Not upheld: Home insurance claim disputes complaint against Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr F claimed on his motor insurance policy with Admiral following a September 2025 motor incident. His chosen repairer assessed the vehicle as a total loss, but Admiral requested an independent assessment to determine if all damage was related to the accident. Mr F submitted two reports from his own garage, but Admiral found these did not clearly establish the cause of damage and insisted on arranging their own assessment. Mr F complained about Admiral's handling of the claim, and Admiral paid £350 compensation for service failures including inconsistent communication and delays. The ombudsman found Admiral's insistence on an independent assessment was reasonable given the policy terms and the limitations of Mr F's reports, and upheld the £350 compensation as fair, declining to direct Admiral to progress the claim without the assessment.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Admiral's policy entitled them to request physical inspection of the vehicle and that it was reasonable for them to require an independent assessment given that the reports Mr F arranged did not clearly establish the cause of damage or confirm all damage was accident-related. While Admiral's communication was sometimes inconsistent and delayed, and they caused unnecessary distress, the ombudsman was not persuaded that Admiral acted unreasonably in insisting on their own assessment. The delays in arranging the assessment were not Admiral's responsibility, being caused by scheduling conflicts and practical difficulties. The service failures identified did not warrant compensation beyond the £350 already paid.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website