Upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Assurant General Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S complained about Assurant's handling of his mobile phone insurance claim after his phone required two repairs in quick succession. The phone was repaired and returned on 8 October 2025, but developed a fault again on 10 October and required a second repair, being returned on 18 October. Assurant also contacted Mr S by phone despite his request for email-only communication. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding that the need for a second repair in such a short timeframe caused unreasonable inconvenience. While the repair turnaround times were reasonable and within policy terms, the initial £75 compensation was insufficient. The ombudsman ordered Assurant to pay £150 compensation, which Assurant accepted.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman upheld the complaint because the requirement to send the phone for a second repair in such a short timeframe (two days after first repair) caused additional inconvenience and frustration to Mr S, even though the repair turnaround times themselves were reasonable. The initial £75 compensation was insufficient given the extent of inconvenience. The ombudsman found £150 to be more reasonable in line with FOS published compensation guidance. The ombudsman could not consider the SAR request (ICO matter), loss of use consequences (not raised with Assurant first), or subsequent events (phone eventually replaced).

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website