The ombudsman is an independent service that can review a complaint if you and your pet insurer cannot resolve it directly.
If you've made a complaint to your pet insurer and you're not satisfied with their response, or if they haven't responded within eight weeks, you have the right to take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Its a free service for consumers and its there specifically to handle these kinds of disputes.
The ombudsman will look at the facts of your case independently, without being on either side, and make a decision about whether they think the insurer has treated you fairly. If they decide in your favour the insurer is required to put things right, which might mean paying out a claim, changing a decision or compensating you for any distress or inconvenience caused.
You don't need a solicitor or any legal knowledge to use the service. You fill in a form explaining what happened, provide any relevant documents like your policy, correspondence with the insurer and the claim paperwork, and the ombudsman takes it from there. It can take a while, sometimes several months, but its a proper and legitimate route if you feel a decision has been unfair.
"If your insurer hasn't responded to your complaint within eight weeks you have the right to go to the ombudsman. You don't need a solicitor."
Before you go to the ombudsman you do need to have raised your complaint formally with the insurer first and either received a final response or waited eight weeks without one. Most insurers have a formal complaints process, usually a specific email address or phone number, which is separate from their general customer service.
The ombudsman covers complaints about regulated insurance products. Pet insurance in the UK is a regulated product, so it falls within their remit. If you're unsure whether your complaint qualifies its worth contacting the service directly, they'll tell you.