# Insurance: You can't win either way!



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

It's nearly time to renew my Bengal's insurance. The letter came today.... £282 they want!! It's gone up A LOT and I'm gobsmacked. You spend forever trying to find a reliable pet insurance company and you end up going "Okay, if I want a reliable one I'll need to pay a bit more." This is why I went for Petplan last year... but now they've jacked up the price and I don't know what to do! I can't really afford to stay with them if they put the price up by so much every year. I'm unemployed right now and have no income and no means of getting any help to pay for this.

It's the 'Cover for life: Classic'. (People recommended this one)

It seems you either save a lot of money, but have insurance that will mess you around if you need to claim... or you pay way over the odds for a good one. 

Any advice please? What should I do? They rang me and I could only get it down to £259.

Also, I need people who know about Vetsmedicover, Liverpool Victoria (LV) and Agria. They seem to have the best reputation. I just need to know which is best.

Thank you, kitty lovers!


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

I can't help you regarding vetsmedicover or LV but Agria have got a really bad reputation!!!!

There is a member on here Albert Ross who could tell you a tale of woe regarding Agria. He has a useful website regarding insurance.

Personally I wouldn't go for any policy underwritten by AXA as althought they seem cheap initially in comparison with Petplan they more than make up for this later [as premiums have gone up 50% in a year for my 8 year DSH and I've heard from others that this will be ongoing]. My new kitten I suspect will be insured by Petplan but would be interested to hear if anyone has used vetsmedicover. I've always found PP to only put up premiums a pound or so a month in comparison and have had 20 cats insured with them over the years.

Cost isn't everything to consider in my opinion


----------



## anjo19 (Nov 17, 2012)

We have a Justa (dsh) so don't know what premium difference it will be for breeds but argos seem good for lifetime cover, if that helps at all.


----------



## TickettyBoo (Sep 29, 2011)

Have you had a look at the co op pet insurance ? They do a covered for life policy but I'm not sure how their prices compare to pet plan


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

John Lewis Pet Insurance (Green bee) is a bit cheaper than Petplan, and gives the same (or slightly better) cover as the Petplan Cover for Life Classic.


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

chillminx said:


> John Lewis Pet Insurance (Green bee) is a bit cheaper than Petplan, and gives the same (or slightly better) cover as the Petplan Cover for Life Classic.


not necessarily I found them to be nearly £25 per month more expensive than petplan when insuring Keshet & Kgosi recently for more or less the same cover!!


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cazzer said:


> not necessarily I found them to be nearly £25 per month more expensive than petplan when insuring Keshet & Kgosi recently for more or less the same cover!!


Oh OK.

I was assuming that as their recent quote for my 3 cats was cheaper than my current Petplan premiums on a Cover for Life Classic Policy, that this would apply to all their quotes.

But of course I appreciate there will be geographical variations within the UK, so possibly under Petplan you come under a lower risk area than you would with John Lewis, whereas I am in a low risk area with either policy.


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

here is a link to the website

Pet Insurance. Compare pet insurance policies from the major pet insurers and save money


----------



## LDK1 (Oct 1, 2010)

FrancescaJ said:


> I'm unemployed right now and have no income and no means of getting any help to pay for this.


Sorry to read about your present situation.

I'd just like to mention that if you're receiving housing benefit or council tax benefit you would be entitled to cheaper vet costs at a PDSA or similar organisation if there's one near you. That is, if it turns out that you can't find any pet insurance you can afford right now.


----------



## JAChihuahua (Nov 23, 2012)

TickettyBoo said:


> Have you had a look at the co op pet insurance ? They do a covered for life policy but I'm not sure how their prices compare to pet plan


They also use the same underwriters as petplan... Ive got Lady insured with them, and seem fine - but then I havent had to claim yet so its not a true review.


----------



## TickettyBoo (Sep 29, 2011)

JAChihuahua said:


> They also use the same underwriters as petplan... Ive got Lady insured with them, and seem fine - but then I havent had to claim yet so its not a true review.


Same here , our two are insured with them but not had to make a claim yet *touch wood*


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Maybe I'll rule out Agria, then.

I think Co op and John Lewis, etc, have poor reviews online. I don't mind paying more for a reliable company, as long as it doesn't cost me as much as Petplan. My sister pays a lot less than me on Petplan for her cats... it just doesn't seem very fair.

Has anyone gone with Vetsmedicover?


----------



## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

are Bengals generally more expensive to insure ?


----------



## JAChihuahua (Nov 23, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> Maybe I'll rule out Agria, then.
> 
> I think Co op and John Lewis, etc, have poor reviews online. I don't mind paying more for a reliable company, as long as it doesn't cost me as much as Petplan. My sister pays a lot less than me on Petplan for her cats... it just doesn't seem very fair.
> 
> Has anyone gone with Vetsmedicover?


hve you any links to the co-op reviews? They use the same underwriters as petplan so i find it odd, thats all.


----------



## Cloudygirl (Jan 9, 2011)

when I looked at John lewis there were some bad reviews online but when I looked at what they consisted of there were a lot of people moaning the quote was expensive who hadn't actually used the insurance.


----------



## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

The really annoying thisg is that we are all aware that insurance premiums go up and up and up for the simple reason that there are so many people fiddling and claiming for things not stolen etc. It really hacks me off. Remember not long ago there was a guy doing crash for cash..or was it cash for crash...so people could fiddle their insurance. When my stable yard was broken into and burgled, I had two saddles/bridles two of eveything taken and claimed accordingly. TWO people in the yard I know for a fact claimed for things they had not had stolen. And both of them are well off (new Mercedes etc). Then the likes of us trying to get a reasonable quote for pets have to subsidise the money-grabbing sods. P**s-take, nothing more!!

Rant over.:crazy:


----------



## Kittenfostermummy (Jul 25, 2011)

I can't recommend Marks and Spencer's enough!! (although I will see what it goes up by when I renew later in the year) Crinkle was only insured in July and I started to have to claim in October they have paid out promptly and easily since then for both his ear treatment and more importantly his eyes!! They are great and always really helpful and polite on the customer services phone line


----------



## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

A family friend who works in the animal care profession told me that although they were not allowed to say anything they would only ever insure their pets with petplan as they know how reliable they are. (this is not a word for word quotation, they had to phrase it differently!)

BUT I completely understand the cost worries as I too am unemployed with no benefits. Currently I have both of mine on the cover for life premium or platinum whatever its called Duke who is a persian cross is £20.42 pm and Daisy who is a Justa we believe is £16.77 which granted is very high.

My mum has insured all of our cats and rabbits with PP for about 15 years now and has never had a problem claiming. Our elderly cat Thomas costs something like £40 a month I think she said now and he is a pedigree persian with cancer. However, my Nan pays over £80 a month for her 12 yr old west highland terrier.

Insurance is such a nightmare but if you read up online and look at consumer reviews you should get a good idea of a reliable one

Good luck


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> Maybe I'll rule out Agria, then.
> 
> I think Co op and John Lewis, etc, have poor reviews online. I don't mind paying more for a reliable company, as long as it doesn't cost me as much as Petplan. My sister pays a lot less than me on Petplan for her cats... it just doesn't seem very fair.
> 
> Has anyone gone with Vetsmedicover?


Vetsmedicover looks quite good, especially that there is one price for all, not depending on where you live.
But, by taking up vetsmedicover you sign a credit agreement with a third party <you pay them, they pay vetsmedicover>.
And, as I've been advised in another thread, that means if your pet dies at the beginning of your policy year, you'll not need the pet insurance any more, but because you've signed that credit agreement for a year you'll have to pay it till the end of that year :/
To be honest that put me right off vetsmedicover, so I'm still looking ...


----------



## jasminex (Oct 16, 2012)

I have Petplan, which is expensive as I think I probably live in a high risk area and also my kitten is a pedigree exotic shorthair (perhaps more susceptible to health issues). However they have paid up reasonably promptly - when my kitten broke his leg the first night he was with me, he was still on the breeder's 4 weeks free cover, and Petplan pushed the approval for the surgery through in one day as it needed to be done ASAP. 

So although expensive I have found them good - and I have maxed out my claim limit on the insurance I didn't pay for  They have also been fine at allowing further claims for the same thing on my new policy - in fact received 2 cheques yesterday. I think I've got about 10 years' worth of premiums to go before I hit the amount I would have paid in vet bills!!

I did try and get a quote from John Lewis as they seemed to be the next best cover, but it was as expensive if not more so and there would be the issue of the existing condition not being covered, so I decided to stick with Petplan.


----------



## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

I got so concerned I wasn't paying very much for my Petplan policy I entered my details in a price comparison site. My renewal is less than £11 per month.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm with Petplan too, and pay premiums of less than £33 a month for 3 cats who are all around 3 yrs old (none of them pedigrees) on Cover for Life basic policy. I think this is reasonable, and am shocked at the large premiums some people are paying.


----------



## HannahKate (Jun 6, 2010)

I'm with Cover4Pets and am on the Cover4Life Premium and it's very reasonable. They are very similar in terms of what they offer in the policy to PetPlan.


----------



## BlessedbyJack (Feb 23, 2011)

Just wanted to add that i would be wary of changing insurers for pets as it seems to have become a very grey area in recent years.

I wanted petplan for Jack but as he's older i couldnt get him covered.
Its worth paying for the best insurance you can and saying with them as once you change policy anything you have previously claimed for can be refused in future policies by some insurers especially if they change their underwriters.
I looked into this before insuring Jack as i'd read a few stories of people thinking they had life cover but infact had to pay for treatment once they had reached the maximum pay limits per condition.
You need a policy that renews the amount each year incase your pet god forbid ever develop a long term illness. Sorry if i havent explained very well hope it makes sense.

For Jack the best life cover i could get was Argos they renew the cover each year so you have 7.000 per year cover which is different to cover per condition as when the maximum is reached you then have to pay for treatment from then on. It sounds a lot but vet fees are so high now that you can easily use up cover for something like diabetes or an injury needing xrays surgery and check ups. They have now changed to royal sun alliance but cover is the same. Another thing I've read is to make sure its paid every month as any gaps or missed payments can be seen as a break in policy. Sorry to sound negative i just couldnt believe what i read that some people had gone through that weren't fully covered its scarey .

I would and will be going with petplan for Tiggy & Beckham they are strays so need to have them a year before insuring as you need to have them checked and vaccinated to comply with insurance policy.
Its shocking how much fees have gone up.
There is a thread/section on moneysavingexpert.com about this...

As mentioned before the pdsa will treat your pet if you have certain benefits.


----------



## Pumlan (Sep 17, 2012)

We've got our cats insured with Tesco at quite a reasonable price. We have claimed twice and not had any problems, however we have not yet renewed our insurance so I'm not sure about how much they'll up the price after that!


----------



## Shadow And Lightning (Jan 18, 2012)

must say petplan have been great with shadow and all his specialist treatment
not exactly cheap but what the specialist bill came to is more than ive paid for all the insurance all year lol

my renewal is also due for shadow and lighty
348 it is
29 quid a month but last year i paid 25 a month


----------



## monkeymummy32 (May 22, 2012)

We've had good experiences with 'Animal Friends' - paid out very quickly and direct to the vets. Cheaper than PetPlan too.


----------



## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

I think it all depends on each individual. For example I have heard that animal friends don't pay out and they have declined my sisters claims for our bulldog but obviously they do pay out for others!


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Pumlan said:


> We've got our cats insured with Tesco at quite a reasonable price. We have claimed twice and not had any problems, however we have not yet renewed our insurance so I'm not sure about how much they'll up the price after that!


Just remember that Tesco is not lifetime cover!
It might be called extra, extra special, but it's not so :/


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Cookieandme said:


> I got so concerned I wasn't paying very much for my Petplan policy I entered my details in a price comparison site. My renewal is less than £11 per month.


If you don't live in London or other "high risk place" then petplan is great 
Sadly not an option for me :/


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

As much as I'd love to stay with Petplan as it seems they're recommended the most... £282 is very unfair and unaffordable for me. It seems some people on Petplan on the same plan are getting a fair better deal than me and there's no reason why! My cat is young, healthy, no health issues and an indoor cat, so low risk of accidents, loss, etc. I've never claimed. Am I just one of the mugs who are subsidising for people who have claimed so Petplan can keep their "we don't do a no claims bonus" thing?? I emailed them (I'm not good on the phone) and asked for a discount, but I doubt they will oblige or bring it down to a reasonable level. It just really sucks. I'm seriously considering VetsMediCover. It's not cheap, but it's less with good, life cover and I've only read good things about them so far. I'd really like to chat with people who have cover with them, though. For extra reassurance.


----------



## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

FrancescaJ said:


> It's nearly time to renew my Bengal's insurance. The letter came today.... £282 they want!! It's gone up A LOT and I'm gobsmacked.


Did you buy your policy on-line? If so, you probably got an introduction % discount which is the norm for many insurance policies.

However, when the policy renews, you no longer the discount and it goes up to the standard price. This can make the increase quite big in the 2nd year. As each year passes though, the increase should not be as extreme.

It WILL always go up though because that's what insurance does - even when you have never made a claim.


----------



## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

You mention it has gone up a lot. What was it prior to the renewal ? Because unless it has gone up by an unreasonable amount, then MB is right all policies go up. But I really wouldn't expect it to go up much more than 5%. 

An email just won't have any effect with insurance companies, you would be far better phoning if the increase is very large and find out why.


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

As has been said already - if you bought on line for year 1 then year 2 will cost a lot more because a) you'll lose the discount you had in year 1 and b) most premiums do go up at an inflationary rate every year. (Plus they jump again when your pet gets to be 8 years old - or the excesses you pay go up - or both).

Some companies, NOT usually Pet Plan, also jump premiums if your pet has an ongoing chronic condition.

But you do need to be aware that if you change insurers then any treatment your pet has had will be treated as non-admissable for any future claims and that could cost a lot more than a premium increase.

If you are unemployed on benefits (and have the documentation to prove it) the PDSA will help. My only problem with using them is that I'd expect anyone who takes advantage of their service to try and make a hefty donation when back in work but few people do.

The question about VetsMediCover - a member here had a major problem with his dog and got into a fight with them over their cover. However, I spoke to them and they actually republished their policy so that his dog would be included. I can't think of any other insurer that would try and help in that way. I'm not saying they'd do it again - but I am saying that they are responsive.

As for Agria - never in a thousand years.:ciappa:


----------



## JAChihuahua (Nov 23, 2012)

AlbertRoss said:


> As has been said already - if you bought on line for year 1 then year 2 will cost a lot more because a) you'll lose the discount you had in year 1 and b) most premiums do go up at an inflationary rate every year. (Plus they jump again when your pet gets to be 8 years old - or the excesses you pay go up - or both).
> 
> Some companies, NOT usually Pet Plan, also jump premiums if your pet has an ongoing chronic condition.
> 
> ...


Hiya

What are your thoughts about co-op insurance? I understand they use the same underwriters at petplan, but as lady is a pup we havent had any need to claim yet... if theyre not well thought of I would rather change now than later.


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

JAChihuahua said:


> Hiya
> 
> What are your thoughts about co-op insurance? I understand they use the same underwriters at petplan, but as lady is a pup we havent had any need to claim yet... if theyre not well thought of I would rather change now than later.


Almost identical to Pet Plan but the cover limit is lower.

Have a look at my website (click on the link in my sig) for ethical insurers and read the Buyer's Guide there. It may help you.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

I was JUST about to buy insurance with VetsMediCover and all of a sudden the prices on the website have increased... so now I'm put off. It was £17 a month and now it's £21.

I don't know what to do now. My cat's cover runs out today and all the good options are disappearing. 

I've got a job now, but it's low pay.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Can someone check this out and tell me if it's any good? Cover-wise and whether it's life cover? Cat Insurance - LV=


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

FrancescaJ said:


> Can someone check this out and tell me if it's any good? Cover-wise and whether it's life cover? Cat Insurance - LV=


No it isn't. They offer annual and per condition covers.


----------



## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> Has anyone gone with Vetsmedicover?


I find it extortionately expensive ... £21 / month / cat

That's what I was paying PetPlan for *both* of mine!

And £32 for dogs  again more than I was paying PP

I've actually just moved mine to A*xa - I'm afraid I need to cut costs to make the books balance - it's a higher level of cover than I had with PP and the premiums are around £10 / month cheaper so ...

I'd steer clear of anything where you get a huge discount / cashback in the first year - you often find these jump huge amounts in year 2 and if you've had to claim & have an ongoing condition, you're stuck with it!

Out of curiority I did a Sains*burys quote (someone on another forum was going to take it as it had £80 cashback) - year 1 turned out pretty similar to what I was paying after deducting the cashback BUT in year 2 ... I'd be paying over £150 more  (and might be stuck with them forever....)



Pumlan said:


> We've got our cats insured with Tesco at quite a reasonable price. We have claimed twice and not had any problems, however we have not yet renewed our insurance so I'm not sure about how much they'll up the price after that!


I *believe* that T*esco's policy is a "per condition" amount so although it will renew each year (as long as you continue cover), once you reach the £ limit, that's it!

Please check the T&Cs

I know someone whose been caught out with this with their dog and she's now struggling to find approx £6k to fund surgery 

At the end of the day, you have to go with the best policy that's affordable for your circumstances - do a few quotes and see what you come out with

Please do it today ... you'll have the exclusion period to get over so need something in place ASAP


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

Lilylass said:


> At the end of the day, you have to go with the best policy that's affordable for your circumstances.


Perfectly put.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Once you start paying for insurance you are in a cleft stick. Obviously insurance is sold to make a profit, not out of the kindness of the insurer's hearts, so the follow-on is that over time one would be in pocket putting insurance money by rather than actually handing it over to an insurer.

However if one doesn't do that from the start, by the time they are older and possibly needing more expensive treatment one hasn't built up the fund to support it - the insurer has.

And one is more likely to come out ahead if one has lots of cats - after all the insurerers make a profit on average, not on every animal insured. With just one cat one could be very unlucky and have one with all sorts of problems.

But one also has to have the disipline to actually put it someone that's ring-fenced and not use it for things the insurer wouldn't pay for - neutering, worming, flea treatment, vaccination, minor things.


----------



## maisey (Oct 26, 2010)

I can't afford pet plan and ended up going with tesco pet insurance but I will soon be changing, tesco you have to pay first then they give you your money back but if my dog say broke his leg there is no way I have access to the sort of money I would need to pay first, I would need a loan! 

Abbey Vets in my area have started a scheme of £30 per month, you just pay the £95 excess and they get on with it  

Maybe check around the vets in your area and see if any are also doing this scheme


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

I got a John Lewis quote and it looks really good.
The premier <best of 3 to choose from there> would cost me just over £14 a month <IN LONDON>with only £60 excess and it's a life cover with £12000 vet fees and £12000 dental covered.
But John Lewis reviews online are pretty bad, I'm not sure what to do ...
Also <I can't find the information anywhere in the policy> does anyone know if John Lewis pays to vet's directly or do you have to pay first and then claim it back?


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

Do be careful with on line reviews - 

Are they relevant? (in the case of John Lewis probably not as John Lewis changed their underwriter fairly recently)
Are they recent? (same reason but in many cases the problems exemplified in reviews have been dealt with by changes in the company)
Do they actually address failings with the company or policy or are they posted by aggrieved people who didn't read the policy or didn't get paid out for a genuine reason - for example, a pre-existing condition.

But some of the reviews are really, really stupid and drag down the marks for a perfectly good insurer. A couple of current John Lewis reviews - one complains about a spelling mistake, another that they had to give a date of birth when asking for a quote (it's a prevention of fraud thing but the reviewer obviously didn't realise). There are more - mainly complaining about customer service but ALL about John Lewis's insurance when sold under the 'Greenbee' label. They dropped that a long time ago and they've changed the people that actually provide the insurance.

If you don't know this you would be getting a totally misleading picture.


----------



## Jen4579 (Jan 12, 2013)

I think pet plan is by far the best can't fault it I have gone with life time cover as suggested by vet as life time cover means even if develops health problems you can still keep insurance for pets life without increase in payment it also covers everything for only 15 pound a month bargain for what you get plus if you sign up for petplan through your vets you g e t 4 weeks no charge and once renew you get another 4 weeks they even cover signs etc if pet goes missing so you dont even pay for that seriously guys just call them for info at least

oh and the excess if big treatment needed is just 60 pound


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Jen4579 said:


> I think pet plan is by far the best can't fault it I have gone with life time cover as suggested by vet as life time cover means even if develops health problems you can still keep insurance for pets life without increase in payment it also covers everything for only 15 pound a month bargain for what you get plus if you sign up for petplan through your vets you g e t 4 weeks no charge and once renew you get another 4 weeks they even cover signs etc if pet goes missing so you dont even pay for that seriously guys just call them for info at least
> 
> oh and the excess if big treatment needed is just 60 pound


Yes Jen, £15 if you live somewhere in a low risk area!
Problem is, when you live in London for example it's over £25 for a perfectly healthy female kitten and almost £30 for a male kitten, in the first year, when you get a discount ...
I don't even want to think what it would be later :/


----------



## Jen4579 (Jan 12, 2013)

Joy84 said:


> Yes Jen, £15 if you live somewhere in a low risk area!
> Problem is, when you live in London for example it's over £25 for a perfectly healthy female kitten and almost £30 for a male kitten, in the first year, when you get a discount ...
> I don't even want to think what it would be later :/


serious ? wow this 15 is set for life not discount to that has really shocked me my kitten is male too I don't live near London but where I live isn't remote either I find it terrible they would charge so much more on just location !


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

AlbertRoss said:


> Do be careful with on line reviews -
> 
> Are they relevant? (in the case of John Lewis probably not as John Lewis changed their underwriter fairly recently)
> Are they recent? (same reason but in many cases the problems exemplified in reviews have been dealt with by changes in the company)
> ...


I can see we've been reading the same reviews 
I did just laugh about the spelling mistake and date of birth thing, some people really have nothing better to do with their time ...
Yes, lots of complaints were about customer service, some of them were pretty recent I thought <then again, I don't know when they've changed the underwriter...>.
I couldn't find too many good, recent reviews <but I suppose people like to complain more than praise>.

For me it seems to be the best option, will probably go with that as I'm getting a headache just thinking about insurance now ...

Have to say John Lewis probably has the longest drop down list of breeds and descriptions of cats ...
There is 14 different options for a TABBY :sosp: !! 14 !!
And I've got a question, sorry if it's a stupid one, but I don't want to get in trouble over something silly ...
Phoebe's vet put her as Domestic Medium Hair Tabby. John Lewis has a "tabby", "tabby short-hair", "tabby long-hair" and "tabby and white" options < among others that definitely don't apply to her> and Phoebe's got white bib and socks.
So, do I tick tabby and white or just go with tabby?
Does it really matter or is John Lewis just trying to drive me bonkers?!
Thanks!


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Jen4579 said:


> serious ? *wow this 15 is set for life not discount* to that has really shocked me my kitten is male too I don't live near London but where I live isn't remote either I find it terrible they would charge so much more on just location !


Are you certain about that?I'm with Pet Plan life cover and have been for nearly 3 years.Each year there is an increase in the premium(not a lot,but still an increase).As far as I'm aware all insurances will increase annually,that said I cant fault PP they have been very prompt with claims.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Jen4579 said:


> serious ? wow this 15 is set for life not discount to that has really shocked me my kitten is male too I don't live near London but where I live isn't remote either I find it terrible they would charge so much more on just location !


Yes, with pet plan it's postcode lottery :/
I find it terrible too.
And I don't think my indoor kitten is at greater risk in London, than she would be anywhere else ...


----------



## Jen4579 (Jan 12, 2013)

I enquired over this and as she rabbited on with all the terms and conditions she explained payments will not Change over his life time maybe I misunderstood this and she meant if developed health issues I will look this upup thanks for heads up !


----------



## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Jen4579 said:


> I enquired over this and as she rabbited on with all the terms and conditions she explained payments will not Change over his life time maybe I misunderstood this and she meant if developed health issues I will look this upup thanks for heads up !


It is possible that what she meant was that the amount "paid out" every year wouldnt change,but whether you claim or not I think you'll find that the premium will increase every year,mine and other PF members certainly has.


----------



## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> Yes, with pet plan it's postcode lottery :/
> I find it terrible too.
> And I don't think my indoor kitten is at greater risk in London, than she would be anywhere else ...


Chances are that vets are more expensive in London cos everything is more expensive in London and the surrounding area and also if your cat god forbid escapes there is possibly a far bigger chance that they will be involved in an RTA as they would have no road sense and that there is a vastly increased amount of traffic in London than say somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the yorkshire moors.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

buffie said:


> Are you certain about that?I'm with Pet Plan life cover and have been for nearly 3 years.Each year there is an increase in the premium(not a lot,but still an increase).As far as I'm aware all insurances will increase annually,that said I cant fault PP they have been very prompt with claims.





Jen4579 said:


> I enquired over this and as she rabbited on with all the terms and conditions she explained payments will not Change over his life time maybe I misunderstood this and she meant if developed health issues I will look this upup thanks for heads up !


I was just about to say the same!
It just hit me, that I think you misunderstood "cover for life"...
Cover for life means that if he develops a long term condition insurance will pay up to your cover amount every year <as long as you renew your policy> for as long as it's needed.
But the price will sure increase every year, and buying your first policy you got a discount of 10%.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

MontyMaude said:


> Chances are that vets are more expensive in London cos everything is more expensive in London and the surrounding area and also if your cat god forbid escapes there is possibly a far bigger chance that they will be involved in an RTA as they would have no road sense and that there is a vastly increased amount of traffic in London than say somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the yorkshire moors.


Not sure about the vet prices as sometimes the more of services available the more competitive they need to be to survive ...
Of course you're right about my cat having no road sense, but so does any other indoor cat anywhere else ...
Yes, there's definitely more cars in London but is that a reason to charge Londoners double or even triple of what others are being charged?
I find it a bit too much :/


----------



## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> Not sure about the vet prices as sometimes the more of services available the more competitive they need to be to survive ...
> Of course you're right about my cat having no road sense, but so does any other indoor cat anywhere else ...
> Yes, there's definitely more cars in London but is that a reason to charge Londoners double or even triple of what others are being charged?
> I find it a bit too much :/


It probably isn't fair but then wages are supposedly higher in London , but I live on a main road with indoor cats and I'm terrified incase they escape as they wouldn't stand a chance but I pay £22 a month for two moggies to pet plan so I'm not going to complain as they have paid out a fair amount for my two including dentals which many others wouldn't have covered. They also paid out huge amounts for my dog and in the end paid out more than I paid to them, still would have rather had the dog at the end of it but still they maybe pricey but to me they have been worth every penny.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

MontyMaude said:


> It probably isn't fair but then wages are supposedly higher in London , but I live on a main road with indoor cats and I'm terrified incase they escape as they wouldn't stand a chance but I pay £22 a month for two moggies to pet plan so I'm not going to complain as they have paid out a fair amount for my two including dentals which many others wouldn't have covered. They also paid out huge amounts for my dog and in the end paid out more than I paid to them, still would have rather had the dog at the end of it but still they maybe pricey but to me they have been worth every penny.


Wages are probably higher, but so is the cost of living, not to mention traveling :/


----------



## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> Wages are probably higher, but so is the cost of living, not to mention traveling :/


Shush now you'll spoil the illusion that the streets are paved with gold and everybody is a millionaire


----------



## emilyjane (Jan 15, 2013)

If you change, do not pick any companies owned by E&L - they seem be be infamous for taking forever to pay up!

It is a shame about Petplan, but I do sympathise. My two are with Petplan at the moment, and they're still quite young so it's pretty reasonable. But if it were to drastically go up with no income, I can see the worry. :/


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

Joy84 said:


> Have to say John Lewis probably has the longest drop down list of breeds and descriptions of cats ...
> There is 14 different options for a TABBY :sosp: !! 14 !!
> And I've got a question, sorry if it's a stupid one, but I don't want to get in trouble over something silly ...
> Phoebe's vet put her as Domestic Medium Hair Tabby. John Lewis has a "tabby", "tabby short-hair", "tabby long-hair" and "tabby and white" options < among others that definitely don't apply to her> and Phoebe's got white bib and socks.
> ...


Go with tabby. If it's a tabby you can't be wrong, can you?


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

AlbertRoss said:


> Go with tabby. If it's a tabby you can't be wrong, can you?


Yes, I guess you're right.
Anyway insurers are more likely <if at all!> to read something from vet's info about her being tabby than actually see her to be able to judge that she's tabby and white


----------



## Bloodraine5252 (Jan 13, 2013)

I've just started my two on insurance with PP. For a 4 year old tabby and 3 month old Exotic it was a few pence shy of £30. I thought this was crazy but I feel I have to pay just in case since they are one of the best insurers. I also don't have to pay till March which is a bonus.

I don't think its fair that they don't take into account neutering or whether they are indoor/outdoor. As it does minimise the risks somewhat for various thing.


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Jen4579 said:


> I enquired over this and as she rabbited on with all the terms and conditions she explained *payments will not Change over his life time* maybe I misunderstood this and she meant if developed health issues I will look this upup thanks for heads up !


This seems very, very unlikely as everything else goes up every year.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

I guess I'm just really annoyed because other people on Petplan are paying A LOT LESS than me. I know people with several cats using PP and they're paying less for theirs than I am for just one cat. It doesn't make any sense. I know they get multi-pet discount, but it still would be more than paying for one. I just feel completely ripped off. It seems others on PP are getting a much better deal than me... and for what reason? I don't even live in a high risk area. It's total crap.

My insurance has now ran out and I have absolutely no idea where to insure with. The good ones are too expensive and the cheaper ones have terrible reputations or don't include as many benefits such as cover for life.


----------



## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> I guess I'm just really annoyed because other people on Petplan are paying A LOT LESS than me. I know people with several cats using PP and they're paying less for theirs than I am for just one cat. It doesn't make any sense. I know they get multi-pet discount, but it still would be more than paying for one. I just feel completely ripped off. It seems others on PP are getting a much better deal than me... and for what reason? I don't even live in a high risk area. It's total crap.
> 
> My insurance has now ran out and I have absolutely no idea where to insure with. The good ones are too expensive and the cheaper ones have terrible reputations or don't include as many benefits such as cover for life.


I completely understand where you are coming from. I recently moved from SW7 London to W1, both within Zone 1 and only 2.3 miles apart. The insurance premium is £5 more expensive, the logic of which I do not understand. It's in a similar area, with the same vet practices (if anything the ones nearer to W1 are cheaper), so why the £5 increase? This meant I had to pay £31 for ONE, young male indoor Ragdoll kitten and 30 minutes walk away, it'll go down to £26. This put me off completely and this is why I decided to switch to Vets Medicover where they don't discriminate based on post code. Their premiums increased this year but I was lucky to purchase the plan when it was still £17 a month.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

I got quoted £11.38 for Co-op. They appeal to me because their underwriters are the same as Petplan's, but the cover is £5,000. Is that enough? Also, do they cover dental?


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> I got quoted £11.38 for Co-op. They appeal to me because their underwriters are the same as Petplan's, but the cover is £5,000. Is that enough? Also, do they cover dental?


Did you try to get a quote from John Lewis?
Mine is just over £14 for the premier <the best of 3 options> and that gives you £12000 vet fees AND £12000 dental and that's with the lowest <£60> excess.
I'll be buying that one


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

I got a quote last year from JL for my two 12 week wegie kittens and they wanted nearly £48 much more than PP for more or less the same cover! 

I just tried co-op for my 11 week old coonie kitten and they wanted £17 for the £5,000 cover. Tried JL as well and they wanted £21 for the premier!


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

It's between John Lewis, Co-op and Argos. John Lewis have quoted me between £16-£20 a month for the premier depending on the excess. Argos quoted £17 for platinum cover. Hmmm. I don't know. Is £5,000 enough cover?


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Cazzer said:


> I got a quote last year from JL for my two 12 week wegie kittens and they wanted nearly £48 much more than PP for more or less the same cover!
> 
> I just tried co-op for my 11 week old coonie kitten and they wanted £17 for the £5,000 cover. Tried JL as well and they wanted £21 for the premier!


Wow, that's a lot!
Is it because yours are peds?
Are they much more expensive to insure?


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

yes I think peds are always more expensive than moggies. Not sure why as although many breeds may be predisposed to problems such as coonies/raggies with HCM on the whole they don't go out so unlikely to get into expensive accidents outside.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Mine is a ped, too.

So, if worst came to absolute worst, how much could a cat cost in vet fees a year? Does anyone know?


----------



## HannahKate (Jun 6, 2010)

Well for something like being hit by a car and needing orthopaedic surgery you can easily get up to between 5000 and 10000 pounds.


----------



## MCWillow (Aug 26, 2011)

Cazzer said:


> yes I think peds are always more expensive than moggies. Not sure why as although many breeds may be predisposed to problems such as coonies/raggies with HCM on the whole they don't go out so unlikely to get into expensive accidents outside.


I pay more for Holly and Rowan (cross breeds) than I do for Cedar and Blossom (pedigrees) - completely confused me when I got their quote!


----------



## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

FrancescaJ said:


> It's between John Lewis, Co-op and Argos. John Lewis have quoted me between £16-£20 a month for the premier depending on the excess. Argos quoted £17 for platinum cover. Hmmm. I don't know. Is £5,000 enough cover?


Have you tried Axa?

Good levels of cover & prices are usually good


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

I think the confusing thing I'm facing is I either pay a lot more (that I can barely afford) for higher cover for a company who have a very mixed reputation (JL), or I pay less for lower cover for a company with more reliable underwriters. (Co-op)


----------



## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

Isn't insurance a lot like gambling? 

I mean if you're 'lucky' your pet gets ill and needs expensive treatment which costs more than the premiums you've paid. That'd be like a win, you gambled a small amount, and won back more than your stake. 

In that case the 'house' (the insurer) is out of pocket, but not for long as they'll just put up everyone else's premiums to stay in profit. The rest of the gamblers will pay to cover your win, because the house never loses. 

If you're 'unlucky' your pet lives a long and healthy life without accidents, and all the premiums you pay are just money in the bank for the insurance company. It's like you kept betting, but never won.

Obviously we'd all prefer to be 100% financially 'unlucky' in this situation, but either way, the insurance companies simply can't lose. 

And the more insurance we buy, maybe the more expensive vets become? I mean vets are surely more likely to keep their prices down if they are dealing with real people with real limits on their budgets, than when they get paid by the insurers, who can pay whatever the vets charge because they simply pass the costs back to us, the gamblers. 

Maybe I'm too cynical but it seems like a vicious circle for pet owners, and a very cosy set-up for the insurance companies and vets. 

I suppose it would be more positive to think of insurance premiums as simply a monthly fee we're happy to pay in return for peace-of-mind, and embrace the hope that it's cash we'll never see again. 

I dunno, it seems like such a racket...


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

It's pretty much exactly like gambling - in that it's all based on risk.

However, it's not that vets put up prices because insurers will pay but much more about the availability of improved (and in most cases more expensive) treatments and tests. It's pretty much the case that every year there will be an advance which means that a pet can live a long and happy life instead of being put down.

Because of this there are more pets, who live longer and are more likely to suffer other things. That means more payouts for insurers and that, in turn, means heftier premiums.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

HannahKate said:


> Well for something like being hit by a car and needing orthopaedic surgery you can easily get up to between 5000 and 10000 pounds.


A year? Or in a lifetime?

It's the only reason stopping me from going with Co-op... because of the £5,000 vet fee cover and not knowing if that's enough.

I was thinking about John Lewis, too, but I found out they charge you 20% of the vet fees when your pet is 9 and over.


----------



## Cazzer (Feb 1, 2010)

You can easily spend £5,000 in less than a year if cat gets hit by a car.

Its also normal for insurance companies to make you pay 20% of the vets fees in addition to the excess when a cat gets to a certain age. Pet plan does, Sainsburys [Axa] does


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Would that approx. 5k be just the once, or could be more? So you wouldn't recommend the co-op one then?

Maybe I'll just spend a bit more and go with John Lewis. I can either get 7,500 or 12,000. Is 7,500 high enough? Or if it worth paying more for the 12,000?


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Was about to go to JL and now found out their dental cover is injury only. *sigh* This is so annoying.


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

FrancescaJ said:


> Was about to go to JL and now found out their dental cover is injury only. *sigh* This is so annoying.


Most dental cover is. Where it isn't you will be required to have your pet veterinary inspected every year to say it's teeth are well maintained!


----------



## CharlieChaplin (Dec 30, 2012)

I believe PP have dental covered IF you have yearly check up. So just do it with your yearly boosters and make sure the vet makes notes on records and you should be covered. 

Insurance is hard - I have just brought mine. First direct line - as they were cheaper then noticed dental wasn't covered (which can be expensive) so I moved to PP - around £3 more expensive a month but they pay 10% of my yearly premiums to Cats protection, which I liked. 

It's expensive, I was shocked how much so - and you never know if they have some loophole to get out of paying but I am glad I have it for piece of mind, an PP have a good rep. I didn't look around too much as it was confusing - but I would advise cover for life. I paid mine for piece of mind more than anything - note tho if you have certain pre existing conditions they will not pay out for anything related to it. E.g. my cats suffered with conjunctivits whilst at the rescue - so will not be covered for anything that can be related to it - however if they were symptom free for a year/my vet informs the insurance company they are fine, then I will be covered.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

This is why I'm frustrated at co-op. Their cover is from Allianz (like Petplan) and it seems good and is a lot cheaper, but the cover is only £5,000. Then again with PP I was paying over double what co-op wants for only 2k more cover. Co-op also cover dental. If they did a third, higher cover option I'd go with co-op in a heartbeat.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Buummmppp.


----------



## CharlieChaplin (Dec 30, 2012)

Hummmm, I dunno what to advise. If the treatement is more than what the insurance pay, will they allow you to top it up? e.g. if its 7k for treatment but your insurance is 5k max, would they allow you to top up 2k or do you have to pay it all?

Someone in a previous thred mentioned argos and how they paid out, have you done a search in the forum??


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Nah. 5k is their highest level of cover. I wanted something a bit higher, but with the dental cover that isn't just accident only.


----------



## CharlieChaplin (Dec 30, 2012)

To be honest, my head got so muddled by this stuff I just went with PP. Cover for life, I think the middle pay out, and opted out for some extras e.g. for them to pay out for the cost of my cats if they go missing/pass away to bring costs down. I only looked at PP or direct line so you know better than me. I would probably go for a cover over 5k epsecially if your cats are outdoors and can get to roads if being hit by a car can cost as much as 10k!


----------



## jordanandmeeko (Jan 12, 2013)

Joy84 said:


> Did you try to get a quote from John Lewis?
> Mine is just over £14 for the premier <the best of 3 options> and that gives you £12000 vet fees AND £12000 dental and that's with the lowest <£60> excess.
> I'll be buying that one


Hello. I briefly just went onto the John Lewis website to check this out, but typically it's down. I read a brief outline of what they offer though and they do mention that they can cover ongoing conditions. Is this what you have for this price at all? as I am sure the Petplan for life I looked at did not cover dental treatments and it was a similar price to what you are saying.

If so, this option sounds very good! I am used to horses and I cannot believe how expensive it is to insure a cat!

Thankyou for your help.


----------



## emilyjane (Jan 15, 2013)

Our first cat is with Pet Plan, but when we got our 2nd as a kitten I did decide to shop around thoroughly instead of just taking out the same, just to be safe.

I did find that most decent for life policies were tit for tat tbh. A lot of them were (as someone has previously mentioned) more expensive that Pet Plan, but covered the same, or just a smidge more. A lot WEREN'T for life at all, and that was really frustrating.

In the end, I decided Pet Plan. I do work at a vets as I also know they are brilliant when it comes to paying out, some companies like to put up a bit of a waiting time for the client when it comes to forking the cash out. Also pet plan policies to cover for prescription diets too, which a lot of the time are required! 

If in doubt, and have any questions... why not just call the company you're interested in up? It's not always easy to get the full ins and outs on a website, or at least I found that.

At the end of the day, if you have a lifelong policy that covers for AT LEAST £5,000 per year (of course, the better policy you can afford, the better, no policy is ever "too much cover" if you can afford it) then your animal has already got a much better fighting chance of surviving a RTA, or acute/chronic illness in comparisson to the millions of cats/dogs out there where their owners simply don't bother.
I see it every day: Cat gets ill/injured, owner has no money personally, owner has no insurance, cat dies. 

If an owner does have insurance, most vets will discuss this with you as to what the limits are and decide suitable treatment from there.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Thanks.

Right now Petplan is too much. If Co-op ever offer a higher cover in the future I might change to them, but for now I might plump with John Lewis. Kind of annoyed they only cover accident only dental treatment, but what are the chances of a cat needing dental for something other than that? I don't know. I think what I may do is be with JL for a year or two and hopefully my cat will still be healthy at that time for me to have the freedom to shop around again and maybe go back to Petplan when I have more money in the bank. But right now PP are asking for way too much and won't budge on bringing it down. Their excuse for my premium being £282 was "it's a business and your cat is male." Pathetic.


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

FrancescaJ said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Right now Petplan is too much. If Co-op ever offer a higher cover in the future I might change to them, but for now I might plump with John Lewis. Kind of annoyed they only cover accident only dental treatment, but what are the chances of a cat needing dental for something other than that? I don't know. I think what I may do is be with JL for a year or two and hopefully my cat will still be healthy at that time for me to have the freedom to shop around again and maybe go back to Petplan when I have more money in the bank. But right now PP are asking for way too much and won't budge on bringing it down. Their excuse for my premium being £282 was "it's a business and your cat is male." Pathetic.


Most companies won't cover things like tooth decay. But there again it's fairly easy to provide foodstuffs that will help in keeping your cat's teeth clean and healthy anyway. The most likely cause of tooth problems is injury - unless you don't look after your cat's teeth anyway.

The important thing is to get the amount of cover you want (or can afford) and, ideally, to get a lifetime cover.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

jordanandmeeko said:


> Hello. I briefly just went onto the John Lewis website to check this out, but typically it's down. I read a brief outline of what they offer though and they do mention that they can cover ongoing conditions. Is this what you have for this price at all? as I am sure the Petplan for life I looked at did not cover dental treatments and it was a similar price to what you are saying.
> 
> If so, this option sounds very good! I am used to horses and I cannot believe how expensive it is to insure a cat!
> 
> Thankyou for your help.


I'm not sure if that's what you're asking about, but it's a cover for life.
I think all 3 on their website are <but not sure about that!>.
I'm pretty sure it will not cover for any conditions your cat had before you bought the policy with them, but it's the same with everyone else.
I would happily go with PetPlan but they want more than double of John Lewis' quote <and for lower cover> just because I live in London, which is crazy :/


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

Do you choose a lower excess and pay more in premiums, or higher excess for lower premiums? Which is better?


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

I chose the lowest excess- £60, because the difference in price really wasn't big ...
I thought if I pay £20 more a year I'll not even notice it, but if I'll pay £80 <not to mention £140> not £60 for each visit at the vet it'll feel like more.


----------



## FrancescaJ (Dec 19, 2010)

And what cover did you choose? Is 7.5k enough, or 12k?


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

It's hard to say what is enough ...
I got 12k


----------



## Pumlan (Sep 17, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> Just remember that Tesco is not lifetime cover!
> It might be called extra, extra special, but it's not so :/


Thanks for pointing that out! We discussed that whenever we bought the insurance but I had completely forgotten about it. We have the extra cover so as long as we renew the insurance they will pay something up to £7500 per condition with no time limit.

Don't think I'll go for Tesco's for our next cat due to this though...



maisey said:


> I can't afford pet plan and ended up going with tesco pet insurance but I will soon be changing, tesco you have to pay first then they give you your money back but if my dog say broke his leg there is no way I have access to the sort of money I would need to pay first, I would need a loan!


We have claimed a couple of times and for George's surgery which was £700 plus x-rays and painkillers (!) the vet agreed to make a "pay directly" claim where we didn't have to pay upfront, but Tesco would pay directly to the vet. However this is apparently something the vet doesn't do automatically, we had to get consent from the vet to be allowed to do that. The claims form has got boxes for both claiming directly and for getting paid afterwards.


----------



## jordanandmeeko (Jan 12, 2013)

Joy84 said:


> I'm not sure if that's what you're asking about, but it's a cover for life.
> I think all 3 on their website are <but not sure about that!>.
> I'm pretty sure it will not cover for any conditions your cat had before you bought the policy with them, but it's the same with everyone else.
> I would happily go with PetPlan but they want more than double of John Lewis' quote <and for lower cover> just because I live in London, which is crazy :/


Thankyou for your help. 
I just wanted to compare the prices of both plans after you shared your knowledge but the John Lewis website still says it is being updated! I'll have to wait, i would prefer to do it by computer so i can see it all instead of someone on the phone selling me their plans!

My cat is only a kitten and no prior illness however it was the fact that you said your John Lewis cover covered dental problems and when I looked at the pet plan for life cover, this did not mention dental cover. So by my understanding John Lewis is cheaper and about the same price or in your case cheaper than pet plan!


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

jordanandmeeko said:


> Thankyou for your help.
> I just wanted to compare the prices of both plans after you shared your knowledge but the John Lewis website still says it is being updated! I'll have to wait, i would prefer to do it by computer so i can see it all instead of someone on the phone selling me their plans!
> 
> My cat is only a kitten and no prior illness however it was the fact that you said your John Lewis cover covered dental problems and when I looked at the pet plan for life cover, this did not mention dental cover. So by my understanding John Lewis is cheaper and about the same price or in your case cheaper than pet plan!


All my knowledge comes from Albert Ross and others on this forum 
Few weeks ago I was confused and had no idea what to look out for ...

I just tried John Lewis pet insurance website and it works ok.
I think you get a discount buying online, so it's better than on the phone


----------



## jordanandmeeko (Jan 12, 2013)

Joy84 said:


> All my knowledge comes from Albert Ross and others on this forum
> Few weeks ago I was confused and had no idea what to look out for ...
> 
> I just tried John Lewis pet insurance website and it works ok.
> I think you get a discount buying online, so it's better than on the phone


Thankyou... just compared and I'm very happy with their quotes and coverage compared to other companies. They are very competitive and I think offer a better plan than PP as it is comparitive in cover and cheaper... And re-occuring illnesses etc are covered! The quotes I received were £12.13 a month to cover £7500 vets fees and the same for dental (among other things..) or otherwise £13.96 to cover £12000. Compared to Petplan for life cover whih was £15 something..

as some of you mentioned I also checked with my vet and they will accept money directly from the insurers!

also, one other thing, which is going to sound silly probably... I understand why insurance is a good idea in that it is protection, sort off... but I do not quite understand how it works.. in that...

1. if you do use your insurance cover, your premiums are likely to go up obviously...yes?

2. your then stuck and in a catch 22 because the company can charge you whatever they want? (I dont know whether they do it in reason to the conditions your cat has and the costs or just whatever the hell they want to then charge you....) and your also then stuck because you can no longer compare companies either right?

3. And even if you don't make any claims the premiums can increase anyway...(possibly with the insurance excuse of saying the price of vets fees increase etc etc)??

I hope you can understand what I am saying here!

If the above understanding is correct then I'm a bit confused about the importance of insurance etc in that it seems cat car accidents or injuries like this are the ones that run into the thousands, and quickly, and it is not like I assumed, that X-rays/scans/blood tests would sort of cost this amount (instead these are say £400)...

I understand it is good for re-occuring treatments to be covered...but say once something is diagnosed and your cat needs medication this isnt going to be in the thousands again is it and I would hope that a cat might be a bit better around the road once he had been hit so the liklieness of this happening again, expecially that year would be slim... so although it is good to have a high coverage amount would you agree that it is not always necessary to have the highest...and that sometimes, when the vets bill is not too much it is better to simply pay the money yourself..?

and surely a lot of the time you would be better to just save the money yourself, instead of having to make a sort os substaintial claim, and then your premiums increase, and then your cat not get hit by a car again and other illness's treatments generally, are not ridiculous amounts of money anyway so you would want to pay up front and not use your insurance...

oh god, i dont think anyone will be able to understand what i'm trying to say in the last bit.. i guess in short.. say one year vet is £5000 because of an accident.. and generally other illnesses etc are a lot less, so arent you paying more for insurance iin the long run than what you should of just payed upfront etc etc !?

thanks again for your help


----------



## LDK1 (Oct 1, 2010)

jordanandmeeko said:


> 1. if you do use your insurance cover, your premiums are likely to go up obviously...yes?


This is an interesting question.

According to Petplan, their premiums will definitely *not *go up because of any claims made. They say that the last thing they want to happen is for people not to take their pets to a vet because they are worried about an increase in premiums.

I don't know if this is the same procedure for all pet insurance though.


----------



## LDK1 (Oct 1, 2010)

jordanandmeeko said:


> 2. your then stuck and in a catch 22 because the company can charge you whatever they want? (I dont know whether they do it in reason to the conditions your cat has and the costs or just whatever the hell they want to then charge you....) and your also then stuck because you can no longer compare companies either right?
> 
> *If you get 'life-cover' and you claim for certain conditions, those conditions will not be covered if you change insurer and so yes, you are pretty much locked-in if you still want cover for the conditions you previously claimed for **.*
> 
> ...


..........


----------



## AlbertRoss (Feb 16, 2009)

jordanandmeeko said:


> also, one other thing, which is going to sound silly probably... I understand why insurance is a good idea in that it is protection, sort off... but I do not quite understand how it works.. in that...
> 
> 1. if you do use your insurance cover, your premiums are likely to go up obviously...yes?


Depends on the company. Good ones, like Pet Plan - No. Others (which I shouldn't name) - Almost certainly.



> 2. your then stuck and in a catch 22 because the company can charge you whatever they want? (I dont know whether they do it in reason to the conditions your cat has and the costs or just whatever the hell they want to then charge you....) and your also then stuck because you can no longer compare companies either right?


Pretty much the case. Unless you are with one of the good ones.



> 3. And even if you don't make any claims the premiums can increase anyway...(possibly with the insurance excuse of saying the price of vets fees increase etc etc)??


Sort of self-evident. Costs go up on just about everything every year. It's not realistic to think that insurance companies are going to take in the same money but pay out a lot more each year.



> and surely a lot of the time you would be better to just save the money yourself,


Not unless you have a lot of money ready in case of a big claim. If you have a single large claim, say £5,000 for a new hip, then it's unlikely that your premiums will rise because the incident is now over and not likely to happen again.



> so arent you paying more for insurance iin the long run than what you should of just payed upfront etc etc !?


Hmmm. Let's take your (nearly) £14 per month cover. That's £168 per year for £12,000 cover. If you only claimed that £12,000 once you would be better off unless your cat lived to be 71. I feel that's unlikely. The oldest cat I ever had lived to be a glorious 19. 71 would be pushing it. :biggrin:


----------



## JAChihuahua (Nov 23, 2012)

our oldest family dog lived to be the grand old age of 17

In that time he lived a very healthy life until about 12, when he was hit by a car which mounted the pavement. What followed was a series of operations to first internally and then externally pin and fix his broken front leg, amputate his tail after it became evident the spinal injury was not going to improve and his self mutilation of the paralysed tail was ongoing, and then many months on painkillers and kidney medicines (and diets) while he recovered (pelvic fracture leading to internal injuries).

All in all, he cost my folks nearly £8000, and he died in 1994 when the cost of living was considerably less than now. Insurance was still "not the norm" back then and being a "country" family it just wasnt even on our radar. 

Now? If the same accident happened he would likely be offered extra therapies on top such as hydro etc. The costs would be even higher than the exponential growth by inflation.

To be honest, unless you have a large sum put by I cannot see how anyone can justify not paying even a small amount for a basic insurance premium.


----------



## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

I hope nothing EVER happens to Phoebe.
I'll be the happiest person alive if the money I pay for the insurance will be "wasted" and I never have to claim.
However, I can sleep well just thinking that in case something does happen my baby is covered and can get all the help she needs.
Vet's are expensive, and if something happens, you need the money NOW.
Just look what's happening to McWillow's Rowan now ...
I can't even imagine how much the vet's bill will be!

Another example, couple of months ago Phoebe's mum, must have eaten something bad outside as she became very sick ...
My friend took her to the vet's and they said they would like to keep her for observation for 2 days.
Guess how much that costs ...
!! £980 !!
And that is just the observation, the drip and other medications were extra.

I'll be honest, when I first got Phoebe I thought, why would I need insurance?
I'll open separate saving account and put the money there every month ...
Yeah, right! 3 months later, still no saving account and after what happened to Phoebe's mum I decided that £14 a month really isn't much for the peace of mind that insurance gives me!
I spend more on crisps and chocolate for crying out loud :ciappa:


----------



## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

I have to say I nearly choked when I realised I would be paying near £100 per month for the cats Insurance, and I'm might struggle some months to pay that and have to go without, BUT in the same breath, even though I have savings, I know that if something happen ( god forbid) to any of mine I would struggle to get the money together, and I'd hate to think I'd have to go for a cheaper treatment option because I couldn't afford to pay.. So I will willingly pay the money while I have the means to for my own peace of mind.....


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> My friend took her to the vet's and they said they would like to keep her for observation for 2 days.
> Guess how much that costs ...
> !! £980 !!
> And that is just the observation, the drip and other medications were extra.


Wow, that's some charge just for a cage. I've never paid anywhere near that just for being an in patient.


----------

