What to do if you have a complaint

Our aim is to provide all our customers with a high level of service; however occasionally, it is possible that we may fail to meet your expectations. If this happens you should let us know as soon as practicable, you can call our main office telephone 0333 577 2044 and ask to speak with Mrs Belinda Bagnall or, in her absence, Mr Darren Bagnall. Or you can write to us at 29 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4DJ or send us an email: info@flatlivinginsurance.co.uk. If we are unable to resolve your concerns within 35 working days, we will formally acknowledge your complaint and send you a copy of our complaints process to help you understand the next steps in the complaints process as well as the right to refer your concerns to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). We will issue a summary of complaint resolution within 7 days of resolving all informal complaints resolved within 3-days or within 7 days of resolving all other formal complaints. Our aim is to act honestly, fairly and professionally and in the interests of customers at all times ensure all complainants (i.e. you or any other parties acting on your behalf) are regularly informed as to the progress of a complaint and give you a final response no later than 8 weeks.

The FOS Consumer Helpline is on 0800 023 4567 (free for people phoning from a “fixed line” (for example, a landline at home) or 0300 123 9123 (free for mobile-phone users paying monthly charge for calls to No’s starting 01 or 02). Alternatively, you can contact them at Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9SR. www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

In circumstances where you are not eligible to refer your concerns to the FOS (i.e. you are a large corporate customer) we will attempt to resolve any concerns through negotiation, if the matter cannot be resolved directly with us (usually with 6 months from the date of receipt of the concern) we will seek the assistance of an independent compliance firm or mediator as might be agreed between us and any complainant or other means to try and resolve the matter.

Our complaints procedures extend to incorporate more specific requirements for products we provide with ARGO Limited and Brit Insurance Company including our Lloyds agents Citynet Insurance Brokers Limited and Commercial Risks (UK) Limited. This means in addition to those requirements of the FCA, we also comply with the Lloyds Complaints Handling Code, including the Code for Underwriting Agents: UK Personal Lines Claims & Complaints Handling,

Where relevant Flat Living Insurance will deal with complaints and notify Lloyds including its Managing Agents, promptly upon receipt of a relevant complaint within 2 working days and in accordance with its complaint notification obligations whether formally or informally resolving a complaint including its issuance of a summary of complaint resolution.

Further, where relevant, Lloyd’s provides a complaint resolution service, free of charge, where disputes are reviewed on the balance of probabilities, having regard to the evidence submitted by both parties to a complaint. As with those rules of the FCA, Lloyd’s aims to conclude the majority of complaints received within 8 weeks and operates a ‘two stage’ complaints process as follows:

Stage 1:

• The complaint will be considered by the underwriters of the policy who will issue a response, ideally, within 14 days.

• If you remain dissatisfied following the underwriters’ response, or if you have not received a response within 14 days you are entitled to request that the complaint be escalated to stage 2.

Stage 2:

• Lloyd’s obtains the documentation from the underwriters and undertakes a full review of the complaint.

• When the review is complete a Final Response will be issued detailing the outcome of these investigations.

• If you remain dissatisfied at this point you may refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (if eligible) provided you do so within 6 months of the date of the Final Response. The Financial Ombudsman Service can only consider your complaint following our consideration of the matter. 

Flat Living Insurance only place UK Business, has in place an internal escalation process, records all complaints and where relevant monitors its complaints management information for trend taking appropriate action to prevent reoccurrence.