Not upheld: policy cancellation procedures, non-disclosure fee application, premium increase, data handling complaint against Right Choice Insurance Brokers Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Ms B complained about how Right Choice Insurance Brokers Ltd handled her motor insurance policy cancellation and the charges applied. She objected to a premium increase and £55 non-disclosure fee resulting from her undisclosed second occupation as a company director, the requirement to cancel by phone or online rather than email, and the unencrypted email containing a call recording. The ombudsman found that Right Choice correctly applied the insurer's charges based on Ms B's active directorship showing on a national register, reasonably required cancellation through specified channels, and had already made a goodwill refund for a deduction error. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Right Choice correctly applied the insurer's premium increase based on the active directorship showing on the national register, and was entitled to charge the £55 non-disclosure fee as Ms B had not disclosed her second occupation when taking out the policy. The ombudsman was satisfied that Right Choice provided fair means to cancel the policy through online or phone channels, and that the one-day delay was not Right Choice's responsibility. The ombudsman noted that Right Choice had already refunded the incorrectly deducted balance as a gesture of goodwill. Regarding the unencrypted email containing the call recording, the ombudsman found no adverse consequences and suggested Ms B raise any data privacy concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website