Complaints
If something has gone wrong, we want to hear about it. This page explains how to make a complaint, what we will do, and how long it will take.
Our commitment to you
At Freedom Health Insurance, each of our customers is important to us, and we believe you have the right to a fair, swift, and courteous service all the time. We are committed to providing you with excellent service and exceeding our customers’ expectations. If, for any reason, you are not entirely satisfied with any aspect of our service, please let us know.
We shall work to correct matters as quickly as possible and, where needed, take steps to prevent the problem happening again. We value our customers, and your feedback can help us improve the products and services we offer to you.
How to complain about the way your policy was sold
If you are unhappy with the way your policy was sold to you, you should contact your broker and ask them to investigate.
| If your policy was sold by Freedom Health Insurance | If your policy was sold by another broker |
|---|---|
| If your policy was sold to you by Freedom Health Insurance, you can raise your concerns directly with us following our complaints process. | If your policy was sold to you by another broker, they will have their own complaints process, and you can ask for a copy of this. |
How to complain about the way your policy or claim was administered
Freedom Health Insurance administers policies and claims on behalf of the insurance company which underwrites your policy; the name of the insurance company which underwrites your policy will be shown at the top of your certificate of insurance. Freedom Health usually has authority to investigate and respond to all types of complaint on behalf of the insurance company, and we will usually respond directly to you about your complaint on their behalf whilst letting the insurance company know what has happened.
However, although we might reply to your complaint directly, the insurance company remains legally responsible for the way your policy and claim is administered because it is providing the insurance contract.
How to contact Freedom Health Insurance to make a complaint
You can raise your concerns by writing to the Chief Operating Officer (‘COO’) of Freedom Health Insurance, County Gates House, 300 Poole Road, Poole, Dorset, BH12 1AZ. Alternatively, you can send an email to complaints@fhi.co.uk. You can also call us on 01202 756 350, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. We are closed on public holidays.
Calls to our 01202 numbers are charged at your provider’s standard rate, and may be included in your call package. Calls may be recorded and monitored for training and quality purposes.
You do not have to put your complaint in writing and, if you prefer, you can ask one of our advisers to register a complaint on your behalf over the phone. However, we do find it beneficial to receive complaints in writing as it gives the person making the complaint the opportunity to make sure their concerns have been fully expressed, and there is no risk of a misunderstanding. We would also like to know how we can help resolve your complaint to your satisfaction.
If you need a different team, all our phone numbers and email addresses are on the contact us page.
What happens next?
We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days and let you know who will be investigating your complaint and what will happen next. We will then aim to provide you with a final response within four weeks of receipt of your complaint which will tell you whether we agree with your complaint and, if not, why not. If we do agree with your complaint, we will also tell you what steps we will take to put things right.
Sometimes, a complaint may require a more in-depth investigation and we will need a longer time to investigate the complaint. We aim to resolve these more in-depth complaints within no more than eight weeks. We will tell you if this is the case with your complaint.
Taking your complaint further
If you are unhappy with our response, or if we have not replied within eight weeks, you may have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (‘FOS’).
The FOS provides a free and independent service for resolving complaints with financial services firms but will only consider your complaint if you have given us the opportunity to resolve the matter first. You should refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of our final response. If you refer your complaint after this time, the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider it, except in certain circumstances.
If you do contact the FOS, this does not affect your right to take legal action if you are dissatisfied with, and do not accept, the outcome of the review.
How to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service
You can contact the FOS:
- by phone: 0800 023 4567.
- in writing: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower, London E14 9SR.
- by email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- using their ‘online contact us’ form available at Make a complaint – Financial Ombudsman service. Opens in a new tab.
What to do if you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, and you are an eligible complainant, you may have the right to refer to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. This will depend on the nature of your complaint and who the underwriter of your policy is. We will provide further information on how to refer your complaint to an ADR service when we send you our final response.