Complaining

If you’ve taken out a policy, occasionally you might be unhappy with the way you’ve been treated. Or if you’ve made a claim, you might be unhappy with the way it’s been handled. In these situations, you should contact your insurer.

All insurers have a complaints procedure. Once you’ve contacted them, they’ll explain what happens next. Following these steps can help get problems sorted out more quickly:

• Contact the person you originally dealt with. If they can’t help, say you want to take matters further. Ask for details of the official complaints procedure and find out who will be handling your complaint.
• Send in your complaint in writing. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you could ask a family member, friend or carer to help you.
• If you’re making your complaint in writing, write ‘complaint’ at the top of your letter. Make sure you include important details such as your customer, policy or account number.
• You can also make your complaint by phone, but make sure you ask for the name of the person you speak to and their job title. Keep a note of this, along with the date and time of your call. Write down details of the conversation. You may need to refer to this later.
• Try to stay calm and polite, however angry or upset you are. This will help you explain your complaint as clearly and effectively as possible.
• Keep things brief and to the point. Set out the facts clearly and in a logical order. Say why you’re not happy and what you want the insurance company to do about it. This will make it easier for them to look into the problem and sort things out.
• Send copies of any relevant paperwork you think will support your case. Keep a copy of any letters between you and the insurance provider. You may need to refer to them later.
• Don’t expect immediate results. It may take time for some complaints to be investigated properly and resolved. By law, the travel insurance provider you’re complaining about has up to eight weeks to sort out the complaint.

You could also contact Macmillan’s financial guides on 0808 808 00 00 or an organisation such as Citizens Advice for general guidance about complaining. Visit citizensadvice.org.uk or find details in your local phone book.