Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:17:45 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]Could we do a collective poll on here where we all score the various pet insurance companies. From good down to don't touch with a shitty pole.[/quote]

I don't see why I shouldn't do this ...

[/quote]

Have a look at http://www.insureyourpet.co.uk/companies.asp. Scroll down to the bottom to find those with a negative rating - it's not very surprising!

[/quote]

The reviews are a bit weak but the general advice and guidance is very good. We refer clients to it all the time!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Alet Engelbrecht — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:04:16 GMT

[quote user="Rajat"]I had a look at this website, initially I thought I'd be quite keen to promote to clients BUT then I saw several of the ratings are based on a tiny number of votes, eg Directline advanced cover (which I am intimately familiar with, as I have it for my cat) is top, with 2 votes, and AFI dog insurance, 3rd from bottom only has 2 votes. Doesn't really bear that much weight when it is 2 people opinions. I think a poll of a 100+ vets will be much more relevant[/quote]

We actually have the link to insureyourpet.co.uk on our practice leaflet (and probably the website too). It is already a known website to lay people, why don't all of us just rate the companies we are familiar with on there or is it not that straightforward? Surely, we are all qualified to venture opinions on this as we actually deal with them all the time and that will make it more representative for people seeking advice. Win-win

EDIT: One can only vote once every day, so get all the staff computers in use and we'll have representative ratings in no time!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Robert Lowe — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:25:19 GMT

[quote user="Gareth Dowdeswell"] I guess the BVA could make more of a statement if it wanted to get involved?[/quote]

Thanks Gareth. I will give them a call first for further advice

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Rajat — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:34:14 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]I hadn't realised there were so few ratings - I had assumed as E&L and AFI were rock bottom that it was fairly representative![/quote]

Couldn't agree more!!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Rob Davis — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:32:33 GMT

[quote user="Rajat"]

I had a look at this website, initially I thought I'd be quite keen to promote to clients BUT then I saw several of the ratings are based on a tiny number of votes, eg Directline advanced cover (which I am intimately familiar with, as I have it for my cat) is top, with 2 votes, and AFI dog insurance, 3rd from bottom only has 2 votes. Doesn't really bear that much weight when it is 2 people opinions. I think a poll of a 100+ vets will be much more relevant.

[/quote]

I hadn't realised there were so few ratings - I had assumed as E&L and AFI were rock bottom that it was fairly representative!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Rajat — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:30:21 GMT

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Rob Davis — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:42:13 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]Could we do a collective poll on here where we all score the various pet insurance companies. From good down to don't touch with a shitty pole.[/quote]

I don't see why I shouldn't do this ...

[/quote]

Have a look at http://www.insureyourpet.co.uk/companies.asp. Scroll down to the bottom to find those with a negative rating - it's not very surprising!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:57:00 GMT

Job for the Daily Mail assisted by info provided by BVA!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Gareth Dowdeswell — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:51:03 GMT

[quote user="Robert Lowe"]

I guess the first 3 points are the most serious and I was wondering on people's opinion in sending this on to the RCVS?

[/quote]

I'm not sure the RCVS would do anything - in other areas they've made it clear they're limited by the Vet Surgeons Act, which I don't think contains anything at all about insurance. They've already made it clear they're limited in what they can do about corporate practices, I think they'd have no influence at all with insurance companies. I guess the BVA could make more of a statement if it wanted to get involved?

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:46:04 GMT

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]Could we do a collective poll on here where we all score the various pet insurance companies. From good down to don't touch with a shitty pole.[/quote]

I don't see why I shouldn't do this ...

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Mark Holmes — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:40:55 GMT

Could we do a collective poll on here where we all score the various pet insurance companies. From good down to don't touch with a shitty pole.

(p NOT P)

We could then when asked about insurance just point the client towards the survey and say that whilst we are unable to comment specifically you might like to draw your own conclusions from that.

Surely that would not fall foul of FSA regs as we are not advising specifically but the advice would be fairly clear.

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:21:53 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"]

You're right, sorry! Should check my facts before posting, it looks like they used to be underwritten by E&L, but have been underwritten by Redsands since 2008.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/jul/20/insurance

[/quote]

Brilliant!! We have had little to do with Animal Friends until recently so I didn't know the details! Very informative. Our limited experience of AF is that they are lousy!

Thanks for the link!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Thomas Johnson — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:12:27 GMT

You're right, sorry! Should check my facts before posting, it looks like they used to be underwritten by E&L, but have been underwritten by Redsands since 2008.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/jul/20/insurance

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:07:36 GMT

From their website (small fraction of the cr*p on there):

Maintain a good relationship with your vet

This is extremely important as regular visits to the vet will enable them to notice the early signs of a disease or condition. It will also enable them to try and help delay the onset of the problem your pet has. Even if your dog or cat has had no history of any illness or injury in the past, constant screenings and advice from the vet can help you to uphold their condition and ensure they have a good quality of life in their old age.

Most reviewers ask why they cannot give no star rating!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:00:39 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"]

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

This is Animal Friends so what do you expect? Professionalism? Quality of service?

They are cheapskates that make E+L look like angels!!

[/quote]

They are underwritten by E&L!

[/quote]

Not last time I looked. It is some combination of South African underwriters so goodness knows what they are like. I suspect no self-respecting European underwriters would deal with them. There was a rumour that the founders were with E+L and branched off to give even worse service but I don't know this for sure!

Apparently part of Red Sands Insurance (Europe) working out of Gibraltar!!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Andrew Kent — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:58:12 GMT

Have to agree with Bob, may be surprised if any other insurance company but nothing surprises me with Animal Friends.

Their website is riddled with ridiculous advice, for example:

"Where possible, it is better to stay away from prescribed medication and to try to steer your pet back to health with more natural methods such as fresh air, a good diet and exercise."

Andy

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Thomas Johnson — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:56:47 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

This is Animal Friends so what do you expect? Professionalism? Quality of service?

They are cheapskates that make E+L look like angels!!

[/quote]

They are underwritten by E&L!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Bob Russell — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:51:21 GMT

This is Animal Friends so what do you expect? Professionalism? Quality of service?

They are cheapskates that make E+L look like angels!!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:56:55 GMT

What would be their reaction if one of us (contrary to the FSA) recomended not using them I bet they would instigate a prosecution ASAP

Wynne

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Robert Lowe — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:51:33 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]I could accept them approaching the referring vet to discuss his/her reasons for the referral[/quote]

That's what I politely suggested they did next time confident in the response the first opinion vet was likely to give them back!

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

Rob Davis — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:25:59 GMT

This is clearly wrong. As a first opinion vet, I would be really p****ed off if an insurance company redirected a referral elsewhere without discussing my reasons for choosing a particular referral centre. Sadly I am not surprised given previous threads about insurance companies advising clients to purchase medicines online rather than from their own vets etc.

I could accept them approaching the referring vet to discuss his/her reasons for the referral, but to suggest this to the client without giving (or possibly possessing) the full information is totally unacceptable.

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

HMC — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:28:43 GMT

PS good luck in getting it sorted. I agree with you that the whole situation is wrong.

Re: Insurance company recommending cheaper referral centres

HMC — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:27:41 GMT

I would love the RCVS to do something about this. However, if a recent debate on this forum and notifying the RCVS are anything to go by.....