Google car insurance price comparison

The service, which users will see above the search results if they type "car insurance" into Google, will seek quotes from about 120 insurers, roughly the same number as other comparison services.

The company said its service avoided some of the devices used by comparison services to offer users the lowest price, such a specifying a high excess automatically, or not including extra such as courtesy cars by default. Google's service forces users to make each of these choices actively, which it said should reduce the chances of buyers ending up with a policy that wasn't right for their needs.

It has also promised that neither it nor the insurers on its panel will sell any personal details to third parties such as "ambulance chasing" lawyers. It will also "monitor" the insurers to prevent them from quoting a difference price when the user clicks away from Google and onto their own websites.

"We will also publish a provider code of conduct that we expect them to meet, " Google said. "Persistent offenders will be removed from the panel. We will encourage users to identify offenders through a complaints procedure."

John Paleomylites, Google's price comparison product director, said: "We want to help users find the best car insurance in the fairest and most honest way possible and above all while respecting their privacy."