Not upheld: misleading offer presentation and policy non-renewal complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr and Mrs L complained to Admiral Insurance about a misleading offer to combine their home and motor insurance policies, unfair complaint handling, and refusal to renew their home insurance. Mr L believed the offer was presented as cheaper but would actually cost more, and that the non-renewal was retaliatory. The ombudsman found that Admiral acted fairly because Mr L suffered no financial loss from the offer (which he was free to reject), and the non-renewal decision was based on consistent underwriting criteria applied to all customers. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that even if the offer presentation was not ideal, Mr L suffered no financial loss as he did not accept it and was aware the offer was optional. The non-renewal of the home insurance policy was based on Admiral's standard underwriting criteria applied consistently to all customers, not as retaliation for the complaint. The ombudsman noted that complaint handling and broader regulatory practices fall outside the FOS's jurisdiction.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website