I spoke to M&S this morning to enquire about their 'mistake'. There was no negotiation - they blamed the increase on the fact Stanley is a Labrador and vet fees have gone up by an average of 12% (my premium has gone up by a lot more than 12%!). Policy cancelled and M&S weren't interested in trying to keep my custom. Shame, as I was singing their praises, just the other month!
Hi, I'm with M+S, Murphy's jumped from £18 last year to £29 at renewal although I did make a claim for his xrays, cartrophen and supplements for his ED which came to about £230.
I had Amber's renewal through and that had gone from £20 to £23 with no claims made, I've cancelled it and am in the process of getting new quotes. Liverpool Victoria seem quite reasonably priced but need to read up in more depth.
Hi, I'm with M+S, Murphy's jumped from £18 last year to £29 at renewal although I did make a claim for his xrays, cartrophen and supplements for his ED which came to about £230.
I had Amber's renewal through and that had gone from £20 to £23 with no claims made, I've cancelled it and am in the process of getting new quotes. Liverpool Victoria seem quite reasonably priced but need to read up in more depth.
I made two very small claims this year, of around £50 in total, for two totally isolated, one off wounds obtained whilst out walking. These were my first claims, after three years of having insurance. The premiums have risen each year by quite a lot, despite having no claims.
I almost went with M and S for Lottie,then decided on Sainsburys. This year alone we've claimed just under £2000 for her. X rays and treatment of elbow OCD. Also almost £500 for a serious dog bite. Her renewal came last week and had only gone up by about £2 a month. To say I was relieved was an understatement...I had my eyes closed opening the envelope.
Hope you manage to find a good policy if you're cancelling M and S.
I have 'for life' cover up to £7500 per condition with a £75 excess. They have been brilliant and pay out very fast. My vet also rates them very highly,and on a par with Petplan.
Good luck.That rise is outrageous.So what if you live in London.A dog is a dog wherever you live.Even if he is a labrador
My girls' insurance went up with Tesco direct but I called and queried this. the guy reviewed the policy and removed things like the option of a refund of the cost of the dog if she died (like I'd care!).
Got the inurance back down to the original price within minutes! Give them a call and negotiate - they opnly try it on cos most folks don't query!
What you are seeing is the beginning of the end of vet insurance.
Vet insurance has allowed vets to carry out more and more specialised treatment and this has now been carried to the extreme where vets, like the program a couple of nights ago, are carrying out thousands of pounds worth of tests before treating for something which was patently obvious in the first place! The insurance companies are in business to make money so in the final analysis, you the punters must pay for the claims.
As claims get higher so fees get higher. Insurance was a golden egg to vets and they responded by doing it to death. It is in it's death throws now. It might struggle on for a few more years but more and more people are dropping out, which is going to lead to higher and higher premiums for those left in.
What you are seeing is the beginning of the end of vet insurance.
Vet insurance has allowed vets to carry out more and more specialised treatment and this has now been carried to the extreme where vets, like the program a couple of nights ago, are carrying out thousands of pounds worth of tests before treating for something which was patently obvious in the first place! The insurance companies are in business to make money so in the final analysis, you the punters must pay for the claims.
As claims get higher so fees get higher. Insurance was a golden egg to vets and they responded by doing it to death. It is in it's death throws now. It might struggle on for a few more years but more and more people are dropping out, which is going to lead to higher and higher premiums for those left in.
Sorry, John
You make an excellent point, John. Years ago, pet insurance didn't even come into the equation - now I feel like I will 'panic' if my dog isn't covered by a decent policy. Years ago, I took vet bills in my stride.
I feel disappointed by companies like M&S; I feel they reel you in with what you consider to be a reasonable quote, then the following year, everything goes sky high. My location and breed of dog weren't such a worry to them last year
I feel they reel you in with what you consider to be a reasonable quote, then the following year, everything goes sky high.
But this is the same with all insurance. If you dont change your car insurance every year you end up paying through the nose.
But the problem with vet insurance is the "Pre-existing conditions" clause. If you have almost any claim, ever, you are then trapped into the same insurance year after year with no escape. And thats the reason why I wont touch vet insurance. To me it's a rip off
I'm just outside london and with Direct Line, my premiums went up by 57%. That's for both dogs so in theory Basils portion (who i've claimed for) had doubled if Nells has stayed the same.
I think I now pay about £55 a month.
Direct Line advance is an ok policy, they've not refused any of Basils claims and have covered his physio (10 sessions) too. But they do take ages to pay out, when I first had the policy it was 4 weeks but since the bad weather back in december they've not really picked up and 7 weeks is the norm now.
Bear in mind that they offer about 25% off for new customers so it'll hike up at renewal next year regardless.
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