Animal Friends - anyone insured with them and tried to put claim in recently?

gettingready

I have seen online reviews - mostly really bad I have to say - so not looking for internet links thanks.

Has anyone on this forum been insured with them and put any claims recently?

My friend is having ptoblems with them so want to find out other people's recent experiences?

Thanks lot

coinxoperated

I have dog insurance with them but I've not yet had to make a claim. I've been considering moving while my dog is healthy as the reviews are so terrible. John Lewis's policies sound the best, but rarely do people post reviews on the 'net about something that went well....

gettingready

My friend got caught into their "all for charity" image as she is a softie and now looks like they will wriggle out when the dog insured with them needs an op....

No wonder they have so much money for charities when they use money people pay them but they hardly ever pay up when someoen makes a claim.

I looked at masses of online reviews and the good ones they have are only from people who never had to make a claim so far - those people sing praises of customer service etc etc.

People who had to claim - seem to be all very dissapointed.

I just worry about my friend and her dog.. sigh...

coinxoperated

Yeah I've noticed they are seemingly spinning there way out of ever paying any claims. I've just renewed (march) but as my dog is still young (3) and he's never off lead I'll wait until next year and move. No doubt if I try now they'll blast me with fees.

In truth, I didn't give two stuffs about the 'we give to charity' claims. Yeah, it's always nice to help the less fortunate, but I'm I'm no financial position to give cash away to charities and I feel it should be an option.


Especially when they don't pass any savings there making from screwing pet owners over to there customers.

My opinion of them has gone down the lav!

gettingready

There should be no penalties for cancelling early if you did not claim anything - if you did they will deduct amount of claim.

If I was you, I would move insurance now not wait a year.

Just make sure you have 2 weeks overlap as new policy kiks in after 14 days (normally) so do not cancel AF till your new one is in place for 2 weeks.

I have cancelled 5 out my 6 cats with Atgos and did not pay a penny. MOved them to Petplan.

One cat and dog stayed with Argos as both now have pre-existing conditions as can not move those.

dogtails

I think they are all about the same really. I must say that I looked at all the reviews for most of the top insurers and none of them were particulary great. I guess it's one of those things where people don't tend to comment on the possitive only the negative. After all who's ever going to comment posstively about having a claim declined? I'm insured with Petplan, not bad but not always good either.

gettingready

AF have masses af REALLY bad reviews though

hollie_blue

im with animal friends and just put in a claim and was declined. phoned the vet and they said that theyre trying to find any reason not to pay out. the reson they gave to decline the claim isnt even relevent to her new condition. do not use this company!!!

muskey_2

My 6 year old cat was insured starting 1/9/11 and I totally accepted that pre existing conditions were not covered and have not tried to claim for such.
He has a history of getting rhinitis after vomiting which is occasional but does need steroids and injections to clear it up. This clears within 7 days.

Last month he vomited and we took him straight to the vet as he was displaying the rhinitis symptoms.After a week where he was getting steadily worse which is completely contrary to previous bouts he was kept at the vets for a few days. As he was not eating and struggling to breathe through his nose swabs were taken to see what could be done as no antibiotics were touching it nor the steroids.Nothing found.
As he has an enlarged heart any attempts to anaethestise and investigate are a final resort as they could easily be fatal. Before he was diagnosed with the heart condition years before he had had investigations which showed he had no growths ,foreign bodies or abnormalities in his nose so it was purely an allergic reaction.

Eventually after daily vet visits,5 injections a day(steroid,antibiotics,vitamins,anti-vomit and an antacid) hand feeding of babyfood and 3 weeks of sleepless nights we all decided(vet included) that we would have to knock him out and investigate as it was a final chance, the only other option was to put him to sleep. He was fighting this so hard we were all reluctant to give up on him as he clearly was fighting it and was not ready to give up.
He was duly anaethetised and a camera used but no abnormatilites found, then his nostrils were flushed and one was entirely blocked. The pressure increased and a huge festering furball came out. Cat came round and after a few days of heavy antibiotic cocktails is better than new.

Initially I was making no claims for the £2000 + treatmentas we all thought it was the rhinitis but now the vet has said it is totally unconnected is a complete one off and no one has ever seen or heard of it.He must have vomited a furball which was propelled with force up his nose instead of out of his mouth and was jammed solid. Foreign bodies had been ruled out initially as he does not go out and is not a plant eater.

So animal friends response is because of his history he is not covered for this 'pre existing' condition, in fact they have the nerve to apply a back dated to 1/9/11 condition that his entire respiratory system is not covered due to previous! This cannot surely be legal to change a policy when the wording is in black and white on the original agreement as pre-existing conditions are not covered. The vet wrote afully explanatory letter with the claim stating that it was a completely unconnected incident and was not in any way related to rhinitis and was in fact a foreign body(albeit home grown !)
So I can only presume if for example in the future he has a lung problem they will not cover it as although he has never had a lung issue it is all part of the respiratory system.
We will of course appeal (anyone got a letter template for this)but avoid this load like the plague and any advice would be gratefully accepted.

gettingready

Sorry to hear about that.. glad the cat is better though.

I forgot to update, AF have agreed to pay my friend's claim for her dog's hip replacement. The dog was insured for 4k only and they will pay about 3300, my friend will pay the difference herself.

Fire_Fox

Welcome! Sorry to read this but TBH it does sound like a fairly standard case of pre-existing condition: both the rhinitis and foreign body were caused by regurgiated matter going into the nasal cavity. As unfair as it may sound many insurers exclude any conditions in entire organ or tissue when there has been a seemingly non related one in that same organ or tissue, which is why it is wise to insure a pet at a young age. I don't think you should assume an entire system is excluded without clarifying with your insurer.