Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Wakam

Decision detail

Summary

Mr P claimed for vandalism damage to his vehicle under his Wakam motor insurance policy in September 2025. Wakam initially assessed the vehicle as beyond economical repair but later agreed it was repairable. However, Wakam's engineer concluded that not all damage, particularly to the rear bumper, was caused by vandalism based on physical characteristics inconsistent with vandalism. Wakam offered to repair the damage as two separate claims with two excesses and arranged an independent inspection at its own cost. The ombudsman found Wakam's reliance on its engineer's expert opinion was reasonable and that the £150 compensation paid for delays in communication was appropriate, therefore not upholding Mr P's complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found Wakam's reliance on its trained engineer's expert opinion regarding the cause of damage was reasonable and persuasive. The engineer's assessment that rear bumper damage showed signs of directional paint transfer consistent with contact from another vehicle rather than vandalism was appropriately reasoned. Arranging an independent inspection at Wakam's cost was a fair way to resolve the genuine dispute. While Wakam caused some delays, including sending inspection requests to the wrong inbox, the £150 compensation was proportionate to the distress and inconvenience caused during the period covered by this decision.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website