Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against AXA Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs M complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service about AXA Insurance's handling of her home insurance claim following water damage from a burst pipe in 2022. AXA had already offered £250 compensation in May 2023 for poor handling, and £100 in August 2023 for communication errors. The ombudsman could only consider the period between May and August 2023, as the earlier complaint was referred outside the six-month deadline. The ombudsman found that while AXA had communication issues regarding the schedule of works and contents disposal, and a two-week delay to the schedule, the overall impact was minor given contractor lead times and other requirements. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint and found the £100 compensation already offered to be reasonable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while AXA had communication issues and a minor delay to the schedule of works between May and August 2023, the overall impact was relatively minor. The two-week delay to the schedule of works had limited practical impact given the four to six week contractor lead time and electrical work requirements. Communication about contents disposal, though unclear, was ultimately correct in its basis, and Mrs M was in contact with AXA's representative by August 2023 to progress the claim. The ombudsman also noted that claims of this nature typically take time to resolve and that Mrs M's accommodation costs were being met by AXA.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website