Petmed pet insurance

Was unable to find policy via my name, phone number or policy number – line frequently got cut off…can’t handle something as basic even finding us…

I have been paying premium for a top cover for my dog with Petmed for almost 3 years. Premiums have been collected promptly but they will give you plenty of excuses when you lodge a claim!!!!! Lodged a claim 2 months back for $179, they kept asking for documents after documents many documents have been downloaded and sent but still no refund. This week I received a threatening letter saying that the claim will be closed in 10 days if I do not produce evidence. Today I rang Petmed they answered me from the Philippines and without much progress I requested my call to be transferred to Australia.

After 10 min wait my call was answered, this person asked me many questions for which the answers are already available on the portal so I have asked to speak to someone who is familiar with claims. I was then told that there is no one else who can help me with my query. When I asked to speak to the person in charge I was told that someone will call me within 2 days !!!

A well known 24 hour Vet clinic in Bundoora recommended Petmed to me however Petmed do not trust the tax invoice made by this vet and asking me provide further proof that I took my dog there. I am very disappointed that I chose Petmed.

I signed up with PetMed almost three years ago when my dog was a puppy. At the time, the reviews (even on this website) were favourable. But, being an idiot, I didn’t properly read the PDS and I took them at their word when they said that “accidental injury” was covered. It literally says “Accidental Injury – Yes” on my policy. More fool me for not questioning THEIR definition of “Accidental Injury” at the time, because when I went to make a small claim, I was denied. I looked at my policy more closely and found a loooooooong list of exclusions.

My claim was for $216. I was cutting my dog’s nails one night and accidentally hit the quick. After an hour of her bleeding profusely, and soaking through huge wads of tissues, I took her to an after-hours vet where they were able to stem the blood flow. $216 is not all that much comparable to other problems pets can have, but all the same I thought “I have insurance, I haven’t made a claim in almost three years, I may as well use it”.

The claim’s process was easy, but I was informed about a week later that I had been denied because they categorised my dog’s injury as “grooming”. I rang and told them that I’m not claiming for grooming, I’m claiming for an Accidental Injury which was the RESULT of grooming, but I was told that they do not cover anything “grooming related”. So… I guess they wouldn’t cover it if my dog was being groomed professionally and fell off the table, or something. Just like (as I have just found out) they won’t cover any injuries that they believed happened as a result of negligence on your part (like if your dog is walking off-lead, runs into the road suddenly and gets hit by a car? Eats a big block of chocolate you left in a shopping bag on the floor? If someone plays rough with your dog and hurts them accidentally? What are the limits to that? When does an ACCIDENT stop being SOMEONE’S FAULT?)

Anyway, I have since read the exclusions and it reads like a long list of pretty much everything that could happen to your pet. My policy is called “ultimate” but, as it turns out, it doesn’t cover anything. I’m not even upset about the money I’ve wasted on this junk policy, what I’m upset about is that I’ve spent the last three years thinking that I would be covered if anything happened to my dog. My dog is fine, and I’m not out of pocket all that much (except the almost $1600 I’ve spent on this rubbish insurance), but what if this had been a desperate situation where she was badly hurt and needed expensive vet care? I now know that they would not have come to my aid, like I fully expected them to since that is literally what I have been paying for.

My policy is due to expire soon (there is a fee for cancellation, because of course there is) and obviously I won’t be renewing it. I am probably going to report them to the Ombudsman, because their initial policy information is misleading and they actually cover next to nothing, but I mostly just want to be done with them and stop anyone who reads this from signing with them and wasting their time and money like I did.

They’ve taken my money for three years and given me nothing, not even peace of mind, as it turns out. Don’t let them take from you too.

The claim process takes approximately 1 month and not like they say, always delays, they keep asking further details via letter so weeks of delay +5 days for money to transfer even if nowday exist live money transfer

I found it was difficult to find a reasonably priced insurance company that covered the needs of senior dogs. Petmed was an insurance company I felt provided good value for my senior dog who had no ailments prior to signing up. When my dog was diagnosed and required medical treatment, each claim to Petmed was processed in a timely and consistent manner with no issues and information about remaining cover after each claim was also clear. Petmed helped us to care for our beloved dog for 3 years until his passing. From my experience, Petmed is a great insurance company – particulalry for owners whose pet is approaching their senior years.

Paid my premium for years then when I lodged a claim they not only paid me a pittance of what I should have received when I inquired why it was so small and asked for them to provide me with a breakdown to see what the payment was allocated against my emails were completely ignored! Sent email after email with read receipt no reply. Then finally I received an email from [name removed] who gave me claim numbers didn’t match up to what was in the system against my pet when I informed her of this – nothing!!! So after all this I cancelled my policy and they continued to take money out of my account after I had already cancelled the policy stay!! Away from this insurer they are thieves I am reporting them to ombudsman and the financial complaints authority tomorrow. I am beyond furious!!

I’ve been with PetMed for nearly 15 years with two of my dogs and they are fair, quick to respond, and great communicators. The online portal makes everything super easy.

When I emailed PetMed to call me (my direct debit details had changed) – these guys really didn’t give up, It took them about 14 calls over a week, before we connected (all my fault). So impressed that they kept trying. Not as impressed with the call centre wait time in queue though.

I’ve been with them 15 years. Waste of money. It’s not clear what is covered – you have to submit invoices and wait for around 2 weeks to hear back, and I’ve never had any of my rare claims accepted. I’ve had much better value from my house insurance – quicker responses and clearer coverage. I would not go with this company again. I’ve just asked them if my dog’s recently diagnosed chronic condition would be covered and received no specific answer – it seems you just submit invoices and hope for the best but cannot get advice for potential claims going forward.

the Premium is off the charts. for comparison my premium is set at $112 a month compared the alternate provider at exactly half is $56 . the process of cancellation is a nightmare. they have a portal but you cannot cancel your policy from there. they do not answer calls over the weekend.