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Petplan Insurance Suck

In May last year, we, sadly, had to have our old dog, Snoop, put to sleep. He had a selection of symptoms for a while which were all treated, but in the end he was far too sick to be saved.

He started displaying symptoms in the January; he was prescribed daily pain killers and anti-inflammatories at £40 a month. I check with Petplan insurance; they cover them. YAY!

In March, they give him a selection of shots - £100. Yay, Petplan cover them! Good show.

In May, it's all got too much and the vet wants to take some further action. He's taken in, anaethetised, X-rayed, he's too ill to save, so he's euthanised and sent to be cremated. Roughly £300.

I phone Petplan a few days after, to start the ball rolling with claiming back the last lot of vets fees. In the paperwork we have, it says that all illnesses and proceedures are covers up to £7,500 a month with a £40 excess, and that Petplan will give you £50 towards adopting a new dog as long as that's within a year of your last dog dying. Amazing, right?

A little script format about my conversation with Dave* the Petplan Man.

ME- Hi, we are account number 1234567. I'm calling with a final bill for my dog.
DAVE - Yes, Snoop?
Me - Yes.
Dave - Okay, we have the bill faxed in from the vet. Let's- *It all goes silent.*
Me - Is everything alright?
Dave- Was Snoop older than 8 years old?
Me - *puzzled* Yes, why?
Dave - Did he get run over? Is that why he died? Or did he get sick? How did he die?
Me - *starting to cry* He got sick and was put to sleep.
Dave - Oh, well we can't payout on dogs over the age of 8 who don't die as a result of an accident.
Me - W.T.F. My husband has been paying into this policy for nearly a decade and you aren't going to pay out for Snoop's final vets bill?
Dave - No, sorry. *He started getting snappy* It's not my problem that your dog died.

At this point I hung up. My husband phoned them and spoke with a manager, who, sure enough, explained the same thing as Dave had. At this point I had a vet bill far above my income and had basically been yelled at that my dog should have been run over rather than dying in a vets.

Fastforwards a month. We got a new dog from Battersea, Missy, who came with a month's free Petplan cover. Result! At the end of the month, Petplan call asking me to continue their service. I explain why I wouldn't insure Missy with them if someone paid me to, and the person on the other end of the line tells me that it's my fault Snoop died and that the vets bills were not their problem.

I was so freaking angry. I wrote to their corporate department in complaint, and they offered us another month of free insurance. I said thanks, took the free insurance, and at the end of the month insured her elsewhere.

TL:DR Insurance company refuse to pay out because my dog was over 8 and died from an illness. They then blame me for him dying. floette  then complains.

*Dave's name change to protect the almost-innocent.