Not upheld: poor service in handling home emergency claim, failed appointment, delay in attendance, poor communication and complaint handling complaint against Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited (LV)

Decision detail

Summary

Ms M complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service about Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited's handling of a home emergency claim following a water leak in August 2025. LV failed to attend on the promised date and only sent a plumber seven days later, causing Ms M distress and impacting her holiday. LV apologised and paid £400 compensation, but Ms M believed this was insufficient and that LV's delay caused additional damage to her property. The ombudsman found that while LV treated Ms M unfairly, there was insufficient evidence that the delay caused additional damage beyond what would have required a home insurance claim regardless, and that the £400 compensation was fair and reasonable in the circumstances.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged that LV treated Ms M unfairly, including in how it handled her complaint and the delay in attending to the leak. However, the ombudsman found insufficient evidence that LV's delay caused additional damage to the floorboards beyond what would have required a home insurance claim anyway. The ombudsman considered that Ms M's holiday would have been impacted regardless, though the delay exacerbated this. Taking into account the considerable distress, upset, inconvenience and disruption caused to Ms M, the ombudsman determined that the £400 compensation already paid was within the range of what would be fair and reasonable.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website