Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

elsien

flang wrote:

Im considering getting insurance for my cat however i dont know what breed it is, how do i find out? what should i look for in insurance?
Thanks

If it hasn't got a pedigree certificate, don't worry about the breed. (I'm assuming it's the same for cats as dogs) It'll be cheaper without the pedigree.

Look at the extras - are you paying for things you don't need eg boarding while you're in hospital, if there's someone else who can do that for you

What is the excess that you have to pay?
Does the age of the animal make a difference?
What is covered and what is excluded - like any insurance this can differ, but routine vaccinations, teeth cleaning, pre-existing conditions are usually ruled out.

How much are you covered for?- there are different levels you can choose, but be aware that although £1000 a year payout sound a lot, an operation or referral to a specialist can come to a lot more.

Is the cover ongoing over the life of the cat, or will they pay up for 12 months and then exclude.

My brain has now died - hope this helps but I'm sure I've missed something.

Guinea_2

We have our pet insurance with Marks and Spencers. They have been good for us.

relay

Have a look on this thread i started a while ago, it may be helpful.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=322274

pboae

elsien wrote:

If it hasn't got a pedigree certificate, don't worry about the breed. (I'm assuming it's the same for cats as dogs) It'll be cheaper without the pedigree.QUOTE]

For insurance purposes a dog is classed as a 'pedigree' when both parents were the same breed, regardless of whether it is a true pedigree or not. If you insure your dog as a crossbreed, and your insurance co find out it is a pure breed, then they will most likely refuse to pay out.

Also, some insurers (including M&S and I think Petplan) class certain crossbreeds (e.g. lurchers) as 'pedigrees' as well. So it is always advisable to check.

I insure with M&S, they aren't any cheaper than Petplan now for my dog, but the no excess policy is still good value.

Princess_Fiona_2

Im with M&S as well. Just got my renewal through today. Update from them there is now £50 excess to pay on claims. But Im still sticking with them. Did the usual checks and they still offer the best policy for my staffie.

pboae

Princess_Fiona wrote:

Im with M&S as well. Just got my renewal through today. Update from them there is now £50 excess to pay on claims. But Im still sticking with them. Did the usual checks and they still offer the best policy for my staffie.

Are you sure? They have rewritten the letters so that they are very confusing and sound like there is an excess to pay, but if you read your policy schedule there should be a line near the bottom saying excess is reduced to nil. If in doubt, give them a ring, but I have just renewed mine and still have a no excess policy (although the letter made it sound like I didn't!)

relay

I think you can still opt out of paying the excess on M&S pet insurance but to be honest i don't understand why people are so against paying the excess anyway, surely we can't expect insurers to pay every single penny for our pets healthcare?

My Rottweiler puppy is insured with NFU mutual and the premium is the lowest i could find, they give ongoing cover for the entire lifetime of the pet & i only pay an excess of £40 and quite frankly if people can't afford to pay the first £40 then there are always the free blue cross & RSPCA centres who ask for a donation to treat sick animals.

I just think if people want the very best healthcare for their pets then they must be prepared to at least pay something toward costs if the pet becomes seriously ill or has an accident.


Mark.

Jostick

goonieman wrote:

Only advice i can give is avoid E&L!
Biggest bunch of incompetant muppets i've ever had to deal with.

It is unfair to refer to this as advice, it should be an ORDER!!

Unfortunately this company appears at the top of the lists for cheap pet insurance every time which tends to attract us money savers. BUT the monthly premiums are lunar months not calender and that is not reflected in the calculations.
During the first few months of having insurance with the company they informed me that my policy had been "improved" and as a result they would be collecting a higher premium; the opt out clause was buried but I did manage to reject the offer. Do they call this inertia selling?
A claim that I made in October and has been agreed has still not been paid despite 3 'phone calls and a letter (copy below). They did send a £25 cheque for my trouble!
Did you know that if you complain to the FSA about an insurance company the company is charged over £600 to supply the FSA with the relevent paperwork?;)

Extracts of my letter...

Firstly, for the avoidance of doubt I would ask you to formally accept this correspondence as a Complaint under your firm’s complaints procedure. I would also ask you to note that I take exception to the fact that when I telephoned on 27th November 2006 asking for a copy of your Complaints Procedure, advising you that I felt disposed to making a complaint, I was advised that I needed to put this request in writing. I would remind you that the Financial Services Authority rules provide under DISP 1.2.1 that you should have procedures to handle ‘any expression of dissatisfaction whether oral or written’

I refer you to my claim under the above reference and specifically to your letter dated 17th October 2006 agreeing settlement £148.46. I accepted the settlement of this amount by e-mail on 20th October 2006, the date of receipt of your letter.

Some 5 weeks later, having made one chasing telephone call in the interim and having still not received payment, I telephone again on 27th November 2006. I was advised that whilst my claim was acknowledged and being processed there had been a high level of claims and not to expect payment for at least another two weeks. Again, it seems necessary to remind you of your regulators rules which under ICOB 7.5.18 states ‘the insurer should aim to make payment within 5 business days after the insurer and the retail customer have agreed settlement terms’ and under ICOB 7.3.3/SYSC 3.2 requires systems and controls to be in place to cover claims handling which, for example, should ‘take account of reasonably foreseeable peaks in demand, to allow it to deal with claims promptly in such circumstances’ In view of the comments made during the telephone call to your offices making it clear that this delay did not only affect my claim but that of other policy holders and also taking into account the circumstances surrounding an earlier claim in respect of another animal, it would seem that you have a systemic failure which, I would suggest, should be notified as a breach to the regulators.

I have grave concerns as to the length of time taken for this insurance contract to perform in accordance with the terms of its cover.

I expect to receive payment for the outstanding claim to be received by return of post and any subsequent claim to be dealt with properly in accordance with the rules of your firm’s regulators.

Still waiting!

DebtphobicDeirdre

Anyone got a mid-priced or cheap insurer that gives great service? I am thinking of a sort of fudge to get cheap insurance and then putting some money aside each month as well to pay for anything the cheap insurance will not cover. I have a healthy 3 yr old Standard Poodle. We were quoted £7.76 for E&L and £9.33 for Argos.

Keanosafc

Sainsburys pet insurance have upped my monthly premium from £10.50 to £25 per month. I've had no claims on the dog. Just searched through moneysupermarket and got a quote from E + L pet insurance for £11 per month for the gold standard.

Does anyone know if these are a reputable company or if there are any other companys or search engines out there for my dog.

(tried m and s they came up with £400+ a year)