Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

speedy_gonzalez

Seven now. Cocker Spaniel

liz545

Can anyone advise on pet insurance for a crossbreed cat? My cat's nearly 3 years old, and he's been an indoor cat since we got him, so there hasn't really been any need for insurance, but as I'd like to let him out, I think it would make sense to have some cover in case of accidents. He's neutered & microchipped, and generally quite healthy, but he had to have 2 teeth extracted last year as he had a minor gum infection, possibly due to caliche virus, which cost me £200 odd. Tesco have quoted £7.59pcm for the higher level of cover, with a £50 excess, which is cheaper than M&S and Sainsburys - is this good value?

RedBern

just been reading some of the threads on here about E & L - am currently awaiting their paying out for dental treatment for my dog - they have 'lost' the claim form twice - although they do have the vet report which was sent at the same time! It is a hefty £1449 claim - If only I'd have come on here before insuring with them.......:mad:

katherinef1974

I would not consider any other insurer than Petplan
Why? Well not the cheapest. But they have paid out without quibble over time for:

£595 dog cruciate repair
£500 second dog cruciate repair
£300 Dog bladder stone removal and investigative work
£200 Dog pancreatitis treatment inc lengthy vet stay
£250 Cat can't remember what for
£200 Cat investigative work and ongoing treatment inc X-rays

Each time the vet just put the forms into Petplan for me and they paid the vet directly I didn't have to pay a penny up front. They may be more expensive and I might be able to get a cheaper quote elsewhere but I wouldn't consider changing my policy to another insurer.

greencode

My dog insurance is due for renewal next month and I'm wondering if I can do the following: Check the renewal price against a new quote online and then if the online quote is cheaper cancel my current policy and then go through a cashback site (giveortake.com currently offer £25 cashback for a PetPlan policy).

Would I be allowed to do that?

Bromley86

AFAIK there's no problem doing that unless you've claimed (or even visited the vet for something that might later develop into something that you claim for). As it will be a new policy, you will not get any cover for pre-existing conditions.

Do check with them first though. There's nothing wrong with (politely) threatening to take your business elsewhere if they don't give you an answer that you like (you can always back down and not go through with it ).

barn_in_effect

Hi New to the forum, been reading for the last few days and also looking around for best deals for my Dog who is 10ys 4mnth collie cross.

After looking so much I think the best deal is the fee's for life that reset each year, but because of the age of my Dog there isn't anyone that will do them. However I seem to have found a quote that does but it just seems too good to be true, its quite cheap the vets fee is 7K and its for life being reset each year, the quote is from AXA:

Pet Insurance Quotation
Quote for your Crossbreed Dog Honey, aged 10 years, 04 months for an annual policy with cover start date 01/06/2008

Your annual premium is £196.14
Vet's fees can be very expensive, especially if your pet develops a long term condition. Some insurers may only insure your pet for a limited period of time, leaving you to cover the costs of your pet's treatment for the remainder of its life. At AXA we will continue to cover your pet for long term conditions, providing you continue to pay the premiums


http://www.axa.co.uk/petinsurance/documents/PetsPolicyBooklet.pdf

I'm new to this and I dont want to just jump straight in without some advise, is it worth me jumping in?


.

greencode

barn_in_effect wrote: »

Hi New to the forum, been reading for the last few days and also looking around for best deals for my Dog who is 10ys 4mnth collie cross.

After looking so much I think the best deal is the fee's for life that reset each year, but because of the age of my Dog there isn't anyone that will do them. However I seem to have found a quote that does but it just seems too good to be true, its quite cheap the vets fee is 7K and its for life being reset each year, the quote is from AXA:

Pet Insurance Quotation
Quote for your Crossbreed Dog Honey, aged 10 years, 04 months for an annual policy with cover start date 01/06/2008

Your annual premium is £196.14
Vet's fees can be very expensive, especially if your pet develops a long term condition. Some insurers may only insure your pet for a limited period of time, leaving you to cover the costs of your pet's treatment for the remainder of its life. At AXA we will continue to cover your pet for long term conditions, providing you continue to pay the premiums


http://www.axa.co.uk/petinsurance/documents/PetsPolicyBooklet.pdf

I'm new to this and I dont want to just jump straight in without some advise, is it worth me jumping in?


.

I thought I'd do a quick quote with AXA and it's really expensive. I've got a 15 month old pedigree boxer and it came out at £261!

Bromley86

Yeah, there's never a definite best (value wise) as they all vary so much by age/location/breed. What was the PetPlan quote on your boxer?

barn. I'd go for it. I've been singing Halifax's praises, but if I was looking for insurance now I'd seriously consider AXA as their level of cover is that little bit higher.

Bear in mind that I haven't compared insurances for a while and am not an expert, but I would have thought that £16.33 per month for a dog that age is great (we pay £12.50 for a pup). Do check what the excess is though and think hard about it if it involves a percentage. Of course, your options are limited at 8yrs+.

The only advantage when insuring an older dog is that although the risk of having to claim increases, the chances of using up the limit on a non-renewing lifetime policy decreases against a pup. So you might consider a £6-7k non-renewing policy. That said, I'd take that AXA policy myself.

greencode

Bromley86 wrote: »

Yeah, there's never a definite best (value wise) as they all vary so much by age/location/breed. What was the PetPlan quote on your boxer?=

The insurance renewal is due next month so I'll post when I know whether the premium has gone up or not - currently paying around £16 a month.