Topic: Cat Insurance Renewal (Read 6383 times)

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #46 on:** July 18, 2007, 22:20:40 PM »

Despite being with Sainsbury's and happy wiht them, I wouldnt recommend them to anyone with a young cat, Tiger didn't end up having the expensive tests, but could have, and an MRI at teh specialist would cost you £2k. I will stick with them for my two, as at 13 and 14, I think £6,500 is enough (plus Tiger has a pre-existing condition now), and I would be wondering about quality of life if they hit that amount for one condition. Anyone with oldies does have the problem of being restricted as to what companies they can go with though.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #45 on:** July 18, 2007, 17:12:00 PM »

Thanks Gill, not that i wanted to hear that

overall even with an excess i think the cover is still good.

Helen, yes its 7k with m&s

Liza · « **Reply #44 on:** July 18, 2007, 14:43:33 PM »

Just got a quote from PetPlan.........for one cat Budget Plan with £4k per year £11.89 for their Super cat unlimited £ per year £18.88..........both with £80 excess Think I'll be doing M&S....

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #43 on:** July 18, 2007, 14:07:50 PM »

Sainsburys cover is per condition so if you ran up the 6k over say two years then they would simply stop paying for that condition, this can easily happen - Desley's Tiger is having tests that cost £1200

and I spent thousands on Tiggy in the last 4 years of her life.

With M&S it's per year so that you can run up 6k (think it's 7 actually) in year one and then when you renew the limit is reset and you get another 6k the next year and so on and so on. If they have no pre-existing conditions then I would definitely switch, especially if the premium's are around the same. Petplan is another one that does the per year limits so might be worth getting a quote from them too.

Liza · « **Reply #42 on:** July 18, 2007, 13:58:02 PM »

I'm still in a pickle with what to do with my insurance for the girls..........stay with Sainsburys or change to M&S with a slightly higher excess but with better cover...........why is nothing simple

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #41 on:** July 18, 2007, 13:24:13 PM »

I have just spoken to Vanessa at M&S and thought you would like to know the result before I drove to the beach

I have been lucky because the renewel dates on my birmans policys is 1 Aug and therefore I get a renewal with NIL excess.

How ever any policy with a renewal date of 4 Aug will no longer get NIL excess

She tells me the underwriters took away the NIL access from 4 Jul and then must have allowed a months grace on policy renewals.

I asked her why she did not tell me this on Monday and her very lame excuse was that she was waiting to see what the renewal date was on the birmans policys. More true was when she said she did not want to antaganize me on Monday!!

I have told her I will now be taking this to the insurance ombudsman because I think policy holders are being treated very badly because we renew our policys not take out new ones and they have taken away one of the main terms of the policy, so effectively we are being given new policys but under the original number.

She obviously very concerned about what I said to her and she was typing the feedback to AXA while we talked. She explained and I understand her, that all of this was out of their control as its been dictated to them by the underwriters and they cannot do anything about it. I am sure they can make it very well known to AXA that this has given M&S insurance a very bad name and will make people wary of using them as insurers again on anything. She is well aware that AXA also underwrite Sainsburys Pet Insurance.

I told her that we would not be recommending M&S any longer on this site and that people are looking to change their insurance company.

I think it is sad that there are many here who took their insurances out after me so will not get longer than a year with NIL excess, cos this change has been made one year from it being started. Some obviously will not be able to change insureance even if they wish to because of now having pre-existing conditions.

One of the things that is nice about M&S is the people in the call centre which overlooks the offices where the teams work, are very polite and pleasant to talk to, even if they with hold certain vital information

Millys Mum · « **Reply #40 on:** July 18, 2007, 08:37:33 AM »

Thanks for doing that Helen, i will see what i can get elsewhere when the renewals come in for the policies i havent claimed on.

Quote

Just wonder who you spoke to Milly cos if it just a customer service person, they may have given you the wrong answer.

I didnt speak to anyone, it was my own thought that you should continue to have the option of no excess if your an existing customer.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #39 on:** July 17, 2007, 21:58:23 PM »

As far as I know if you took out a policy with Nil excess thats the policy you will always have unless you cancel it.

However I have to speak to Vanessa again tomorrow and will ask her, cos my birmans policys have come in. When I last spoke she said I would have to ask for a letter every year when renewals came up and if the NIL excess is going then I am not gonna stay with M$S cos they have cheated everyone. Will stay this year unless i can get a much reduced rate from Sainsbury for them cos of still having NIL excess.

My birmans have gone up £10 per cat and due to the huge hike in cat insurance its eaten up all of the increase in my pension!!

Just wonder who you spoke to Milly cos if it just a customer service person, they may have given you the wrong answer.

I wish I had flipping stayed with Sainsbury, had been with them for years without a problem grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #38 on:** July 17, 2007, 18:37:36 PM »

Shame they have stopped, but like Susanne, I am not too surprised, it must have been expensive. Wonder if they will have a lot of people swapping? I personally would use them over Sainsbury's if I had a young cat though, Tiger could cost me £1200 just on the tests tomorrow, that doesnt include what she would need doing after the tests.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #37 on:** July 17, 2007, 18:26:03 PM »

I have to say I'm not surprised if they have stopped offering a nil excess option. It must have caused a large increase in payments - not just £50 more when paying out claims, but an increase in the number of small claims. I could never see that as being sustainable.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #36 on:** July 17, 2007, 15:56:53 PM »

Quote

I don't think it wil be an option for me next year even though I had it this year. I could be wrong but I don't think it was written or even inferred at any point that because you have selected NIL excess that the option is there for the life of your policy, potentially 20 years in my case - would be nice if that was the case!

Quote from: Millys Mum on July 17, 2007, 15:41:55 PM

Iv done several claims and have not a prob inregards to the nil excess, they just write payment in full with no deductions per your policy.
If you take out a nil excess policy you should continue to get it because your renewing the original policy each year? I hope so!

OK, I've obviously got far too much time on my hands... I just rang them. I explained that I currently had nil excess and was aware that they were no longer offering this, if I renewed next year would nil excess be an option for me as a continuation of my existing policy? The answer was No, which was what I expected to be honest. The excess is one aspect of the policy the same as the premium, you wouldn't expect the premium not to go up and whilst obviously I'd prefer a nil excess I'm not surprised that they have stopped doing it and I don't think I should automatically have a nil excess next year (knowing that they have stopped doing it) just because I had it this year.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #35 on:** July 17, 2007, 15:41:55 PM »

Iv done several claims and have not a prob inregards to the nil excess, they just write payment in full with no deductions per your policy.

Quote

I don't think it wil be an option for me next year even though I had it this year. I could be wrong but I don't think it was written or even inferred at any point that because you have selected NIL excess that the option is there for the life of your policy, potentially 20 years in my case - would be nice if that was the case!

If you take out a nil excess policy you should continue to get it because your renewing the original policy each year? I hope so!

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #34 on:** July 17, 2007, 09:22:24 AM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 17, 2007, 00:24:43 AM

I told her today that the current wording is giving M$S an opt out cos thay are putting in the policy schedule both the excess and the NIL excess so nobody can tell what they have........

I am going to wait till I have all of my four policies renewed and received a letter confirming NIL excess on all and then I think I am going to write to the insurance ombudsman and send a copy of all, because I think M$S are playing a very devious game and then they blame it on their underwriters AXA, which I think also underwrite Sainsburys too.

I agree that the wording is not particularly clear but they have explained it quite simply in that if you have a regular excess (say £75) then it will be detailed in the policy as normal ie 'you must pay the first £75 of any claim', if you have opted for nil excess then the standard talk about any excess is followed by words to the effect 'The excess on this policy has been reduced to nil'. Also I have never heard of anyone with a nil excess having trouble when claiming ie M&S trying to make them pay the excess. Surely the insurance ombudsman would only get involved if M&S had attempted to charge customers the excess when it should have been Nil?

I think you're right, Sainsburys are underwritten by Axa aswell but as far as I'm aware Sainsburys is a per condition policy ie once you reach the 6k then that it - finished. So if you had an ongoing condition and claimed 6k for it over, say, two years (quite feasible) then once you have reached the 6k they simply stop paying and you won't be covered for that condition any longer. At least with M&S it's 6k per year so every year when you renew the policy the 6k starts again.

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 17, 2007, 00:24:43 AM

this means that its very important that people get a letter every renewel to confirm their NIL excess cos otherwise it will start to vanish from existing policies and you will not have any paper work that shows it started of as NIL for the life of the cat.

I sort of presumed that if the no excess option was reduced then it was tough luck, I don't think it wil be an option for me next year even though I had it this year. I could be wrong but I don't think it was written or even inferred at any point that because you have selected NIL excess that the option is there for the life of your policy, potentially 20 years in my case - would be nice if that was the case!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #33 on:** July 17, 2007, 00:24:43 AM »

WOW, cos we were discussing why I left Sainsburys and talking about one of reasons i moved was for NIL excess and she didnt say they had stopped it.

Now I understand why they havent changed the computer programme cos I moved after Rosella had got Nil excess on her older cats, well actually moved before and then a week later Rosella got the NIL excess.

I was furious and spent 5 months arguing with them and they cancelled my policies for Franta and Ducha and gave me Nil excesss policies.

I told her today that the current wording is giving M$S an opt out cos thay are putting in the policy schedule both the excess and the NIL excess so nobody can tell what they have........this means that its very important that people get a letter every renewel to confirm their NIL excess cos otherwise it will start to vanish from existing policies and you will not have any paper work that shows it started of as NIL for the life of the cat.

It is almost exactly a year since they gave NIL excess to all cats, no matter what their age.

When I speak to her again in about 6 weeks I will ask her if this type of policy has stopped and if so why she didnt tell me when we were talking about it, this was my arguement last year over the birmans policy. They let me take it out about 2 days before they allowed NIL excess for older cats without saying anything.

The covering letter that came with the renewel, I read a paragraph to her this morning cos it said they had simplified the excess on the policies but never mentioned NIL excess and she never said anything, except the computer just spits them all out the same.

I told her I had regretted moving to M$S from Sainsburys due to all the hassle and how the wording of their schedule was so unclear, whereby Sainsburys was much clearer.

I am going to wait till I have all of my four policies renewed and received a letter confirming NIL excess on all and then I think I am going to write to the insurance ombudsman and send a copy of all, because I think M$S are playing a very devious game and then they blame it on their underwriters AXA, which I think also underwrite Sainsburys too.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #32 on:** July 17, 2007, 00:01:15 AM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 16, 2007, 21:32:39 PM

I spoke to one of the team leaders at M&S this morning and she certainly did not say that they had stopped doing NIL excess.

Well it is definitely not an option online any longer... I just did a dummy quote online and when you click on the '?' next to the excess it says "The standard excess is £75 you can choose to: *keep the standard policy excess, *increase the policy excess and receive a discount"

Thinking about it logically they must have been throwing money away on the no excess policies, it wasn't really sustainable long term.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #31 on:** July 16, 2007, 21:32:39 PM »

I spoke to one of the team leaders at M&S this morning and she certainly did not say that they had stopped doing NIL excess.

My renewals for Misa and Sasa came in a couple of weeks ago and I asked for a letter again to confirm the NIL excess because thay are not making it clear on the schedules. She was sending it to Admin for them to send out a letter...........so lets hope it arrives soon.

She said because the computer is spitting them all out the same ie. withe all the garbage about excess and then at the bottom NIL excess, she says I will have to ring again for a letter when Franta and Duchas renewals came in.

I told her I was an admin on a very big cat rescue site and we are currently recommending M$S and Sainsburys as the markets leaders but I asked her to pass on a message that people are getting very upset when the renewals come in and the excess is not clear. I suggested to her that the computer spits out two lots, one with Nil excess and the others that have excess cos otherwise people are not going to come to M$S. I suggested that she asked the senior staff there to get who ever does the computer programme to get it changed cos it wont be difficult.

She agreed that would be a good idea and her name is Vanessa Gregory, so I suggest that when you get your M&S renewals you ring customer services and ask for her and insist on a letter that comfirms your policy as NIL excess and suggest that she passes up the line that this needs to be changed on the computer cos nobody can understand whether they really have NIL excess.

Maybe then the message will get through!!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #30 on:** July 16, 2007, 19:59:10 PM »

Quote

It looks like M&S have stopped doing the 'no excess' aswell so definitely no point switching

I havent had my paper work for Taz yet and they have resent it, it better still be no excess

i know they can easily forget these things.

If sainsburys have gone up aswell i should imagine everyone else will too.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #29 on:** July 16, 2007, 13:50:22 PM »

Just checked Halifax, and their basic policy (£1k per condition per year) is more than Sainsburys, to get their higher one (£6k per condition per year), it is over £21 a month just for Molly!! Their excess is also £50 per condition per year, so for long term illnesses, you would have to pay an excess more than once.

Liza · « **Reply #28 on:** July 16, 2007, 13:43:00 PM »

this is what Sainsburys exclude..........do you think this means just cosmetic excluded or all teeth/gum conditions, if they needed an extraction?

Exclusions under section 1: veterinary fees

Pre-existing medical conditions.
Costs occurring within the first 14 days of the start of cover.
Continuation of an ongoing claim unless the premiums are paid.
Any costs for obesity diets, dental or gum treatment and complementary treatments not carried out under the direction of a vet.
Any costs resulting from vaccinations, spaying castration, pregnancy or giving birth.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #27 on:** July 16, 2007, 13:40:16 PM »

I think a lot do although not cosmetic dentistry - they will if your cat needs a dental recommended by vet cos of gingivitis or something. petplan do - I know because I've successfully claimed. Think M&S do too.

Liza · « **Reply #26 on:** July 16, 2007, 13:38:04 PM »

Don't think many cover dental, I know direct line doesn't and don't thinks sainsburys do............who does?

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #25 on:** July 16, 2007, 13:33:35 PM »

Quote from: Team Svartalfheim's on July 16, 2007, 12:37:16 PM

Halifax are brilliant, premiums are good value and they pay out really really quickly.

They dont' cover dental treatment though, unless the result of an accident.

That's a pain, Liza. Unfortunately it's what most companies (not just pet insurance) do to attract new customers

Liza · « **Reply #24 on:** July 16, 2007, 12:56:23 PM »

Ok so I've just called Sainsburys to moan...........if I apply for a new policy on line the cost is £90.33 for Jet (and then Cruz will be cheaper as a 2nd cat). But if I renew my existing policy its £108.87 for Jet and £103.44 for Cruz........I've phoned them and they can't match and reduce the renewal price but have said that if I want to cancel and do a new policy there is nothing to stop me doing so (I haven't made a claim). Apparently they have had a few complaints about this and have passed them onto the underwriters, there line for the "customers" is that the cheaper price is because its on-line and to attract new customers. Don't think I'll use Direct Line, not too keen on some of their exclusions

Team Svartalfheims · « **Reply #23 on:** July 16, 2007, 12:37:16 PM »

Halifax are brilliant, premiums are good value and they pay out really really quickly.

Liza · « **Reply #22 on:** July 16, 2007, 12:04:15 PM »

My insurance for the girls in up for renewal with Sainsburys now £10 something and £12 something.........really don't know what to do. Have just looked at Direct Line and they can do them both for 16.68 on the advance policy (£6000 per condition) excess of £55 or to just stick with sainsburys or change to M&S

Argggggggggg

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #21 on:** July 16, 2007, 10:10:57 AM »

There's an article in Your Cat magazine this month about pet insurance. Pointing out that premiums are going up due to lots more claims (but still saying it's a good idea to have it). It's a good article actually for anyone looking to take out insurance as it covers most bases, and emphasizes that choosing a policy is about more than just a competitive premium.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #20 on:** July 16, 2007, 09:53:20 AM »

Quote from: Desley (booktigger) on July 16, 2007, 07:42:54 AM

I got Molly's renewal through this weekend, it has gone up from either £7 or £8, to £11. Not sure if there is any point in changing her to M & S in light of what other people's premiums are, and with oldies, there isn't really anyone else to go with - I would never not have insurance again.

It looks like M&S have stopped doing the 'no excess' aswell so definitely no point switching. A friend got a quote the other day and apparaently the options are now £75, £100 or £125

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #19 on:** July 16, 2007, 07:42:54 AM »

I got Molly's renewal through this weekend, it has gone up from either £7 or £8, to £11. Not sure if there is any point in changing her to M & S in light of what other people's premiums are, and with oldies, there isn't really anyone else to go with - I would never not have insurance again.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2007, 08:10:45 AM »

I'm not surprised to hear M & S have gone up tbh, it was bound to happen with offering no excess for so little more a month - I'm just glad I decided to stick with Sainsbury's!! They have actually come down since I started with them - initially it was £10.66 for PEbbles (10 at the time), and would have been £14 for 13yo Ginger, so I didn't get him insured - when it came to her renewal, despite claiming, it went down to £8 and went down for Ginger which is when he got insured. They did explain then that they had changed the way they calculate things.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #17 on:** June 19, 2007, 20:15:18 PM »

I know when I was comparing Sainsburys and M&S before deciding to switch, I had the books all over floor and trying to compare one to the other and it was chaos

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2007, 19:43:24 PM »

£60 isn't really a high excess - it's a fairly standard amt imo - most have an excess of £50 or £60 (tends to vary depending on where you live too). Because M&S offer the no excess option (does anyone else?) it sounds high but the idea of pet insurance has always been to help with big, unexpected bills rather than pay for the day to day care and there has, like most insurance, always been an excess unless you choose to pay extra each month to get no excess. Then if you don't claim you end up worse off so it's a gamble. I'm not surprised M&S have put their prices up tbh - if loads of people go for the no excess otpion they are going to end up paying out so many small claims that they are going to have to get that money back somehow. They're a business after all, and not a charity. The more they pay out the more they need to bring in.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2007, 19:23:46 PM »

i have confidence in the company so i suppose thats something but i did complain once before when they stuck the excess up from £40 to £60 quite quickly that a fairly average vet consult would be for a cat bite abcess or the likes and the cost of that is around = to or less than the excess.that really really irks me espesially as my house insurance only has a £50 excess and any claims made would more than likely be for a hell of a lot more money than a vet bill (for most vet bills that is)

I should really go and check out direct line .. my house and car is insured with them and i can only say good about them but i dont know what their policys are like and my eyes glaze over when i have to start reading the different levels .

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2007, 19:19:21 PM »

Yes I think that is over the top and their prices used to be very high too.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2007, 19:17:59 PM »

i reckon i'll probably stick to petplan (depending on their next years premium) but i REALLY REALLY grudge a £60 excess

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2007, 19:03:36 PM »

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr is all I can say and this is what I was worried about. Their prices were about the same as Sainsbury but gave a better deal but as far as I could tell they were also new to the market and wondered if what they were offering was a loss leader to attract people, then you crack up the prices.

I really cant afford to pay a lot more for my 4s insurance and could end up going back to flaming Sainsburys.

Yes there has always been problems with the wording of the excess when you have nil excess and I recommend that anybody with their insurance asks them to confirm in writing that they have nil excess and ask them to take out the clause where is says that there is one.

I was going through calls everyday with them this time last year to get this sorted and would have expected them to sort their computer system out by now. Only by loads of people making them write letters will it force them to put it right.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2007, 18:54:11 PM »

They have put up prices, by a large amount. 30th may spike was £75, i went to do his brother 10 days later and its now £118

iv looked around but think il end up with that anyway.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2007, 16:49:49 PM »

bloody hell....no kidding m & s insurance has gone up !!!!!!!!!!!!

i just did another online quote and it is now £121.?? for the no excess policy and about 3 month ago i was going to be £88 or there abouts

carl (billy and baggys dad) · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2007, 16:40:24 PM »

Bilbo must be insurance group 15

I've got bob hope of a No Claims Bonus this year

Marie · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2007, 16:33:22 PM »

Maisy's is now over £100 a year and she is a 14 month old long haired moggy cat!!!

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2007, 15:48:38 PM »

i did an online quote for m&s a couple of months ago and WITH the no excess option codys ins was going to be just under £90 per year which i thought was fab considering petplan just now with 60 quid excess i am 90 ODD pounds per year. (admittedly its a higher level i have with pp but its not their highest level)

Author Topic: Cat Insurance Renewal (Read 6383 times)