Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: caledonia on February 03, 2008, 22:57:50 PM
-
Hello all,
You may recall I have been on the look out for some insurance for my two new senior boys I am awaiting. I have checked out a few review places and M & S have had a really bad write up since they changed under writer and Axa also have a few bad reviews. Argos scored really highly - I didn't even know they did insurance!
Any one had any dealings with them?
:thanks:
-
Okay forget it - premium was £25 a month for silver cover up to £44 a month for platinum - wow!!!! Even more expensive that M & S - I can't believe what a difference that is for an 11 year old cat compared to my £8 a month for my Bertie who was 9 - nearly 10!!!
-
And its only 12 months cover per incident under the silver and gold policies!!
-
I've just done a trial quote for Mosi and it costs more for the gold cover (£4000) than I'm paying petplan for £6000 cover. Looks like it's per condition (unless you go for the platinum) too. Can't comment on how good the policy and service is as I've never used them, but I wouldn't be tempted to go with them for that price.
-
I did get a quote for Petplan whcih was only £12 odds but the excess was £40 plus 20% of the total vet bill - which I have never came accross before! Thought that was a bit steep! Will just keep trying! :-:
-
Halifax extra looks like a good policy - its £6k per condition per year. Its underwritten by Axa.
Just put Fabes details in and it quoted £11.49 with £50 excess - about the same as Petplan.
https://www.halifaxpetinsurance.co.uk/Pet/schemes/pb/halifax/pages/faqs.htm
-
I was wondering what the bad reviews were for Axa as they seem to be coming out as favourite with others. I did a mock quote for an 8 1/2 year old moggy and it was about £8.00 a month for year-on-year, although they don't seem to do "per condition per year"
I switched from Petplan about 2 years ago as my premium had gone up to £14.00 with Petplan so I changed to Lloyds TSB who are about £6.00. I wasn't aware that there were different types of cover then. Now I know, I will change but still trying to decide who to go with. It seems Axa are about in line with Petplan but a lot cheaper.
-
Caledonia, it is common to have a different excess when your pet hits 8 - Sainsbury's is £50 up to a claim of £350, then it is 15% of the total claim - I would much rather pay 15% than 100% though, especially with the high bills I have had the past 2 years. I didn't know Argos accepted pets over the age of 8 though, and PetPlan never used to
-
Maybe I was just lucky with Tesco then - Bertie was only a month away from ten when he was PTS and the excess was £50 - as it had been for the duration and there is no percentage of the vet fees to pay. Pity they don't take animals over 8 (I had him insured at 7).
I wasn't meaning I am not going to get insurance - ofcourse I would rather pay a percentage that a 100% but I have had about 4 quotes now and unless I wasn't paying attention this was the first time I saw a percentage being required.
-
Could you elaborate Caledonia on where you found the bad reviews for Axa as I have 3 insured with them and know that lots of others on this site also are insured with Axa.
Cheers
-
It was on the reviewcentre.com. They only had a couple of reviews but I was mostly looking at he marks out of ten and was surprised by them - albeit Tesco also had a bad score and I used them before and had no problem.
I am not suggesting a max exodus from Axa - was just surprised that Argos had 3 gleaming reviews as I had never heard of their insurance. M & S have 37 reviews and none are very pleasant!! yikes!!
-
Thanks Caledonia. Having looked at the link I see what you mean but am reassured that there are only 2 reviews for Axa both of which are over 15 months old.
I think peeps more likely to complain about bad service than comment on good service, after all peeps happy with their insurer would not be looking at the site. I'm not saying that Axa are good as I have no experience having not madea claim just that those 2 reviews do not make me feel uneasy....yet....
-
Have been with Argos for just over a year now. Last year Archie racked up vets bills of about £1500 for two seperate problems. Argos paid up promtly and I had no problems with them.
Archie's premium has gone up this year but so has his cover.
-
So what's the downside with Argos then Alison?
Expensive? High excess? Don't cover oldies? Cover per condition not per year?
Oh pleeeeaaaase don't say I have to go changing again I got so muddled last time :scared:
-
Sorry just re read thread and Argos looks too pricey (for 18 year old Thomas anyway). I might just get a quote for him just for interest
-
Argos are unable to provide me with an online quote for Thomas. Not sure I'd want to take him on as an insurance risk either tbh ;) so looks like it's still Axa for us
-
I think its just make a decision and stick to it, unless something really bad comes up like it did with M&S.
I was with Sainsburys for years before I moved to M&S and I wished I never moved. As AXA underwrite Sainsburys I cannot see them giving worse cover and conditions.
Sainsbury paid out thousands for Kocka over a period and never had a problem.
AXA have paid out for Sasa, also no problem.
I have to say that cat insurance gets more complicated the more you think about it, wish I was still niave and am shutting my mind to any thoughts of problems cos would worry myself to death and its not worth it.
The companies are also getting more sneakie but I would not go with any company that would only pay out £5000 or less. I prefer a straight amount as an excess, cos you know how much you are liable for no matter what the bill.
If my cat was 18 I would definately go with AXA.
-
I have to say that cat insurance gets more complicated the more you think about it, wish I was still niave and am shutting my mind to any thoughts of problems cos would worry myself to death and its not worth it.
:gpoint: Couldn't agree more ;D There was a time when it was all so easy. When I got Jaffa there were very few companies offering pet insurance so it was an easy choice. I've almost driven myself mad looking at all the policies over the past couple of years and wondering whether I should switch my boys to something else. I've decided to just stick my head in the sand and stay put with petplan.
-
I got quotes from AXA and Sainsburys for Zia yesterday, and AXA are slightly cheaper, but Sainsburys are doing 10% discount and a £20 voucher until the 19th.
-
I have not experienced a downside with Argos ;D I am not sure of their rules regarding older cats, the excess is £60. I was worried sick last year as I had £1000 cover and Archie had used most of that on his tail ops. when he got an eye injury. However the cover was per condition so I was delighted.
-
I signed Sox, Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily with RSPCA Pet Insurance ( http://www.rspca-petinsurance.co.uk/ (http://www.rspca-petinsurance.co.uk/) ) a few weeks ago. I got some info about it when we adopted Tink from the RSPCA, and I did quite a bit of comparison shopping. Over the last 3 months or so of Lucia's life (Oct-Nov-Dec 07), the vet bills went up over 5000. I never complained as she was worth every penny, but when we moved here to UK, she was already over 10 and at that time, nobody wanted to cover pets at that age that I could find. Anyhow, the RSPCA pet insurance is underwritten by Axa, and 20% of your premium goes to RSPCA, which I thought was a good deal. Hopefully I'll never need to put a claim in!
-
I had a quick look and seems that RSPCA is per condition not per annum? Insurance is such a :censored: nightmare.
By the way I am so very sorry for your loss Christie, Lucia was a gorgeous cat :(
-
Yes, it's per condition per year.
Thanks for the kind words about Lucia. I'm so heartbroken about her. She was a really lovely little person.