Not upheld: claim decline - missed departure complaint against Chubb European Group SE

Decision detail

Summary

Mr K claimed under his travel insurance policy after missing his outbound flight due to missing his train. He missed the train because departure boards at the station incorrectly showed it as delayed, when it actually departed early. Chubb declined the claim as the circumstances did not meet the policy's definition of covered reasons for missing a departure. The ombudsman upheld Chubb's decision, finding that the incorrect information display was not the same as public transport failing to arrive on time, and that the policy terms should not be interpreted to cover these circumstances.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman concluded that Mr K did not miss his departure for any of the stipulated insured reasons under the policy. The departure board error was not the same as public transport failing to arrive on time. The train did arrive and depart, but Mr K missed it due to incorrect information displayed. The ombudsman found no fair or reasonable basis to interpret the policy terms more broadly to cover these circumstances.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website