Partially upheld: claim handling delays and poor communication complaint against Ageas Insurance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs A reported subsidence damage to her property in July 2024 while insured by N. N declined the claim, stating the damage predated their policy, and directed Mrs A to Ageas, her previous insurer from 2017/18. Ageas appointed loss adjusters but handled the claim slowly, requiring Mrs A to repeatedly request updates from March to October 2025 before confirming their position. Although the ombudsman found Ageas was not unreasonable in deferring to N based on the ABI Domestic Subsidence Agreement and the date of notification, the complaint was partially upheld due to Ageas's service failings, unnecessary delays, and poor communication. The ombudsman increased compensation from £500 to £850 to reflect the prolonged distress and inconvenience caused.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Ageas was not unreasonable in concluding that N should handle the claim, as the damage was first reported while N's policy was in force and the surveyor's report did not establish when the actual subsidence movement occurred. However, the ombudsman found that Ageas caused unnecessary delays and service failings by not dealing with matters promptly, requiring Mrs A to repeatedly chase for updates over several months. The ombudsman considered that the £500 already paid did not fully reflect the distress, inconvenience, and uncertainty caused by the prolonged delays and poor communication.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website