PRESS RELEASE

FINES AMOUNTING TO 3,310,000 EUROS IMPOSED ON THREE INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR AGGRESSIVE CONDUCTS IN DEBT COLLECTION

Fines amounting to three million and 310 thousand Euros were imposed by the ICA on three insurance companies: respectively, one million and 800 thousand Euros on UnipolSai, 850 thousand on Hdi Assicurazioni and 660 thousand on Uniqa Assicurazioni. According to the ICA’s opinion, the companies carried out “unfair commercial practices because aggressive” aimed at debt collection.

The conducts were carried out through the systematic sending of injunctions (Hdi) and summons (Uniqa and UnipolSai), without respecting the cognizant territorial court, that is the court of the customer’s residence. According to the ICA, regardless of the legitimate right of the debt collection in court, the mentioned conducts were aimed at causing an unfair conditioning in the average consumer; that is, they were aimed at generating in consumers the belief that it was preferable to pay the amount requested than to be exposed to legal proceedings at a court different from that of residence, thus avoiding a more expensive and difficult attendance.

Rome, 27 May 2016