Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

Extemporaneous

well, after many years of keeping cats, and always trying to be a responsible pet owner and holding health insurance for every one of them, my patience (and pockets) have finally been exhausted.

The renewal policies for my two oldest cats have come in at nearly £600 for the year. Plus huge excesses, limits on the amount payable, and exclusion clauses that change by the minute to make claims for anything other than a minor event, virtually unenforceable.

I don't mind admitting that I just cannot afford that. Who can?! They are too old to switch to another policy - but I refuse to be held over a barrel by greedy Insurers!

I have told them to get stuffed and I will keep the monthly amount I think reasonable to pay in a separate Bank account for 'pet welfare'. I wish I had done that years ago!

I am so annoyed though! I have had a combined twenty four years of paying policies for these much-loved animals. One has never had veterinary treatment, the other has had a tooth extracted and a cut stitched. Yet now they are old, and most likely to need medicine or care, the terms the Insurer demands amount to near-blackmail.

A pox on their houses and I hope they all lose their jobs!:mad:

Dollardog

I totally agree, my old dog's insurance went up overnight from £64.04 a month with £75 excess to a staggering £130.48 a month with a £125 excess.

cathodetube

Dollardog wrote: »

I totally agree, my old dog's insurance went up overnight from £64.04 a month with £75 excess to a staggering £130.48 a month with a £125 excess.

Yikes! How old was your dog and who was the insurer?

melbury

Beachview wrote: »

Just had a quick look at the Petplan site. Here's the extras I'd remove:
Boarding fees (for if I go to hospital)
Advertising & reward (would cover this myself if necessary, and have heard of people advertise missing dogs on local radio etc with success)
Holiday cancellation (don't go abroad)
Quarantine expenses and loss of documents (they'll never be in quarantine and I can look after my own docs)
Emergency repatriation
Legal helpline

So a lifetime policy with all that rubbish removed would suit me. Teeth would need to be covered too, though many don't, except for Petplan (last time I had insurance). As far as I can see, they're all just included as 'standard' as a way of making sure to get extra money.

That is exactly what I think:T

I was with Petguard Insurance for a few years and this is exactly what they did, which I really liked.

However, of course what happened with them is now history and was all very traumatic:(

All I want is lifetime cover for vet fees - nothing else!

roz_d

Has anyone had any dealings with animal friends insurance policy I'm having to claim and my vet says they have had problems with them but i don't know if I will have the money to pay upfront and claim it back.

cathodetube

I think there has been some mention of them in the past on here, have you looked at the entire thread?

Reiki_Angel

I'm in the process of making a claim with M&S, can anyone confirm that when they originally took out their policy you could pay extra for no excess. I was blatantly told that M&S have never done a policy like that and I know when I took out my pet insurance i paid extra for that privelledge. Also is the excess per year or per claim? thanks in advance

LauraAl

I have two cats, both brothers. Both have recently been diagnosed with overactive thyroids. One is insured with Petplan and the other Pet Insurance (E&L) .co.UK. Petplan have been wonderful and they paid out quickly and with no problems. E&L are being more difficult and im worried that they wont pay out. They even want a copy of the vaccination certificate.

gettingready

There is vaccine to prevent an overactive thyroids so no idea why they want vaccination certificate - as if you could do something to stop it happening...

Good insurance is an absolute must... sigh.. I know..

cathodetube

LauraAl wrote: »

I have two cats, both brothers. Both have recently been diagnosed with overactive thyroids. One is insured with Petplan and the other Pet Insurance (E&L) .co.UK. Petplan have been wonderful and they paid out quickly and with no problems. E&L are being more difficult and im worried that they wont pay out. They even want a copy of the vaccination certificate.

I imagine they are asking for a copy of the vaccination certificate to see if they can wriggle out of paying in case you didn't have the cat vaccinated annually. When I had cats I used to get them boostered annually, but stopped after I lost a healthy female spayed cat after she had her booster at age 16. She started fitting, and went blind, and died within a week. I was told later by vet that the vaccine can cause adverse reactions. After this horrible experience, I stopped annual vaccinations for my remaining cat and dog after the first 3 years. There is now consensus among vets that annual shots are unnecessary. All the vet nurses I spoke to said the never vaccinated their cats after the first few years.

But, if an insurance makes it part of their terms and conditions that you do this every year, and you don't then they can refuse to pay.

I stopped insurance for my last cat (M&S) because of the rocketing cost of the premiums and also because he was healthy on the whole. The excess with M&S also rose from zero to £75 per claim at the time I cancelled. I also cancelled insurance for my dog around the same time, due to premium increase as well.