Avoid Marks and Spencer Pet Insurance

chaka

Take out M&S Pet Insurance at your peril and ONLY if you consider a 163% increase in annual premiums a good thing

I was delighted when I first took out M&S insurance for my new Ridgeback pup in Feb 2007 at £13 per month, but after a hike in premiums by 34% because of "spiralling vets' fees" in 2008 and now a further hike of 163% to nearly £50 per month this year (They now tell me they had undervalued their premiums in previous years), I would not recommend this totally uncompetitive company to anyone. I advise shopping around elsewhere at any number of reputable companies supplying the same product at half the price.

David

P.S. I am not in any position to take advantage of a more competitive quote because of the pre-existing condition clause whereby another company would not cover my pet for a skin allergy.

blake1001

We have two Huskies, one 10 months old and another 18 months old. We have insurance with M&S for both of them which costs £45 per month for the two. I chose this policy because of the excellent T's & C's, basically we are covered for everything.

Our youngest became very sick 4 months ago and despite £1000 of vet treatment he never improved, we were referred to a private specialist who diagnosed him with Inflamed Bowel Syndrome. We are still going through treatment but M&S have been EXCELLENT, they paid the £1000 back to us within 10 days (minus £70 excess) and the specialist has claimed over £5000 directly from M&S in the past 2 months. I am so glad that we took out this cover. We have been to 3 vets and all of them have commented on how fast M&S pay up, we've had no issues at all. If we were with a non reputable insurer the specialist said they would not be willing to claim direct. Paying out £5000 to the specialist and waiting for this to be refunded by M&S would have been a bit nerve wrecking, I'm so glad M&S offered to pay direct.

Not sure what the renewals will be like but as it is now an existing condition we are tied to M&S for at least one of our pets. The older dog we could move to a competitor if need be - why are people complaining about renewals, surely as long as there isn't a pre-existing condition you are free to move around. I understand if you had a fixed annual cost but not many insurers offer this. If our youngest's insurance doubles it will still be worth it, as treatment is continuing it is likely that we will be claiming the full £7k allowance again next year.

Insurance is something you take out to protect yourself if something bad happens. I would be very frustrated, and half expected M&S to try to get out of paying but this was not the case, they are excellent, I would strongly recommend them to anyone.

LellyMc

I've just had my renewal come in from M&S for one of my dogs . They wanted to increase the annual premium to 269.79 even though we have never claimed a penny. This was a rise of seven pounds a month
Just got a quote from Axa and it comes in at 125.09 which is less than half of what M&S want. Just phoned M&S to cancel their policy and wasnt even asked why?????

devildog

I personally wouldn't use Pet Plan. Was with them for some 8 years and the premium escalated and on the last renewal it was just under £50 pm! (never had a claim either) Didn't think that I would be able to get another insurance plan for an older dog but after shopping around I did and it was more than £30 less per month!!! Cover was just as good, infact I would go as far as to say it was actually better. Unfortunately the next year the premiums increased(not massively but enough) so I opted to stop insurance altogether.
if you need to make a massive claim or your pet has an ongoing condition(and your insurance will cover this) it is wise to have cover in place.
Unfortunately I believe that vets have some responsibilities regarding the high premiums here too, even simple treatments do not come cheap.

Moreta

I tolerated all the changes and soaring premiums of my M&S policy taken out in 2005 because one of my dogs had a pre-existing condition from 2007 (squamous cell carcinoma) and because by the time the underwriters had changed she was over 10 years old and would be difficult to insure with anyone else.

She has been referred to the Animal Health Trust because they suspect that another mouth condition could be cancerous. I telephoned M&S, just to confirm that I was covered, and I was immediately told that as the computer showed that my policy migrated to them in November 2008 I was not covered for that pre-existing condition. Apparently they consider the policy to have "migrated" with the change of underwriter.

I spoke to someone else, who had access to all my records, and she said that they could probably pay up as my insurance with M&S Pets had been continuous and as the condition is one that has developed from a condition that has been treated under the new policy....but it has left a bitter taste as I am already paying well over £1000 for both dogs, + excess + 20% of any treatment I wouldn't expect this stress as well.

I was going to insure my two cats with M&S, but I won't do that now. And I will certainly stop recommending them to anyone else!

sparklymessygirl

OMG - that is deeply troubling. I am with them and have been for a decade and like you they have me over a barrel. Haven't made any big claims either. Both dogs have developed conditions whilst with them so we cannot move them. One is having surgery tomorrow - they had better pay up. I am paying a fortune every month.

Sparkly

Sooz00

Hi all - I'm having a really hard time of it with M&S and if I can help anyone else when choosing their policy as a result of my experience then at least it wont be a waste.

My reasons are not the fees/excesses etc. but the ridiculous so called definitions they use. Now I'm not taking about the T&Cs as such but a page that they title Definitions.

I changed policies a couple of years ago, having always used PetPlan. When researching policies, I specifically asked about complementary therapy and hydrotherapy as having known dogs that have needed this, I wanted to make sure I was covered. "Yes...' I was told 'up to £1000 every year as long as you keep renewing....' I thought it was great, PetPlan was only £750 and about £8 a month more expensive at the time. M&S were coming up top with the price against level of cover and I thought I couldn't go wrong with the M&S brand. Boy, how wrong could I be?

Two years into the policy, my gorgeous 5 year old rescued cross breed started to limp and get stiff after exercise and so I took her to my vet. He x-rayed and sent them off to a specialist who diagnosed OCD and DJD in her hocks. We were referred on for CT scan to see if surgically they could help. It turns out that at this early stage, surgery is not appropriate and we are better to manage the condition with supplements and hydrotherapy to do our best to keep her symptoms under control and stop it getting worse when it would then need drastic surgical intervention.

So, I speak to M&S to inform them at which point I'm told I'm not covered. The reason I am not covered is because M&S and their underwriters have a completely different definition of hydrotherapy to the rest of the world, i.e. it is WRONG!!! Apparently hydrotherapy is not treatment of ailments using water therapy (as you'll find in any good dictionary, medical or otherwise), it is (according to M&S) 'swimming and water treadmill sessions immediately before and after surgery....' Before or after surgery being all important.

I feel completely stupid. I took out this policy in good faith. Whilst I did read my summary T&Cs, I skim read the definitions and only read things I didn't already know. I KNOW what hydrotherapy means, we had dogs in the family that had it for hip dysplasia. Why would I need to read a definition if I knew what it was already???? I know the colour blue is blue, why would I need to look that up? I know a dog is a dog, why would I look that up? When I spoke to their advisor and specifically asked about the cover, I wasn't told of any conditions applying to it or that they had a different definition to the rest of the world. Now I need them, they're all too quick to point to definitions, rules and regulations.

What is ridiculous is that if we can't get her the hydrotherapy she needs, her condition will deteriorate and she will, at some point, need either joint fusion or full hock replacement. The latter would be the most likely and give her the best mobility but that will mean her going off to a different specialist - The Bionic Vet (Fitzpatrick referrals) - and will cost them £1000s more (possibly £10-12,000) than the £40 a week for the hydro and be at the detriment to my dog's health. They are clearly bonkers!

I am speaking to M&S and have my vet and specialist's (a RCVS European Specialist) who both support me in challenging their definition. I just don't want other people to get caught out. My other dog is now safely back with PetPlan. Ok, it's now £10 a month more expensive but I they have always been wonderful in the past with my cats and also actually ask, maybe even care, how your pet is.

So anyway, I am on a mission. Do not trust M&S at all. They could not care less about your pet and have no common sense whatsoever. They look or every possible reason not to cover you.

If anyone does have any advice about how I can go forward in my challenge, please post or let me know.

Thanks,

Suzy (rather upset right now) and Poppy (asleep in bed and none the wiser right now).

tony1247

Hi all

I have a different view of M&S pet insurance.

I took out their premier insurance £30 per month in November last year 2010. By Jan 2011 i was claiming for my German shepherd to undergo major heart surgery.
My local vet, a specialist vet and the RVC have all made direct claims and had instant payment from them with no hassle.
Total cost of payouts this year almost £7000
My shepherd is now on medication for the rest of her life and the meds come to around £400 per month as a minimum.
In the year i have contributed £360 FOR $7000 WORTH OF CLAIMS.
I was concerned about the ongoing reclaim as she will be on meds for the rest of her life and simply told me to just keep claiming as long as i pay me £70 excess each year they will pay out.
I queried the fact that the claim may possibly increase the premiums but they have assured me that this years premiums will remain fairly static.
If you are looking for cheap pet insurance, there is no such thing. You get what you pay for and surely our pets are worth every penny.
My German would have been long gone if not for M&S pet insurance as we wouldn't have been able to pay the local vet let alone the £5k RVC bill
Very few company's offer ongoing year on year renewal of the same complaint - M&S do and as such i will stay with them until they prove me wrong.

boxers

My dog has a heart problem which is controled with tablets, that is the only condition he has but M & S raised our premiums to £165 per month 5 times the price of the tablets. Your premiums will go through the roof too you wait and see

blake1001 wrote: »

We have two Huskies, one 10 months old and another 18 months old. We have insurance with M&S for both of them which costs £45 per month for the two. I chose this policy because of the excellent T's & C's, basically we are covered for everything.

Our youngest became very sick 4 months ago and despite £1000 of vet treatment he never improved, we were referred to a private specialist who diagnosed him with Inflamed Bowel Syndrome. We are still going through treatment but M&S have been EXCELLENT, they paid the £1000 back to us within 10 days (minus £70 excess) and the specialist has claimed over £5000 directly from M&S in the past 2 months. I am so glad that we took out this cover. We have been to 3 vets and all of them have commented on how fast M&S pay up, we've had no issues at all. If we were with a non reputable insurer the specialist said they would not be willing to claim direct. Paying out £5000 to the specialist and waiting for this to be refunded by M&S would have been a bit nerve wrecking, I'm so glad M&S offered to pay direct.

Not sure what the renewals will be like but as it is now an existing condition we are tied to M&S for at least one of our pets. The older dog we could move to a competitor if need be - why are people complaining about renewals, surely as long as there isn't a pre-existing condition you are free to move around. I understand if you had a fixed annual cost but not many insurers offer this. If our youngest's insurance doubles it will still be worth it, as treatment is continuing it is likely that we will be claiming the full £7k allowance again next year.

Insurance is something you take out to protect yourself if something bad happens. I would be very frustrated, and half expected M&S to try to get out of paying but this was not the case, they are excellent, I would strongly recommend them to anyone.

at685

Same here - it's so sad. First they said they covered treatment and then declined to pay (after I paid for it) and now they have raised our premium 4 times. When I called for clarification they said it was due to the market which aI assume is a outright lie. The sad thing is that our dog is 10 with some arthritis issues and so nobody will cover him. Without the treatment he is suffering - this was the whole point of the insurance in the first place.

Not sure if there are any honest insurance companies for dogs but do yourselves a favour and avoid M&S.

boxers wrote: »

My dog has a heart problem which is controled with tablets, that is the only condition he has but M & S raised our premiums to £165 per month 5 times the price of the tablets. Your premiums will go through the roof too you wait and see