Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

X complained about Admiral Insurance's handling of a contents claim following a fire at her MOD-owned property in April 2025. The claim was complicated by MOD ownership, asbestos contamination, access restrictions, and the need to enumerate fire-damaged contents. Admiral acknowledged failures in communication and made some avoidable delays, paying £1,100 in compensation across three separate complaint responses. X sought additional compensation and full settlement to policy limits, but the ombudsman found that while Admiral's service fell below expected standards, the compensation paid was fair and reasonable given the claim's inherent complexity and the distress caused by Admiral's errors rather than the fire itself.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman acknowledged that while Admiral failed to handle the claim to expected standards, particularly regarding communication and some avoidable delays, the claim was inherently complex due to MOD ownership, asbestos contamination, and the need to enumerate fire-damaged contents. The ombudsman found that the avoidable delays were a matter of weeks rather than months given the eight-month period under consideration, and that Admiral's primary failing was inadequate communication rather than chronic delays. The ombudsman concluded that Admiral's compensation of £1,100 fairly and reasonably compensated X for the distress and inconvenience caused by Admiral's errors, and that Admiral had put things right before the complaint was referred to the FOS.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website