Upheld: Service failures generally complaint against PRIMA SUBSIDIARY LTD
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6229724 of 2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00. Service failures generally complaint against PRIMA SUBSIDIARY LTD. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6229724 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-16T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | PRIMA SUBSIDIARY LTD |
| Product | Motor insurance |
| Claim type | Service failures generally |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | Prima must: (1) fairly and reasonably assist with all car damage issues, including reimbursing costs Mrs M incurred and rectifying remaining damage; (2) explain to Mrs M why it refused to renew her policy; (3) take liability for all parking charges and tickets resulting from the AMC's poor handling, paying them or reimbursing Mrs M with 8% simple interest per annum from date of payment; (4) pay £350 compensation for distress and inconvenience |
Summary
Mrs M made a motor insurance claim with Prima after her car was hit by a bus. Prima passed her to an accident management company without proper explanation, leaving Mrs M confused and unable to make an informed decision. The AMC's poor handling resulted in an unrepaired car and parking charges at Mrs M's residence. Prima failed to respond to the complaint or engage with the Financial Ombudsman Service. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding Prima's failure to communicate fairly caused all of Mrs M's difficulties, and ordered Prima to remedy the car damage, pay parking charges with interest, and provide £350 compensation.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
Prima had a duty to respond appropriately to Mrs M's request for assistance under her insurance policy. By unceremoniously passing her to an AMC without due care, explanation, or allowing informed consent, Prima failed this duty. Had Prima properly explained the situation and consequences, Mrs M would not have proceeded with the AMC referral and would have avoided all subsequent issues. Therefore, Prima must remedy all consequences flowing from this failure.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMA SUBSIDIARY LTD, all decisions | 1 | 100% |
| Service failures generally, all decisions | 34,193 | 32% |
| Motor insurance, all decisions | 24,103 | 35% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website