Not upheld: unfair refusal to renew insurance policy and recording of insurance refusal complaint against Aviva Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr S complained that Aviva unfairly refused to renew his car insurance policy and recorded a formal refusal of insurance after he withdrew a claim for ECU theft in April 2025 and stated he would repair the car himself. When Mr S sought renewal in August 2025, Aviva requested evidence of the repair, which Mr S could not provide as the work was done by an independent mobile mechanic without an invoice. The ombudsman found Aviva was entitled to request this information to assess the condition of the vehicle and that Mr S was given adequate opportunities to provide evidence. The refusal to renew was therefore fair and reasonable, and no action was directed.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Aviva was entitled to request evidence of car repair before offering insurance cover, as it needed to know the current condition of the vehicle being insured. Mr S was given multiple opportunities to provide this evidence but was unable to do so. The ombudsman determined that Aviva's refusal to renew and recording of the refusal was a fair and reasonable commercial decision, as Aviva treated Mr S fairly in the circumstances and was not obligated to request repair documentation at the time of claim withdrawal.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website