Haggling pet insurance?

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Just got my new insurance document for this year. I'm wondering whether anyone has haggled with their pet insurance company in the same way people haggle with car insurance?

Wellyboots6

No but it must be worth a try? Think I will give it a go this year as it's going up very steeply

StaffieTerrier

I managed to haggle my policy renewal down for my 9 year old cat. I did a quote as a new customer and managed to get them to drop the renewal within £5 of the quote, with a continuous policy.

Rev

Yes, I haggle every year. I've (thankfully) never claimed in 6 years, so have already paid them almost 3k for free.

Every year the policy goes up, every year I call and tell them I'm not happy as I've (thankfully) never claimed a penny and if they can't adjust it back to what it was then please cancel the policy.

Every year they give me a goodwill discount, my dogs are 6 now, I've been paying £16 per month per dog since they were 2. I'ts £16.xx now, can't remember exactly but it's gone up by less than £1 in 4 years.

If you don't try you will never know.

sallyj17

Totally agree.. always ask! If they say No you are not any worse off. Your chances are though much better if your pet has no pre-existing conditions as the insurer knows that you could always go elsewhere!

the_devil_made_me_do_it

My dog was a stray. He was microchipped 2004, so am unsure of his age. I've had him insured with Petplan since I got him 3 years ago. However, I have had to make a few claims as he had all sorts wrong with him.

Just got a renewal and the premium has gone up and the excess. Got me thinking does haggling with pet insurance companies work the same as with car insurance. I guess from your answers it does.

So am I better looking for quotes with other companies, then phoning Petplan and saying this is what I have found can you compete with it?

Never done it before other than with car to insurance.

StaffieTerrier

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

My dog was a stray. He was microchipped 2004, so am unsure of his age. I've had him insured with Petplan since I got him 3 years ago. However, I have had to make a few claims as he had all sorts wrong with him.

Just got a renewal and the premium has gone up and the excess. Got me thinking does haggling with pet insurance companies work the same as with car insurance. I guess from your answers it does.

So am I better looking for quotes with other companies, then phoning Petplan and saying this is what I have found can you compete with it?

Never done it before other than with car to insurance.

I've never been with Petplan but I always get a few quotes from different companies (plus use a comparison website). I also get a quote from my existing company, as if I was a new customer. If the new quote is cheaper than the renewal, and in line with quotes from other companies, that's the one I use to haggle them down.

I find it quite difficult to do a direct comparison between pet insurance providers. They all seem to vary so much between policies and the criteria.

jaylee3

You can haggle if you like, but insurance companies rarely drop the quote much if you are an old customer; they only care about getting new customers.

krlyr

Also bear in mind that once you claim, they hav you over a barrel - car and home insurance doesn't have the worry of pre-existing/on-going conditions. The insurers know that if you move, you won't be covered elsewhere (and double-check that if they do offer you same price as a new policy, that it's not to register as a new policy - excluding any pre-existing conditions) so may not be willing to haggle.

You could haggle and pricehop until the day you need to claim, of course, but bear in mind if you stay with a company known to whack its premiums up each year, one year they may have the leverage to say - nah, move if you want, your custom is actually costing us more than your premiums so we're not fussed if you threaten to leave.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

krlyr wrote: »

Also bear in mind that once you claim, they hav you over a barrel - car and home insurance doesn't have the worry of pre-existing/on-going conditions. The insurers know that if you move, you won't be covered elsewhere (and double-check that if they do offer you same price as a new policy, that it's not to register as a new policy - excluding any pre-existing conditions) so may not be willing to haggle.

You could haggle and pricehop until the day you need to claim, of course, but bear in mind if you stay with a company known to whack its premiums up each year, one year they may have the leverage to say - nah, move if you want, your custom is actually costing us more than your premiums so we're not fussed if you threaten to leave.

Your probably right. I might just leave it as it is.