Upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Domestic & General Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs B complained about D&G's handling of her mobile phone insurance claim after her phone was damaged in November 2024. D&G arranged replacements, but multiple devices were reported as damaged, and Mrs B rejected the final replacement. D&G then incorrectly told Mrs B in September 2025 that she had received the final phone, despite her rejection. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding D&G's statement to be an administrative error, but determined it caused only minor impact since Mrs B had already decided not to proceed. The ombudsman upheld the complaint but required only that D&G proceed with its already-offered settlement of £75 excess refund and £75 compensation.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman upheld the complaint because D&G made an error in stating Mrs B had received the final phone when she had rejected it. However, the ombudsman found that this error did not lead to additional financial loss or materially affect the outcome, as Mrs B had already decided not to proceed. The ombudsman considered the error to be an administrative mistake with minor impact. The ombudsman also found it reasonable for D&G to refund the excess since the final claim did not proceed. Issues regarding the separate finance agreement and the separate linked policy fell outside the scope of this complaint.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website