Upheld: Account administration errors complaint against BISL Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6297848 of 2026-07-07T00:00:00+00:00. Account administration errors complaint against BISL Limited. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6297848 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-07-07T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | BISL Limited |
| Product | Motor insurance |
| Claim type | Account administration errors |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | BISL Limited directed to pay Miss S £75 compensation in recognition of distress and inconvenience caused, and £3.58 in interest. Compensation to be sent via BACS payment or cheque at Miss S's election. |
Summary
Miss S complained about BISL Limited's administration of her car insurance policy, specifically regarding how BISL handled her refund request. Miss S had paid via credit card but requested the refund be sent to a different payment method; however, BISL refunded to the original credit card instead. BISL acknowledged service failings and offered £75 compensation plus £3.58 interest, but Miss S remained dissatisfied and escalated to the FOS. The Ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding BISL's refund decision reasonable but its communication unclear, and directed BISL to pay the compensation it had already offered.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The Ombudsman determined that while BISL's decision to refund to the original payment method was reasonable and compliant with security and compliance requirements, BISL's communication surrounding the refund and further payment was unclear and caused distress and inconvenience. The Ombudsman found BISL treated Miss S fairly regarding her vulnerability status, as BISL gave her the opportunity to discuss additional needs. The £75 compensation offered by BISL was found to be fair and proportionate for the communication errors and inconvenience caused.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| BISL Limited, all decisions | 330 | 24% |
| Account administration errors, all decisions | 26,574 | 25% |
| Motor insurance, all decisions | 24,148 | 35% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website