Not upheld: service failure, appointment cancellation, damage liability, data handling complaint against Sabre Insurance Company Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr J complained to Sabre Insurance about a windscreen repair service where his home visit appointment was cancelled and he was offered a depot appointment instead. During the repair, damage to the car's pillar occurred, which Sabre accepted liability for and offered to either repair or pay £120 in lieu. Mr J also received a letter addressed to someone else, raising data concerns. The Ombudsman found Sabre acted fairly by providing swift alternative arrangements for the windscreen repair, made a reasonable offer regarding the pillar damage, and that the misdirected letter, while a failure, did not compromise Mr J's data. The complaint was not upheld and no compensation was awarded.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The Ombudsman found that Sabre acted fairly by making swift alternative arrangements when the home visit could not be kept, as Mr J had agreed to the appointment knowing it was potentially subject to change. The £120 offer for the pillar damage was reasonable given it appeared to be minor damage and was offered before costs were explored. Regarding the misdirected letter, while it represented a failure by Sabre, it did not demonstrate that Mr J's own data was compromised, and the minor inconvenience caused did not warrant compensation.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website