Not upheld: claim declined due to product misclassification complaint against Domestic & General Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr A purchased a Philips Hue Play Smart HDMI Sync Box 8K in July 2025 and was sold an accidental damage policy by the retailer, which incorrectly recorded the item as a digital set top box. D&G issued policy documents reflecting this incorrect description, which Mr A did not query. When Mr A claimed for accidental damage in September 2025, D&G declined the claim and cancelled the policy because they do not cover Sync Boxes and have no repair capability for this product type. The ombudsman found D&G acted fairly as the policy documents clearly showed the wrong product type, Mr A had responsibility to verify the coverage, and D&G were not obligated to provide repair or replacement for a product they do not cover. D&G refunded the premium and attempted to source a repair, going beyond their obligations.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the policy documents clearly listed the product as a digital set top box, which is fundamentally different from the Sync Box Mr A purchased. While the retailer made the error in recording the product type, D&G were not responsible for the sale and could not be held accountable for the retailer's mistake. Mr A had responsibility to verify the policy documents matched his product and raise queries if they did not. D&G do not cover Sync Boxes and have no repair capability for this product type, so they were not obligated to provide repair or replacement. D&G went beyond their obligations by attempting to source a repair and refunding the premium.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website