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Do you need legal protection insurance?

Do you need legal protection insurance?

Not always all disputes can be resolved in all goodness and from time to time there are legal disputes. Some of them end up in court and legal representation is required. This in turn can be expensive! Now would legal protection insurance be good? or not?

What is included in legal protection insurance?

Contrary to popular belief, legal expenses insurance does not include everything. On the one hand, the costs are only paid up to the contractually agreed amount and not unlimited. The insurance covers, for example, costs for advice from and representation by a lawyer, legal costs, compensation, costs for translations or bail bonds.

The latter are not really covered by any insurance, they are only granted as an advance. Legal cases that occur or are negotiated abroad are significantly more expensive, but at the same time are usually less well covered by the insurers. The sums insured are lower.

Legal protection insurance costs between 130 and 290 francs a year if the insured is single and 30 years old. Family insurance costs between 150 and 350 francs a year.

Do you really need legal protection insurance?

The question has to be asked differently: How big is the risk of getting involved in a legal dispute? For example, if you live next to belligerent neighbors and can expect to be sued for every little thing, you certainly need such insurance more than someone who stays out of all disputes and is not otherwise involved in trouble.

At the same time, the range of insurance companies is huge and the advertising promises great: It seems that every legal case can be insured! Of course, this is not the case and it is not uncommon for legal protection insurance to fail in precisely the case in which it is to be claimed.

Benefits are usually excluded, especially in family and inheritance law matters as well as in the area of tax law.

However, it always makes sense to have legal protection insurance for traffic, which is also recommended for constant pedestrians. However, insured persons should make sure that they do not have double insurance, because that becomes unnecessarily expensive and does not help in an emergency.

Important to note: As a rule, legal protection insurance has a waiting period. This means that the insurance will not be paid if a legal dispute was pending when the insurance was taken out. So anyone who quarrels with the other party involved in the accident no longer needs to take out legal protection insurance. This would not help a bit, because the waiting period is usually at least three months.

Conclusion: Legal protection insurance is not absolutely necessary

Legal protection insurance promises a lot, but does not keep everything. The reason is that the advertising suggests taking over numerous legal cases, but at the same time the most important areas are excluded. In particular, insurers do not pay in areas of law in which disputes are particularly frequent and can be very expensive.

Tax law, family law and inheritance law are the three areas of law in which people quarrel the most and which insurers do not benefit from. Otherwise, legal protection insurance is recommended for all those people who are at high risk of getting involved in legal disputes.

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Corona boosts online life insurance sales

Corona boosts online life insurance sales

Insurers complain about a decline in the direct sale of life insurance by Corona. The reason: People want better personal advice. But at the same time there was a boost due to the corona: Now life insurances are increasingly being taken out online.

Innovation in the sale of life insurance

Digitization has long since found its way into insurers and has ensured that life insurance policies can now also be taken out online. What was unthinkable for many people until recently is now a reality. No customer advisor will come home anymore, even though the need for advice is significantly greater when buying life insurance than when buying household or car insurance.

But people are now less keen to bring a customer advisor into the house and prefer to gather the necessary information online. New forms of counseling are the order of the day, and it is mainly video chats that score points with customers.

The nationwide lockdown in spring 2020 meant that insurers had to break new ground, because selling life insurance policies purely online without prior advice is simply unrealistic. People who want to be bound by a contract for as long as they do with life insurance want good advice with comprehensive information. 

This in turn meant that new methods of counseling had to be developed or the already established methods had to be made more accessible. The willingness to also take advantage of online advice has recently increased significantly among older customers too. At the same time, the inhibition threshold that had previously prevented many people from selling insurance online has fallen.

New procedure with the greatest possible security

Within just a few weeks, many insurers like Zurich Versicherung started up again and developed the technical requirements further. These had to be given for the online sale of life insurance and other insurance products. At the same time, new interfaces were needed through which the insurance can be sold.

The necessary infrastructure, on the other hand, was already available in most cases and could be used accordingly.
However, the insurers were still unsure about the right time to launch digital sales for insurance companies. The customer potential is great and goes far beyond the previous target group of people who were born between 1981 and 1996.

An important aspect of online life insurance sales: security must be guaranteed in any case. Each customer must confirm their identity before a deal can be booked as such. This is only possible if the insurer has an official ID document. In turn, this has so far only been possible if the person concerned has appeared in person at the insurance agency.

However, insurance companies can replace this procedure and rely on digital identification, which complies with the strict requirements of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.
The customers of the insurers can do an ID check before taking out the insurance by following an identification process on the smartphone. Regardless of agency opening times, it is possible to be identified, the process is done in a few minutes. The person and ID are photographed via an app, the document and the information it contains are checked via a video.

The new ID check is already being celebrated as a digital breakthrough and represents the last link in digital identification. Customers can still get personal advice from a broker and then carry out the ID check in order to take out life insurance.

Conclusion: Digital offers are giving life insurance a boost

While many insurers have to complain about a decline in the sale of life insurance thanks to Corona, other providers are breaking new ground and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization. They offer a new way of online identification and combine this with video chats for advice.

Customers no longer have to come to the insurance agency or greet a broker in their own four walls. Distance is maintained, but advice does not fall by the wayside. The result: More life insurance policies are being taken out again.

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Take care of the financing? despite the mortgage

Take care of the financing? despite the mortgage

Many people feel that once they have the mortgage in place, they won't have to worry about further financing. The mortgage is only an important part of the total real estate financing that goes well beyond that.

Mortgage and other aspects of financing

It's done: the mortgage has been taken out and will run for the number of years provided. It is an important part of the overall financing for a property. But given the term of a mortgage, it's clear that a lot can happen here. The living conditions in ten years' time may not be the same as they are now, maybe the main breadwinner has also failed.

A lot can happen, from disability to divorce and death, and even a simple addition to the family can mess up the entire financing. This means that both happy and sad, but always unforeseen events can cause a major financial mess. The age at which the mortgage was taken out also plays a role: If you took out a mortgage a few years before retirement, you must make sure that it is still sustainable even if you lose regular income.

All of this must be taken into account when planning funding. There are different ways of protection, some of which can even have a tax-optimizing effect.

Save with the 3rd pillar

The 3rd pillar is a very good way to save money in an emergency. Because the saved money can be used to amortize the mortgage if necessary, and it also offers the opportunity to secure your own family. This applies to the death or disability of the main earner and saver. Last but not least, savings in the 3rd pillar can save taxes, which in itself should be an incentive in itself.

Every year, a certain amount can be claimed in the tax return for retirement provision, whereby the contributions to savings can go to banks or insurance companies. The balance from Pillar 3a may be included if it is used for the purchase, the amortization of the mortgage or for conversions and renovations of owner-occupied residential property. If self-employment is started or a disability occurs, the credit may also be offset against tax. 

This also applies if the saver emigrates or if he uses the money five years before regular retirement. The contributions that are paid in here can be deducted directly from taxable income. When withdrawing the money, a tax is also due, but this must be offset against the reduced tax rate.

The contributions that are paid into pillar 3b can only be partially deducted from income or with restrictions. The payment of the credit is tax-free, and a benefit in the event of death can also be set here. This is particularly helpful if unmarried couples buy their own home and the possibility of preferential treatment in pillar 3a is too limited.

Value-preserving measures are also deductible: If a new kitchen is installed or the roof is re-covered, the expenses for it can be deducted from taxable income.

Conclusion: The financing must always be kept in mind

Much can happen in the course of a mortgage that was not foreseeable. It therefore makes sense not to lose sight of the financing as a whole and to check it again and again over time. With a home in particular, the first major renovation work has to be carried out after around ten to fifteen years, which must also be financed.

A new roof or a new heating system swallows up huge sums of money that was usually not saved on the side. Such expenses must be taken into account as well as the possibilities that arise from a tax point of view. Expenses for owner-occupied residential property can be offset against tax and reduce the taxable income. The 3rd pillar of pension provision, which is also relevant for tax purposes, must also be taken into account.

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Less life insurance: Claims business is growing at Zurich

Less life insurance: Claims business is growing at Zurich

The past year 2020 was particularly decisive for Zurich Insurance in the property business. Life insurances were sold significantly less, however, which was mainly due to the corona pandemic, which was rampant worldwide. New business in this area fell sharply.

Difficult conditions for the sale of life insurance

The first lockdowns were already imposed in spring 2020 and with them came the difficulties for insurance agents as well. Because the measures made their tasks much more difficult, for example they could no longer speak directly to customers. But this is exactly a crucial point when selling life insurance: Potential customers want face-to-face discussions, want to ask questions and seek all-round advice. 

In theory, this can also be done on the phone, but in practice it is rarely handled in this way. The uncertainty of customers is great in view of a long-term contract and many do not want to rely solely on Internet information or information on the phone.

The first evaluations of the sale of life insurances by Zurich Versicherung then also provided evidence of the break-in. The annual premium equivalent collapsed by around a fifth in the first nine months of 2020 and was only USD 2.57 billion. The reasons for the slump were the restrictions that had to be accepted in several markets and which can be attributed to the Corona crisis. 

From a global perspective, however, the insurance business has grown or the decline has been limited, because growth of around seven percent in the third quarter partially offset the decline from the first two quarters.

Better claims business for insurance companies

The sale of property and casualty insurance, on the other hand, is significantly stronger than that of life insurance. The gross premiums here grew by around three percent in the period from January to September 2020. This growth was even faster than analysts expected. On the one hand, the globally increased premium rates were blamed for this.

In North America, for example, Zurich Insurance was able to achieve 18 percent higher premium rates. In Europe, too, the premiums were raised in the double-digit range.
At the same time, people's interest in liability insurance increased, which also caused prices to rise.

However, the greatest growth on the part of insurance companies was recorded by SMEs, because business with private customers was sluggish or only slight increases in profits were recorded. However, the demand for travel insurance declined in the face of numerous travel bans and entry restrictions.

Expected high load

High charges are expected not only at Zurich, but also at other insurance companies. Due to the Corona, high demands are made because of canceled trips, and SMEs also approach insurers with demands for business interruption insurance.

However, this is where the insurers differ, as some have reduced coverage for business closings or removed them entirely from the catalog of benefits. However, insurers could also face higher burdens due to the severe weather damage caused by hurricanes and other weather events.

Overall, insurers have so far been satisfied because their balance sheet remains well capitalized. In any case, this is the way Zurich Versicherung expresses itself, which is optimistic about the dividend policy.

Conclusion: higher damage, but good status of the insurers

In summary, it can be said that insurers are doing less badly in 2020 than feared. Even if they have been able to sell fewer life insurance policies and other products for which customers prefer personal advice, the claims business is still lucrative. On the one hand, higher damages have to be settled here, which is mainly the case due to necessary business interruptions and the resulting claims.

On the other hand, the desire for coverage is growing and more companies are taking out liability insurance. Private individuals also want all-round insurance and are more likely to opt for liability insurance. Contrary to expectations, the insurers could end this year with higher sales and profits than expected.

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Please pay the veterinarian bills directly: Also with an animal insurance

Please pay the veterinarian bills directly: Also with an animal insurance

In most cases, pet owners have to pay the cost of treating their four-legged friend directly at the vet or in the veterinary clinic. The vets play it safe and rarely offer other payment methods.

The most popular method of payment at the vet: payment by invoice

If the pet is doing badly, pet owners only want one thing: The darling should get better as soon as possible, no matter what the cost! The latter is easy to say, because an operation can quickly cost several hundred or thousand francs.

Most pet owners choose the invoice payment method, if they have the choice at all. The advantage of this is that they can focus on their pet's recovery first and take care of the payment later. Unfortunately, this is rarely possible in reality; payment by invoice is almost an exception. The veterinarian usually expects the treatment costs to be borne immediately.

In some cases, new customers cannot even pay by invoice, which is especially the case with veterinary clinics. When asked, they indicate that it would be too risky to offer payment by invoice. After all, one does not know what the payment behavior of the animal owners is like. Regular customers can sooner pay by invoice, new customers then with cash or card.

It is different when it comes to a large invoice, for example for an operation. Here there are mostly cost estimates and down payments are required. The final invoice can then be paid in part by invoice or even in installments, as agreed. Usually both resident veterinarians and veterinary clinics try to find an amicable solution for everyone involved.

In the Small Animal Clinic at the University of Bern, it is customary to request a down payment equal to half the cost estimate, at least 500 francs must be paid. Then the remaining costs can also be paid by invoice.

Common animal treatment costs

Most often there are costs for the initial consultation, which results in further treatment. The first visit to the vet usually costs 50 to 60 francs. The x-ray costs around 130 francs, an ultrasound costs up to 230 francs. If it comes to treatment, anesthesia, infusions, medication, hospitalization and other services are offset, whereby average prices of between 60 and 100 francs can almost always be expected.

For every single item! Emergency treatments are more expensive, with an operation due to a dog's stomach twisting up to CHF 2,000, and a cruciate ligament rupture can cost up to CHF 3,000. The fracture is cheaper, but its treatment still costs around 1500 francs.

In an emergency, however, no veterinarian will refuse treatment because the pet owner has no money in his pocket and has raced straight to the clinic. However, an amicable solution must then be found, because the emergency treatment is of course not free of charge. Normally, despite the time pressure, the usual down payment costs are required, especially since this can be done in the waiting time.

Tip: If you save enough money and put it in a separate account while your animal is healthy, you will not be left penniless and can pay your darling the urgently needed treatment. Animal insurance also makes sense and covers the most important costs.

Conclusion Veterinary bills must be paid directly

As a rule, the following applies: A veterinary bill must always be paid immediately, even if there are individual solutions for the animal owner in an emergency. The most frequently requested payment method by invoice is only offered by a few veterinarians and mostly only for regular customers. The risk of being left with the costs is too great because the patient owners' payment behavior leaves something to be desired.

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Unfair terms and conditions at fitness studios

Unfair terms and conditions at fitness studios

The year 2020 will soon end and the good resolutions are already in the room again. It’s definitely about sport again: The Swiss regularly plan to do more sport. However, fitness studios often not only support the customer's desire to exercise, but work with unfair terms and conditions into their own pockets.

Many studios as black sheep

Consumer advocates have been taking a closer look at Swiss fitness studios for a long time and know that not all terms and conditions are really legal or good. All too often there are complaints about unfair or customer-unfriendly terms and conditions, as the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS) knows.

However, there have been significantly fewer such fitness studios recently, most of them have improved their contractual conditions. But regardless of whether small or large studios, whether those with well-known names or new ones on the market: Many see their own advantage first and put a strain on customers' budget and nerves. Therefore, the following things should be considered when choosing a gym:

    • Contract renews automatically
      Subscription contracts are usually renewed automatically at the end of a contract year. Although this is common, according to the SKS it is not justified if the relevant note is only in the small print of the terms and conditions. Reference should be made explicitly to this form of extension. Good studios at least remind their customers of an upcoming extension, so that sports enthusiasts still have the chance to make use of their right of termination.

    • No termination of the contract in the event of absence
      Anyone who suffers an accident can be excluded from the contract. There are actually studios that do not allow exactly that and maintain the subscription despite a long absence of the customer. However, if you can't train for good reason, you should have the option to terminate the contract. The Well Come Fit fitness center is a negative example here because, according to SKS, it is not possible there to terminate the contract in the event of absence. But the spokeswoman for the gym said that was exactly possible. Apparently, only the terms and conditions are formulated in a misleading manner or they are individual decisions.

    • Liability regulation ambiguous
      Customer-friendly fitness studios should state their liability conditions and clearly state who is responsible for damage in the gym. Fitness centers have to accept liability for damages and cannot reject them in general. A studio that generally excludes liability in its terms and conditions should therefore not be selected as a sports partner. This is very customer-unfriendly behavior. Liability should be accepted even for illegal or grossly negligent behavior.

    • Transfer of subscription not possible
      It is a sensible rule: Your own fitness subscription can be transferred to other people, but this is not possible in all studios. Some fitness studios such as Aura Fitness write in their terms and conditions that the subscription cannot be transferred, but when asked by SKS, they replied that it was possible. Here, too, it seems that decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and not general regulations. Not recommended!

Conclusion: When choosing the gym, pay attention to the terms and conditions

The general rule is: if you are looking for a fitness studio, you should definitely pay attention to the terms and conditions. Don't just let a trainer tell you something, even the enthusiastic look into the studio on your first visit doesn't count. The terms and conditions are the measure of all things and regulate the training options and all legal matters. 

The fitness studio should not exclude any liability, and both the transfer of the subscription and the termination of the contract in the event of a longer absence should be possible. In general, it is important that the terms and conditions are customer-friendly and not primarily designed for the benefit of the fitness center. For this, however, a detailed check is necessary in advance.

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Fulfilling Your Own Dreams: Good Reasons for a Personal Loan

Fulfilling Your Own Dreams: Good Reasons for a Personal Loan

Borrowing cannot always be avoided entirely: a new car has to be bought or a long-awaited wish has to be fulfilled. A personal loan that is offered by a competent credit broker can be the solution. These reasons speak in favor of taking out the loan.

1. Bridge financial bottlenecks

Usually it is financial bottlenecks that have to be bridged: an invoice that was not expected, high expenses for repairs or an absolutely necessary new purchase exceed the existing budget and ensure that a solution is required quickly. The loan then helps to overcome this bottleneck, but should itself come up with good terms.

Otherwise, there is a risk of over-indebtedness: the loan cannot be repaid and needs other financing. Therefore, the loan comparison is absolutely necessary before signing a loan agreement!

2. Financing your own training

Your own education or the education of your children costs a lot of money. The following applies: Investing in your own future brings the best interest and is therefore always a good idea. However, the same applies here: The loan must be repayable and should therefore only be taken out in the amount that is absolutely necessary.

However, it has the advantage that trainees and students can fully concentrate on learning and do not have to work on the side in order to get the money they need for training. This usually lengthens the training or studies unnecessarily and ultimately costs even more money.

3. Rescheduling of existing loans

Loans are taken out, the terms firmly agreed. But in view of falling interest rates, an offer from another bank may be significantly more lucrative. Then another loan can be taken out at this other bank, the existing loan is then redeemed with the money. Often there are fees that are known as prepayment fees.

In order to decide whether these will not ultimately exceed a possible saving, it is important to calculate the respective loan costs precisely beforehand.
It can also make sense to take out a personal loan as a forward loan. This is practically concluded in advance and starts on a certain date in the future. It can replace an existing loan and offer lower interest rates.

Obtaining personal loans through credit intermediaries

If the personal loan is taken out directly via a credit broker, that's your own credit scoring. Because: When loan applications are submitted, they automatically go through the ZEK. That in turn means, however, that rejections of such applications can also be found there.

Several such rejections worsen the credit scoring in the worst case to such an extent that an approved loan is no longer even possible. This means that rejections can also occur later, although the applicant's creditworthiness would actually be given. The credit broker first checks the applications very carefully so that entries at ZEK can be avoided.

In addition, it is usually easier to obtain a loan from a credit intermediary than from a bank. Only a few documents have to be filled out and submitted as evidence, often the last pay slip is enough. At a bank, this evidence goes much further and is much more comprehensive. Personal loans from credit intermediaries can usually be applied for online and the offers can be compared from the comfort of your own home.

Conclusion: Many good reasons for a personal loan

The personal loan is a good way of avoiding registration with the ZEK and can be applied for for many reasons. Usually it is a financial bottleneck that has to be bridged. Or it is about the training, which cannot be financed with the usual available means.

The personal loan usually has a lower loan amount than a normal bank loan and often comes up with lucrative interest rates. It is particularly easy to apply for if a credit broker is called in.

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Insurers pay: Corona compensation for SMEs

Insurers pay: Corona compensation for SMEs

Some insurers are still hesitating: The damage for companies is great, but an end to the corona pandemic does not seem in sight. The Swiss insurance companies did not want to take over the damage and had to take beatings from all sides.

The insurers pay

Some insurance companies took the position that damage from the corona pandemic was not covered and that they therefore did not belong in the insurance benefits. The damage occurred mainly in two areas of insurance. On the one hand, it was the travel insurance that should be used frequently because the vacation trips were simply canceled. 

On the other hand, companies were affected and the business interruption insurance should have been paid. These are also known as epidemic insurance and this is exactly where the problem lies. Since the WHO had described Corona as a pandemic, did the insurers see themselves in the right? after all, they offer epidemic and not pandemic insurance. 

But while travel insurance usually boils down to a benefit, because some health insurances have started with compensations and others have followed suit, SMEs have so far often been left alone. Even today, they still rely on goodwill because insurers do not consider damage caused by the pandemic as an insured event.

Furniture as a big exception

So far, Mobiliar has shown itself to be exemplary and has not made any distinction between an epidemic and a pandemic in its insurance policies. It has so far acted unbureaucratically and has already paid out more than 300 million Swiss francs to the insured. This was of course very well received by all insured persons, who can use the money from the insurance to compensate for part of the damage caused by Corona.

Other insurers then saw themselves under pressure and wanted to protect their reputation. To do this, they approached the insured and offered them a compromise. Insurance companies that acted in this way were, for example, Helvetia, Axa and Zurich. Some claim that insurance companies took this route to protect their reputation on the one hand and to prevent years of legal disputes on the other.

And how does it continue?

The offers of the insurers, who wanted to provide a service similar to Mobiliar, of course met with open ears from the insured and over 90 percent of the companies that received a compromise offer made use of them. This was at least communicated in this way by the Axa, and Helvetia also said something similar. 

How the individual offers look like and what sums they contain cannot be found out, the companies are silent on this. The fact is, however, that insurers are expecting damage sums in the double or three-digit million range and that only for corona-related damage in 2020.  

How it should go on is still unclear. The insurance industry is still discussing possible solutions, but fast insurance routes are not in sight here. There is currently talk of pool solutions that already exist for the insurance of natural disasters and for the protection of nuclear risks. However, it is not clear how SMEs can really protect themselves in the future. Incidentally, this also applies to travelers, because the current travel insurance policies will also be adjusted in the future.

Conclusion: SMEs get at least a small amount of compensation

SMEs need business interruption insurance in order to be able to survive damage in the event of an accident. This was also thought of with the corona pandemic, but no one had expected the insurers' sophistication. They argued that it was a pandemic, not an epidemic, and therefore did not need to perform. 

Mobiliar was the big outsider and paid out funds to the companies without reservation. Other insurers jumped on the bandwagon in order not to lose face and to avoid legal disputes. However, they only offered compromises and not full insurance benefits. It now remains to be seen how other insurers will react.

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Edelweiss is again offering flights to South Africa

Edelweiss is again offering flights to South Africa

South Africa has no longer classified Switzerland as a high-risk area and now tourism can finally start again, albeit in compliance with the established hygiene measures. Edelweiss is now offering flights to Cape Town again.

Switzerland no? High Risk? Land more

It is a constant ups and downs, the regulations for entry into South Africa are constantly changing. First the borders were supposed to remain closed until the end of 2020, but then they were reopened in October. But Switzerland was quickly declared a risk area and the Swiss could only enter under difficult conditions. 

Now everything looks different again and Switzerland is no longer considered a particularly endangered country with regard to Corona. If the current regulations are observed, trips to South Africa are now possible again for Swiss citizens. This was recently stated by the South African embassy on their website. Edelweiss would like to reconnect the two countries and will be offering flights to Cape Town from November 25th, whereby these are initially designed on a weekly basis.

This must be taken into account when entering Switzerland for Swiss citizens

Anyone who wants to travel to South Africa as a Swiss citizen must observe the following points:

    • Entry only possible via certain airports (Cape Town International, Durban King Shaka, OR Tambo)
    • Entry by land must take place at one of the 18 border crossings
    • Proof of a negative corona test that is no more than 72 hours old
    • Proof of travel insurance, which at best covers the costs of the quarantine
    • Still for discussion: Download the South African Corona app

Anyone who wants to travel to South Africa should, however, observe the applicable regulations until shortly before the start of the trip, as changes can occur here constantly. And don't forget: Masking is mandatory in public, and a curfew has been imposed between midnight and four in the morning.

Travel finally possible again

Edelweiss was delighted that traveling to South Africa was finally possible again. The eleven-hour flight will now take you to Cape Town once a week and will bring all sports fans and nature enthusiasts to the African country.

Wine connoisseurs and gourmets are also happy to be guests there and can finally go on vacation again.
Edelweiss also offers other long-haul flights that just don't go to Cape Town. Also on the list of possible destinations are Malé, Punta Cana and Cancun, to name just three examples.

Flights to the Maldives can be canceled unexpectedly, so it is advisable to keep an eye on the information on flights and entry requirements in individual countries. Edelweiss does, however, offer travelers support and offer free and flexible accommodation options should a flight be canceled.

Conclusion on the flights to South Africa

Tourism can finally start up again, at least in parts, because the Swiss can travel to South Africa. After there was a constant back and forth regarding the current entry regulations, these have now been reduced to a minimum for Switzerland and allow flying to South Africa.

However, travelers should always keep an eye on the applicable regulations so that they can react quickly to them. Switzerland can quickly be put back on the risk list of South Africa and entry is no longer possible.

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Annoying advertising callers face fines in the future

Annoying advertising callers face fines in the future

The battle for the insured is raging and insurance brokers are not always particularly reluctant. You get pushy and bully people on the phone. But that should now be prohibited by law.

No pardon in the fight for insured persons

Many people know this: you come home from work in the evening tired and the phone is ringing. It also rings again and again until they finally answer. The caller is an insurance broker who wants to win new customers with his advertising call. But this is seldom crowned with success, because most of the time the people who are called only get angry and hardly react to the promotional offers. 

The health insurance associations Curafutura and Santésuisse now want to take action against this and stop the fight for customers. An amendment to the law by the federal government should help, as well as a new catalog of fines.

New agreement in the fight against annoying advertising calls

The industry agreement that is now to be signed is not, however, a duty, but is based on the principle of voluntariness. Nevertheless, all health insurance companies have signed up so far, the only exception being Sanitas. From 2021, the new concept is to be implemented, in which cold calling is prohibited. This means that calls to potential insured persons are only possible if there has been prior contact with this customer. 

This is intended to prevent unwanted calls, especially since it is only rarely serious brokers who call potential new customers. The media spokesman for Santésuisse, Matthias Müller, also said that the new agreement made it possible to impose fines. So far, this has not been feasible and so everyone involved is hoping that the new agreement can actually be implemented. 

The industry association agreement also deals with the commissions brokers receive for signing new insurance contracts. The new procedure stipulates that the commissions are capped and that the health insurance companies may charge a maximum of CHF 70 for basic insurance. The premiums for taking out supplementary insurance have also been capped, with the maximum being set at an annual premium.

However, this is not enough for the Consumer Protection Foundation. Here it is assumed that basic insurance should be possible without any commission. The reason: With the commission, the health insurers have a means in hand to dispute or poach the insured against each other. However, this should only be possible due to the services offered. In the opinion of the Foundation, no entire annual premium should be set as a commission for supplementary insurance either, but a few hundred francs should be enough.

The federal government is threatening sanctions

With the validity of the new agreement, health insurers can also be asked to pay if they violate the law against unfair competition. Companies that have collected data without permission must therefore expect sanctions. This applies, for example, when a Swiss health insurance company works with a call center from abroad and gets addresses and telephone numbers here. So far, the health insurance company has not been able to be held accountable for this, but this is possible with the agreement that will now apply from 2021.

In addition, there will be a further regulation by July 2021 at the latest, with which the telecommunications companies in Switzerland are to be made responsible. They should technically implement so-called call filters, which is required by the new telecommunications law. Sunrise and Swisscom have already retrofitted, at UPC and Salt the new provision has yet to be implemented.

Conclusion: No chance for annoying advertising callers

From 2021, it will be difficult for bothersome brokers: They have to expect sanctions and even fines if they harass potential insured persons on the phone. Obtaining data from foreign credit agencies will also be made a criminal offense in future.

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