Not upheld: Other regulated complaint complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M complained that American Express failed in its duties when the insurers declined his travel insurance claim under a war exclusion. American Express provides travel insurance as part of its account offering but acts only as an intermediary, with the policy underwritten by separate insurers. The ombudsman found that American Express is not responsible for underwriting or claims decisions made by the insurers and that war exclusions are common in travel insurance policies. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

American Express acts as an intermediary in arranging insurance and is not responsible for underwriting decisions or claims decisions made by the insurers. The war exclusion is a common term in travel insurance policies and American Express should not be expected to raise concerns about general exclusions. The ombudsman found no evidence that American Express failed in its responsibilities or should have acted differently.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website