Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

lowis

Secret Shopper - in September i adopted a 14yo cat from Siamese Rescue and insured him with AXA. When I called up to purchase the policy I wasn't even asked to provide any vet or medical records from the vet who serves the rescue centre. I was just informed that I would not be covered for any illness which shows up in the first 14 days of insurance. Therefore, once you have purchased the insurance, wait for 3 weeks (to be on the safe side) before taking your new cat to your vet for any check-up!

By the way I have just put a claim in for a heart scan and tooth extraction though (£800) and I am wondering whether i will NOW be asked to provide any vet records from when he was in the Rescue Centre....insurance companies love to wriggle out of payment! (Thankfully neither of these conditions were picked up by the Rescue Centre vet so are not on my cat's records).

UKTigerlily

From what I can tell, if the insurance company don't ask what previous conditions (If any) the pet has had when the policy starts, they check on any claim. So as the previous vet of the above cat doesn't have any record of the illness it'll go through no problems

pboae

As M&S have hiked my dog's insurance premiums massively for the last two years, I was expecting something similar this year, but I have to say they have outdone themselves this time.

My new annual premium is .... £670 :eek:

Last year it was £230, and the year before it was about £170 (I think).

Obviously I'll be phoning to try and haggle, but I don't hold out much hope, I am in shock with this one.

hethmar

Ive just had a mail from my sister and her dog insurance with M and S has gone up by 33%. What a con they have been and I feel terrible as I told her to insure with them about 3 years back when they had decent charges and no excesses.

Ive moved one of mine to Halifax but Ive had to keep the other with M and S because he started on skin allergy treatments a couple of years back for some months. He is ok now, but if it ever came back a new insurer wouldnt cover it

Tracyk_2

Just started looking at pet insurance for mixed breed 3 yo dog.

Petplan for their lifetime £4k a year are £191 - which includes the 10% disc.

M&S for lifetime (?) £7k a year are £122

I've read on previous posts that they used to have low premiums to get you to sign up with them - then increase the next years premium.

or am I missing something?

chuckles1066

Tracyk wrote: »

Just started looking at pet insurance for mixed breed 3 yo dog.

Petplan for their lifetime £4k a year are £191 - which includes the 10% disc.

M&S for lifetime (?) £7k a year are £122

I've read on previous posts that they used to have low premiums to get you to sign up with them - then increase the next years premium.

or am I missing something?

We used M&S because they had a zero excess if you paid an additional premium.

They've removed that now and jacked up our premium; but because we'd claimed (vets inflated bill of +£600) we're stuffed if we try to renew with another insurer.

suki1964

Tracyk wrote: »

Just started looking at pet insurance for mixed breed 3 yo dog.

Petplan for their lifetime £4k a year are £191 - which includes the 10% disc.

M&S for lifetime (?) £7k a year are £122

I've read on previous posts that they used to have low premiums to get you to sign up with them - then increase the next years premium.

or am I missing something?

Personally I didnt have a problem with price hikes (although they did remove the no excess) and we claimed HUNDREDS in our first year (Now we dont insure)

lowis

Axa used to underwrite M&S, when M&S moved to another underwriter that is when things changed - higher premiums, higher excess etc. they are still a good option though, the vets like dealing with them as far as i can tell.

have you tried AXA for a quote? might be best to go direct to a dedicated insurance company instead of using someone who they underwrite i.e. a third party.

Bromley86

Don't do it. Have a look at Pboae's last post in the Insurance thread.

tankgirl1

I used to sing Pet Plan's praises.... but I believe they have introduced a 'cheap' option where the cover is not for life.......... *off to double check*