Petplan Free insurance

ac085

I know you can get 4 weeks free insurance with Petplan when buying from certain breeders and through certain vets.

I know petplan aren't the cheapest insurer so am thinking about getting insured for a year with a different one.

If my pet was to get ill/have an accident that meant using the petplan 4 weeks free wouldn't this mean that the condition would then be excluded from the next policy? As it would then be considered to be an existing condition.

Hope this makes as much sense as it does in my head.

krlyr

Yes, if the pet was to have an illness or injury in those 4 weeks, you would either need to continue with Petplan to remain covered, or accept that it will be an excluded condition with any other company, for the remainder of the dog's life (also bear in mind that insurers can try to link old conditions with new claims - so a sprain of a leg as a puppy could perhaps cause an insurer to refuse to pay out for arthritis in the same leg 2 years down the line if they decide the conditions were related).
Most insurers have a 14 day period at the start of all new policies where injury and illness is excluded too - so that could be 6 weeks you have to cross your fingers and hope for!
You could always start the new insurance at the 2 week mark so that the exclusion period is over by the time your Petplan insurance lapses, but obviously if your pet has a problem in those last 2 weeks and you decide to claim from Petplan, it will most likely be considered an exclusion from the new policy. If it's an on-going condition, you may be better cancelling the new policy (which may incur some admin fees) and continuing with Petplan to remain covered.

One thing to bear in mind is that Petplan have a good reputation for not increasing their premiums too much each year. Not to say it's guaranteed but the majority of people I've heard from said that they're very minimal - generally just inline with inflation. Cheaper policies often start cheaper but jump up in year 2 and you're in the same position if you've made a claim - stick with the higher price or have the condition excluded when you move elsewhere.

Oliver14

I would compare petplan with other insurers as in my experience they have a lot of exclusions compared to some others. After a lot of research I ended up insuring mine with animal friends as they had the cover we wanted at a good price.

http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/

They have been brilliant with us. One of our cats died a few months back (of natural causes) because we weren't claiming they were happy to stop the insurance and refunded a couple of months payments.

gettingready

Before anyone goes with Animal Friends - pls google the company as see their reviews.

Fridaycat

ac085 wrote: »

I know you can get 4 weeks free insurance with Petplan when buying from certain breeders and through certain vets.

I know petplan aren't the cheapest insurer so am thinking about getting insured for a year with a different one.

If my pet was to get ill/have an accident that meant using the petplan 4 weeks free wouldn't this mean that the condition would then be excluded from the next policy? As it would then be considered to be an existing condition.

Hope this makes as much sense as it does in my head.

I had the PetPlan 4 weeks free insurance when I got my two Bengal cats and then decided to continue the cover with them. I then got the next month free, so a total of two months free. Of course nothing is certain in life (that's why we have insurance) but the chances of anything happening in the first 2 months of having a pet are fairly slim - if you've bought from a reputable breeder of course

*Scarlett

Check on the comparison sites and also directly through insurers' websites so that you don't miss any that don't use the comparison sites.

Be aware that the cheapest is almost certainly not the best. You need to check the cover carefully. Make sure you get "lifetime" cover and an adequate claims amount. Also check that the excess is one that you can afford to pay.

You might want to have a look here to help you decide

http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/pet-insurance/

Also this site allows you to check star ratings and compare policy features.

http://www.defaqto.com/guides/insurance/pet-insurance-guide/