Lifesearch, has warned against poor industry selling practices and the "laissez faire approach to the quality of distribution" by providers.
Speaking at yesterday's Lifesearch awards, Tom Baigrie, managing director at the protection specialist, said: "What we fear is that, with RDR approaching and premiums set to rise, our market may well attract many new start-ups, some of low quality, and that provider eagerness for market share will accelerate the already endemic granting of agencies to dodgy distributers, who are thus allowed to flog great brands and good products awfully."
"A client ripped off by one of these will hate our industry forever," he added.
He stressed that online non advised sales were not the problem: "My beef is focussed on the many poorly run selling operations, both advised and non that have imported the tactics of the unsecured loan and claims management markets into ours.
"It is a sell at all costs philosophy that we despise, because protection is too important for that.
"Providers and reinsurers should not rely on a FSA or network tick in a box to absolve you of your duty to those who see that your super brand is involved and that makes everything alright."
He recommended providers ask distributers to at least hold them to his distributers code of conduct.
