Upheld: poor service, failure to complete repairs, misrepresentation by contractor, unreasonable remedial options, failure to investigate boiler damage complaint against INTACT INSURANCE UK LIMITED
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6355325 of 2026-05-13T00:00:00+00:00. poor service, failure to complete repairs, misrepresentation by contractor, unreasonable remedial options, failure to investigate boiler damage complaint against INTACT INSURANCE UK LIMITED. Outcome: Upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6355325 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-05-13T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | INTACT INSURANCE UK LIMITED |
| Product | insurance |
| Claim type | poor service, failure to complete repairs, misrepresentation by contractor, unreasonable remedial options, failure to investigate boiler damage |
| Outcome | Upheld |
| Remedy | Intact required to pay: (1) £3,907.98 plus VAT for boiler replacement including power flush plus interest from estimate date; (2) £6,312.35 plus VAT for bathroom works excluding toilet plus interest from estimate date; (3) £420 for toilet removal and replacement with reimbursement for any additional costs with VAT; (4) £3,281.34 for other snagging works and bathroom door rehanging with reimbursement for any additional costs with VAT; (5) £2,500 disturbance allowance for period end June 2025 to 21 April 2026; (6) £10 per day from 22 April 2026 for 28 days after settlement payment; (7) £1,150 additional compensation (total £2,000 with £850 already paid). Interest at 8% simple per year applied as specified. |
Summary
Mrs M complained about Intact's handling of repairs following water damage to her home. Repairs commenced March 2025 but were repeatedly delayed and completed poorly, with the shower left non-functional and multiple defects remaining. Intact's contractor lied about work completion, refused to properly remediate defects, and the boiler failed during the extended repair period despite being functional beforehand. Intact offered only the choice of accepting its contractor back or a low cash settlement of £5,085.57. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding Intact acted unreasonably and wrongly rejected boiler liability. The ombudsman required Intact to pay approximately £17,571.67 plus VAT and interest covering boiler replacement, bathroom works, snagging repairs, disturbance allowances for the prolonged period without shower facilities, and compensation for substantial upset and disruption lasting over a year.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found Intact failed to ensure proper completion of repairs and acted unreasonably by insisting its contractor return to complete work despite clear evidence of poor workmanship and the contractor's unwillingness to properly remediate. The ombudsman rejected Intact's reliance solely on its contractor's word regarding the boiler, noting the boiler was functioning before repairs and failed during the extended repair period. The ombudsman determined that had Intact completed good work in a timely manner, the boiler would likely not have failed. The ombudsman rejected Intact's cash settlement figure as too low and based it instead on Mrs M's verified estimate. The ombudsman awarded substantial disturbance allowances for the prolonged period without shower facilities and compensation for the substantial upset and disruption caused over more than a year.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| INTACT INSURANCE UK LIMITED, all decisions | 201 | 38% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website