Hi All

As you all know halifax pet insurance have ceased all there policies on renewal date and there has been a lot of hype on this matter, i too had robbie the westie insured with them who has got a chronic skin condition and will need ongoing treatment for the rest of his life, i have written numerous letters to the halifax and have now put it into the hands of the insurance ombudsman as had no luck with the halifax about robbie's policy, i also contacted bbc watchdog back in october last year when they wrote to me and ceased my policy meaning i would have to pay all robbie's vet bills from now on, well today i have had a phone call from watchdog asking more details about my story and they are looking into running a story on halifax pet insurance when the next series starts in a few weeks time, they are seeking more legal advice early next week to see where we as customers stand over the halifax pulling out and whether they are in the right in ceasing policies and leaving customer high and dry, if they have got a story in favour of the customers they are running the story so i am urging all owners in the same position as me to email watchdog and try and get there stories on as the more publicity we can get on this the more hope we may have for our pets.

Helen

Well done helen. good luck that watchdog are able to some help for you

Good luck.

It's not just Halifax that have stopped doing pet insurance; from Feb 1st Lloyds TSB have as well. There's just not enough money in it for many of the insurers any more.

Yes i know lloyds tsb and halifax seemed linked together some how and petguard also pulled the plug last year, the problem being if its that easy to pull out for the insures with no repercussions  for them this means many others could easily follow suit!!!!

One problem you might mention is that very few insurance companies will take on a dog over 8 years of age which means a lot of people will not be able to get insurance for their dog unless they go to a more specialist company like Petplan.

Well done Helen for not giving up. Hope all goes well with your campaign. x

Great Job I will look out for the programme and best of luck for a good outcome.

Just hoping that watchdogs legal advisors go on the pet owners side and not the halifax's i know there is a clause in the policy about them being allowed to terminate but on bbc4 moneybox interview last saturday the legal advisor on there said that even with this clause it still means halifax and lloyds are in breach of the contract and they will have to either reinstate the policy or compensate, so keeping my fingers crossed at the moment that the law will go on the pet owners side and we can give our animals the care that they need and what we insured them for, such a worrying time but not gonna give up yet. If the watchdog don't get the go ahead then they won't run the programme so not out of the woods yet but should hear at some point this week so will let you all know if and when i hear anything.

Fingers and toes all crossed for you !!!

Thanx think were gonna need it!!!!

>It's not just Halifax that have stopped doing pet insurance; from Feb 1st Lloyds TSB have as well. There's just not enough money in it for many of the insurers any more.

I fail to see how they are not making money from it, the premiums rocket every year, the excess also seems to rise with the premiums and the list of exclusions grow with each year.  Unless they are pricing themselves out of the market with excessive premiums I fail to see how they can't be making money.

Well i have had a phone call today from the daybreak program they are coming tomorrow afternoon to film our story to go on air wednesday morning, i must admit i am a bit worried now i have said i will do it as not really keen on going on tv but guess if it means getting more press coverage for our animals and hopefully getting a happy outcome then i will have to bite the bullet, wish me luck!!!
Not heard back from watchdog yet but i am hoping they too will take the halifax insurance story then we might get somewhere.

Good luck - hope it goes well.

Perhaps you ought to write down all the points you want to mention, as it's so easy to forget things when you're under stress, and then you'll be kicking yourself afterwards.

Yeah was thinking of doing that, i am already nervous so god knows what i will be like tomorrow will be a bag of nerves i expect, i spoke on radio the other week about the problems it was on bbc5 live but radio's not so bad as tv, but its got to be done you cannot kick up a fuss and then when you actually get somewhere back down thats what the halifax are hoping and i am not gonna give them an inch

Just to let you all know robbie and i filmed our story for daybreak this afternoon and they are showing it tomorrow wednesday 22nd february between 7-8am think it will be around 7.40ish, hopefully this will get some more press for this disgusting way that halifax have treated all there customers and that we actually get a fair decision for our pets but who knows only time will tell !!!!
Robbie was an absolute star and i am sooooo proud of him he is my boy and i love him to bits

Well done will be looking forward to watching you and hope it makes a difference . Are they having anybody from the insurance side to comment on the feature ?

Martin Lewis the consumer man will be on there, i would have rather have gone onto watchdog as i felt this would have given robbie's story more publicity but they couldn't say if they are definitely running the story and if i had said no to daybreak then he would have got no coverage at all, even if watchdog do run the story there will then be other dogs stories on there as when i spoke to a lady from watchdog earlier this afternoon she said they have been inundated so all publicity whatever animals story it is will hopefully make the halifax see they have treated us awfully and be made to turn there decision round but who knows.
I just felt awful as they wanted me to pick robbie up and cuddle him but i cannot lift him still at the moment after i fractured my back last year so had to sit on a bench with him next to me, not the same i know but he knows i love him and thats all that counts.

If they have got Martin on he doesn't take any prisoners so hopefully will add to getting things sorted.

Don't worry everybody here knows how much you love him ;-)

Well i hope martin lewis will kick some arse as they say, thanx that means a lot x

oooohhhh, I will get up early to watch it :)
Hope it helps ::) :)
Looking forward to what you look like (helen?) after all these years :) :) :)
Lea :) :)

The fairest thing would be for them to continue the existing terms and conditions, with the lifetime cover (which is the contract they made by taking the higher premiums) with existing clients and to simply stop offering the Insurance to new customers.

How did it come across? I missed it, I'm afraid. :-(

> How did it come across? I missed it, I'm afraid.

You should be able to watch it on ITV player.  I am abroad at the moment so denied access but I shall watch it when I get home.

It didn't come across as well as it could have martin lewis didn't really say as much as i had hoped, i don't think the halifax are going to take much notice of this put it that way, will just have to keep campaigning i guess.

Wasn't at my best so don't take much notice of me just look at robbie as he is the most important 1 of all out of this

http://www.itv.com/daybreak/money/martinlewissection/petinsurance/
Here is the link for you to watch it.
Lea :) :)

I thought you came across very well. :-)

Thank you that means a lot, just wish it had a good outcome for robbie

I think you and Robbie were brill, well done

I must say Robbie is very cute and behaved very well. I hope you get this sorted soon, so much for going with the big names thinking they will be more reliable.

That is not the Martin Lewis I was expecting to see.

>That is not the Martin Lewis I was expecting to see.

He's the money-saving-expert Martin Lewis - who were you expecting?

The older one you see on Tonight or such programmes.

Martyn Lewis, the newsreader?

Yes thats the one, I was beginning to think the face I had in my head wasn't called Martin Lewis

I can see why you were surprised then!

Just watched through the link and had to tell you how well you came across , I got all choked up for you.
And must add Robbie is gorgeous :)

I hope the companies take notice , it is just not on at all !!!

Thanks to everybody that has replied i didn't think i came across very well but looks like i was wrong, robbie was such a star he loved the camera and was so well behaved i just want a good outcome for him as i adore him and he deserves the best healthcare that i thought i had got for him so i am not giving up without a fight!!!!!

You did absolutely fine and I welled up when you did as felt your anguish :-(

I think Martin gave some sound advice and it is all about how you challenge them by being strong and show conviction that you are not going away and they will have to deal with the situation. Good luck and keep us informed .

Not sure what to do as the next step now as i have been hounding them with letters and phonecalls since they ceased my policy back in october and had nothing from them so feel like i am banging my head against a brickwall.

Have you written the letters to the CEO as that should get a response and attack copies of all your other letters and complain about the lack of response and poor customer care. Lay it on thick to make sure they get it clear you are not happy and will not be fobbed off. Also suggest unless you get a response you will be taking the matter to the insurance obis man and you will also be seeking legal advice.

Sorry to sound thick but who is the CEO? I have sent all my letters at the moment to halifax complaints department but they don't give a s**t and it makes me so mad, i have also contacted the financial ombudsman but they have to give halifax 8 weeks before they can take it further and we are at 6.5 weeks at the moment, but from what i hear they usually go on the big firms side and not the little people so not holding my breath
Its just knowing where to go next with my battle with the halifax as letters and phonecalls to them are just not enough.

>Sorry to sound thick but who is the CEO?

It's on this page;

Lloyds Banking Group: (Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland (HBOS), Blair Oliver and Scott, Scottish Widows)  
Antonio Osorio, Chief Executive   
e-mail Antonio Osorio   http://www.lloydstsb.co.uk
Tel: 0207 356 1422    

Thanks i have just looked on this link but it doesn't give you an address to post a letter to only an email address so not sure if this will be any good as there is no proof they have actually got it, i have never had to do anything like this before so am totally lost. thanks for all your help though.

Ive just watched it on sky+, I think you did amazing and your point and emotion came across really well :)

Thanks x

This might help: it gives Chief Executive Officer: - Antonio, Hort-Osorio, P.O.Box, 548, Leeds, LS1 1WU. as an address.

Try and google to get his email address as his PA will pick it up and it is more likely to get dealt with straight away :-)

Thank you all for your kindness and help we much appreciate it, robbie says thanx all x

Update on Robbie is i phoned the halifax complaints department today and asked why i have had no reply from my letters of complaint that i sent to them apart from the general letter that would have gone out to every tom,dick and harry. The girl said that my last letter dated back in mid February has now been passed onto be investigated and classed as urgent, i asked her why they didn't have the decency to let me know they were investigated as i am no 'mind reader' she apologised and said thats all she can tell me until they have made there decision and they she will let me know. I said i hoped she was telling me the truth and wasn't just fobbing me off to get me off the phone she said ' you need to trust us' and i said 'sorry but trust and halifax pet insurance these days don't fill me with any hope', which she didn't find very funny. I assured her that this wouldn't be the last they had heard of me and if i didn't get the answer i was looking for after they have investigated my case i would be taking this further and i explained i wasn't gonna go down without a fight.
My 8 weeks is up this friday with the FSO and then if i have had no reply from halifax i need to send all the paperwork off to them so not sure what to do now, if i send the paperwork off and they get involved will halifax stop investigating my claim and make me wait even longer?
I asked the girl at halifax whether this would take weeks/months for them to make a decision and she said she couldn't tell me anymore than she had, i said i didn't have months to wait as i felt that may be too late for my dog if he fell ill again, i said they would be killing many animals but messing around like this and i told her that the owners would never forgive them for having to have there animals PTS because the halifax pulled out on there policies.
Oh i gunned for the girl big time and she didn't know whether she was coming or going but hey our animals cannot speak for themselves so we have to fight for them, will let you all know what happens next, i am waiting to hear from watchdog later this week as to whether they are running the story or not, lets hope more bad press for them, daily mail yesterday had another 1/2 page bit about them which is good

> Oh i gunned for the girl big time and she didn't know whether she was coming or going

Hi Helen

I'm pleased that you are keeping up the momentum behind this.  Can I make a suggestion?  Having been on the receiving end of complaints like yours when working for an insurance company (well not exactly but you know what I mean) you would do well to keep in mind that staff are given standard answers to provide you with AND it's not their fault.  I know that sounds simplistic but you really need the person you speak with to be on your side.  They aren't going to be able to do much except keep moving you through the system as they have been told but they can refer you and or your case to a supervisor if they think fit, and they can follow it up for a progress report.  When I was working in the training department we'd hear calls like yours and use them for training cases.

Here are my tips:  try and stay unemotional, keep a log of your calls with dates and the name of the person you spoke to, call every week for an update, if you think you are being fobbed off - ask to speak with a supervisor (although remember that they sometimes just give you to the person sitting next to them), always ask for names and extension numbers.  At any time you are told that the person cannot tell you any more do ask if that's because there is no news as yet, or if the person lacks the authority to tell you.  It's a ghastly situation for you and hundreds of others but you may get a better outcome if you can keep your cool

Wishing you lots of luck