Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

cathodetube

What is the price of the monthly premium of PDSA? Would think you might as well go to AXA as if PDSA change underwriters then the premiums inevitably go soaring. Also, you don't have to get your animal insured. I said before on here that I found insurance for my cat to be useless. His premiums started at £8 a month with more than when he was 6 and ended up at almost £50 a month with M&S when he was 16. This is despite only having 2 very small claims with M&S in total. I have now cancelled the insurance. Pet insurance is quite a new thing - last ten years or so.

wisewoman

Thanks Cathodetube for your reply. PDSA charge £10.28 per month, to cover our wee crossbreed for up to £7K per condition...so, if she has the misfortune to suffer 6 different conditions then she is covered up to £42k...in her lifetime. If they all occur in one year, she is covered up to that sum for the year, until each £7k is used up. But then any new conditions would be covered too. The whole subject is such a minefield. So we have decided to put the annual premium equivalent into a Cash ISA, as well, just in case. We are in crystal ball territory, and over an emotional barrel too. Also, PDSA put 20% of each premium into their charity...so we get a feel-good factor too.

cathodetube

Wisewoman, so the figures you quoted were just a quote? £7k per condition per year is the same with AXA I believe. Most insurers start out lowish and then go up. And don't forget that they have an excess for each visit per condition to vet so if your trip cost say £75 and your excess is £60 then you get £25 back. You can do an online quote with Axa. They give a reduction if you have the animal microchipped and can provide the number. NFU also gives the discount for m/chipping. You have to speak to them on the phone. Their insured costs per year are less though -£4k.

lowis

pdsa is £7k per condition for the life of the pet i.e. if a cat has cancer you can only claim £7k over the lifetime for treatment.

axa is £7k per year in total, not per condition, per year. this amount renews every year. i.e. if a cat has cancer you can claim up to £7k each year.

it might be worth checking if PDSA make you liable for a percentage of vet fees once your dog or cat reaches a certain age. and it might also be worth checking whether there is a limit to how many conditions you can claim for. sometimes the per condition policies put a cap on how much you can claim i.e. £28000 over the lifetime of your pet (4 conditions). axa don't cap so potentially you can claim £7k a year for 15 years if you had to.

as a side note - i have just settled everything with AXA after losing Timmy last month and even though i paid my annual insurance by installments, the payments stopped when Timmy died - some of the more dodgy insurance companies make you pay the full year, even though your pet has gone.

Mish_Mash

Following a lot of research, I have decided to go with NFU Mutual to insure my dog. I have selected lifetime cover which ensures me for £4000 per year per condition. Cost is £16.50 a month for my pedigree Shih tzu. Excess is approx £50.

I thought it was a competitive price and as I am dealing with an insurance company direct (and not a company whose policies are underwritten) I feel that there is less risk of my premiums escalating massively.

Thanks to everyone for all the info you've put on the board. I found it very helpful.

vwcampervan72

Ive got an English Springer Spaniel Tess DOB 10.11.1999

Were with Asda for her insurance, lasy yr cost us £231.56 had renewal come as its due 13th May and on the letter its saying £398.74 BUT on the Quotation Statement its the same as last year £231.56.

Just phoned and asked about this and theyve said its an error on their system and the price we have to pay is the £398.74 :mad:

She then proceeded to say they could get it down to £293.43 :j
I asked her how and this is what she said......

On their drop down menu they have

English Springer Spaniel and

Spaniel English Springer

So if your with Asda and youve got a springer ask them to check both drop down menus.

Is there any way i can get it at last years price does anyone know??

TIA

jaymac_2

Our cocker spaniel is with Healthy pets. 1st year £78, second year £120 this year the quote is £220 though we've never claimed. Looking at the small print they're also introducing "co-insurance" for dogs aged five and over - 25%. We've moved to AXA!

mem_2

Does anyone know whether AXA cover kitty dental treatment? I've pawed (heh) over the policy again and again but can't find any mention of it!

Torkijo

salukigirl wrote: »

Just thought I'd add my latest renew experience.
I've been with M&S since I got my rescue Saluki lurcher 6 years ago. This month the renewal came through at £47.75 per month! I tried to get them to come down but they wouldn't budge.
I have shopped around and gone with Sainsbury's (AXA) for £35 per month with pretty much the same cover and double nectar points.
So stick that where the sun don't shine M&S!!!

We had that with M&S last year, the premium jumped by 70% even though we had had no claims and nothing had changed at our end on the policy.

thesim

mem wrote: »

Does anyone know whether AXA cover kitty dental treatment? I've pawed (heh) over the policy again and again but can't find any mention of it!

Just had a look for you, on the website I found in the T&C:

" What we will not cover:

5. Costs resulting from dentistry that is

not related to an Illness or injury."

However these T&C are from Jan 2006 so well out of date. Call em up and find out.