Not upheld: claims handling and repair quality complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr D complained about how Ageas handled repairs to his vehicle following an attempted theft claim made in September 2023. Mr D chose his own repairer due to warranty concerns, but was unhappy with the quality of repairs and the delays caused by parts being on back order. Ageas subsequently arranged for rectification repairs at its own repairer, paid for an MOT, waived the £500 excess, and paid £300 compensation. The ombudsman found that Ageas was not responsible for the initial repair issues since Mr D had selected the repairer, and that Ageas's remedial actions were reasonable and proportionate. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr D, not Ageas, selected the initial repairer, therefore Ageas was not responsible for the delays or quality issues with those repairs. The ombudsman considered Ageas's subsequent actions (arranging rectification repairs, paying for MOT, waiving excess, and paying compensation) to be reasonable steps that went beyond its obligations. While acknowledging Ageas could have communicated more effectively at times, the ombudsman concluded the total compensation awarded was more than reasonable for the distress and inconvenience caused.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website