Pet Insurance

[Boogie]

We were paying 38 a month with John Lewis. Tatze is now 5 and this year it shot up to £56. So we shopped around and moved to LV. We now pay 36 for the same cover.

(We are lucky as Tatze has no pre-existing conditions)

Our last dog, Callum, cost the insurance £7,000 for an eye op. There’s no way we could afford or save that sort of money. So we insure our dogs until they are old and we know we wouldn’t put them through an anaesthetic whatever happened.

 

[Jen]

I’m reluctant to move because I thought anything you had been to the vet for could be deemed a pre existing condition?

Stanleys premiums aren’t too high right now but by the looks of it they’ll start going up in the next few years

 

[edzbird]

Thanks for the prod @UncleBob - we are self-funding rather than taking out insurance, but I meant to take out the public liability insurance a good while ago. I've done it now. Peace of mind.

 

[snowbunny]

I would call your insurer and complain about the hikes. Most insurers will lower your premium if you talk to them about it. Not talking specifically about pet insurance here, but it's likely the same thing. They have low prices to attract new customers but then put them up well above the rate of inflation once you're signed up. Threaten to leave and see what they will do for you.

 

[Mrs UB]

I would call your insurer and complain about the hikes. Most insurers will lower your premium if you talk to them about it. Not talking specifically about pet insurance here, but it's likely the same thing. They have low prices to attract new customers but then put them up well above the rate of inflation once you're signed up. Threaten to leave and see what they will do for you.

This works very well with many things - I've had great success with electricity, telephone & Internet, AA membership, Sky tv. I tried with Argos for the pet insurance after last year's big hike and they wouldn't budge. Other providers may be more flexible. @UncleBob

 

[Boogie]

I tried that with John Lewis. I told them what I’d been quoted by LV and they said that’s what they gave new customers but couldn’t change my quote at all

 

[Jacqui-S]

We tried with Argos too and it was no budge at all.

 

[snowbunny]

Ah, poop. I guess they know you'll be unwilling to put your pets' healthcare at risk, whereas it's easy to change home contents provider

 

[Charlie]

My renewal came through last week, gone up from £640 per year for two dogs to £800 Petplan have been good and paid out for Charlie's accident of £2000 no problem. The issue is Hattie is 11 years old now and Charlie will soon be 8 years old so that's the reason for the increase. I am thinking along the lines of one more year insurance for Hattie and just pay out for anything that should happen. @snowbunny I tried calling them last year when my policy increased they weren't having any of it but I still find them better than anyone else I have used. My vet also agreed and said that they absolutely do not increase premiums if you put in a claim. It's based on the breed of dog, the age and increasing vet fees xx

 

[Naya]

I’ve been with Direct Line since we got Harley and in all honesty they have paid out with no quibbles at all. We have paid for a few things ourselves, like X-rays last year, but have claimed the following over the past 5 years;
£1200 emergency spay
£552 several blood tests, skin scrape, allergy tests, 4 courses of antibiotics
£675 X-rays on rear legs and tail
£890 emergency appointment out of hours, hospitalised for 3 days , on a drip, tests, meds etc

My premiums only went up about £2.50 per month this year and she is now 5 years old. Our excess is only £80 and they haven’t excluded her from anything that she has previously had issues with like some insurers do.

 

[Atemas]

So the annual pet insurance rears its head again today . I have had no email by Many Pets to say what this years premium will be. Instead an email stating they have tried to take payment of £681.79 unsuccessfully. I have to authorise payment by my bank or the policy will be cancelled in 14 days. Last year I paid £544.94. This is an eye watering rise of £136.85. I know rising costs means rising premiums but I have never claimed and this seems excessive. I don’t claim for Apoquel for Red’s seasonal allergy which is horribly expensive and I won’t claim for her descale and polish so I think I’m going to have to look at just accident insurance for her. I really hate having to deal with this and am not brave enough to just not insure her.

 

[Selina27]

I know Alison , it's not nice.
I have the premium with Many pets where I get 20% of my payment back if I don't claim.
I am awaiting that payment any day. Of course the premium has gone up , but I will get half the difference back for not claiming, if that makes sense!

 

[kateincornwall]

Reubens policy with Tesco has gone up, due to the C word but is still only 30 pounds a month which I dont think is too bad considering two large claims . I wouldnt have the nerve to cancel it, he is such a tank and would be bound to need Vet care if I did Nelly is practically uninsurable due to all her complex conditions , we just keep money aside for her , it is a minefield for sure xx

 

[Atemas]

it's not nice.

No it’s not. Think I should have had an email saying what the premium will be and why the increase - felt rather brutal waking up to the email they did send me

it is a minefield for sure

Ugh I hate it. Will need to do some comparisons

 

[Selina27]

No it’s not. Think I should have had an email saying what the premium will be and why the increase - felt rather brutal waking up to the email they did send me

That does seem a bit strange, I'm pretty sure that I had a months notification that the premium was going up, I must have done because I did look at other options but stayed with MP. I pay mine by DD

Have you looked at their other policies? Maybe you don't have to stay with that one to get the cover you need?

 

[Atemas]

I'm pretty sure that I had a months notification that the premium was going up

No nothing - always check junk mail too. I will look at their other policies though thank you @Selina27

 

[Atemas]

Why do companies hide behind their websites? No telephone number so I can speak to someone at Many Pets. I have messaged them so will see what response I get. Then will look at other companies. Any recommendations please?

 

[Jacqui-S]

I just have public liability insurance for Lilly now
Costs hiked up enormously once she ws about 6.
Then of course she had lupus. So £££ but have enough pennies to cover this. Not sure if we were on a tight budget we would have been able to fund her specialist visits.
Definitely got to weigh up the pros and cons as an individual

 

[Stacia]

I just have public liability insurance for Lilly now
Costs hiked up enormously once she ws about 6.
Then of course she had lupus. So £££ but have enough pennies to cover this. Not sure if we were on a tight budget we would have been able to fund her specialist visits.
Definitely got to weigh up the pros and cons as an individual

Rourke is now 11 and has cost a fortune last year due arthrisit/lameness, I had £2,000 worth of insurance, which soon ran out! Insurance due again, do I insure him or just public liability? Decisions, decisions!

 

[Jen]

I’m with Argos platinum. We pay £58 a month which is a lot considering we’ve never claimed. I know the minute I cancelled it though Stanley would break his leg.

Just remember to consider you have to declare everything on her vet record to the new insurers as pre-existing conditions or they won’t be covered. I know so many people who have been bitten by that by changing insurance companies and when they’ve gone to claim they’ve said they’re not covered because of something on their record which wasn’t declared from years ago.