Partially upheld: refund dispute and service handling complaints complaint against Apple Retail UK Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr A purchased a mobile phone with an insurance policy for £159 on 15 March 2025. When he exchanged the phone on 13 April 2025, a new insurance policy was set up at no cost. Mr A subsequently requested a refund but disputed whether he was entitled to refunds for one or both policies. Apple Retail correctly determined that Mr A only paid for one policy and offered a refund of £159 plus £100 compensation for poor service handling. The ombudsman upheld the complaint in part, directing Apple Retail to issue the £159 refund with 8% interest from 18 May 2025 and pay £350 compensation for delays, missed callbacks, and substandard call handling, but rejected Mr A's claim to a refund for the second unpaid policy.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr A only paid for one insurance policy and therefore is only entitled to a refund of that one policy. The explanation Apple Retail provided on 10 June 2025 was fair and reasonable, clarifying that Mr A was not entitled to a refund for the second policy he did not pay for. While Apple Retail did not handle all calls professionally and failed to make promised callbacks, the ombudsman considered the evidence available and determined that £350 compensation was fair and reasonable to account for the delays, missed callbacks, and poor call handling. The ombudsman rejected Mr A's claim that he was treated with abuse and gaslighting, finding that Apple Retail's advisors gave reasonable warnings before disconnecting calls.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website