Author Topic: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight  (Read 3101 times)

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Offline elaine.e

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Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« on: November 06, 2013, 07:06:19 PM »
Watchdog will be taking a look at pet insurance tonight because of the huge premium increases in recent years. Could be interesting for anyone whose insurance is due for renewal.

Offline JohnK

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2013, 07:17:05 PM »
Thanks for the heads up Elaine

Offline dipsydoodlenoodle

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2013, 10:30:50 PM »
Did they say anything? Just seen the post now :(
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Offline SophieBlueRoanLover

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2013, 11:09:15 PM »
Just watched it. Pretty useless really! One woman got charged the excess 5 times instead of 2 (for 5 lumps) with PetPlan. Someone got a huge increase with Green Insurance, who then put it down a bit after the complaint. Someone had an eight year old dog that had an increase. Someone had a policy with M&S put up from £770 to £870 or something, and then got a new policy for £269 also with M&S (ie they're ripping off existing customers). So the advice is that if your dog has no pre-existing conditions then definitely shop around or you may get screwed!

No mention whatsoever of Axa.

Didn't have anyone from any insurance companies justifying any of it - just a couple of reported responses that medical advances meant that more people claim for more expensive treatment, and general vets fees are going up. Nothing about the sex of the pet, where you live, etc. which seems to have come out of variance response letters to Axa complaints (on the FB page discussing this).

Offline Toni-UK

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2013, 11:18:35 PM »
I still think it was bad for the woman who was charged double excess for 2 different lumps during one surgery by Petplan..

I thought the report was useless.
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Offline supergirl

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2013, 11:21:37 PM »
Yes i thought it was a pretty poor report really. It would seem that they're all as bad as each other. No surprises that complaints about pet insurance have gone up by 50% in the last year, also that 60% of complaints are upheld in favour of the customer.
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Offline SophieBlueRoanLover

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2013, 11:25:31 PM »
Yes i thought it was a pretty poor report really. It would seem that they're all as bad as each other. No surprises that complaints about pet insurance have gone up by 50% in the last year, also that 60% of complaints are upheld in favour of the customer.
That means that 40% of complaints are upheld in favour of the insurer (and I presume this is with cases that go to the Ombudsman, so plenty more just go as far as the insurer and then the customer puts up with it).

If there was some regulation of vets and vet hospitals and the fees they charged that might help... (and the enormous mark-ups they charge on any drugs or treatments). But that's another story...

Offline Redked

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2013, 12:29:12 AM »
I watched it too expecting Axa to be on. It didn't say anything about what is going to be done! It was just a case of this is happening and there you go....nothing resolved or even being looked into  >:D

Offline SophieBlueRoanLover

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2013, 07:25:46 AM »
I watched it too expecting Axa to be on. It didn't say anything about what is going to be done! It was just a case of this is happening and there you go....nothing resolved or even being looked into  >:D
Exactly - a bit pointless really! I thought it might come to some conclusion, but no. There you go indeed! All the fluff in it was really irritating too (getting the dog to bring a card to him) - haven't watched it before and certainly won't bother again (but must get mortgage in the next 2 years!!).

Offline Mudmagnets

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Re: Pet insurance investigated on Watchdog, BBC1, 8.00pm tonight
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2013, 12:22:07 PM »
I saw it too and just as it got a bit interesting - it finished. Think the watchdog had a tooth extraction, before reporting!!=no bite
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