:quality(75))
:quality(75))
Have you just received your pet insurance renewal letter, only to find that your prices have gone up quite a lot? After comparing pet insurance quotes, you may have a real reason to switch.
At ManyPets, we’re always trying to fix the biggest pet insurance frustrations so we’re doing everything to make switching to us as seamless and stress-free as possible.
:quality(75))
The benefits of switching pet insurance companies
:quality(75))
The main reason people switch dog insurance and cat insurance is the price. If your renewal price has increased, you can consider shopping around and switching to a cheaper policy elsewhere.
Price isn’t the only benefit of switching pet insurance though. You might also want to move to a company with:
Better customer service
Additional cover, like complementary therapies or behavioural treatment
A different type of cover, like lifetime pet insurance
At ManyPets, we have a range of cat insurance and dog insurance policies with different cover levels. Even our cheapest option, the Value policy, has a £3,000 vet fee limit. And because it’s lifetime cover it’ll refresh each year when you renew.
If your pet has never needed vet treatment you shouldn't have a problem shopping around and switching for a better price, although there are a few things to be aware of which we'll cover later.
Be aware that switching pet insurance does become more difficult when your pet has a pre-existing condition.
Top tips for finding better cover and switching pet insurance
Take a few steps to make sure you’re comparing fairly and choosing a suitable policy:
Shop around – check lots of companies to get an idea of prices. A price comparison site can help with this, but be aware that it might not give you much detail about the level of cover.
Check cover and options – once you’ve found a policy or company you like the look of, check the policy really carefully and make sure you’re comparing like-for-like. Look at the vet fee limit, the type of policy and whether it covers things like dental illness (most don’t), complementary therapies and behavioural treatment.
Make sure switching pet insurance won’t cause you problems down the line if you need to make a claim.
Common pitfalls to avoid when switching pet insurance
:quality(75))
The most common problems customers encounter when switching pet insurance are:
Cover for pre-existing conditions
Choosing the wrong kind of cover
A gap in cover due to a wait period on the new policy.
At ManyPets, we’ve tried to solve these problems when you switch to us.
Will I lose my lifetime coverage if I switch pet insurance?
It depends.
The most important thing to think about is whether your pet has had a medical condition before.
If your pet has needed a vet consultation or treatment for an accident or illness in the past, an insurer will usually class it as a pre-existing condition.
If the consultation or treatment happened while you had lifetime pet insurance cover with your current insurer, the insurer should continue to pay out for it as long as you renew each year. But a new company would normally exclude that condition if you tried to switch.
This can leave people feeling trapped on a policy when prices increase, especially if their pet has an ongoing condition they'll need to claim for.
One option for switching pet insurance if your pet has a condition is moving to a new provider and just excluding the condition. You may find a cheaper premium but if you need any further treatment for the pre-existing condition you'll have to pay for it yourself.
Our solution
At ManyPets, we don't believe this treats customers fairly so we've made sure all our policies cover conditions that haven't shown signs or symptoms, or needed treatment, medication or advice for at least two years. We simply don't class these as pre-existing conditions.
And we also have a separate policy that can cover pre-existing conditions.
Our Pre-existing policy can cover conditions as long as your pet hasn't shown signs or symptoms or received treatment, medication or advice for them in the three months before your policy starts. If they have, the condition will need to be free from signs or symptoms, treatment, medication or advice for three months before you can claim for it.
Cover for pre-existing conditions increases after the first two years if you don't claim and you'll have £7,000 of vet fee cover for new conditions.
Switching pet insurance and cover types
Whether your pet has a condition or not you'll still need to be aware of the kind of policy you have when switching pet insurance.
Per-condition and time-limited policies have limits that mean you'll have to pay for treatment once you've reached them.
Lifetime cover has a limit that resets each year you renew the policy. So, if you switched from a lifetime policy to per-condition cover, your premium may be cheaper because you're not getting the same level of coverage.
Even worse, if you switch to an accident-only policy it might be cheap, but it won’t cover any illnesses at all, which could leave you without the cover you need.
Research the cover type properly.
Our solution
All ManyPets vet fee policies offer lifetime cover.
We don’t want you to run out of cover, so our policies have an annual vet fee limit that refreshes each year when you renew.
Wait periods when you switch pet insurance
You need to know the ‘wait period’ when you switch. It’s an initial period where you can't claim. It happens when you start a new pet insurance policy.
Even if your new policy starts the day after your old one ended, you generally wouldn't be able to claim for accidents in the first 48 hours or illness in the first 14 days.
Insurers add this exclusion period to prevent fraud from people who know their pet is about to need treatment so they get a policy to cover the costs.
But it does mean you may not be covered for a short period if you switch policies.
Our solution
As part of our mission to make insurance fairer for everyone, we have removed the industry standard 14-day exclusion period for customers switching to ManyPets from another insurer they've been with for 12 months or more.
This means you can make a claim immediately after switching policies if you need to assuming you meet the above criteria.
Can you have two pet insurance policies for the same pet?
:quality(75))
Pet insurance companies don't encourage people to have two policies for the same pet at the same time.
Policy documents often state that if they find you have two policies they will refuse to pay a claim. So if both companies discover this, you may not have cover.
Some pet owners choose to overlap policies when they are switching to make sure they have coverage during the 14-day exclusion period mentioned above.
This means they'll be paying for two policies at the same time and there may be a risk the insurer won't pay the claim if they find out the owner has two policies.
If they do claim with their old insurer during the overlap period, their new company may treat the issue as a pre-existing condition and may not cover it for the rest of the policy.
As mentioned, we've removed the 14-day waiting period if you switch straight to us from an insurer you've been with for 12 months or more.
Do I have to cancel my old pet insurance when I switch?
Yes, you should cancel your existing insurance policy before signing up for a new one to avoid paying twice.
It’s worth double-checking with your bank that the Direct Debit is deactivated. Always let your old insurer know too.
Can I cancel at any time?
You can cancel pet insurance at any time.
Insurance companies usually ask that you call them to cancel your policy. You can do this at any time, but bear in mind that if you cancel before your policy is due for renewal you may be liable to pay the premiums for the remainder of your current period of insurance. And some companies charge a fee when you cancel.
Be aware that if you cancel but intend to buy another policy at some point, any conditions you previously claimed may not be covered by a new policy.
How to cancel your pet insurance
It's best to check with your pet insurance company for their cancellation procedure.
Most insurers ask policyholders to call if they want to cancel. They may try to convince you to stay but they'll also need to let you know about any cover or fees you still need to pay.
If you have a ManyPets policy and have any issues with your cover you can call our team on 0345 340 4090.
You can also cancel online. Our article on how to cancel can help.
FAQs
Can I switch pet insurance providers mid-policy?
Yes, you can. But typically you’ll need to pay a fee for this, and sometimes you’ll need to pay any remaining premiums too.
Also, any time after you cancel and before you get a new policy can leave you and your pet without protection. This is known as the waiting period. We've discussed this above.
It’s worth speaking to your existing insurer when you cancel.
What should I consider before switching pet insurance?
Generally, make sure the pet insurance you and your pet are switching to is right for you. We don’t want to see you end up with something that doesn’t work for your circumstances.
We’d recommend looking out for things like:
What’s covered
Cost of pet insurance
Benefits and features, like 24/7 vet advice
Waiting period, which is how long your pet won’t be covered between policies
Exclusions, like behavioural treatment
Additional fees
How do I cancel my old pet insurance when I switch?
A lot of this depends on your current insurer. Most will need the policyholder to contact them.
Most are through the phone, but others, like us, will allow you to cancel online. Others will let you cancel over email.
You must let your current insurer know.
Does switching pet insurance impact my claims history?
Your claims history will impact your cover when switching, especially if your pet has a pre-existing condition.
As mentioned, switching to a new pet insurer may mean your pet’s pre-existing condition is no longer covered.
For example, let’s say your current insurer is covering your dog for a chronic condition it developed during your cover. A new insurer may see this as a pre-existing condition, which they can exclude from coverage. In effect, your dog’s claims history is now being seen as a pre-existing condition.
Sometimes, you may think it’s worth changing to a better or cheaper policy if your pet’s chronic condition has gone away, but the claims history will always be there, so it carries a risk.
We know this is a difficult decision. It’s one of the reasons why we’re so proud of our pre-existing cover, which can help in situations like this. It covers conditions that have had no treatment, medication or advice for three months, instead of our usual 24.
Remember: it’s essential to declare all pre-existing conditions before joining an insurer. It’s also why it’s important to read your policy handbook.
What are the benefits of switching to ManyPets pet insurance?
We know that you have lots of options and it gets hard to pick what’s right for you.
We thought the best thing we could do was listen to customers like you to come up with something that, well, works for people.
We have vet fee cover from £3k to £15k with benefits like:
Easy claims
Unlimited, 24/7 video vet calls with FirstVet
No extra hidden fees
MoneyBack, where you pay a little more for your policy but get 20% of your premium back at renewal if you haven’t needed to make a claim
Our cat insurance and dog insurance pages explain more.
Oh, and always read through the handbook - we’ve made these as readable as possible so you can know what’s covered, what isn’t and why.
How can ManyPets pet insurance help?
Our pet insurance is designed to solve pet owners' problems. Our policies offer comprehensive cover with unlimited, fast, 24/7 vet advice at your fingertips.
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))
:quality(75))