Not upheld: claims handling and service failure complaint against Aviva Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr P complained about Aviva's handling of his home emergency insurance claim for a suspected water leak while he was abroad. He objected to paying a £30 excess, the requirement for an adult to be present during engineer visits, and Aviva's failure to provide copies of the engineer and plumber reports. Aviva upheld only the complaint about the missing reports and apologised. The ombudsman found that Aviva clearly communicated the excess and adult presence requirements early in the claim process, both of which were consistent with policy terms and standard practice. While Aviva's failure to provide reports was a service shortfall, the ombudsman determined the apology was sufficient remedy and did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Aviva clearly communicated the £30 excess requirement and adult presence requirement at the earliest opportunity in the chat transcript (within 7-14 minutes of claim initiation), consistent with policy terms. The requirement for an adult to be present is standard practice and reasonable. While Aviva failed to provide requested reports (which it apologised for), this shortfall did not warrant compensation beyond the apology already provided. The two visits were necessary due to the inability to identify the leak source, not due to Aviva error. The agent provided helpful and clear information, including guidance on delegation to enable Mr P to progress the claim while abroad.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website