therefore obvious that not all insurers are cooperating with the newspaper's comparison service.
The SKS has now filed a complaint against Ringier with the Swiss Commission for Fair Trading. According to the complaint, the advertising is "misleading and deceptive within the meaning of the Federal Act against Unfair Competition".
The traditional premium models of the most important and largest health insurance companies are included in the SMS calculator, according to Ringier spokesperson Edi Estermann, quoted by NZZ am Sonntag. In principle, every health insurance company has the right to participate or not.
