Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

hugh_jarss

I couldn't help but join in to this forum, I needed some support and advice around pet insurance for my little Timmy and found exactly what I wanted here - it helped to dispel some of my fears around buying insurance.

What I need to say is - why is Mrs E so negative to people who genuinely seem to want to help? I read one lady who recounted her own experiences with her pets and all Mrs E seemed to do was pick at her messages and be quite contrary!

Well Mrs E, shame on you! I would like to think you were trying to help but I feel that your obvious dislike of insurance companies should not cloud what is an emotive issue for most of us pet lovers. My Timmy is now insured up to her little !!!!! eyeballs - and I am happy!

What have the insurance companies done to make you this way? Please Mrs E - tell us.

Hugh.

MrsE_2

hugh_jarss wrote: »

I couldn't help but join in to this forum, I needed some support and advice around pet insurance for my little Timmy and found exactly what I wanted here - it helped to dispel some of my fears around buying insurance.

What I need to say is - why is Mrs E so negative to people who genuinely seem to want to help? I read one lady who recounted her own experiences with her pets and all Mrs E seemed to do was pick at her messages and be quite contrary!

Well Mrs E, shame on you! I would like to think you were trying to help but I feel that your obvious dislike of insurance companies should not cloud what is an emotive issue for most of us pet lovers. My Timmy is now insured up to her little !!!!! eyeballs - and I am happy!

What have the insurance companies done to make you this way? Please Mrs E - tell us.

Hugh.

Nothing, honestly.

But if insurance was generally a better deal for the client, then all the firms would go bust.
Its about probability & risk assesment.
Is it likely to happen & if so, can you deal with it.
With house insurance, you can't take the risk, its too expensive, but with vets bills IF YOU CAN AFFORD VETS BILLS, then its a fair risk.
I hate to see people over insure because insurance companies scaremonger people.
The story about the vet bumping up bills if you have insurance is true.

lowis

I may be wrong but i think it is illegal under FSA rules to charge a different price for the same procedure just if someone has insurance, or not.

i do think though that once vets know you have insurance then they do everything they can and propose to give the best treatment possible in the knowledge they will (usually) get paid. (by the way, i'm not saying they don't take care of uninsured pets!)

wallofbeans

so the M&S pet insurnce looks pretty good to me but before i take the plunge are there any issues / bad things that i should be aware of? things i might have missed?

thanks all

lowis

hi wallofbeans

M&S are good, policy provides good cover, but last year they drastically raised their premiums and introduced an excess on the policies. many people were shocked by this and complained, they soon discovered that M&S has changed underwriter so therefore the policy changed...that is the only drawback i can think of...they use an underwriter and can change at any given time to another one, and once again the policy may change for the worse.

someone like AXA (who used to underwrite the M&S policy when it was REALLY good) are their own underwriter, they are a dedicated insurance firm, so they are unlikely to suddenly change their policies because of a change in underwriter.

wiggly

I'm looking to insure my two cats now they're going outside. I can't decide between M&S Premier or Petplan Covered for Life £4k.

I can see that Petplan comes with an excess, but does M&S (I can't find it anywhere but that doesn't mean it doesn't just that they're hiding it )

Anyone have any advice which to go for? Petplan is slightly cheaper (£2 a month cheaper, we have 2 cats so it's negliable)

wiggly

ah found it - with M&S the excess is £50 up to aged 9, then £50 + 20% of vets bills

that could be massive

wiggly

ah OK it's a common thing, Petplan also does the same.

I think it's going to be M&S then. Or maybe Petplan

sorry to be talking to myself here

lowis

either are OK. have you looked at AXA? they offer similar polices and they do not have a % excess for older cats (at the moment), just a flat £75 per condition.

UKTigerlily

Axa are good, £50 excess for my oldie no %