You wake up one morning and your car has gone. In a panic, you call your insurer but they refuse to help, instead implicating you in the theft of the vehicle or suggesting you've been reckless in some way.
Typical, isn’t it? You pay hundreds of pounds every year for your
car insurance and just when you need help, your insurer lets you down.
However, you should rest assured that help is at hand – in the form of the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Before you contact the Ombudsman make an effort to resolve the situation with your insurer.
For example, if the car insurance company claims you have colluded in the theft of your car, you must challenge it and insist it provides evidence. In one recent example, a BMW 5 Series driver was accused of collusion when his car disappeared and he could not find the spare keys. When he later found them filed away, he won his dispute.
Recklessness is also difficult to prove. Certainly if you leave your car running on the drive with the keys in it, you have been careless. However, if for example you set the engine running to show the car to a prospective buyer who promptly stole the vehicle, you are unlikely to be at fault.
The Ombudsman will only become involved in extreme cases, but finds in favour of the motorist on four out of every ten occasions. You can call the Ombudsman helpline on 0845 0801800 or write to the Office of the Financial Ombudsman at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR.
Of course if you’re not happy with your insurer’s treatment take your business elsewhere and search for a
cheap car insurance deal. By shopping around you may even find you get better cover for a similar price.
