Upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Euroins AD

Decision detail

Summary

Mr and Mrs B claimed on their travel insurance policy after their connecting flight to a USA city was cancelled due to adverse weather, forcing them to book an alternative return flight to the UK. Euroins took two months to acknowledge the claim and request further information, and then failed to provide any substantive updates after Mr and Mrs B supplied the requested airline confirmation in October 2024, leaving them waiting over a year for an outcome. The ombudsman found Euroins failed to handle the claim fairly and promptly, and directed payment of £750 per person under the missed departure section of the policy, plus £150 each in compensation for distress and inconvenience, along with interest.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Euroins failed to handle the claim fairly and promptly in breach of its regulatory obligations. Two months passed before providing a substantive acknowledgement, and no further updates were provided after Mr and Mrs B supplied the requested information on 2 October 2024. The ombudsman was satisfied that an insured event had occurred (flight cancellation due to adverse weather), that Mr and Mrs B were unable to recover losses from the airline, and that the second USA city was the international departure point. Given Euroins' non-responsiveness and the sufficient evidence available, the ombudsman directed payment of the claim under the missed departure section, subject to policy limits and excess.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website