travel insurance sold with holidays – now covered by the FSA and the ombudsman
From 1 January 2009 travel firms and holiday providers selling "connected travel insurance" (travel insurance sold with a holiday) have been regulated by the FSA – and automatically covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service.
This means that these businesses must have in place – and operate – in-house complaints-handling procedures that comply with the complaints-handling rules published by the FSA.
The ombudsman service has a range of information and support services available for businesses new to the official procedures they have to follow if a consumer complains.
how can I get more information about the complaints-handling procedures and the ombudsman?
There is a wide range of information for businesses on this website including:
- news and updates;
- a series of guides for businesses explaining more about the ombudsman service and the way we work; and
- an online information resource specifically for businesses that have little direct contact with – or experience of – the ombudsman.
what support does the ombudsman offer businesses?
As well as settling disputes, we help promote "complaints prevention". This involves working with businesses to identify and reduce problems that might otherwise lead to time-consuming complaints. The free services we offer that will be of particular interest to travel businesses covered by the ombudsman include:
- our technical advice desk dedicated to answering queries about the ombudsman service and its general approach;
- our regular newsletter ombudsman news – covering a wide range of information, including examples of travel insurance disputes handled by the ombudsman service and case studies showing our approach to complaints involving annual travel policies; and
- taking part in a wide range of events – from hands-on workshops to formal conferences. This is part of our commitment to sharing our complaints-handling experience and listening to the views of businesses.
events for travel businesses
We have organised and taken part in a number of events, aimed specifically at travel businesses that came under the ombudsman from January 2009. These have included:
- providing speakers at the International Travel Insurance Conference and the World Travel Market Conference; and
- arranging a travel-insurance workshop at our office, as an opportunity to meet trade associations from the travel sector.
If you represent travel businesses that are covered by the ombudsman – and your association or trade body is organising an event that you'd like to invite us to take part in – please email full details to our external liaison team.