UGH!!! Im going to screeeeeeeam!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!! Im sorry but I just have to complain about this out loud!!!
Some of you may remember some time ago, my beautiful baby Birman, Brandy, died from liver and kidney failure - she was only about 8 months old It absolutely broke my heart when we found out how ill she was, so we had all the treatment that the vet suggested. Thankfully as she was insured (as are all my babies) we claimed back the cost of the treatment....well, tried to....
Anyway, all this happened at the very beginning of October (the 6th to be exact) and we are STILL waiting for the money!!!! (we are also claiming back the money for buying her - not that that is even important, but it IS part of the policy as I have the top cover) I sent off the claim form about 4 days after she died (when I had managed to get myself together enough to even compete the stupid questionnaire!), after about two weeks, we still hadn't heard from them, I must have tried to call them about 100 times on their "claim line" but just sat on hold for up to an hour EVERY time - at which point I gave up!! (bearing in mind I had to call from work as they are closed after 4:00pm!!!) Eventually I had the idea to call the "payment" line....surprise surprise, someone answered straight away...to cut a VERY long story kinda short, the person didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but gave me a "claim number" to qoute whenever I contacted them in the future about Brandy. So.......another 2-3 weeks went by, still nothing!! Again I tried to contact them through the "payment line" and they promised me someone would call me straight back - NOPE!!! By this time I am going nuts, the Vets are demanding payment, so I had to pay them out of my own pocket, while I STILL hadn't received any money! Eventually I get ONE letter (the ONLY letter I EVER got through all 6 months of this) requesting "proof of purchase" of Brandy!! (like shes a pair of shoes or something!) anyway, I sent them their "proof" straight away. Still not a word from them, not even anything saying they receieved it. More and more unanswered calls..... still nothing. A week ago now, I wrote them a lengthy letter of complaint telling them exactly what I thought of their service, warnign them that if they didn't at least contact me soon, they would be hearing from my solicitor. Have I heard a word from them? NO? Have had any kind of recognition of my letter? NO. Nothing, zip, ziltch!! This has been going on now for SIX months....and EVERY time I DO manage to contact them, I have to go over and over the death of Brandy. Well now I've just HAD enough. I will definately be talking to my solicitor.
It wouldn't be so bad, but I have ALL SIX cats insured with them, all with the top cover you can get!! Not the treatment I expect at all. I am only claiming for things that I have specifically checked to make sure I am entitled to, and now I am just sick to death of it!!

Geee's sorry this is sooo long!! Just need to vent!! UGH!!!
(the thing that really bugs me though, is that I don't give a fart about the money for Brandy - what good is it going to do now anyway?? I can't replace her... ever... I just want the money to pay the vets for her treatment!!! ARGH!!!)

Ok... I'll go now...... breathe..... breathe......

Jee, can't imagine why you are so frustrated It's sad that it's just as hard if not harder to get answers from Pet insurance as it is for human health insurance companies!! Hang in there and make thier lives miserable!!
Just curious?? Is a solicitor the same as a lawyer??

OMG, Bod, you've been more than patient with them! I think if it was more than 90 days, I'd be screaming already.

Sandie, I think, in the UK, a solicitor is a lawyer who handles civil cases usually involving money and a barrister is a lawyer who represents you in court for actual criminal cases, but don't quote me on that . . .

That is just horrid! You have lost a loved and they should be showing empathy and not stupidity! They are making you relive this over and over. You definately have cause to sue them for mental anguish! Hopefully they will smarten up soon. You may want to submit a letter to your local newspaper to be posted in the opinion column. Let others know what you are going thru. Once you cost them some business they will process your claim!

And after they pay, cancel your other policies and find a new insurer

OMG! And I though dealing with human insurance companies was bad!!! Makes you wonder if other people are having the same problem with the company. I would have to think that they are. Maybe you should talk with your solicitor about filing a class action law suit and get relief for all the people that this company is doing this to. Just a thought. I'm not usually sue happy, but this is horrible!

Hi guys.... Sandie - yep the solicitor thing works just how Sunlion said (I think!! hahaha I live here Im not even sure!!)
Sunlion.... In my letter of complaint, I told them I would DEFINATELY be cancelling ALL my policies with them and informing everyone I could NOT to insure with them!!! Hahahahahaha!!! Eeeeh Im so mad Im bordering on hysteria!! hahahaha.. ok ok....Oooo I know, I'll see if I can find the letter of complaint I sent to them..... it was a good one!! hahaha

Ok, I found it - I have edited out our phone numbers, but thats all!
Can you believe they still haven't contacted us after this!??!?!

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: Claim No. 4628/moneyguide, Brandy Chocolate Point Birman.

Please find enclosed with this letter of complaint another copy of the information you requested which I sent to you weeks ago.

As I have STILL not heard from you I am writing to you now to make a formal complaint about the service I have received (or, rather, the service I have NOT received)

On 6 OCTOBER 2001 my precious baby Birman,- Brandy, had to be put to sleep due to liver and kidney failure. A few days later I contacted you to make a claim for the vet's bills and the value of Brandy as she was a fully registered pedigree cat.

After numerous calls to your claim line which was impossible to get through to, I finally managed to speak to someone. Sometime later, I had still not received any correspondence of any kind, so attempted a few more times to call without success - just waiting on hold for hours on end, the amount of times I tried to call and was on hold for over an hour was just ridiculous. As my husband and I both work full time neither of us can afford,- nor have the time to repeatedly call only to be automatically placed on hold over and over again.

Eventually, we received a letter from yourselves asking us to send you proof of purchase and a quote from a breeder to replace her. I obtained this information for you within a week and sent it to you immediately, I even included proof of pedigree and bloodlines for you.

However, we have STILL not received a cheque or payment of any kind, nor ANY correspondence whatsoever!

Please now note that this claim was originally placed almost 6 MONTHS AGO and we are still waiting.

I find this service absolutely appalling, having to continually re-live the death of my cat time and time again for six months. In this time period, the only correspondence we received from you was ONE letter requesting proof of purchase and replacement costs.

May I now take a moment to reinforce how disgusted and disappointed I am with this service - I have SIX cats insured with you currently - all covered by GOLD policies,- this certainly is NOT the treatment I expected.

At present I am still paying the monthly premium for Brandy (even though she has been dead for 6 months) simply because I'm afraid to cancel it before we receive the money - the poor service I have experienced has totally destroyed my confidence in your company, and I shall be canceling every policy I hold with you as soon as possible.

I also have a lot of friends and acquaintances which are interested in insuring their pets, but you can be sure I will not be recommending yourselves.

If you wish to contact us regarding this matter, please call: (mobile number) which is my husbands mobile number, or you can contact us on: (home number), there is an answering machine available if we are not in, however we will be unable to return your call because of reasons stated earlier, and your claim line is not open at weekends - or so we were informed.

If we do not hear from you, either by post or telephone, we will be forced to put this matter in the hands of our solicitors.

Awaiting your prompt response,

Yours faithfully





S and R Juby
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

I can't believe you've had such bad service!! It's awful!! I really hope they contact you soon - let us know how it goes.

I've got my two insured, but it's never easy deciding on which company is best to go with. I went with PetPlan in the end and they say "we can normally settle claims within 3 - 4 working days" Whether they actually stick to that, I don't know.

Fingers (and everything else) crossed for you Bod!

Well if that ltr doesn't get a response, definately submit it to your local newspaper. Do you have the equivalant of a Better Business Bureau that is a watchdog on companies. If so you may want to contact them.

Wow, that is really bad Rhea!!

I'm having loads of trouble myself w/ my human health insurance, but nothing compared to that!! I'll count my blessings, at least I am able to get thru by phone with them!!

I hope you get your money soon, and are able to put the experience behind you.

Oh how awful!

What is the name of this company??

And sorry about the loss of your kitty, although very belated.

Thanks everyone! As yet I have still heard nothing from them.... but we have to speak to our solicitor this weekend anyway about moving house, so I'll just ask them to write this nice company a nice letter..... heh heh heh....
Sal, the company its with is "the good money guide" (ironic eh??!!? haha) I think I will probably go with Petplan next time, they do seem to be pretty good

Ady, we have Citizens Advice Bureau, which tells you how best to deal with companies like this, and what you are legally entitled to, we also have small claims courts which we can take them to if need be. If I don't hear from them soon, I shall definately be looking into this.

Dtolle, I sure hope you gett better service than this! Hope it all works out for you.

Ali, thanks for your kind words - much appreciated

Wow, Rhea, I don't blame you for being upset! I would be furious, too!!!!!

Good to know the name of the company. I've been thinking about insuring my cats for medical...you never know when something might happen and you can't afford it. I couldn't handle having to put my babies down over money, so I'd probably go into debt and start a life of crime or something!

Rhea
I remember when you posted about Brandy's illness and death. I can understand why you are so upset, and I think you are handling this in exactly the right way. I know what losing a cat feels like, and it's so sad you are still being forced to keep reliving this. Good luck when you talk to your solicitor!