NEVER, NEVER USE TESCO INSURANCE......

[Mandthepand]

Just picked up this thread and I can't (or rather can) believe how Tesco Insurance has treated you.  We HATE insurance companies - in factc I think LOATHE is the right word for it.    We used to have pet insurance with our old late labrador.  She unfortunatley had an inherited leg condition that resulted iin major surgery at 9 months and arthritis for the rest of her life.  We were with Equine and Livestock.  Luckily they paid out but HOWEVER, every year after that the premium got higher, and higher, and higher.......  It got to the point where we decided to cancel the premium.  She had real problems in the last 12 months of her life which we paid for but it wasn't anywhere near the premiums that we would have paid had we carried on with the insurance.

So, when we had Penny we decided to weigh up the risks and self insure.  Yes it is a risk but we feel the money is far better in our pockets earning interest rather than being with an insurance company who may not even pay out when it is needed.  The other thing which we were very wary of is that some insurance companies will not pay out on repeat claims (ie claims that result from previous claims).  We have found that out with house insurance. 

Yes, we've had a big bill with Penny's recent illness, but we had half of the money in our account to pay for the total bill and bearing in mind that we would have had an excess to pay anyway are only 50 quid down. 

I am VERY cautious of insurance companies with previous experience not just pet but other.  Their job is to make money and keep hold of it the best they can using any kind of excuse in the small print. 

All the best with Tescos - I hope they reconsider. 

I personally risk it..................   

[Cob-Web]

Their job is to make money and keep hold of it the best they can using any kind of excuse in the small print. 

I agree, and approahc ALL insurance cover with this attitude - but would always pay for insurance for a pet dog or cat 

Although the medical cover is important - more important to me is the third party liability cover that is offered as part of the policy; can you imaigine how awful it would be if you couldn't afford to prove in court that your dog is NOT dangerous 

In this day and age of litigation, legal proceedings against perfectly innocent dogs are not uncommon or unlikely; and third party cover ensures that you are able to defend your dog appropriately......so its a small price to pay, really 

[Jeeves]

You are right to be concerned about third party liability IWLass - especially in this litigious society.

However, almost all home contents policies have 3rd party cover for animals, so it's worth checking that out as that could save having to get a specific animal policy.

Fear not folks - Tesco will wish they had never heard of me by the time I finish!!! 

[Cob-Web]

However, almost all home contents policies have 3rd party cover for animals, so it's worth checking that out as that could save having to get a specific animal policy.

Nope - mine doesn't  I can't find one that does, either - do you have any recommendations?? 

[miche]

I can see both sides about the 3rd party risk.  I have both my cockers insured and a huge consideration when doing to was the for the 3rd party.  Imagine, not only having to try to prove in court that they are not dangerous but if they ever escaped and ran into a road and caused a car accident that resulted in some-one being seriously or fatally injured and then I was sued - accidents do happen.

Ronald on the other hand is not insured.  I got him as an 11 year old rescue and did have him insured for a long time but it too has got to the point where it would be a total waste of my money to insure him.  Saying that though Ronald now never goes outside of the garden - he has all of the exercise he can manage there, he cannot run anywhere and the only place he can cause a problem is in our own house.  I would also be prepared to pay for any treatment he may need.

I am 99.9% certain that my home insurance doesn't include 3rd party cover for animals, especially not for 3 dogs.

[Mary]

I've never had to make a claim in the four years we've had Lottie (she is 4 today ) so I'm sure it would be much higher if I had

Regardless of how much you claim (or not) your insurance goes up like everyone elses at the same rate. M&S decided this year to put up their premiums a lot higher for male dogs to reflect the number they are getting in re dog fights (or so they say). My insurance has gone up at the same rate as someone who hasn't claimed. They just don't penalise you if you claim as you would with other types of insurance (Wilf claimed back almost 3000 in his 1st year yet insurance was same for him as Ruby's and friends who had same insurance but who hadn't claimed anything at all).

That's good to know then

I rang M&S today and they told me the same as other COL members, the underwriters AXA have put the premiums up by this much due to vets fees and the amount of claims

I can confirm that the variable excess IS still available the premium was about £2 a month cheaper with a £50 excess when i checked last night

I've just checked M&S website and it confirms on there that you can reduce your premiums by 5% if you take an additional £25 excess or 10% if you take an additional £50 excess.  This however, has not been offered to me upon renewal so I shall be ringing them tomorrow to find out why

M&S told me today that the policy has now changed and that they are unsure why their website is offering a variable excess still.  They are looking into it and have promised to come back to me.  I don't hold out much hope on that

[Jeeves]

Update chaps.....

Bloody gits are still refusing to pay up - despite letters from my vet and the specialist.

Next stop the Insurance Ombudsman.

Tesco - Billions of pounds profit in a matter of months and they wont pay a ligitimate claim of £1,300.

Folks, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES go to Tesco insurance.

[Penelope]

So sorry you are having problems with your insurance.
One of our huge worries when our little Meg was sick was about if the insurance would cover everything.  After she died and we looked into it, it transpired that had she lived, she would have cost so much that her insurance cover would have run out within a year.  We were so upset (as if her dying wasnt enough) so had to look around for new policy for our other 2 dogs.  We have found one through Animal Friends, which is a charity, and have really read it carefully.  Although it costs more, the peace of mind it brings is priceless.  As soon as my current claim is paid out we will cancel the one we have and just keep the new one (at the moment they are covered by both - expensive but necessary to ensure they pay out for current claim!)
Best of luck and dont give up.  If you know you are right, keep at it and you will win in the end.
Newspapers and television might be interested as this company are in the news right now for the amount of money they are making... just a thought.

[Krisdt]

Aren't Tescos to be avoided full stop! I remember hearing/reading that a national boycott of tescos was in order due to the suppliers being in trouble for animal cruelty. I hope I have not gotten mixed up 

[happydog]

Jeeves. I thought that in an earlier conversation with them they indicated that if your statement was backed up with professional documentation then they would honour your claim? Don't they record conversations? Can you not get to speak to the person who told you this? Do you not have a note of their name?    You go get em!

I have dropped Tescos Pet Insurance as from this month. Interestingly they asked me 'why?' (as I made a point of ringing them rather than just not renewing).  I had great delight in telling them!  .Perhaps if anyone else finds themselves in this position before Jeeves gets her claim settled they could ring too and give the appalling way in which her claim has been (mis)handled as a reason?

Aren't Tescos to be avoided full stop! I remember hearing/reading that a national boycott of tescos was in order due to the suppliers being in trouble for animal cruelty. I hope I have not gotten mixed up 

I posted about cruelty at Tescos newly opened China outlets as they are offering Turtles etc as live food and slaughtering to order on site (the humanity of the methods used are highly questionable). Acceptable in China generally (where skinning an animal alive is 'legal'  )- but hardly appropriate for a British company who like to publicise their green credentials to their mainly British customer base. I have posted the link once and referrred to it again on this thread so I wont repeat myself (except to say it is on page one third post  ). You may be thinking of that Krisdt.

[CraftySam]

Jeeves, I think thats appalling.    You can't let this go. Complain to the ombudsman. Also, our local ITV news programme have a monthly consumer investigation for things such as this. I really think its worth contacting your local TV stations as well as Watchdog. Here's how to contact them. http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/contact_index.shtml Once you've contacted write to Tesco's again stating you case and tell them you have been in contact with Watchdog etc. I found that did the trick. 

I am with Direct Line, I have gone for the more expensive policy and it works out about £25 a month for my 2.  Never had to make a claim so hope they are OK.

I'm with Direct Line too, on the Advanced policy, which costs me just over £40 a month for my three. I have claimed a couple of times for Sapphi, for D&V and an op to remove a mystery lump. On both occassions the paid up without question, though it did take them almost a month.

When it was renewal time I had a look around to see if anything better was out there. I was shocked to discover that none of them would cover Sapphi for D&V, so I ended up staying with Direct Line.

[michelle123]

Jeeves - what exactly have Tesco said to decline your claim ?

If they have only conveyed this to you verbally ask for a written letter of repudiation fully detailing their decision.  By GISC rulings they have to do this, but request it anyway.  Dont be fobbed off make sure they state EXACTLY why they are disputing your vets own remarks.

Upon receipt of this letter, you should WRITE not phone them, inform them that you believe that their decision is incorrect for x, y,z reasons and state that you will firstly be notifying the Insurance Ombudsman - I can get you the number if you want, but additionally you are contacting Watchdog.

ALL Insurance companies are s**t scared of Watchdog as none of them like bad press, none of them like being investigated by the Ombudsman either.

If you have medical evidence from your vet to state catergorically that the two incidents are not connected then you are on the home run.

I'd be booking in at the hairdressers in time to meet Nicky Campbell if I were you 

Give me a shout if you need any help

[Jeeves]

Thank you all for such helpful advice (Michelle - I'm off to book the hairdressers immediately!!) 

They are still sticking to the fact that they are linking the two conditions.  They seem to be able to write my claim off on the ASSUMPTION that the two are linked - they have no hard evidence to support this.

I am today writing to them to tell them I do not accept their decision and to inform them my next port of call is the Ombudsman.  I am also going to write to the specialist to ask him for a letter (I previously only got letters from my own vet - dimbo me!) to help me out.  When we told him of their initial decision he was shocked and said there is no way they should refuse the claim on the basis of the two being linked, so fingers crossed there.

I'm also (for what it's worth) going to find out who the head honcho in the Tesco organisation is and write to them.  Don't suppose for a minute it will achieve anything but i've nothing to lose 

I will contact Watchdog.  That is an excellent suggestion.  Also, I run a very busy livery yard and I am going to put a poster on the board there warning people not to use Tesco insurance.  (Most of the horse owners have dogs).  I'm also cancelling my policy with them as of this morning.

I will never, ever, ever as long as I live, set foot in a Tesco store. I hope their billions in profit turns to billions in loss 

[Cob-Web]

I'm also cancelling my policy with them as of this morning.

If you have an annual policy and cancel it part-way through, they can legitimately refuse any claims for that year.........

[happydog]

I'm also cancelling my policy with them as of this morning.

If you have an annual policy and cancel it part-way through, they can legitimately refuse any claims for that year.........

I would imagine that Jeeves couldn't give stuff about that Rachel. They've refused to  pay out anyway so I don't suppose she feels she is losing anything. As long as she gets replacement Insurance straight away there'll only be a 10 day gap or so where she's not covered.