Provision of information

As previously noted, introducing a customer to an insurer or insurance broker is a regulated activity. However, simply making a leaflet available for an insurance policy (for example, on your premises), without giving any advice and without contacting the insurer or broker on behalf of the customer is classified as the ‘provision of information’.

This is not a regulated activity, provided it is incidental to your business’s main activities. Therefore, for example, a vet may give a leaflet about pet insurance to a customer or provide information about making a claim to a customer who has a pet insurance policy.

In this example, information about pet insurance is incidental to the vet's main business of treating sick animals.

However, the ‘provision of information’ exclusion may not be available if a business:

• recommends a particular insurance product to its customers
• helps a customer fill in an application or proposal form for insurance
• checks completed application forms and sends them to an insurer or broker for the customer or
• agrees to arrange an insurance policy for the customer.

If you believe you may be able to rely on this exception, you must ensure that your staff are aware of what they can and cannot do in respect of the information your business provides to customers.