Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I half suspect that I may not be able to ask about insurance. But if it doesn't contravene forum rules, I wonder if people can share their experiences?
I am collecting my pup in a couple of weeks and really would like to hear of any pitfalls with insurance or EVEN recommendations :
So, can we talk about insurance?

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

People often do.

The relevant forum rule is "no potentially damaging reviews" - I don't interpret that to mean people are prevented from sharing their experiences. Experiences that are not entirely positive are not necessarily damaging. Being balanced and sensible and fair is a good way to go though.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Great, anyone willing to share? ???

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

This is my experience:

My puppy came with 4 weeks free insurance from the Kennel Club. Great, I thought, I can worry about that a bit later.

When it came to renew that insurance at the end of the 4 weeks, I thought there were other packages that would suit me better. But realised that there were advantages in sticking with the original insurer, so thought I would just stick.

Anyway, as it turned out, there was a problem processing my card (an error in the number) and the Kennel Club said that I'd have to take a new policy, which removed the advantage of sticking with the original insurer.

So I took out a policy with petplan. That policy excluded cover for Charlie's eyes, because I'd taken him to the vet at 11 weeks as his eyes looked a bit sore. At the annual renewal of the policy, I've asked for that restriction to be lifted. I haven't heard back from them yet.

I recently came to make a large claim for Charlie's cruciate injury treatment. I was glad that I'd decided to go for a large excess, and maximum cover. All my claim was paid without query, even though I'd certainly made choices that increased the cost. The cost of extra check ups etc were paid without challenge. Some, but not all, of Charlie's hydrotherapy was covered.

I also tried to make a claim for some dermatologist appointments that had dealt with a recurring yeast infection in Charlie's ear, but was unsuccessful because I'd taken him to the vet within 14 days of applying for the petplan policy. This was clearly set out in the documents that I'd been sent, but I'd just forgotten and at the time didn't think to delay taking my dog to the vet because it mattered for the insurance.

For my next puppy, I will ignore the free insurance period, choose my preferred insurer and have the puppy covered by that company from the start. I would still make the same decisions about taking the maximum cover I could afford with a large excess because this best fits with the risk I want to insure against (something large and unaffordable, not day to day vet bills).

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I am with Direct Line and had to claim for Harley's tests and treatments when she had a poorly tummy. I didn't put a claim in until March, and they allowed all the back dated medical intervention to when it all started in January they paid out within 4 weeks too there are no exclusions on not being able to claim again for her tummy if she is poorly with it again

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Oh yes, Naya makes a good point - I was also very glad to have taken "lifetime" cover, which means Charlie is still covered for any future problems arising from a similar thing.

This makes switching insurance a more difficult decision though, and my premiums did increase on renewal (the covering letter said generally, and not specifically because I'd made a claim). Still though, I can pay the increasing premiums for years and still come out way ahead (although that's not the right way to look at insurance, you shouldn't buy it expecting to save money as that's not the way it works, but it is the situation I'm now in).

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I have made one claim for Lilly with her Argos Platinum Lifetime.
I think it is around £200 or fo per annum. We had no problems.
if you do a search on "Insurance" you will get a few hits.
I think the most useful one was this one

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

If your puppy comes with 6 weeks free insurance, do make sure you overlap the insurance with your new company by two weeks, as the first two weeks you are not covered. I have insured with Pet Plan for the last twenty years at least, probably more and have been very satisfied.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Jacqui thanks for the link.
Julie, I was considering saying to the breeder not to give me the 4 weeks insurance and starting my own as soon as she is 8 weeks. I will have a chat with them as they use petplan and have had a lot of positive feedback from puppy owners. I just need to make the policy the one I want from the start. I quite fancy the lifecover up to 7.000 a year, just need to read the small print, like do they stop covering the dog when she gets to a certain age.
Stacia thanks about overlapping the insurance but I am not sure that's allowed ? I accidentally had 2 lots of insurance for my house and got a told it was illegal. EEK!l I could be wrong in this case though :-\

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

[quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=6474.msg86241#msg86241 date=1402217406]
Stacia thanks about overlapping the insurance but I am not sure that's allowed ? I accidentally had 2 lots of insurance for my house and got a told it was illegal. EEK!l I could be wrong in this case though :-\
[/quote]

It's not unlawful - trying to make two claims for the same thing would be fraud though. There are loads of examples of things being insured twice. My dog causing an accident would be covered under both my house insurance and my pet insurance. The insurers would sort out who had liability to pay out if I had a claim.

The key with insurance is disclose everything. So tell your preferred insurer that your puppy came with free cover. I don't think this will matter.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Julie is right, it's not unlawful and the key is disclosure. If you fail to disclose you are already insured and tried to make a claim from one or the other, you'll have real problems with each trying to wriggle out of paying.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

[quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=6474.msg86241#msg86241 date=1402217406]
Julie, I was considering saying to the breeder not to give me the 4 weeks insurance and starting my own as soon as she is 8 weeks. I will have a chat with them as they use petplan and have had a lot of positive feedback from puppy owners. I just need to make the policy the one I want from the start. I quite fancy the lifecover up to 7.000 a year, just need to read the small print, like do they stop covering the dog when she gets to a certain age.
[/quote]

Potentially, this is a very sensible thing to do. If you continue with petplan, I doubt there will be a problem just changing the terms (level of cover etc) at the end of the free insurance. Give them a call and ask. There might be an advantage to having the free period with the insurer you intend to continue with - this would seem to make it very difficult for an insurer to ever say there was a pre-existing condition (in your case that arose before 8 weeks).

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I'm with Pinnacle in Cardiff. Have had no problems with claims at all. Meg on lifetime cover and once a claim form goes into vets, they fill it out, send it off and about 7-10 days later they pay money into my account.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I can't vouch for the service as I've not had to use it yet but I have the PP classic 7k lifetime plan you're considering, my understanding is it does cover you got life as long as you renew with PP each year.

Also as someone else has stated the first 2 weeks of getting PP you're not covered so if you want it at 8 weeks you'll need to get it when she's 6weeks + 1day as PP don't cover pups <6weeks old.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

I'm with petplan and completely satisfied. One point made when talking about dental issues was to make sure your dogs teeth are regularly checked or some insurance ceases to cover dental problems. Make sure you understand the implications of check ups on your cover

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Thanks everyone, very much.
Very good point about dental, now that it's been said, I think I read somewhere that you should ask the vet to put an annual note on your notes that she/he checked teeth. Thanks for reminding me! There's so much to remember.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Glad to hear all the good reviews for pet plan, I recently insured with them. Also getting a kind of club thing, £14 a month for vacs wormers checkups etc, seems quite good x

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

My experience isn't good, I blame the insurance company but the vet was at fault too. Late Duncan yorkie was insured, when he scratched his eye on a twig we were very happy as they paid out for the treatment quickly. 4 years later he had itchy eyes and started to rub his face a lot, this progressed to allergy scratching all over his body and in his life time cost us an arm and a leg, because the vet nurse who filled in the claim form ticked it was an existing condition and nothing we could say would make them pay out despite one being an accident the other being a completely different allergic problem.

We don't have insurance now, we keep an empty credit card and in an emergency we have £2000 we can spend on that which has worked well over the past 8 years.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

[quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=6474.msg86311#msg86311 date=1402237282]
Thanks everyone, very much.
Very good point about dental, now that it's been said, I think I read somewhere that you should ask the vet to put an annual note on your notes that she/he checked teeth. Thanks for reminding me! There's so much to remember.
[/quote]

Our vet didn't realise Pet Plan require a dental check and notes made on their file that this took place. We had to ask for this to be done so do be careful with this.

 

Re: Are we allowed to ask about people's experience with insurance?

Havent had to use it yet, but I'm with PetProtect. I almost went with petplan, but this policy is the same as the higher pet plan policy, with cheaper excesses and more cover (lifetime cover with an amount per year not per condition which some do, so the amount re-sets each year rather than say having £7000 per condition that could be claimed in two years, leaving no cover for that condition. I pay £32 a month for two puppies compared to £56 for the lesser policy with pet-plan.

Lou