The specific complaints body differs by country, but EU law guarantees the same underlying structure everywhere: a right to complain, and a right to independent redress.
Read the decision and find the actual basis for it
Identify the specific policy clause, exclusion or condition the insurer relied on, not just the general reason category. Locate that same wording in your own policy document to check it's being applied accurately.
Check the reasoning against your facts
Compare what the insurer's decision assumes happened against your own evidence and timeline. A gap between the two is exactly what a formal complaint or dispute should focus on.
Gather and submit supporting evidence
Independent reports, additional photos, or documentation contradicting the insurer's stated reason should be submitted formally, referencing precisely which part of the decision they address.
Use the insurer's internal complaints procedure
Under the EU's Insurance Distribution Directive, member states must ensure insurers have a complaints procedure and respond to every complaint. Put your complaint in writing, reference your policy and claim numbers clearly, and state the outcome you want.
Find your national out-of-court redress body
The same directive requires each EU member state to provide an independent out-of-court complaint and redress body for insurance disputes — the specific name and process vary by country (an ombudsman, a mediation service, or a national regulator's complaints unit). If your case involves an insurer based in a different EU/EEA country than your own, FIN-NET can help identify the right cross-border complaints body to contact.
Sources
- EIOPA — Insurance Distribution Directive, Article 15 (out-of-court redress)
- FIN-NET — cross-border financial dispute resolution network
Related Kibbo Tools
- Insurance Claim Denial Review Checklist — work through the rejection systematically before responding.
- Insurance Denial & Coverage Dispute Generator — draft your formal dispute letter to the insurer.