Partially upheld: claim settlement decision, poor communication, failure to manage expectations, policy non-renewal complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6249207 of 2026-05-26T00:00:00+00:00. claim settlement decision, poor communication, failure to manage expectations, policy non-renewal complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6249207 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-26T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Ageas Insurance Limited |
| Product | motor insurance |
| Claim type | claim settlement decision, poor communication, failure to manage expectations, policy non-renewal |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | Ageas Insurance Limited to pay Mr R1 £75 further compensation (£150 in total) for distress and inconvenience caused by poor communication and failure to manage expectations regarding the promised claim review. This amount was already offered by Ageas. |
Summary
Mr R1 complained about Ageas' settlement of a motor insurance claim, its recording of a mistaken identity claim, and its decision to decline policy renewal. Ageas had told Mr R2 (named driver) it would review the claim but failed to do so, and Mr R2 only learned of the fault recording nine months later. The Ombudsman found Ageas reasonably investigated and settled the claim based on available evidence and was entitled to decline renewal based on consistent underwriting criteria. However, the failure to conduct the promised review and poor communication warranted compensation of £150 total for distress and inconvenience.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The Ombudsman found that Ageas was entitled under policy terms to settle claims as it saw fit. Ageas reasonably investigated the claim by considering available evidence (drivers' accounts, location, damage) and concluded it could not defend the claim in court, so accepted liability fairly. The late witness statement with discrepancies did not change this conclusion. However, Ageas made an error by telling Mr R2 it would review the claim but failing to do so, causing loss of expectation. The mistaken identity claim was properly recorded and investigated as required. The renewal decline was applied consistently to all customers in similar positions based on commercially sensitive underwriting criteria.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Ageas Insurance Limited, all decisions | 3,003 | 40% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website