This is a hard review to write to present a balanced picture for the reader. I took out insurance with the KC 13 years ago for my labrador. I was advised they were the 'best' insurance company around. I chose the best cover I could afford and was impressed that they would offer life time cover and for a blissful amount of time I didn't have to make claims or if I had they were minimal. But the premiums kept going up and up despite not needing to claim which I never got a satisfactory response about. Now my darling dog is older she is having more and more problems and I have had to claim to the effect of about £2,500 this year. They have paid out but the 20% per claim, and the £65 percentage excess, really make the overall amount they actually pay you takes a hit. I have £5000 cover each year but as usual there are so many restrictions it doesn't truly make sense. My last renewal was approaching £2,000 and I am dreading what the renewal is going to be next month. So whether I'd recommend them I really don't know and I don't know whehter the rating I've given them is fair - hence my long posting. If I could go back to before my dog was 8 I should probably have moved her. Long-term the KC are not cost effective.
Labrador Retriever (Chocolate)
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I totally agree with you it is going up year after year! It looks like I will have to look around for a better deal!
I totally agree with you it is going up year after year! It looks like I will have to look around for a better deal!
You are totally able to go somewhere else. They cannot make you stay with them.
Pet insurance has more similarities with private healthcare insurance than say vehicle insurance. There is NO such thing as a no claims discount in pet insurance. Your premiums WILL go up regardless of what company you go with. Generally speaking specialist pet insurers like KC tend to be better for premium increases than none specialist. I have spoken to people who have had ridiculous premium increases. One gentleman who was with Tesco who's premium went from £42pm to £120pm. However it is a simple truth at ALL policies will go up and if someone tells you different they are mistaken or lying. The biggest thing that people don't understand is why premiums go up there are several factors including, your address, whether it's a built up area, whether there is a high rate of dog theft, the average vet fee in your area, the age of the dog, the breed of dog etc etc the list is long. The biggest thing you should be careful of is companies who change underwriters all the time who aren't specialist insurers and always look in to the terms and conditions and NOT just go based on price. I understand affordability is necessary however if you go cheap you will find yourself between a rock and hard place later. Believe me I have been there several times.
Problem is if you move to another insurance company they won't cover any problems dog had before they started insurance so you're hands are tied
You can go somewhere else but why would you because then nothing you have ever made a claim for before will be covered. So in actual fact you aren't free to go anywhere else!
Premiums always go up year by year with lifetime cover, its not unusual! Trust me it would be cost effective if your pet got very ill
Premiums always go up year by year with lifetime cover, its not unusual! Trust me it would be cost effective if your pet got very ill