FOS decisions / Gadget Insurance
Gadget Insurance
Financial Ombudsman Service final decisions, reproduced verbatim from the FOS published decisions register.
Decisions
52
Upheld
29
Not upheld
23
Avg redress
£161
Upheld complaints (29)
Domestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6256323An insurer is responsible for completing repairs under policy cover, but when damage claims lack sufficient evidence and contradict the insured's own signed confirmation, the insurer may fairly decline to compensate for that damage.
UpheldRedress £100Apr 2026HDI Global Specialty SE
DRN-6241549An insurer must not unreasonably decline a claim by demanding information that is not essential to validate it, particularly when corroborating evidence already supports the claim.
UpheldMar 2026Domestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6242448An insurer must fully compensate a consumer for damage caused by its engineer during a repair, including materials, labour, and compensation for distress caused.
UpheldRedress £423Mar 2026Inter Partner Assistance SA
DRN-5633377An insurer must handle claims fairly and not reject them unreasonably, and policy terms requiring a 'gift receipt' for gifted items must be interpreted in light of alternative evidence of ownership provisions.
UpheldJun 2025Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited
DRN-5255688An insurer cannot decline a claim for all items claimed when some items meet policy conditions; each item must be assessed separately against the relevant policy terms.
UpheldRedress £150Mar 2025Assurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5485952An insurer must provide a replacement device in full working order that meets the policy terms for equivalent specification, and must evidence this through proper quality checks.
UpheldRedress £250Jan 2025Aviva Insurance Limited
DRN-6111619A claims condition requiring specific data protection steps must be applied fairly and reasonably in light of the consumer's emergency circumstances and the substantive cover provided.
UpheldJan 2024Domestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-5386595An insurer remains liable for losses occurring during a claim when a third party is acting as its agent, even if the consumer's packaging doesn't meet the third party's guidelines if it meets the insurer's own policy standards.
UpheldRedress £100Domestic and General Insurance Plc
DRN-5358934A replacement device under an insurance policy must be of the same or similar technical specification as the original device, and a significant downgrade in a key specification cannot be justified by upgrades in other areas.
UpheldAstrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-5473834A replacement gadget under an insurance policy must be provided with equivalent functionality to the original device, with defects covered under the 12-month replacement warranty rather than the 3-month repair warranty.
UpheldRedress £100Domestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-5475341Insurance policy terms cannot impose conditions precedent (such as proof of purchase requirements) outside the formal policy document, and insurers must provide appropriate support for vulnerable consumers.
UpheldRedress £200Bastion Insurance Company Limited
DRN-5625149An insurer must handle claims fairly and ensure products provide fair value to customers, even when contractual terms are technically complied with.
UpheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5587060An insurer must not unreasonably reject a claim, and must handle claims fairly and promptly, particularly where language barriers or communication ambiguity may have led to apparent inconsistencies in the consumer's account.
UpheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-5804202An insurer must clearly communicate the specific policy terms and grounds relied upon when cancelling a policy, and cannot rely on vague allegations of fraud or false information without substantiating them against actual breaches.
UpheldAstrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-5877066An insurer cannot impose policy requirements not stated in the policy terms, and must fairly assess claims based on available evidence when the policyholder has taken reasonable steps to comply.
UpheldRedress £300Financial & Legal Insurance Company Ltd
DRN-6261005An insurer must not unreasonably reject a claim and bears the burden of proving a policy exclusion applies if the policyholder has established a valid claim.
UpheldAviva Insurance Limited
DRN-5921835An insurer must provide reasonable evidence of delivery of a replacement item when the consumer disputes receipt, and the burden is on the insurer to substantiate its position when evidence is contested.
UpheldRedress £95Domestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6007966Insurers must provide clear information about policy cover at the right time and in a way consumers can understand, so they can make informed financial decisions.
UpheldRedress £150Astrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-6235208Significant restrictions on insurance cover must be clearly highlighted in the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) to fairly bind a consumer to the exclusion.
UpheldGreat Lakes Insurance UK Limited
DRN-5899637An insurer should not unreasonably reject a claim where the policyholder has taken all reasonable steps to secure their property, even if a specific policy exclusion technically applies.
UpheldMotors Insurance Company Limited
DRN-6248241A policy automatically terminates upon change of vehicle ownership regardless of whether the policyholder notifies the insurer, and a pro-rata refund is due upon such termination.
UpheldGreat Lakes Insurance SE
DRN-5972003An insurer must make a final decision on a claim rather than indefinitely request additional evidence when the policyholder has provided all available information.
UpheldAmTrust Specialty Limited
DRN-5942570An insurer cannot reasonably decline a claim based on a policyholder's failure to obtain a police report when the policyholder reported the crime but the police chose not to take action, particularly when other evidence corroborates the cla
UpheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6079033A seller must provide clear information about policy coverage based on information provided by the consumer, and cannot rely solely on registered address to demonstrate the consumer understood coverage limitations.
UpheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5855278An insurer must prove recklessness (recognising a risk and not caring about it) to deny a claim for failure to take reasonable care, not merely that hindsight shows a better choice existed.
UpheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6125331An insurer must provide adequate consumer support to vulnerable customers when their insured item is lost due to third-party courier negligence, particularly when the insurer's business arrangements with the courier prevent the consumer fro
UpheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-5833658An insurer must settle gadget insurance claims based on the current retail price of an equivalent replacement product from the specified retailer, not the original purchase price.
UpheldRedress £110Assurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5824433A consumer must make a clear and unambiguous request to cancel a policy; an ambiguous request asking about refunds or switching cover does not constitute a cancellation instruction.
UpheldRedress £43Assurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-6105691An insurer must apply policy ownership requirements fairly and reasonably, considering all available evidence rather than relying solely on purchase documentation.
UpheldRedress £75
Not-upheld complaints (23)
Assurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-2977928An insurer is not liable for losses arising from its own mistake if the consumer has benefited from that mistake or suffered no demonstrable loss.
Not upheldSept 2021Astrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-5873738An insurer is entitled to set eligibility criteria for cover and may cancel a policy and refuse claims where the policyholder does not meet those criteria, as permitted under CIDRA 2012.
Not upheldAXA Insurance UK Plc
DRN-5783422Insurance policies validly exclude claims for accidental loss where insured items are left unattended, as defined in the policy terms.
Not upheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-5859348A firm cannot be held to have acted unfairly in selling a policy without clear evidence of how the sale occurred, particularly when significant time has passed since the transaction.
Not upheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5948875An insurer's obligation under a 'like for like' replacement clause is to provide an equivalent device of the same make, model and specification, not a newer model, and must handle claims fairly in accordance with clear policy terms.
Not upheldGreat Lakes Insurance SE
DRN-6003942A gadget insurance policy requires a valid Police crime reference report and evidence of premises damage to cover theft claims, and material changes in the circumstances of a claim may justify decline.
Not upheldAdmiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited
DRN-5906603Insurers may reasonably decline claims when the claimant cannot provide documentary evidence to support their account, particularly when there are reasonable concerns about claim validity.
Not upheldAmTrust Specialty Limited
DRN-5955540An insurer can decline a claim based on policy exclusions for unattended gadgets if the consumer failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent theft, with 'unattended' defined as not locked away/secured and not within sight or arm's leng
Not upheldAstrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-6037804An insurer may reasonably request verification of claimed loss through standard investigative steps proportionate to the claim type, even if such verification steps are not explicitly stated in policy terms.
Not upheldAstrenska Insurance Limited
DRN-5935869Insurance policy terms requiring security features to be activated are enforceable policy conditions, and insurers may refuse claims when policyholders fail to meet these reasonable precautions.
Not upheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6252513A gadget insurance policy requiring replacement with 'same or similar make and technical specification' means comparable overall specifications, not matching specific technology type or original purchase price.
Not upheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-6094239An insurer is not responsible for physical damage to an item if photographic evidence demonstrates the damage existed before the item was received for repair.
Not upheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-6039180A policyholder bears the burden of proving that a claim falls within an insured incident covered by the policy, and an insurer may fairly decline a claim when evidence contradicts the policyholder's testimony about when the loss occurred.
Not upheldGreat Lakes Insurance UK Limited
DRN-5944199A gadget insurer is not obligated to provide a replacement for a refurbished handset when diagnostic testing shows it is fully functional and no defect can be replicated, even if the consumer reports problems.
Not upheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-6018960Insurers are entitled to physically inspect items before confirming cover under a policy, and policy terms limiting claim settlement to UK addresses are fair when applied consistently to all customers in similar circumstances.
Not upheldAmTrust Specialty Limited
DRN-5976731An insurer may reasonably decline a claim where the policyholder fails to provide credible responses to proportionate investigative questions about their claims history and material details.
Not upheldDomestic & General Insurance Plc
DRN-4368747An insurer's responsibility under an appliance insurance policy is limited to arranging delivery of a replacement appliance; responsibility for access issues and final installation rests with the consumer.
Not upheldAviva Insurance Limited
DRN-6043670An insurer may settle a gadget insurance claim by cash settlement based on market value of an equivalent replacement device where the original device cannot be replaced, provided this is clearly stated in the policy terms.
Not upheldAmTrust Specialty Limited
DRN-6092455An item is unattended under the policy definition when the policyholder is not in full view of it and not in a position to prevent unauthorised interference, regardless of physical proximity.
Not upheldTelefonica Seguros y Reaseguros Compania Aseguradora S.A.U. trading as Telefonica Insurance UK Branch
DRN-5786019Insurance policy terms permitting replacement of lost gadgets with products of the same or similar specification, not exact replacements, are fair and enforceable unless policy expressly guarantees like-for-like replacement.
Not upheldGreat Lakes Insurance UK Limited
DRN-5967570An insurer may fairly apply a policy exclusion for unattended items where the policyholder cannot see or intervene to prevent theft, even during unavoidable travel scenarios.
Not upheldGreat Lakes Insurance SE
DRN-5903771Insurance claims must be settled at the lower of replacement cost or current market value as stated in policy terms, and misinformation about settlement value does not constitute actionable prejudice if the consumer made no financial decisi
Not upheldAssurant General Insurance Limited
DRN-5964211An insured person must take reasonable care of their insured mobile phone, and a claim may be fairly declined if they have not done so.
Not upheld