Pet Insurance

[maja]

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...after all we decided to change to Direct Line pet insurance. M&S were not very helpfull explaining why they increased our premium so much.

Hope the Direct line is good...any suggestions?

M.

 

[chelynnah]

...after all we decided to change to Direct Line pet insurance. M&S were not very helpfull explaining why they increased our premium so much.
Hope the Direct line is good...any suggestions?

M.

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Just make sure the policy covers for life - not just a year. When I read the Direct Line policy a couple of years ago it was pretty basic - yes it was cheap, but they would only cover a condition for a year, so not much of a bargain if your dog developed a long term thing.

Wendy

 

[whippetsrus]

...after all we decided to change to Direct Line pet insurance. M&S were not very helpfull explaining why they increased our premium so much.
Hope the Direct line is good...any suggestions?

M.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Just make sure the policy covers for life - not just a year. When I read the Direct Line policy a couple of years ago it was pretty basic - yes it was cheap, but they would only cover a condition for a year, so not much of a bargain if your dog developed a long term thing.

Wendy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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There are many policies like this. we went through two insurance companies before we found the one we are with.

 

[Jones]

Well its taken [SIZE=14pt]TWO MONTHS!![/SIZE] :b but they did eventually sort out a refund for the duplicate policies

I gave up completely on the call centre as they just didn't have a clue :wacko:

So if anyone has any problems and can't get a straight answer through the call centre e-mail the very helpful Liane James through the "contact us" tab on the main m&s finance website :thumbsup:

She sorted out in a couple of days what sending letters and constant phone calls to the call centre couldn't sort in two months :thumbsup:

I still recommend M&S to anyone because it is the best policy out there for the money at the moment :thumbsup: its just there call centre staff seem very reluctant to be the one to authorise a refund :b

Cheers

Steve

 

[Joanna]

Well its taken [SIZE=14pt]TWO MONTHS!![/SIZE]  :b   but they did eventually sort out a refund for the duplicate policies
I gave up completely on the call centre as they just didn't have a clue  :wacko:

So if anyone has any problems and can't get a straight answer through the call centre e-mail the very helpful Liane James  through the "contact us" tab on the main m&s finance website  :thumbsup:

She sorted out in a couple of days what sending letters and constant phone calls to the call centre couldn't sort in two months  :thumbsup:

I still recommend M&S to anyone because it is the best policy out there for the money at the moment  :thumbsup: its just there call centre staff seem very reluctant to be the one to authorise a refund  :b

Cheers

            Steve

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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When I had problems with Archie's vet details not turning up, I spoke to Liane............Again, sorted in 48 hours. Funny, I had forgotten that. Glad it is all sorted out now Steve. I still think you can't beat the no excess part of the policy. :thumbsup:

 

[~Helen~]

Grr. I've just accepted another year with M&S... and having ferreted out my old policy which is just about to expire, I now wish I'd shopped around. The excess has gone up from nil to £50, and the policy itself has gone up from £98 to £164 for Lola and from £127 to £205 for Josie!!!

The only thing I can console myself with is that M&S do seem prompt payers and the policy is a good one, but next year I'll be shopping around a bit more. Those increases seem excessive in two fit and healthy dogs of 1 year and 2 years who have no illnesses and have had no claims :angry:

 

[~JO~]

Grr. I've just accepted another year with M&S... and having ferreted out my old policy which is just about to expire, I now wish I'd shopped around. The excess has gone up from nil to £50, and the policy itself has gone up from £98 to £164 for Lola and from £127 to £205 for Josie!!!
The only thing I can console myself with is that M&S do seem prompt payers and the policy is a good one, but next year I'll be shopping around a bit more. Those increases seem excessive in two fit and healthy dogs of 1 year and 2 years who have no illnesses and have had no claims :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Oh dear, that sounds bad. Looks like the bargain M&S insurance has come to an end, my repayments actually went down this year :blink: but I think I am due for a renewal in the next few months.. so I'll keep an eye on it.

Such a shame as the no excess policy was a godsend

 

[Joanna]

Grr. I've just accepted another year with M&S... and having ferreted out my old policy which is just about to expire, I now wish I'd shopped around. The excess has gone up from nil to £50, and the policy itself has gone up from £98 to £164 for Lola and from £127 to £205 for Josie!!!
The only thing I can console myself with is that M&S do seem prompt payers and the policy is a good one, but next year I'll be shopping around a bit more. Those increases seem excessive in two fit and healthy dogs of 1 year and 2 years who have no illnesses and have had no claims :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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I have just done the on-line thing and you can still get the 0 excess but it costs loads more. It would cost me £209 a year for Arch who is nearly 3! Yhey are going to lose business I think!

 

[quintessence]

We have just renewed Sparky and I'm sure Peter said it was the same as last year and Dylan when we added him was £10 cheaper because he was the second dog. I'll check later and confirm.

Jenny

 

[Julie D]

M+S have gone down in my eyes

last year Ella's premium was £134 yr nil xs

this year (15 mths old ) it's £221 nil xs

increase of £ 87

they said 'AXA have made the increase, since young dogs are more likely to need treatment, but also dogs 5 yrs and over are more likely to need treatment '

:blink: IMO it's a scam between vets and insurance companies, they can charge waht they like as they know most people are insured and so the premiums go up as being insured saves you from HUGE vet bills, catch 22.............

 

[sharron]

last year Zeb was with Tescos (as i get a discount because i work for them)

All i can say is never again. :angry:

Had so many probs with them.

This year hes with more than and they seam to be very good. I pay £9.34 for life.

I also got 1 years free cover with petback (but i choose to upgrade)

As long as i renew the policy ever year thren the cover is ongoing for as long as needed. (w00t)

 

[chelle123]

I've just insured tess over the phone 3 weeks ago with M&S and it was the same price has blue's when i had his done 6 months ago and they say it won't go up next year as long as i don't claim and the nil excess will still apply at age 8 as i started the policy before she turns 8 in feb.

 

[lurcherman]

its all about areas, i never tell them mines a lurcher cus at the end of the day its a mongrel, so 2day i got my quote and its 117 pound with no excess so that aint bad, 9 pound sumthink a month..

 

[J.T.]

I've just changed from Petplan to M&S. Hope I've done the right thing :wacko:

For all three dogs it's costing me just under £30 per month & there will be no excess to pay if I have to claim.

I read the conditions booklet about 3 times but couldn't find any reason not to go for it. I'm saving just over £100 per year compared to Petplan, can pay in monthly installments at no extra cost (unlike PP) & no excess (£80 with PP)

Hopefully I won't need it but you never know.

 

[~JO~]

I've just changed from Petplan to M&S. Hope I've done the right thing :wacko: For all three dogs it's costing me just under £30 per month & there will be no excess to pay if I have to claim.

I read the conditions booklet about 3 times but couldn't find any reason not to go for it. I'm saving just over £100 per year compared to Petplan, can pay in monthly installments at no extra cost (unlike PP) & no excess (£80 with PP)

Hopefully I won't need it but you never know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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I just don't understand this - I have just pretended to do a new quote 3yr old whippet - no previous claims and it still works out £225!! :wacko:

So why are some people getting really check premiums and some not??? :wacko: :angry:

 

[mazncarey]

we were with petplan for harleys insurance for £18 a month and we got 2 months free,after looking at the replies on here i did a few online quotes,most of them have a limit on illnesses for 12 months which wasnt good for us and some other had unlimited, any how i did an online quote with more than and they rang me up and asked if i was interest! the lady went throught everytihng with me and we have started our insurance with them,we get more cover for half the price, and no time limit on illnesses and its a life time cover,so now we will only be paying £9 a month instead of 18! and also got a home insurance quote with them and got 15% off as we are with them for pet insurance and they beat our home insurance too.

i wasnt going to bother looking around as i was on the phone to pet plan and they were saying that i wont get the same insurance any cheap else where! (get us to stay there i think) but we did!

so we got a good deal there

maz xx

 

[jezza]

I've just changed from Petplan to M&S. Hope I've done the right thing :wacko: For all three dogs it's costing me just under £30 per month & there will be no excess to pay if I have to claim.

I read the conditions booklet about 3 times but couldn't find any reason not to go for it. I'm saving just over £100 per year compared to Petplan, can pay in monthly installments at no extra cost (unlike PP) & no excess (£80 with PP)

Hopefully I won't need it but you never know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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I just don't understand this - I have just pretended to do a new quote 3yr old whippet - no previous claims and it still works out £225!! :wacko:

So why are some people getting really check premiums and some not??? :wacko: :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Yeah whats going on? I did a quote a while back and it was for under a tenner, now its quoting me 200 quid for one dog (16 a month) (w00t)

 

[jezza]

...after all we decided to change to Direct Line pet insurance. M&S were not very helpfull explaining why they increased our premium so much.
Hope the Direct line is good...any suggestions?

M.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

We're with direct line, haven't claimed yet so I can't really comment on how easily they pay up but they have told me that they will pay for Lennys castration (for medical reasons - undescended balls!), my vet said that a lot won't pay up, even though its not exactly a personal choice thing.

Only thing is though that they only cover each illness for one year (unless its changed recently) so we will be on the look out for a new insurer once Lenny has had his op.

 

[~Helen~]

Grr. I've just accepted another year with M&S... and having ferreted out my old policy which is just about to expire, I now wish I'd shopped around. The excess has gone up from nil to £50, and the policy itself has gone up from £98 to £164 for Lola and from £127 to £205 for Josie!!!
The only thing I can console myself with is that M&S do seem prompt payers and the policy is a good one, but next year I'll be shopping around a bit more. Those increases seem excessive in two fit and healthy dogs of 1 year and 2 years who have no illnesses and have had no claims :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Right, this has been bugging me, and seeing as I had to ring up to make a claim for Josie's recent GA and sutures I thought I would tackle the problem head on.

This is what the very helpful and friendly person at M&S said:

The premiums have indeed gone up, and they have had quite a few calls about it! The reason for the increase is that vets are now offering diverse and expensive diagnostic procedures such as MRI scans. The insurance companies who are paying out on these expensive treatments can't make their business viable unless they increase premiums to account for this. Sounds fair enough.

Secondly, I asked about "cover for life" vs "pre-existing conditions" and was told that so long as the condition did not pre-exist my first period of insurance then the cover will cover a condition up to £7000 per year :thumbsup: which seems to imply that me staying with M&S (even though the premium has gone up) is a better bet than chopping and changing, because if your pet develops diabetes he's covered with M&S but if you change, then it becoems something that pre-exists your new policy with a new company.

Lastly, I asked about the new excess of £50 and apparently the wording hasn't been very good and there is a clause (I found it when it was pointed out!) which says words to the effect of Veterinary Fees Excess is still Nil if you were paying Nil before :thumbsup:

So I'm feeling a bit happier about M&S again. The premium is a bit more than I would like :unsure: but it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than forking out myself for a GA and a couple of hundred sutures and the peace of mind is a bonus :thumbsup:

 

[lurcherman]

phone them up thats wot i did and then they send u the quote, like i said ive just got 1 and its 117.pound and thats paying extra to keep excess down.