Not upheld: claim repudiation based on alleged misrepresentation complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss B claimed on her comprehensive motor insurance policy after reporting her 2010 vehicle stolen on 7 July 2024. She recovered the car the same day with only minor damage. Admiral investigated and declined the claim in August 2025, alleging Miss B had deliberately misrepresented the circumstances, specifically regarding the spare key which she described variously as plural keys, one given to recovery company and one broken, then thrown away in February 2024. The ombudsman found Admiral's decision fair given Miss B's inconsistent statements, the absence of typical break-in damage, and the vehicle's age and condition making it an unlikely target for organised theft. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found it fair for Admiral to be concerned about Miss B's changing statements regarding the spare key (initially plural keys, then one given to recovery company and one broken, then thrown away in February 2024). Combined with the absence of typical break-in damage and the locksmith's assessment that the older vehicle was more likely an opportunist target, Admiral reasonably concluded Miss B had provided false or misleading information about how the theft occurred. Miss B's latest suggestion that the spare key was 'missing' and could have been used by a thief represented a further change in her account, which did not help her case.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website