Travel Decision Reference 2026-0005

• Case Outcome: Partially upheld
• Year: 2026
• Reference: 2026-0005
• Date: 14 January 2026
• Subject Matter: Travel
• Finantial Sector: Insurance
• Conducts Complained Of: Claim handling delays or issues,Dissatisfaction with general customer service

Decision Ref:

2026-0005

Sector:

Insurance

Product / Service:

Travel

Conduct(s) complained of:

Claim handling delays or issues

Dissatisfaction with general customer service

Outcome:

Partially Upheld

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

Background

This complaint is about a travel insurance claim.

The Complainant’s Case

The Complainant held travel insurance incepted on 1 June 2020 (the “Policy”) with a

company who uses another company for complaints handling, both of which will be

referred to as the provider (the “Provider”) in this complaint. The Complainant submits

that the Provider has incorrectly rejected and mishandled her travel insurance claim

between October 2021 and January 2022. The Complainant outlines in her submissions

that on 22 October 2021, her hand luggage was stolen from the car she was travelling in.

The Complainant explains that she stopped at a petrol station in a European city airport

when the incident occurred. The Complainant explains as follows:

“[Her] husband attempted to prepay for petrol at a petrol pump at [city] airport.

The pay machine was posing a problem. [She] stepped out of the car. [She] was

beside [the] car and watched the area near the car.”

The Complainant adds as follows:

- 2 -

/Cont’d…

“[A]t no point did [she] sense there was anyone in near proximity to [their] car.

[They] were no more than 3-4 minutes in the area before the theft occurred. At no

point was [she] or [her] husband more than 6ft [six feet] from the car. Her

'Judgement was that the car was secure because of [their] proximity to it and also,

more importantly, ... that the precincts appeared devoid of other people ... How

[her] bag was taken whilst [she] remained beside it is still a mystery to [her ... ].”

The Complainant explains that her passport was among the items stolen and as a result

she could not board her flight home. The Complainant says she travelled to another city

alone where she engaged the assistance of the foreign embassy to return home. She also

notes on her claim form that she reported this incident to the local Police. The

Complainant outlines the experience has left her “very traumatised” and the “fact that

[her] identity is now in the hands of organised criminals is a terrifying feeling ....”

The Complainant submits that the “stress of having to part with [her] husband at

[European city] and get a bus to [a second European city], not sure whether [she] would be

allowed on the next flight [home] without a passport, all has taken a huge toll on [her]

physically and mentally.”

The Complainant submits that she telephoned the Provider to lodge a claim on 26 October

2021. She states that the Provider informed her that it would send her a Claim Form to

complete. On 28 October 2021, having reviewed the Claim Form, the Complainant says she

decided to use its “online facility for lodging the claim” but was denied access to the online

system. The Complainant explains that she then proceeded to use the “web chat forum” to

contact the Provider. She states that she “engaged in this Chat merely to obtain the

necessary code to allow [her] submit the claim online.” She contends that the tone of this

contact with the Provider's representative was “most unsympathetic” and she adds that

she felt “harassed” into giving details of the claim. During this web chat, the Complainant

states that she “repeatedly asked if this was the actual claims procedure” requesting clarity

on the claims process but such information was not provided.

On 29 October 2021 the Provider replied to the Complainant informing her that a

“thorough look into the detail” of the claim had taken place and that her claim was denied

stating that “the items were left unattended at the time of the loss” and it explains that

“unattended” means that “[the Complainant] couldn't see [her] property, and [she]

couldn't have stopped someone taking or interfering with it.” It outlines that the

Complainant was “standing beside the unlocked car when [her] handbag was removed

from the floor of the front passenger seat. This means that [her] handbag and its contents

are not covered by [her] insurance.” The Complainant says she was “perplexed as to how a

thorough review could happen” on the basis of the web chat which she describes as

"essentially a text submission" and had no real opportunity to provide sufficient detail on