Help!

Earlier this year I took out a policy with E and L pet insurance for my 8 year old cocker spaniel. I was pleased that it was so cheap and I was able to pay the amount in full instead of monthly payments, my first mistake! About a month later he started limping so I rang E and L to confirm I would be covered for any treatment because the policy was so new, they said that this was all fine and they was nothing to worry about so to cut a long story short I took him to the vets, the bill was nearly £300 and he now has arthritus. After 6 months of battling with E and L for my money back  they decided they needed to know the Exact time and date that my dog started limping! I contacted them saying I didnt really know so the lad on the phone told me to guess, so between me and him we came up with a date. E and L decided that this date was too late and I must of meant the month before therefore I was not covered for the treatment because of the date the policy started. Amazingly enough they had every telephone call recorded that I made to them......... apart from the first one of course where they agreed that my dog would be covered! I have also had further problems with them but this is getting too long already! but to be frank they are just a rip off! They take your money upfront and when you try to claim they will not pay out! However they have given me 6 months to appeal the decision, not that it will make any difference to these rip off merchants as no doubt they will come up with another excuse not to pay out, but does anybody have any ideas on how to re-claim some money????????

Loz
 

Hi --- Guessing is no good at all. !!..... You need the Vet's written confirmation of when the Dogs condition actually started in his professional opinion, helped by his records.

If that date is after the date the policy started from then you have a perfectly valid claim to put forward to E & L insurance, it's as simple as that, they cannot contradict the Vets professional view and opinion simply by GUESSING ?

Go back to the Vet for this report, even if it costs you can reclaim that cost too under the insurance, seeing as they have forced you to incur extra costs.

If they still refuse after that to honour the valid claim, take your complaint to the Insurance Ombudsman at the FOS, below.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

I too have a problem with E&L. I insured my dog in april of this year via money supermarket. who are still recomending them. He (the dog) required an operation in september for the removal of an internal growth which threatened his life.

I had no time to contact E&L prior to the vet operation due to urgency. Once the bill was paid I contacted E&L who very quickly made it clear that this was not going to be straight forward by telling me that less than a third of the bill (£1200) would be covered. This was not, at the time of purchase clear. Even now I cannot see where they base their assertion in their terms and conditions which are at best unclear and perhaps misleading. What is clear is that E&L will do their level best to avoid paying out.

I have now learned that many people have had similar problems with E&L .I would suggest that anyone considering insuring their pet with E&L ask some probing questions and have the answers in writing before commiting themselves and potentially the life of their pet to E&L.

My advice would be to not consider using them. Be aware that companies exist purely for profit and if someting can be considered cheap it probably is in every sense of the word.

Caveat emptor

Jocularum