Well here I am again on my soap box.
Yesterday I had a call from a Lady who adopted her dog from us she needed  some medical history on her dog as she had to claim for what could be a skin problem,nothing strange in that you may think but wait for it ! the dog was adopted in 2002 ! so this company very happy to accept premiums for 4 years untill that is a claim is made now I have to give a letter to state the dog was in good health even though he came with a vaccination card and also has enjoyed good health for 4 years.
SO BEWARE Please when insuring  your dog if in doubt look up the info on the many and varied dog boards before making your decision.
This isnt the first  time this has happened with this crappy firm so feel free to email me and I will tell you who it is :(

I would agree that you need to be careful.  I got charged two lots of excess on my More than policy - £70 each time when I though the excess was £50 (well that's what I signed up to) because my claim, for the same illness, spanned two years i.e. started one month before my renewal date and was completed 2 months after my renewal date.  They told me this is standard practice.  I believe it is not as I have since spoken with other companies who say they will charge 10% of the second years costs back to the owner.  I am putting this puppy with M&S like my other dogs, they have always paid up instantly without argument.

I'm with Sainburys and they have been great

Although Sainsburys and M & S have both been brilliant at paying out with my two both have now increased their premiums over 100% becuase I have made a claim on both policies (seperate dogs), both of the above I was told are underwritten (if thats the term) by the same company. When I questioned Sainsburys about this they said that that is the new underwriters policy for people who have made a claim on them.

I had to do a letter for someone saysing what the going rate was for a GSD for the insurance- poor guy was well ripped off, once they had taken out their fee's, excess etc he only ended up with abut £46 :-(  The cash wasn't the issue in comparison to losing his pet but to have to battle with insurance co's when you've just lost your companion is something he could have well done without. 

When I was ringing round insurance co's so many had various small print to beware of such as they have to have their boosters every year, they must be hip scored and score 3 points lower than the average (mine do anyway) but I still didn't like it and they were the most expensive, I'm sure it was M&S that said a bitch is allowed no more than two litters- one accidental and one on purpose- knowing the rules with the KC and my breed club I couldn't understand it- fair enough ignore the KC but in GSD's 3 litters is a fair and reasonable amount for a bitch, I could understand if they were paying out for breeding related things, but they don't! 

Stacey x

Kash, M&S told me if I used my boy at stud my insurance would become invalidated as no breeding was allowed.

I had a big claim with Sainbury's with my cat over £2,000 but my insuracne renewal has just arrived today and it has only gone up £3.00

Lucky you, I claimed around that amount and my insurance went from £13 ish pounds a month to over £28 with Sainsburys and with M & S I claimed about £400 last year and this years premium which has just arrived is over £26 when it was originally just over 10. Really unsure whether to bank the money or to keep the insurance as its now costing me for my 3 dogs about £750 a year but as they are big and I know exactly how much vets bills can be I am loath to give up the insurance.

Just a bit of an update on M & S that may interest anyone who covers their dogs with them, this passage was taken from my new renewal and the cover is dated 25/11/06 to 24/11/06.

Over the last year we have reviewed the product we offer you and have taken the decision to simplify the excess under the Veterinary Fees section. With effect from your renewal date the excess under Section 1 - Veterinary Fee will be ammended to:

If your pet is under 9 years of ageat the time of treatment, You must pay the first £50 of the treatment costs per condition per period of insurance.

If your pet is aged 9 years or over at the time of the treatment, you must pay the first £50 or 15% which ever is the greater.

So they have removed my no excess policy and as he is 9 in January I would have to pay 15% if it is greater than £50 and for this they have doubled my premium. Well it looks like I will be banking the money at least for him.

I'm with M&S for both my dogs and it looks like I'll be staying with them.  In the last few months, I've claimed about £700 for one dog and the other is still at the vet, having had surgery earlier in the week...estimated bill £1200+   I can't shop around because the existing conditions wouldn't be covered by a new company :(

These percentage excess figures which are now appearing on pet insurance policies are a nightmare aren't they?  With vets fees rising constantly, that could be a very large amount owners have to fund themselves. :(

I've just rang them about the excess in a bit of a panic and apparantly the way they have worded it makes it look like they have removed the no excess part but apparantly not - under the 15% bit it does actually state that my excess is still nil. Thankfully I wasn't the only idiot who panicked and rang them after only reading the first 5 lines

I think I will still bank the money for my greyhound though but keep the newfs going as they cost an absolute fortune if anything goes wrong with them.

I know what you mean Shaynlola I have to keep Izzy's because of her pre existing condition even though I haven't claimed on it since she was nine months old - she is now over 3.

I have claimed just over £5000 with M & S over the last year and they have been fantastic! But sadly won't be using them for the pup as they have almost tripled the amount to pay per month But i have to say I can't fault the service with them at all!!

Izzy bear you gave me a complete heart attack !!! I couldnt live without my no excess policy, ive got the peace of mind that no matter what happens how big or small I can take my boys to the vets and the vet will claim the whole lot straight back from M&S

Sorry ClaireyS nearly gave myself a heart attack aswell.:)