Not upheld: policy cancellation for non-payment complaint against Casualty & General Insurance Company (Europe) Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Miss V complained that Casualty & General unfairly cancelled her pet insurance policy. The policy started in November 2025 with monthly payments, but after Miss V requested a breed amendment, the premium was adjusted multiple times, causing confusion about what was owed. After refunding the November premium at Miss V's request, the policy fell into arrears. Casualty & General provided multiple notices explaining the situation and warning of cancellation, but Miss V did not agree to a repayment date. The policy was cancelled on 6 January 2026 for non-payment. The ombudsman found the cancellation was fair as the firm had provided adequate notice, explanation, and opportunity to pay in accordance with the policy terms.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while there was initial confusion about the premium changes and payment cancellation, Casualty & General adequately explained the situation, confirmed the November premium was owed, and warned of cancellation consequences. The policy terms permitted cancellation for non-payment after four weeks' notice. Miss V was given multiple opportunities to bring the account up to date but chose not to agree to a repayment date. The firm allowed additional time over Christmas before cancelling on 6 January 2026. The cooling off period did not apply as Miss V did not invoke it within 14 days of the policy start.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website