Consumer Extremism in the Insurance Market: Problem Statement

Abstract

Consumer extremism has recently taken the form of a mass phenomenon, gradually penetrating into the insurance industry. Since it negatively affects not only the reputation and financial position of individual insurers, but also the development of the insurance market as a whole, the task of finding ways to counteract the facts of unfair behavior of consumers of services is becoming urgent. It should be borne in mind that consumer extremism is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon: it has legal, and at the same time social, economic, psychological foundations, motives and consequences. Therefore, it is extremely important to go beyond the purely legal aspects in this research. In this regard, the purpose of the work was to identify the most significant aspects in the study of consumer extremism as a phenomenon that takes place in the insurance market. As a result of the study, we came to the conclusion that it is necessary to take into account both the consumer's polysubject connections, which arise in the insurance market, and the multidisciplinary ones, which are formed within a particular insurance transaction. When assessing a possible area of relations where consumer extremism can manifest itself, we should take into account all scenarios of consumer’s activity from the passive one, in which the relationship does not go beyond the «policyholder — insurer», to the proactive one, when representatives of the insurance infrastructure are involved in the relationship. In the result a set of measures has been offered which would help prevent consumer extremism cases while implementing insurance relationships.