Not upheld: provision of unclear information / mis-selling complaint against Qmetric Group Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Ms L complained that Qmetric provided unclear information about legal expenses insurance included in her home insurance policy taken out in May 2021. When building work issues arose 18 months after policy expiry, Ms L believed she did not have legal expenses cover and pursued a claim against the builder herself, only later discovering she did have such cover that could have funded an expert report. The ombudsman found that the confirmation of purchase document clearly listed 'Home Legal Select' as included cover with no additional cost, and that Ms L had actually made three claims on this policy after taking it out, demonstrating initial awareness. The complaint was not upheld as the ombudsman concluded Ms L's later belief that cover was absent resulted from her own misinterpretation during a stressful period, not from any error by Qmetric.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the confirmation of purchase document clearly listed 'Home Legal Select' under 'What you've bought', making it evident that legal expenses cover was included. The £0.00 cost reference indicated no additional charge, not that the cover was absent. Ms L's own prior use of the legal expenses policy on three occasions demonstrated she was initially aware of the cover. The ombudsman concluded that Ms L's later belief that cover was not included resulted from her own misinterpretation, not from any misleading information by Qmetric. The fact that Qmetric subsequently amended its wording does not indicate a prior failing, as policy information is routinely subject to change.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website