Whole-of-Life Decision Reference 2022-0311

• Case Outcome: Partially upheld
• Reference: 2022-0311
• Date: 07 September 2022
• Year: 2022
• Subject Matter: Whole-of-Life
• Finantial Sector: Insurance
• Conducts Complained Of: Failure to process instructions,Delayed or inadequate communication

Decision Ref:

2022-0311

Sector:

Insurance

Product / Service:

Whole-of-Life

Conduct(s) complained of:

Failure to process instructions

Delayed or inadequate communication

Outcome:

Partially upheld

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

The Complainants are customers of the Provider, which offers a financial advice and

independent intermediary service. They hold a life insurance policy with a third-party insurer

(‘the Insurer’) that was incepted in 1984.

This complaint concerns the instructions suggested to have been given by the Complainants

to the Provider, to amend the terms of their insurance policy.

The Complainants submit that, in August 2019, the first Complainant contacted the Provider

to instruct it to seek a quote from the Insurer, with a view to reducing the Complainants’

premiums. The Provider wrote to the Insurer on 13 August 2019 stating that the first

Complainant was seeking to reduce the premium for his policy. The first Complainant was

copied into this email.

The Complainant contacted the Provider two weeks later, to query whether or not the

Insurer had responded to this email. The Complainants say that the Provider replied that

there had been no response and that the Insurer was working through a back-log. The

following month, on 10 September 2019, the Provider emailed the Complainant and stated:

“Hi [first Complainant], following on from our recent conversation please see

response below from [Insurer] – apologies for the delay in getting this to you.

Let me know if you are happy to proceed on this basis and we will finalise.”