Not upheld: Complaints handling failures complaint against Domestic & General Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Miss R claimed under her domestic appliance warranty after her oven's inner glass panel shattered on 15 December 2025. D&G's engineer agreed to repair a blocked gas burner but the replacement glass panel arrived late (27 December 2025) and was allegedly the wrong size. D&G mistakenly sent a fridge instead of a replacement oven. Miss R sought £2,000 compensation for distress and £3,000 for hall hire and catering costs incurred due to being unable to cook on Christmas Day. The ombudsman found D&G's mistakes did not materially extend the resolution timeline and that the £294.50 already paid was fair compensation, rejecting the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged D&G made mistakes but found that even with perfect handling, the oven could not have been repaired before Christmas due to the timing of the glass panel delivery (27 December 2025). The ombudsman was not satisfied D&G was responsible for catering costs as it was inevitable the oven would not be functional by Christmas regardless. The ombudsman found the £294.50 compensation already paid was fair for the frustration caused, as the mistakes did not materially extend the resolution timeline.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website