Every Tuesday, we get an expert to answer your financial problems or consumer disputes.WhatsApp us yourshereor email moneyblog@sky.uk.Today's problem is...
My dog Benji died last month at the age of 11. But when I went to cancel his insurance, they told me I was still liable for paying the remaining five months of his policy (at £138 a month). They took £691.75 out of my final claim. They told me this was standard because if you make a claim in the same year the pet dies, you are then liable for the remaining year's premiums. Is this right? I've had the policy with them since 2020.
Alex*
Our cost of living specialist Megan Harwood-Baynestackled this one...
I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. You told me he died unexpectedly - he was going for tests and died before the results came back. It took you a couple of days to summon up the strength to call HealthyPets and cancel his insurance, but when you did, you were shocked to be told you were liable to pay the remaining £691.75 on your premium.
As someone who has also been stung by pet insurance (with a different insurer), I was sad but not surprised to find out this clause exists.
Your insurance policy says this: "Any claim resulting from the death/permanent loss (referred as Total Loss) of the insured animal will result in the immediate cancellation of the contract and no refund of the annual premium will be allowed."
So, unfortunately, it does seem to be the case that you had to pay the premium. And look, we are all guilty of not reading the small print, and even when we do, it's so dense it can be really difficult to take it all in.
When you have an older animal (usually over the ages of eight to ten), your policy changes significantly, as certain things stop being covered. For example, you can claim if your kitten dies, but not your 12-year-old cat.
If you stay with the same insurer, this can be particularly tricky to navigate because they rarely flag any policy changes from year to year. Personally, I'm not sure why not - it wouldn't be difficult to include a PDF highlighting what things have changed once your pet reaches a certain age.
My main advice to anyone with a pet over a certain age would be to read and reread the small print - and call the insurer before you need to claim to make sure you fully know what you are signing up for.
But is this policy fair?
That being said, you said what upset you the most was the way you were dealt with by HealthyPets - for an insurer that presumably deals with this situation every day, you said there was no acknowledgement of the shock or grief you were going through.
Overall, you felt the approach was rather blunt and cold, especially given you'd been with them for four years (and presumably paid them thousands of pounds) and not claimed for Benji in that time. You felt it could have chosen to be more courteous to you or show some discretion with this clause.
I reached out to HealthyPets to ask if it felt it was fair for you to pay premiums on a deceased animal. To me, it seems a particularly cruel clause, designed to hit just when you're grieving your pet.
The official reply was this: "We would like to express our deepest condolences to Alex for the loss of Benji as we fully recognise the pain and stress the loss of a pet can cause. Thank you for bringing her complaint to our attention. We have reached out to her directly to discuss her concerns."
So, it was not the most helpful reply, but the next day, HealthyPets phoned you to say a formal complaint had been raised on your behalf. You said what mattered most is that in that phone call, the company apologised to you and expressed condolences for Benji's death.
A few days later, you had a final response to your complaint. HealthyPets apologised for the fact that its service had not met expectations. It said it tried to make policy wording as clear as possible (I'll let you decide if you agree that is the case…) and explained exactly why, in accordance with their terms, the premium was due to be paid.
But it concluded by saying that while it couldn't change the terms of your policy, it arranged for a goodwill payment of £450 in recognition of the distress and disappointment caused by the situation.
You told me you were pleased with the outcome - you genuinely weren't expecting any money, but the acknowledgement and apology were what you had hoped for.
How to complain about an insurer
If you also feel unhappy with how you've been dealt with by an insurer, the first thing you need to do is raise a formal complaint directly with them. They should issue you a final response within a couple of months.
If you don't agree with their final decision, you can then go to the Financial Ombudsman - they will make a final decision, which is then binding. If you are still not happy, you can then take your insurer to court, but this should be an absolute last resort.
You can find out more about making a complaint on theCitizens' Advice website.
*Names have been changed
This featureis not intended as financial advice - the aim is to give an overview of the things you should think about.Submit your dilemma or consumer dispute via:
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