Not upheld: claim handling and service availability complaint against Assurant General Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr W claimed for accidental damage to his mobile phone under an Assurant insurance policy in September 2025. When his preferred walk-in repair location was unavailable, he complained that the policy was not fit for purpose and demanded a refund of all premiums plus the excess. Assurant offered only to refund the excess. The ombudsman found that Assurant's response complied with the policy terms, which did not guarantee walk-in repair availability, and that the excess refund was fair. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the policy terms only required the phone to be sent to Assurant, not that a walk-in service would be available. While acknowledging Mr W's frustration that his nearest centre was unavailable, the ombudsman found Assurant's explanation that certain repair centres were either not authorised or unable to carry out repairs to be reasonable. The ombudsman was satisfied Assurant did not mislead Mr W about the doorstep repair option, which was not available under this policy. The ombudsman considered the excess refund offer to be fair, as Mr W had received the benefit of insurance cover.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website