Halifax CANCELLED all Pet insurance - shocking!!

chrishome49

Halifax pet insurance have withdrawn all pet insurance policies with immediate effect and will not be continuing with any renewal.
I have had the same policy running for 10 years for my now palliative 11 year old Dalmatian who requires £200 medication per month, last emergency admission in September was £2000 due to her failing heart condition. She can be sustained as long as possible with medication.
Halifax have offered a new company who are happy to take on new customers however WILL NOT COVER ANY pre existing health conditions.
This has been a cost saving exercize for Halifax to do away with all pre existing customers and start new policies from afresh.
I am disgusted at this treatment and I am unsure how I will be able to meet to cost of my precious Sallys treatment.
I have taken this to Ombudsman and local media including Watchdog. I would appreciate any help and support with this matter.
Thank you.
Chris Law

NeverInDebt

I can understand how annoying it is for you but companies can decide to not do business if they so wish

They dont appear to be starting new polices from afresh you say. They have decided to not continue but will honour "for the remainder of your current Halifax Pet Insurance policy. Therefore if your pet has an accident or gets ill and needs treatment for a condition that is covered before the renewal date of your policy you will still be covered and your claim will be processed in the usual way."

Halifax just appear to be brokers anyway from what I can tell

http://www.halifax.co.uk/insurance/pet-insurance-help/

NeverInDebt

some more threads covering this

Halifax pet insurance ending (1 2 3)
Halifax Pet Insurance
Halifax dump pet insurance

One poster claims to have got some compensation

I am another unhappy halifax pet insurance customer, i sent email to halifax to complain about 2 weeks ago, they have just offered me £5000, compensation:j

source http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=47834073&postcount=7

Jonboy1968_2

Same has happend to me, My Toby is 11 and has a heart problem, cost around £34 a month, not a lot but whats around the corner, HALIFAX took on the issue, now they just dump it? can BUPA do the same?????
I shall be moving my 15 year bank account with the Halifax and have already stopped using there credit cards.
What they have also done is stop me using ANY BANK for insurance, all will now be proper insurance companies.

texranger

NeverInDebt wrote: »

I can understand how annoying it is for you but companies can decide to not do business if they so wish

They dont appear to be starting new polices from afresh you say. They have decided to not continue but will honour "for the remainder of your current Halifax Pet Insurance policy. Therefore if your pet has an accident or gets ill and needs treatment for a condition that is covered before the renewal date of your policy you will still be covered and your claim will be processed in the usual way."

Halifax just appear to be brokers anyway from what I can tell

http://www.halifax.co.uk/insurance/pet-insurance-help/

thye way i read it

Halifax is withdrawing from the pet insurance market and therefore Halifax Pet Insurance will no longer be available to new customers. Halifax has not taken this decision lightly and a lot of consideration has been given to how this can be done with as little impact to customers as possible.
In addition, the insurer of Halifax Pet Insurance (Agria International Försäkring AB) has decided that, from 24th September 2011, it will no longer offer to renew existing policies.

this really has nothing to do with Halifax as it seesm to be their underwritters (Agria International Försäkring AB) who have decided not to renew existing polices so Halifax seems to have just decided to withdraw from the market altogether, most likely rather than hunt for another competative underwritter.

HELEN75_2

I too am with the halifax with my westie who is 3yrs old and have been with them since 8 weeks of age, he has got chronic skin problems and anal gland issues that i have had up to now around £4000 in treatment and his skin is an ongoing problem that will stay with him for life as there is no cure for him, i am disgusted at the way they have treated there customers and many animals now are going to suffer for the sake of the underwriters pulling the plug, i paid extra each month for there xtra policy which gave you £6000 renewed each year for ongoing conditions and wanted the security that i would be covered for ongoing conditions but how wrong was i, don't know what i am going to do now no other insurance company will take pre existing conditions on which is understandable but i feel the underwriters taking on the policies 'petwise' should honour the pre existing conditions or not take halifax policies on at all.
I too have complained to the insurance ombudsman but won't be holding my breath and certainly won't be going with petwise as who knows they won't pull the plug when they feel like it like halifax have done, somebody on here reckons they have got compensated but don't know how they managed that!!!!

chrishome49

It's shocking and I'm devastated....unsure where to turn and how to be able to afford my old girls treatment. Almost £200 a month with high risk of regular £2000 emergency admission. The HALIFAX policy had been running continually for 10 years. I'm disgusted with them as the new 'alternative' from Petwise will not cover pre existing conditions!! I've written complaints to everyone, CEO of Halifax, Ombudsman, Watchdog, Newspapers. They can't get away with this!
Facebook group set up
It's shocking and I'm devastated....unsure where to turn and how to be able to afford my old girls treatment. Almost £200 a month with high risk of regular £2000 emergency admission. The HALIFAX policy had been running continually for 10 years. I'm disgusted with them as the new 'alternative' from Petwise will not cover pre existing conditions!! I've written complaints to everyone, CEO of Halifax, Ombudsman, Watchdog, Newspapers. They can't get away with this!
Facebook group set up: www. facebook.com/#!/groups/117695878339496/
and petition page: www. thepetitionsite.com/1/halifax-condemning-pets-to-death/
Please join both and spread the word. Halifax can't get away with this!
Chris Law

Aspiring_Writer

This thread reminded me of a story I read last week. Check this out...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/pet/8784009/Owners-bitten-by-pet-insurance.html

An anxious time for those with pets, especially those like the OP's and others.

As if life wasn't challenging enough right now.

scheming_gypsy

chrishome49 wrote: »

It's shocking and I'm devastated....unsure where to turn and how to be able to afford my old girls treatment. Almost £200 a month with high risk of regular £2000 emergency admission. The HALIFAX policy had been running continually for 10 years. I'm disgusted with them as the new 'alternative' from Petwise will not cover pre existing conditions!! I've written complaints to everyone, CEO of Halifax, Ombudsman, Watchdog, Newspapers. They can't get away with this!
Facebook group set up
It's shocking and I'm devastated....unsure where to turn and how to be able to afford my old girls treatment. Almost £200 a month with high risk of regular £2000 emergency admission. The HALIFAX policy had been running continually for 10 years. I'm disgusted with them as the new 'alternative' from Petwise will not cover pre existing conditions!! I've written complaints to everyone, CEO of Halifax, Ombudsman, Watchdog, Newspapers. They can't get away with this!
Facebook group set up: www. facebook.com/#!/groups/117695878339496/
and petition page: www. thepetitionsite.com/1/halifax-condemning-pets-to-death/
Please join both and spread the word. Halifax can't get away with this!
Chris Law

Don't renew with Petwise then, go with another insurer who will cover existing conditions. So I can't see what you're complaining about.

zebidee1

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Don't renew with Petwise then, go with another insurer who will cover existing conditions. So I can't see what you're complaining about.

No new insurer will cover existing conditions.

Aspiring_Writer

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Don't renew with Petwise then, go with another insurer who will cover existing conditions. So I can't see what you're complaining about.

Insurers don't cover pre-existing conditions. In fact, most human health Insurers won't cover pre-existing conditions.

And if you had a treasured pet who needed constant care I doubt you'd be as flippant. Especially if you were faced with being unable to get ongoing cover.