Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Domestic & General Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr A claimed under his specified item insurance policy after his third generation tablet stopped working. D&G accepted the claim and provided a replacement fourth generation tablet device after repair failed, but Mr A objected that it was a generational upgrade rather than a like-for-like replacement and requested a voucher option instead. The ombudsman found the policy terms gave D&G discretion to provide a replacement of similar specification, and that the newer model, despite having enhancements, remained of similar specification. The ombudsman upheld D&G's position and only required payment of the £10 goodwill gesture already offered for the missing charging cable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the policy terms clearly gave D&G discretion to provide a replacement of similar make and specification. While the replacement tablet was a newer model with enhancements (camera, Wi-Fi, screen, processor), these improvements do not make it dissimilar in specification - it remains the same brand and product line. The ombudsman agreed the letter's heading was confusing but found the content clearly stated a replacement was provided. The £10 offer for the missing charging cable was reasonable as the policy does not cover accessories.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website