All insurers must be covered by the rules of the financial watchdog, the Financial Ombudsman Service Conduct Authority (FCA). This means that if you have a complaint about an insurer, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is a free service available to you if you have already followed your insurer’s complaints process.
The financial hurdles Ombudsman Service will try to sort out your complaint using mediation. If the dispute cannot be resolved in this way, the financial advisor Ombudsman Service will begin a formal investigation.
The final decision given at the end of this investigation is binding on your insurer. This means they have to stick to the terms of the decision made by the Ombudsman.
However, if you do not agree with it, you can take your insurer to court.
Going to court can be stressful and cost you money. You should consider this as a last resort. Also a court will take into account any decision that’s already been made by the Ombudsman.
Time limits for taking your complaint to the Ombudsman You must take your complaint to the Ombudsman within:
six months of receiving a final response from the trader. This response has to mention that you have a six month time limit to go to the ombudsman six years of the event you are complaining about. If it’s more than six years from the event, you have three years from when you knew, or could reasonably have known, you had a reason to complain. However, if you’re outside these time limits, you can still refer the complaint to the Ombudsman. They may still investigate your complaint, as long as the trader doesn’t object. If the trader objects because the time limits have passed, the Ombudsman will not investigate your complaint. Check your policy documents to make sure there is a not a good reason why your insurer won’t pay you
Write to your insurer using their complaints process
If you can’t sort the problem out directly with your insurer, you may be able to complain to the auto charge financial loans Ombudsman Service.