Veste

Not upheld: poor claims handling and inadequate customer support in medical emergency complaint against AWP P&C S.A.

Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6417589 of 2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00. poor claims handling and inadequate customer support in medical emergency complaint against AWP P&C S.A.. Outcome: Not upheld.

Decision detail

ReferenceDRN-6417589
Decision date2026-06-10T00:00:00+00:00
FirmAWP P&C S.A.
ProductTravel insurance
Claim typepoor claims handling and inadequate customer support in medical emergency
OutcomeNot upheld
RemedyAWP P&C S.A. should pay £500 total to Mrs H, Mr H, Mrs S and Mr S if not already paid

Summary

Mr H complained about AWP's poor service when claiming on his travel insurance after being diagnosed with a detached retina whilst on holiday. He received minimal support from AWP and had to arrange his own return to the UK for treatment. AWP offered £500 compensation, which Mr H rejected as insufficient, seeking £750-£1500. The ombudsman upheld the £500 offer, finding that while AWP's delay was inappropriate for a time-sensitive situation, there was no medical evidence the delay harmed his treatment or recovery, and return to the UK would have been necessary regardless of AWP's response.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

While AWP's delay was avoidable and inappropriate for a time-sensitive medical situation, there was no compelling medical evidence that the delay caused detrimental impact on treatment or recovery. The ombudsman noted that treatment on the island was impossible and return to the UK would have been necessary regardless. The £500 compensation fairly reflected the distress, upset, worry and inconvenience caused by AWP's failures, without speculating on what might have happened with better support.

How this compares

GroupDecisionsUphold rate
AWP P&C S.A., all decisions23530%
Travel insurance, all decisions7,56037%

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website