Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Aviva Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr T claimed on his travel insurance policy for a non-refundable music festival ticket after suffering a migraine while abroad in August 2025. Aviva settled his medical expenses but declined the ticket claim, arguing it was not covered under the policy terms. Mr T believed the claim should be covered under Section A (Cancelling or coming home early) as he had become ill. The ombudsman found that Section A only applies when an insured person cancels their entire trip or returns home early, neither of which occurred in this case. The ombudsman also examined Section B (Emergency medical expenses) but found the ticket could only be covered if Mr T had been treated as an inpatient for more than 24 hours, which he was not. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman examined whether the claim fell within the agreed areas of cover under the policy. Section A only applies when an insured person cancels their entire trip or comes home early due to illness. Mr T neither cancelled his trip nor returned early, so Section A did not apply. Section B could cover pre-paid excursions but only if the insured person was treated as an inpatient for more than 24 hours, which was not the case. The policy terms were clear, fair and not misleading in their scope of cover.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website