Upheld: Motor insurance, claim handling complaint against National House-Building Council (NHBC)

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs B complained about repairs carried out by NHBC under her new home warranty, alleging damage to appliances, flooring, tiles, carpet, and patio slabs during the repair process. NHBC disputed responsibility for most damage but offered partial compensation totalling £809 for appliances and £300 for carpet cleaning, plus £800 for claim handling distress. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding NHBC's offers fair given inconclusive evidence, and requiring NHBC to arrange professional assessments for disputed items, pay the offered amounts, and send the gas certificate. The ombudsman acknowledged Mrs B's distressing experience and found NHBC's pragmatic approach and compensation appropriate.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while evidence of NHBC's responsibility for appliance damage was inconclusive, NHBC's offers of £379, £200, and £230 for the fridge freezer, washing machine, and dishwasher respectively were fair and reasonable given the uncertainty. For the laminate flooring, rather than compelling further work based on a limited report, the ombudsman agreed that arranging a professional flooring assessment was a fair approach. The carpet cleaning offer of £300 was considered reasonable given the unclear cause of deterioration. The ombudsman acknowledged that Mrs B had experienced a distressing and inconvenient time and was satisfied NHBC had recognised this through appropriate compensation and pragmatic approaches to concerns.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website