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pet insurance - read the small print 20:59 - Sep 4 with 2122 viewsswansRus

Just over a month ago after a brief illness, we sadly lost our dog after 11 great years. She was a big daft Samoyed cross who grew up with the kids.

Vets bill now arrived. Still we had insurance - which we had paid for years on end with petplan- so we made sure she had all treatment our vet recommended.

As she got older so premiums had risen to over 30 quid a month - and excess went to £100 - plus 20% of any amount over that - but we kept it up in case we had a huge bill.

So I phoned petplan - only to be told that once the dog got to the age of 8 end of life treatment stopped being covered.

Reading policy book - it was there in the detail - so couldn't argue - a lesson in small print reading.

But it makes you wonder what's the point of pet cover after your pet gets to a certain age

paying £360 a year for it then having £100 excess plus the 20% over that - means that you'd need a bill of £540 for you to save the same as you paid in premiums -

so check your small print - after the pet reaches 8 or so - may be better just putting the money aside every month -

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pet insurance - read the small print on 21:01 - Sep 4 with 2105 viewsJackfath

Thanks for the advice!

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pet insurance - read the small print on 11:14 - Sep 6 with 2004 viewsWeight

What important advice for the community! - 'Small print' and reading the terms and conditions is something which can make or break - in fact - it can cost you a personal fortune.
Checking contracts - and 'small print' for that matter, is something what should never be ignored. Good advice comes from Check-A-Contract - For a small fee they highlight the small print, advise on changes, deletions or additions in contracts and agreements. Turnaround for contracts is less than 72 hrs and all contracts are worked on by qualified top UK solicitors. Worth well knowing, especially if you have to look out for small print in contracts, bank accounts, signing rental agreements and so on. http://checkacontract.co.uk
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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:06 - Sep 6 with 1975 viewsmonmouth

If you were sold the policy at the start, write to the company and the ombudsman, claim mis-selling as this vital clause was never highlighted or you would have cancelled at age 8. If you bought off the internet, you're probably screwed but still write to the company complaining and tell them you are going to write to the ombudsman and claim sharp practice. They'll probably tell you to f**k off, but worth a go, as you were clearly misled as no one would continue the contract if those conditions were clearly set out, it would be financial lunacy.
[Post edited 6 Sep 2013 12:06]

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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:27 - Sep 6 with 1959 viewsllangyfelach

Read the small print and check your bills!! I have just discovered I have been paying a "shopping insurance" for an online shopping account I have. I have been paying this since September 2009. When I challenged this I was told that "you would have agreed to it when we phoned you, hence the lack of a written contract". I've never phoned these people in the time I had my account, so it looks like I maybe in for a refund.

Slightly off topic from the OP, but hopefully it reinforces the importance of checking everything!

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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:45 - Sep 6 with 1950 viewsFlashberryjack

I'm heavily involved in dogs, and have been for many years.
My advise has always been to anyone thinking of getting a dog, or even a cat for that matter.
Is open an account for your pet (no not like Arry Redknob) and have a direct amount of money transfered into this account every month, this should cover the average pets vet bills fo life.

If you have to take your pet to a vet, explain imediately that you have no pet insurance, just like a garage when you have a little bump in your car, tell them that it's an insurance job and they wack the price up.

Hence the sky high car insurance costs, if you catch my drift, this relates to the high cost of pet insurance.

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pet insurance - read the small print on 13:09 - Sep 6 with 1928 viewsmonmouth

Agree with FJ totally; I'm not a dog man, but I am an ex insurance bod. Insurance distorts any market and has created rich vets, same as rich dentists. The more anyone wants to sell you insurance the more you should resist....after all, if they really, really expected to pay out, they wouldn't insure you or would charge you a very high premium. That is why checking the small print of any you do have is so vital; ask yourself, what would stop them paying out (eg home insurance, if you don't have the specified locks on your doors, forget it, you're paying them for nothing).

For pets, it sounds to me that just putting the premiums in an account would likely give you much more than enough in all probability over the life of the animal. Of course there's always the risk that you are just unlucky......but insurance companies make a lot of money out of these probabilities.....you just need to be able to absorb a short term hit.

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pet insurance - read the small print on 19:09 - Sep 6 with 1894 viewsFlashberryjack

pet insurance - read the small print on 13:09 - Sep 6 by monmouth

Agree with FJ totally; I'm not a dog man, but I am an ex insurance bod. Insurance distorts any market and has created rich vets, same as rich dentists. The more anyone wants to sell you insurance the more you should resist....after all, if they really, really expected to pay out, they wouldn't insure you or would charge you a very high premium. That is why checking the small print of any you do have is so vital; ask yourself, what would stop them paying out (eg home insurance, if you don't have the specified locks on your doors, forget it, you're paying them for nothing).

For pets, it sounds to me that just putting the premiums in an account would likely give you much more than enough in all probability over the life of the animal. Of course there's always the risk that you are just unlucky......but insurance companies make a lot of money out of these probabilities.....you just need to be able to absorb a short term hit.


That is exactly why vets are pushing for compulsory insurance cover for dogs.
A little bit of MP lobbying, and kerrrrching new range rover for the vet and a couple of meals at a top notch restaraunt for the MP, everyones happy, except the pet owners that is.

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pet insurance - read the small print on 19:49 - Sep 7 with 1845 viewsswansRus

pet insurance - read the small print on 13:09 - Sep 6 by monmouth

Agree with FJ totally; I'm not a dog man, but I am an ex insurance bod. Insurance distorts any market and has created rich vets, same as rich dentists. The more anyone wants to sell you insurance the more you should resist....after all, if they really, really expected to pay out, they wouldn't insure you or would charge you a very high premium. That is why checking the small print of any you do have is so vital; ask yourself, what would stop them paying out (eg home insurance, if you don't have the specified locks on your doors, forget it, you're paying them for nothing).

For pets, it sounds to me that just putting the premiums in an account would likely give you much more than enough in all probability over the life of the animal. Of course there's always the risk that you are just unlucky......but insurance companies make a lot of money out of these probabilities.....you just need to be able to absorb a short term hit.


thanks for replies -

agree with the bit about bumping up the bill - 4 years ago we took her to vets as she had a severe bout of arthritis that stopped her walking - vet asked me if I was with petplan - he then said the dog needed full scan which involved general anaesthetic - bill was for over £700 (£600 paid paid by insurance)- out of which only £36 was for the anti inflammatories that solved the problem...realised later that the other stuff was just high tech flannel, and that simple manipulation as a diagnostic would have given same conclusion...

re: previous post about miselling - good thinking - once the dog turned 8 it should have been highlighted that certain exclusions now applied.

I'll send them an email.
[Post edited 7 Sep 2013 19:50]
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pet insurance - read the small print on 11:27 - Oct 31 with 1315 viewsmarkhudson

An excellent discussion on pet insurance and I must add you should take a cover for your pet in case you do want to safeguard yourself and your pet against future contingencies
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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:21 - Oct 31 with 1261 viewsStarsky

pet insurance - read the small print on 11:27 - Oct 31 by markhudson

An excellent discussion on pet insurance and I must add you should take a cover for your pet in case you do want to safeguard yourself and your pet against future contingencies


Well no... From what I've read it exactly not what to do.

It's just the internet, init.

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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:26 - Oct 31 with 1258 viewsLeonisGod

Domestic appliances are dealt with the same. White goods are often only covered under these 'special' one-off plans until they are 7 years old. The lesson here is that insurance is a rip-off. The plans are not there to provide peace of mind for the consumer - it's all about making money for the insurers. I never pay it unless required to (e.g. car, buildings) and have saved thousands over the years as a result.
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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:28 - Oct 31 with 1254 viewsWarwickHunt

pet insurance - read the small print on 11:27 - Oct 31 by markhudson

An excellent discussion on pet insurance and I must add you should take a cover for your pet in case you do want to safeguard yourself and your pet against future contingencies


What are your surgery hours?
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pet insurance - read the small print on 12:47 - Oct 31 with 1227 viewsStarsky

I bought a cheap mini keyboard from Dixons for my son when he was a toddler.

It cost £15. The 3 year extended warranty was another £20.

I declined.

Then a week later I had a phone call asking would I reconsider. I explained that I could just buy a new one and save £5.

She just couldn't see it and insisted that it was a full, no questions asked warranty!

It's just the internet, init.

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pet insurance - read the small print on 13:10 - Oct 31 with 1195 viewsdulaisjack

being a breeder of dogs, every puppy leaves with 4 weeks free insurance from petplan, i tell every one that when taking out insurance they have to get life time cover, petplan contact my customers sell them insurance but never tell them about life time cover, hence they take out normal insurance and find out when it is to late after 8yrs , it is not just pet plan most companys use this trick, yet they are happy to take your money after the eight years is up, there must be a good case for miselling, on top of that vets cash in on the fact you have insurace , typical case , friends dog broke leg vet wanted £4000 for xrays etc as he had insurance, when he told them he had only cover for £2000, vets said they could do it for that for the sake of the dog ye i bet milking the situation more like, can go on about endless cases with vets, vets and insurance companies proper arthur daleys.
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pet insurance - read the small print on 00:08 - Nov 1 with 1067 viewsowainglyndwr

Anyone with John Lewis insurance, we have cover with them for our Border Collie.
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pet insurance - read the small print on 15:22 - Nov 1 with 986 viewsTycoch_Tyrant

Ok I am going to wade into this from the other side of the divide - as a (nearly!) vet.

Firstly, I totally agree that checking the small print on your insurance policy is absolutely vital. I come across a variety of different insurance companies every day and they are complex, with big differences in policies being evident even within the same company. As a vet, it is extremely frustrating when an insured client comes to you with an excess which should be able to cover all aspects of whatever condition the pet presents with, you go through with everything, go to claim and then wham something is excluded. This is obviously upsetting for the owner but is upsetting for us too - it makes us feel unprofessional (even when you can rarely predict the response of a company) and often leaves us out of pocket too.

We understand that insurance exists because not everyone can afford full payment of treatment, the implication being that when insurance pay out is refused there is a debt on the account that needs to be settled… but you know that by nature settling of this debt is unlikely to happen. What then do you do? We can waive the debt = loss, we can discount = loss, we can insist on full payment = probably loss of client(s) = loss. This is looking at purely the business side of things but there are several different arguments about this issue, not least the fact that potentially having to euthanise fixable animals as a result of this issue is pretty much the worst experience a vet can have in practice.. we might appear cold, unapproachable and professional a lot of the time, but our mental health statistics show a very different story.

Right now to move on to inflation of fees for insured clients. Obviously I cannot speak for the whole profession, but in my personal experience I have never seen this happen. Ever. It might appear that fees go up with insured clients, but this reflects an increased level of care and thoroughness given that hopefully (above discussion excluded) it gives you a clear limit on how much can be spent on diagnosing and treating a condition that often exceeds 'top level' - we can do everything, essentially. Another thing to remember is that veterinary practice is heavily capital expenditure-dependent. I think something the vet profession can do better as a whole is be clearer on it's fee structures - most do provide breakdowns however an explanation of why procedures are being completed is important. I know as a new member of the profession that it can be a bewildering world with incomprehensible jargon, and I have spent several years at uni to understand it! The thing we should be doing for you is communicating this effectively so you don't feel disgruntled or conned.

Just to add with regards to initial quotes being dropped to lower figures when an owner can't afford the higher figures. I have seen this happen a number of times in practice. From the veterinary perspective again, it's important to understand that there are a range of 'acceptable' treatments available for pretty much any treatment - what the higher costs often reflect are newer/improved treatments, and a drop often means reverting to an older treatment. Both can be effective, but newer might have an improved success rate, for example. It's also very possible that if your pet needs an expensive procedure that the vet might want to personally complete it for professional gain that offsets any financial loss. We obviously can't do this all the time, but we are by nature interested in healing and the enthusiasm to be able to do this often overtakes seeking financial gain.
[Post edited 1 Nov 2014 15:39]
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