Insurance mis-selling is becoming increasingly well-known in India, even though IRDAI regularly keeps a tab on the insurance sector. Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around insurance mis-selling due to a video leak of a certain bank. In some cases, banks are selling insurance right inside their branches, and that’s making a lot of people worried. It is important to understand why it is worrisome. Banks and insurance companies sometimes try really hard to make money, so they sell their products to people without them knowing or being prepared. And that is what leads to many cases of mis-selling by banks.
People have a perception that banks are safe and these people inside the banks selling insurance for their profits is a trust issue, which is having severe consequences in the insurance sector.
Meaning of the word mis-selling:
- Loading on products
- Wrong sale of the product with the incorrect description
- The false promise of higher returns
The Problem with Mis-Selling
When banks mis-sell insurance policies, it can cause significant problems for you. You might end up with a policy that doesn’t suit your needs or that you can’t afford. Understanding the terms and conditions can be confusing, and you may only realize later that your policy doesn’t cover what you thought it would. This can lead to a lot of stress and financial distress for you. Moreover, mis-selling can lead to losing confidence in the insurance industry, as customers feel they need to be more confident to engage in future insurance transactions.
Types of Product Mis-sold
Let us take a closer look at the types of products that are mis-sold by these officials sitting in the bank:
- Bank lockers or loans: Sometimes, customers are forced to purchase insurance policies as a prerequisite for obtaining a loan or securing a locker. Many individuals remain unaware that these policies were wrongly added. Such coercive practices, enforcing unnecessary loan or locker acquisition products, betray customer trust.
- Fixed Deposit: When you go to the bank to save or renew your money, sometimes they try to sell you insurance. But here’s the catch: you wanted to avoid insurance in the first place! It’s a tricky game that makes you pay for something you never asked for and can cost you money and peace of mind.
- Ulip Insurance: Did you know banks push ulip insurance because they get more significant commissions? But here’s the thing: insurance is meant to protect you, not make money for the bank. Ulip insurance costs more and needs to give you more coverage than term insurance does.
What You Can Do?
As a customer, there are things you can do to protect yourself. If a bank official offers you insurance, take your time to understand it. Don’t feel rushed or pressured into buying something you’re unsure about. Ask questions and make sure you know what you’re getting. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you have become a victim of insurance mis-selling.
- Collect evidence: Save all the phone calls, emails, or text messages where someone tricked you into buying an insurance policy you didn’t want. These proofs can show that you were misled, and it’s called mis-selling. Keep them all together as evidence.
- Record Calls: Make sure to record and keep all the phone calls, emails, or text messages related to your complaint. Write down the dates, times, and names of the people you talk to. This will help you have evidence of your communication.
- File a complaint: You can file a complaint via call, email, letter, etc. It is better to file a complaint via email as it will be written proof that you have filed a complaint. In your mail, state the factual reasons you think your policy was mis-sold. Attach a copy of proof of the mis-selling.
- Appeal: If your complaint is rejected for the first time, you can appeal again. You can appeal multiple times.
See How Insurance Samadhan Helped
Mr. Vishnu wanted to save his money in a fixed deposit for nine years and get a loan after one year. But something unexpected happened. The bank sold him an insurance policy instead of a fixed deposit! Now, he had to pay 1 lakh rupees every year for the insurance policy. Mr. Vishnu was upset and thought he would never get his money back. But then he found Insurance Samadhan. We listened to his story and fought for him. After much hard work, we ensured he got his money back. Take a look at the testimonial below, where he is telling the story in his own words.
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