Upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Domestic & General Insurance Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mrs F held a Sky Protect insurance policy with D&G covering her Sky equipment and television. In mid-September 2024, engineer support was withdrawn from the product, but Mrs F was not directly notified. She only discovered the withdrawal in September 2025 when attempting to claim and immediately cancelled her policy. D&G refused a refund, claiming notifications were sent by Sky but unable to provide evidence. The ombudsman upheld the complaint, finding that D&G failed to demonstrate notification was sent and that the engineer support was the key benefit Mrs F valued, as evidenced by her cancellation upon learning of its withdrawal. D&G was ordered to refund premiums from September 2024 with 8% simple interest.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman concluded that the engineer support was the key benefit Mrs F valued, as evidenced by her immediate cancellation upon learning it was withdrawn. Although the policy provided other benefits, D&G failed to demonstrate that Mrs F received notification of the withdrawal. Under FCA rules requiring fair treatment of retail customers, it was fair and reasonable to refund premiums from the end of the monthly period after September 2024 until cancellation, as this accords with cancellation rights under the policy.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website