Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Hood Travel Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5602852 of 2025-06-30T00:00:00+00:00. Service failures generally complaint against Hood Travel Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5602852 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2025-06-30T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Hood Travel Limited |
| Product | Travel insurance |
| Claim type | Service failures generally |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | £15 compensation (already offered by Hood; Mr H to provide bank details to receive payment) |
Summary
Mr H complained about poor service from Hood Travel Limited when attempting to purchase a travel insurance policy on 22 November 2024. He spent approximately 68 minutes on the phone with multiple holds (including one 19-minute hold) due to internal confusion about a promotional discount offer. Hood upheld the complaint, apologized sincerely, and offered £15 compensation, but Mr H disputed whether he had received an apology or payment. The ombudsman found that Hood's sincere apology from the manager, acknowledgment of the service failure, commitment to improve processes, and £15 compensation constituted a fair and reasonable remedy, and therefore did not uphold the complaint.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman acknowledged that Hood provided poor service and that Mr H's frustration was justified. However, the ombudsman found that Hood's sincere apology from the manager, the undertaking to learn lessons and improve processes, and the £15 compensation offer constituted a fair and reasonable remedy. The ombudsman noted that FOS awards are modest compared to court awards and that the sincerity of the apology and commitment to improvement went a long way towards remedying the situation.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hood Travel Limited, all decisions | 7 | 43% |
| Service failures generally, all decisions | 32,767 | 33% |
| Travel insurance, all decisions | 7,644 | 37% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website