Partially upheld: claim handling failure, service delay, inadequate communication complaint against Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5993100 of 2026-04-29T00:00:00+00:00. claim handling failure, service delay, inadequate communication complaint against Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5993100 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-29T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd |
| Product | Other regulated product |
| Claim type | claim handling failure, service delay, inadequate communication |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd to pay: (1) £40 in line with policy terms plus interest at 8% simple from the date Mr L paid the invoice for the tyre change; (2) £175 compensation for distress and inconvenience caused. |
Summary
Mr L claimed on his breakdown assistance insurance policy after experiencing a flat tyre at his home in September 2025. After a significant overnight delay, an engineer attended but found the spare wheel was below legal tread limits and refused to fit it. Mr L was unhappy with both the delay and the refusal to complete the repair. The ombudsman found that Fortegra was entitled to decline fitting the illegal spare wheel under the policy terms, but upheld the complaint in part due to excessive delay and poor communication. Fortegra was ordered to pay £40 towards the tyre replacement costs plus interest, and £175 compensation for distress and inconvenience.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that Fortegra was entitled to decline fitting the spare wheel as it was below legal tread limits and would have made the car unsafe or illegal to use. However, the ombudsman considered the service overall and found that while some overnight delay is expected, the wait was longer than Mr L had been led to expect and communication could have been better. The failure to adequately contact Mr L when the engineer was unable to assist and explain next steps caused unnecessary frustration and inconvenience, particularly given the time of night.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd, all decisions | 139 | 53% |
| Other regulated product, all decisions | 52,408 | 30% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website