Not upheld: Account administration errors complaint against Devitt Insurance Services Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr W complained that Devitt renewed his motor insurance policy without authorisation, taking monthly payments from March 2022 to October 2025 when he claimed he only authorised one year of cover. Devitt argued that the policy documentation clearly showed automatic renewal terms, annual renewal notices were sent by post and email, and Mr W engaged with them in a 2024 phone call about the policy. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding that Devitt provided clear notification of automatic renewal at inception and throughout the policy term, and that Mr W's failure to receive postal notices was due to his unnotified house move. The ombudsman considered the 50% refund already accepted by Devitt to be fair and reasonable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Devitt provided clear notification of automatic renewal at policy inception through welcome documentation and terms and conditions. Annual renewal documents were sent each year giving Mr W the opportunity to cancel. The February 2024 phone call demonstrated Mr W was aware the policy remained active. Although Mr W had moved house and did not receive postal renewal notices, Devitt was not aware of this address change as Mr W had not informed them. The ombudsman was satisfied that Devitt acted fairly and that the 50% refund already accepted represented a fair outcome.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website