Packaged bank account-who to complain to Ombudsman about?

kuepper

I've an issue I can't get resolved re the travel insurance part of my Co-op Everyday Extra account. I complained to the Coop who said they'd send my details on to AXA to respond. AXA didn't respond so I phoned AXA and was told they were just the underwriters and I should take up the matter with Rock Insurance. Rock Insurance said if I was unhappy with their service I should complain to AXA.......

So I'm not getting anywhere but as for complaining to the Financial Ombudsman who is my complaint against?

eskbanker

I'd follow the complaints procedure documented on page 49 of https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/assets/pdf/bank/currentaccounts/everyday-extra/travel-insurance-policy-summary-and-policy-document.pdf and if they're unable or unwilling to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction then whichever party responds to you should explain the FOS escalation process.

DullGreyGuy

kuepper said:

So I'm not getting anywhere but as for complaining to the Financial Ombudsman who is my complaint against?

What is your complaint?

If its you were miss-sold the product then thats the Coop

If its the outcome of a claim then follow the process in the policy book which directs you to email a specific address at Axa

Once 8 weeks have passed from you complaining to the right organisation (irrespective if they consider themselves the right organisation) then you can take the matter to the Ombudsman. 

kuepper

eskbanker said:

I'd follow the complaints procedure documented on page 49 of https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/assets/pdf/bank/currentaccounts/everyday-extra/travel-insurance-policy-summary-and-policy-document.pdf and if they're unable or unwilling to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction then whichever party responds to you should explain the FOS escalation process.

I wasn't sure if that just relates to complaints about claims (based on the email address shown). The FOS process is certainly stated there but the Coop have also flagged the FOS process in their response

eskbanker

kuepper said:

eskbanker said:

I'd follow the complaints procedure documented on page 49 of https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/assets/pdf/bank/currentaccounts/everyday-extra/travel-insurance-policy-summary-and-policy-document.pdf and if they're unable or unwilling to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction then whichever party responds to you should explain the FOS escalation process.

I wasn't sure if that just relates to complaints about claims (based on the email address shown). The FOS process is certainly stated there but the Coop have also flagged the FOS process in their response

Although the only published email address does include reference to claims, I'd have thought that they'd be able to arrange for a complaint about other matters to be dealt with by someone else if necessary, but, as above, if you clarify what you're complaining about then perhaps it'll be viable to offer other suggestions?

kuepper

Rock told me on the phone they were cancelling my policy because based on  the pre existing conditions I'd declared 1 of them still needed investigating. I disputed that but they said they'd explain everything in writing and refund the additional money I'd paid to cover the pre existing conditions yet 6 weeks later I've  received neither. 

eskbanker

I don't understand Rock's role in this, when Co-op's policy is run by Axa, who say in that document that it's underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance?  Who did you provide pre-existing condition details (and payment) to?  Anyway, I suspect that @DullGreyGuy will be more clued up on the relationships between these parties....

DullGreyGuy

eskbanker said:

I don't understand Rock's role in this, when Co-op's policy is run by Axa, who say in that document that it's underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance?  Who did you provide pre-existing condition details (and payment) to?  Anyway, I suspect that @DullGreyGuy will be more clued up on the relationships between these parties....

Inter Partner Assistance is an Axa company who underwrite the policy. 

If you look in the policy book it states that "we" is defined as the service provider as arranged by the underwriter. This is presumably Rock who are administering the policy... certainly a google comes up with a link to the medical screening website for the policy which is branded Axa but is on Rock's domain. Rock say that this is their speciality, providing white labelled travel insurance to other companies to sell/pass on but as they aren't PRA authorised they are clearly a middleman as all insurers have to be PRA authorised whereas middlemen/brokers/MGAs etc are FCA authorised.

There is insufficient information to really fully clarify their role but in principle it sounds like they are an MGA but could fulfil a different role. Even knowing their official title doesn't clarify things like the level of delegated authority they have which could range from 0 to 100%. 

Given the unclear relationship and the complaints process outlined in the policy book I'd simply log the same official complaint with all three companies. If you don't get a satisfactory resolution from any of them then you can take them all to the Financial Ombudsman and let them decide which one is on the hook.  I'd leave the language neutral and not mention you gave XXX the medical screening information but just say that you gave it to "them" etc

HHUK

I hope the OP manages to get this issue resolved satisfactorily.
It's of interest to me because I've been considering whether it's worth upgrading to the Everyday Extra account for the annual travel insurance.
Been trying to speak to someone before committing about whether my partner and I can be covered in view of my age and our existing medical conditions.
Axa told me to speak to the Co-op and the Co-op told me to contact Axa.

kuepper

HHUK said:

I hope the OP manages to get this issue resolved satisfactorily.
It's of interest to me because I've been considering whether it's worth upgrading to the Everyday Extra account for the annual travel insurance.
Been trying to speak to someone before committing about whether my partner and I can be covered in view of my age and our existing medical conditions.
Axa told me to speak to the Co-op and the Co-op told me to contact Axa.

I think it's worth it as it gives cover up to 80th birthday that's why I have it (I'm 75). The only other thing to consider is if you have pre-existing conditions that might incur an additional annual amount after completing the medical screening. But when you've had the screening if any additional premium is unacceptable to you, you can just revert back to a normal account or close it.

As to my problem - it's been resolved and my insurance is valid (after much pestering Rock Insurance apologised for their agent creating the problem in the first place). The FOS have advised me that they would regard any complaint would be against AXA as underwriters. I pointed out to FOS that it was a subsidiary of AXA who were actually the underwriters but they said that didn't matter. I had already complained to AXA and to the Co-op who it seems now rightly passed the complaint on to AXA. 

I got back to the Co-op and said that AXA seemed determined to take 40 days (the max. in their complaints process) to respond and that due to the lack of clarity I didn't feel I could book any holiday until the matter had been resolved and consequently1)  had missed holidays I would have taken by now, 2) missed holiday offers which meant the same holiday will now cost more and 3) some holidays I wanted to book were now fully booked. The Co-op were very sympathetic and said they would contact AXA again and also refunded 3 months subscription of the package as a goodwill gesture in the meantime as well as offering to revert back to a normal account until the matter was resolved. I will still be pursuing my complaint to the FSO if I don't get some offer from AXA.

w0z

See my post HERE re Co-op Everyday Extra Travel Insurance.
(https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6531392/unethical-co-op-everyday-extra-packaged-travel-insurance-no-longer-fit-for-purpose/ )