Not upheld: claims handling and unfair claims decline complaint against AXA Insurance UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Miss G complained about AXA's handling of two home insurance claims: one for a laptop that suddenly stopped working (October 2022) and one for an oven damaged after being left on overnight (February 2023). AXA declined both claims in March 2024, stating there was no evidence of damage caused by an insured peril, and paid £50 compensation for poor service and delays. The ombudsman found AXA acted fairly in declining the claims, as Miss G could not identify an external cause for the laptop failure and an Engineer's inspection concluded the oven damage was caused by wear and tear, neither of which are insured perils under the perils-based policy. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the perils-based policy terms, which require the policyholder to show damage was caused by an insured peril. For the laptop, Miss G could not identify an external cause of the damage, only that it suddenly stopped working, which is not an insured event. For the oven, the Engineer's professional inspection report concluded the damage was caused by wear and tear, not the claimed overnight heating incident, and this expert evidence was found to be persuasive. AXA acted fairly in relying on these findings to decline both claims. The ombudsman found no evidence that AXA failed to make reasonable adjustments, as AXA had allowed extra time and provided hard copies when requested.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website