Pet Insurance Recommendations Please

[akitas]

Thanks for the info. All mine are insure with M&S for the same reason, Alex. I just changed Max over from Petpals to M&S.

If they remove the NIL excess from all policies I will move them all over either to Petpals or Halifax has a good offer too.

 

I knew M&S removed the nil excess for new policies, but thought they leave them with the older ones. I pay a fortune for Larkin, then I rather cancel his

And except for Jake, I never claimed for any of them.

[lucyandmeg]

I emailed them jsut to check, because i thought they would only stop the nil excess for new policies, and am shocked when i was told it was all existing renewals too, what a way to treat loyal customers! Trouble is i have claimed for so many things now that i am stuck with them.

[AnnK]

I have my 5 insured with M&S. When they come up for renewal I will be looking elsewhere too.

 

I think AXA are the underwriters for Sainsbury's too.

[Jemimap]

This is the best placed to start Pet Insurance Brokers

 

They are independent and have access to most of the market. If you tell them what you are looking for they will find the best policy for you.

 

HTH

[reds]

Halifax look good to me (sorry if it's already been mentioned)

[akitas]

Can you cancel a policy before renewal???

Because then I take mine rather somewhere else, before I need to claim.

[merledogs]

I think AXA are the underwriters for Sainsbury's too.

I don't have a problem with Axa per se - but if I am going to have to pay excess then I will switch to Sainsbury's because it's cheaper and the cover is comparable.

 

Can you cancel a policy before renewal???

Because then I take mine rather somewhere else, before I need to claim.

Do you pay monthly or have you paid the annual premium?

 

Looked at Halifax this morning - for the comparable cover they are more expensive than Sainsbury's.

 

Thanks for the Pet Insurance brokers linky - will have a nosey there too

Edited July 26, 2007 by madmerle

[Yantan]

I think I am going to swap Archie's insurance from M&S now so am following this thread closely. I don't have the big lad, George, insured as he has too many existing conditions and because of his epilepsy he doesn't get vaxed anymore. I don't suppose anyone has come across an insurance company that would accept cases like this (without a huge premium!)

 

Marion

[Maria]

I am now 'stuck' with M&S as if i moved both would have too any exclusions....

 

However, I am thinking of raising a complaint with them, on the basis that I only chose to insure Smudge with them because for an extra premium I had the reassurance of the nil excess.I will check on paperwork, but I don't believe that they ever made it sufficiently clear that they might withdraw the nil excess for existing customers,( in which case they have lured customers in on a misleading basis). Now those of us who chose to pay extra for a nil excess, but who have had to claim, will find ourselves paying more still, and are stuck with them. I think they have been luring people in on potentially 'false' pretences. I will also complain that they are not notifying all existing customers of the proposed change, thereby increasing the number of people who will be 'stuck' because they may make a claim between now and the end of their policy......

 

May not get anywhere, but if maybe if enough people complain.........?

[akitas]

I don't have a problem with Axa per se - but if I am going to have to pay excess then I will switch to Sainsbury's because it's cheaper and the cover is comparable.

Do you pay monthly or have you paid the annual premium?

 

Looked at Halifax this morning - for the comparable cover they are more expensive than Sainsbury's.

 

Thanks for the Pet Insurance brokers linky - will have a nosey there too

 

 

I think Axa underwrites lots of insurances.

 

Alex, I pay monthly.

[Brindlebabe]

Ours due for renewal in October with M&S. It is totally wrong not to inform existing customers. We haven't claimed for this year on any of ours. Do preconditions like having a dewclaw tended last forever? If so that's plain daft. I feel really let down. They've made money out out of me!

[Tempest]

May not get anywhere, but if maybe if enough people complain.........?

 

Maria I'm happy to complain too so if you want to pass me any details of who you speak to let me know

[houndzrus]

I'm with M&S for Cherry because of the nil excess. Spike is with sainsburys because he has a pre -existing condition. their premiums shot up last year, but they paid up quickly when I made a claim.

[Fee]

I mentioned to my vet a few months ago that I was thinking of swapping Taz and Sophie to M&S because they were quite a bit cheaper than PetPlan.

 

He suggested waiting - he said he's seen new pet insurance policies come and go over many years, they tend to start off cheap until they have a large customer base then pump up the prices relying on the fact that people won't be bothered to change, or animals will have ongoing conditions which mean people can't change and still get cover.

 

At the time I thought he was being over cynical (and possibly on commission from PayPal), but it's looking as though he might have been right.

 

I'll stick with PetPlan - not necessarily the cheapest but a very good level of cover and they have paid up some pretty massive claims very quickly and with no quibble; they've also been in the pet insurance market a long time without imposing any huge price increases or changing their policy conditions.

[Maria]

Maria I'm happy to complain too so if you want to pass me any details of who you speak to let me know

 

I have emailed them under the 'product enquiry' screen, and am looking at FSA / ombudsman sites too. When I get get a reply I'll probably then make a complaint in writing.

I basically said that if I had known that there was any possibility they would remove this option I may not have chosen this policy...but am now effectively tied in due to what could be construed as a 'loss leader'.I believe they did not adequately highlight this as a possibility, as it was their 'unique selling point' and therefore the policy was, in my view misleading (all phrases I've found on the FSA / ombudsman sites). (though I expect they will say the wording of the policy booklet allows them to make any changes you they like).I also said that I am disappointed as I had previously thought M&S was a company of integrity, and regardless of the underwriter, the product is marketed and sold in their name......

 

 

 

I thought this was interesting in relation to them not telling all policy holders about their decision immediately......from the FSA site

 

'We can challenge firms that use unfair terms in their standardised customer contracts. Standardised customer contracts are contracts that haven’t been individually negotiated between the firm and you, the customer'

 

' An unfair term may, for example:

 

* allow the firm to change the terms of the contract, without telling you why or without giving you notice at the earliest opportunity so you can leave the contract immediately; ' (my highlighting)

 

I think this could be relevant as if someone had taken out a policy in say April this year, and isn't told about this, then they could make a claim before the renewal which would effectively bind them to M&S....whereas if they are told now, they have the option to cancel and move elsewhere........

 

I may not get anywhere by complaining, but don't think there's any harm in trying?