Best insurance...if there is there such a thing?

[QuaCKeReD]

Ok, so may be a silly question, but what is the best insurance policy, for cover (cost aside)?

So far I see;
Axa - pricing people out of policies, moved to sun alliance underwriting
John Lewis - moved to sun alliance, renewals not bad.
M&S - ?
Argos - average price, cheap renewals (no southern comfort needed :-) )
Pet friends, etc - cheap, but comments to stay away (no backing though?)
Pet Plan - one of most expensive, but so far no complaints on cover or payout? And renewals not bad.

We are getting first puppy, from breeder, in 2 weeks.  Get the free 4 week cover with PP, but looking for best 'long term' policy to carry on afterwards???

Cheers for any advice
Mark

[hilhames]

I am wrestling with same problem I have a friend who uses RSA and this is her second year with a lab and it was £20 now £29 but she has had no claims yet.
Am thinking might bite bullet and go with Pet Plan.  Am checking with another couple of friends and am also posting on Moneysavingexpert where lots of people have dogs,, will post further whatever I find out.  Your post good as brings all the points together so made my MSE post easier...

[JennyBee]

AXA are a definite no-no: they are no longer taking on new customers. I am with PetPlan, and the way things are now I would personally only ever go with a company that is solely focused on the pet market. I think it is a very tricky decision to make these days, as you don't know if some point in the near future another company is going to decide pet insurance isn't profitable enough .

PetPlan is expensive - and one thing to consider is that once  your dog reaches a certain age you have to pay a percentage of each claim - but I have to say they have been brilliant for me. I have claimed a LOT in the last year and a half over various conditions with Brodie and they haven't questioned a single thing. I am hoping with crossed fingers that when my renewal comes through (should be soon) that the rise isn't too high. I am also hoping that because they solely focus on pets they will remain stable financially - I would be stuffed if I had to find another insurer .

Just to give you an example of Petplan's prices (although a lot of factors influence things, of course). I paid about £23 a month when Brodie was a pup and now she is aged five I pay £40.

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

Mark - whichever you go with, please bear in mind that you're not covered for anything that happens or is diagnosed during the first 14 days of cover (it's usually 14 days, but with some policies it is 30 days), so it might be worth taking a policy out before the other one expires.

Be very careful with who choose. I would probably advise PetPlan, in spite of them being the most expensive, as they are dedicated to pet insurance, and therefore less likely to screw you over, as Axa has done with me (you are lucky not to be able to go with Axa - they have ruined the last 4 days of my life with the worry about what to do with my dog's ongoing insurance!).

[hilhames]

JennyBee I have decided to go with PetPlan, they underwrite and are specialists and prices seem to be swings and roundabouts.
Can I be cheeky and ask which level of cover you have - there are so many possible extras my head is spinning.  I wish I had investigated this before having my pup as it would have been a less stressful time to make the decision.
Pet insurance seems so complex although I suppose its just that we are used to the ins and outs of car insurance, house insurance etc!
Thank you so much,you have been very helpful with several of my questions.

[JennyBee]

Not cheeky at all - I have the Covered for Life Classic, I'm not sure I could afford their top policy, as much as I'd love to . Excess is £90 per condition. Like I said, they have paid out each and every time, which has taken a lot of stress out of things. My vet claims from them direct, but I know not all vets do that.

[Panda]

My vet told me he has never had a refusal to pay with Petplan and advised me to steer clear of 'supermarket policies' and Animal Friends - having said that I know people who have never had problems with either but I will stick with Petplan for piece of mind.

[butterflywings21]

We are with petplan, Tilly is nearly 7 months and and we have already claimed for her eye (1600  ). Can't fault them (at the moment). We will stay with them when we need to renew.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

We are with John Lewis...for the benefits...life long cover of illnesses (but most do this)...but they cover medical costs to £10,000 a year, most do £7,000. There were other reasons I chose them but I can't remember.

My renewal had a wrong DOB for Charlie, I phoned them to change it...I got through quickly and the girl I spoke to was really polite . That is my one dealing with them.

[Jane57]

I have had good experience with John Lewis and stayed with them for the 2nd year.
They send out claims forms promptly and have had the cheque processed within a week.
I also have lifetime cover and up to £10k vets fees per year.

[BobnDot]

Both Milly and Chaz are with Animal Friends. We had a £700+ claim for Milly in the first year which was paid in full within seven days and they spotted a mistake in our vet's bill which meant we'd under claimed by £22....They paid out on the corrected amount  .

Milly's insurance started off three years ago at £140 per annum and her recent renewal was £190. Chaz's started off at £190 last October.
Both are for £7000 per condition, lifetime cover with a £90 excess.

Some people have reported problems with Animal Friends but I think that nearly every insurance company will have both good and bad reports. From our experience with them so far we'll be staying with Animal Friends.

Bob.

[abzy0309]

This is such a useful thread! I am having the same problem.... It's such a lot to take in.

[hilhames]

JennyBee, can I just check - the PetPlan Classic for Life, you have it with £7000 cover per year?  The alternative is £4000 which is maybe not enough? Or is it?   Thanks

[JennyBee]

Yes I have the £7000 - £4000 seems far too low for me. After having a terrible time with Brodie's health last year I know all too well how things add up! Her three visits to the ear specialist alone were £1000. Goodness knows how much her many, many visits to our own vet have cost

[QuaCKeReD]

Isn't that £4000 per condition? As opposed to per year?

In which case I was thinking same; not enough...