Who are you, the online shoppers?
Many times, people refrain from buying insurance online. Many are afraid to take a p0licy online from an offshore insurer.However, the number of people taking insurance online is rapidly growing, and those that are ready to take a policy from an offshore insurer online is growing in a more moderate manner.
No doubt that the maturity of the common person over the internet is growing, and the notion of buying online becomes more and more common.
Sinclair Insurance Group reports a constantly growing number of people who are visiting its website (http://www.sinclairpremium.com/), and those who are accepting the concept of buying online is steadily growing. Sinclair's statistics show that age groups that did not go beyond visiting and taking quotes online, are now buying more easily, and accept the concept that insurance is a "product" like any other tangible manufactured product, available online.
The age variety of online shoppers becomes wider, and unlike ages 19 to 36 - the most common buyers in 2006-2007, the range of ages is 19-54 in the following 2008 till June 2009. Age group of 55 to 70 is already representing over 7% of the buying market in Sinclair, and there is a growing demand for "Retirees Run Off Policies" - mainly for Engineers & Architects and Nurses.
Why not?
There are many who are looking for a support from others. Many potential buyers are making "chats" with others, in an attempt to gain support before they make their first time purchase online. It is common that people are using the internet as a "purchasing support tool", and tend to continue search for the actual product purchase from a store, or at least a phone call centre - at least speak to a live person. The "Online chats" or "Live talk to a Customer Service Officer" is regarded by many as "a poor attempt to take my money"...
Well, it is better, therefore, for an insurance provider to maintain a multi-option sale facility: onilne, actual office nearby, direct phone team, that is vailable 24/7, preferably sitting in the same city the caller is living - but that is exactly the opposite from the online concept.
Mr. Les Blake, Sinclair's Insurance Company Liabilities Expert, told us a task in Sinclair, led by Mr. Blake, conducted a mass survey among 2,000 of the company's insureds, and recommended the company's management to enable sales over the phone, as well as introduce a new Inner Group Pay Card (Thompson Card), to enable its' prospective customers purchase and pay instantly without the hassle of creating online accounts with other service providers. Sinclair Insurance Company has signed an Issuer Agreement with Thompson Cards, and provide its customers with the Thompson Card totally free, and instantly usable. The survey was conducted in order to study the buying habbits of the Homebirth Indemnity Insurance worldwide - a product that is quite unique to Sinclair in the past half decade. The survey referred to few variants: the age factor, online purchase, status of the insurer as an offshore insurer, costs, localisation of supporting services (mainly who handles claims and how), and the image of the offshore insurer in different groups.
Mr. Blake referred to the big question of why Australian & British Homebirth Midwives are less interested in this unique product, especially in the light of the proposed Australian National Registry, which will create a legal problem for midwives practicing Homebirth without Indemnity insurance. 'Sinclair', adds Mr. Blake 'is trying to discuss this issue with the local Australian authorities, presenting an existing option now, in a way that will drive Australian midwives to consider this option rather than be upset about the National Registry with its restrictions".
