Not upheld: claim handling and customer service delays complaint against The National Farmers' Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (NFU)

Decision detail

Summary

W, a partnership, complained about NFU's handling of a commercial insurance claim for assets allegedly stolen in December 2019, which was reported in October 2022. The claim became mired in disputes over claim handling, with Mr A raising multiple complaints and losing confidence in NFU. NFU attempted to resolve the impasse by instructing an independent solicitor's firm (D) to consider the claim, but Mr A set conditions on the arrangement that NFU did not formally respond to, and later refused to engage with D. The ombudsman found that while NFU provided poor customer service and caused delays, it was reasonable in its overall approach and faced genuine challenges in progressing the claim due to Mr A's conditions and focus on complaint handling rather than claim progression. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while NFU provided poor customer service by not responding to Mr A's conditions and caused delays between February and June 2024, NFU was reasonable in its overall approach. NFU made a significant concession by instructing an independent third party (D) to consider the claim, which was unusual and fair. The ombudsman found it would have been reasonable for Mr A to engage with D despite his concerns, as these could likely have been overcome. NFU faced genuine challenges in progressing the claim due to Mr A's conditions, reluctance to provide information, and focus on complaint handling rather than claim progression. The decision to share contact details with D was fair and reasonable to progress the claim. NFU's eventual decision to handle the claim in-house was fair given Mr A's stated unwillingness to engage with D or the claim further.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website