{"id":29815,"date":"2025-09-23T04:59:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T08:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=29815"},"modified":"2025-09-23T04:59:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T08:59:57","slug":"super-complaint-launched-against-broken-home-and-travel-insurance-industry-sectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2025\/09\/23\/super-complaint-launched-against-broken-home-and-travel-insurance-industry-sectors\/","title":{"rendered":"Super-complaint launched against ‘broken’ home and travel insurance industry sectors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Making a claim to an insurance company can be worse than the distress of the original incident, according to Which?, as it launches a rare type of action against the sector.<\/b><\/p>\n

The group’s super-complaint – which is an action by a consumer body on customers’ behalf – says the home and travel insurance sectors are “broken”.<\/p>\n

Which? highlighted cases including an insurer initially refusing to pay out for a cancelled holiday, because the trip had technically started before the flight was turned back after two hours.<\/p>\n

The insurers’ trade body said providers worked hard to help customers, handle claims efficiently, and had paid out many millions of pounds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Rocio Concha, director of policy at Which?, said that serious failings in the travel and home insurance markets had been “tolerated for too long” by the insurance industry and the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).<\/p>\n

“We have heard heartbreaking stories from people who have found the experience of dealing with an insurance company worse than the distressing life events that led to their claim,” she said.<\/p>\n

She added that a super-complaint was “a major intervention”. Such a move is rare, and only used by consumer advocates when they believe a large number of consumers are being significantly harmed by practices across a particular sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Refused insurance claims<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Millions of people across the UK take out insurance policies they hope they will never need to draw on.<\/p>\n

Estimates suggest around 30 million people have buildings and contents insurance, with a similar number buying either annual or single-trip travel cover during last year.<\/p>\n

Which? said that 99% of car insurance claims were upheld, but acceptance rates fell to 63% of buildings insurance claims and 80% of travel insurance claims.<\/p>\n

It pointed to the case of Yvette Greenley, whose flight from Luton to Egypt was sent back owing to technical difficulties.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Yvette<\/picture><\/span>Yvette Greenley (right) with her sister, Beverley, during a happier trip (Image: Yvette Greenley)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Mrs Greenley said the problem with the flight and a lack of alternatives meant her holiday to celebrate her 60th birthday with her sister, Beverley, was over. She cancelled her leave and went back to work.<\/p>\n

While the airline refunded the cost of the ticket, the insurer initially refused the \u00a3140 claim for accommodation and travel to and from the airport because the holiday had begun.<\/p>\n

“I was flummoxed, then fuming about it. They seemed to dismiss the fact that the plane turned around,” she said.<\/p>\n

The insurer later apologised, settled the claim and paid compensation.<\/p>\n

In recent years, BBC News has reported cases including:<\/p>\n

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