Is this real?
So Lending Tree hasn’t apologized yet.
But I am over it.
Unrelated, picked up this odd complaint in Michigan that I thought was interesting.
Apparently Quote Wizard was running ads suggesting they could provide full auto insurance coverage for $10.00.
At least that’s the gist of the complaint I was provided.
The consumer says:
QuoteWizard.com, LLC is running at least 29 illegal advertisements to solicit insurance in the State of Michigan in violation of Michigan Compiled Law (MCL) 500.2003, 500.2005, 500.2005a, 500.2007. The Michigan Insurance Code states that unfair methods of competition and unfair and deceptive acts include the making, publishing, disseminating, circulating, etc. of any assertion with respect to the business of insurance or with respect to any person in the conduct of his insurance business, which is untrue, deceptive or misleading. MCL § 500.2007. The Michigan Insurance Code further prohibits the use of marketing that fails to disclose in a conspicuous manner that its purpose is solicitation of insurance and that contact will be made by an insurance agent or insurance company. MCL § 500.2005a. Quotewizard.com, LLC runs a variety of advertisements on Meta’s Facebook platform. These ads, which I have copied links to view in Meta’s Ad Library, are untrue, deceptive, and misleading. Quotewizard.com, LLC advertises a new insurance rate as ” New Rate $10 Full Coverage”. As a licensed insurance agency in the State of Michigan Quotewizard.com, LLC must follow the law. Based on information, belief, and the application of basic common sense, Quotewizard.com, LLC cannot offer an automobile insurance policy with “full coverage (which in common parlance generally means to include both collision and comprehensive coverage) for $10. If Quotewizard.com, LLC is in fact selling $10 auto insurance policies we have an even bigger problem because based on a search of DIFS website QuoteWizard.com, LLC is not appointed by a single insurance carrier to transact business in the state. Quotewizard.com, LLC appears to be preying on Michigan’s financially venerable [editor’s note: probably means vulnerable] population that can barely afford their car insurance and is trying to entice them to click their advertisement in hopes of financial relief. Instead clicking the advertisement will simply forward you information to dozens of insurance agents that will call you over and over trying to sell you insurance at rates that we would customarily expect to receive not $10.
Just because a consumer says this is true doesn’t make it true. But the ads library looks pretty legit. So maybe Quote Wizard was knowingly or unknowingly tricking people into visiting its website. Or maybe somebody is submitting false stuff to a Michigan regulator. *Shrug.*
Regardless, I am sharing this because it does raise a pretty important issue for folks buying leads– you need to understand your entire funnel.
If you are accepting clicks–or even inbound calls–from social media ads that contain false content you may end up being pursued by a state agency. (That hasn’t happened here, BTW, just a complaint– but one everyone can learn from.)
And I know Musk may have just killed the CFPB and the feds look unlikely to regulate anyone or anything–at least for a while– but the states can be plenty aggressive. So watch out!