Not upheld: poor claims handling and failure to provide promised assistance complaint against Aviva Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr G and Mrs L complained about poor assistance from Aviva when their young son became ill abroad and was deemed unfit to fly. Aviva promised to arrange extended accommodation and urgent assistance but failed to follow through, leaving the family uncertain about payment with 45 minutes until check-out, forcing them to take their scheduled flight. Aviva accepted its errors and offered compensation that increased from £200 to £750, which the ombudsman found fair and reasonable despite the complainants' view that it was insufficient. The ombudsman acknowledged the family's distress and vulnerability but found no evidence that the son's condition deteriorated from flying.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Aviva failed to provide adequate assistance by not agreeing a definitive payment plan, not providing necessary information to the accommodation provider, and not making the promised urgent callback. The ombudsman accepted that Mr G and family were put to unnecessary trouble and left in a distressing situation while situationally vulnerable. However, the ombudsman was not persuaded that the son's medical condition deteriorated as a result of flying, and considered £750 compensation to fairly reflect the impact of Aviva's errors including distress, inconvenience, and worry.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website