Best and worse insurance companies, which one to use.

V

vikkibeth

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 February 2011
Messages
419
Location
Northamptonshire
Visit site
You always get horror stories about Insurance companies trying to get out of paying for things. So many of them have such huge price difference but from experience with car insurance (worked for a car insurance company a few years back) I know that just cause they are more costly doesnt make them any better than the cheapest one.

It would be interesting to see which name turns up the most and for which scenario as am looking to buy insurance for my new beast :confused:
 
Never touch E&L they're cheap but I wouldn't touch them, i've never heard a story of them paying out. My friend was with them and they used any excuse to get out of paying (for example, horse being turned out at night)

I'm with PetPlan Equine and i've never had any trouble. I've also heard NFU are good, however they don't insure the older horse for as much as i'd have liked.
 
Jade&Syrah said:
Never touch E&L they're cheap but I wouldn't touch them, i've never heard a story of them paying out. My friend was with them and they used any excuse to get out of paying (for example, horse being turned out at night)

I'm with PetPlan Equine and i've never had any trouble. I've also heard NFU are good, however they don't insure the older horse for as much as i'd have liked.
Click to expand...

Agree with all this E&L nutoriously bad! I'm also with pet plan and they paid out no problems with my mares tendon injury and also paid for all her physio.
 
I'm with Petplan Equine also. I submitted a claim for over £3000 for my horses fractured leg, and it was paid in full straight to my vet 2 weeks later with no hassle at all.
 
Am with KBIS and never had any problems found staff very helpful and sympathetic when I had a claim for the death of one of my horses.
 
seib another good name, have paid out twice for me very promptly.

I think the main companys with a good reputation are nfu, petplan, seib, kris shearwater? and probably more I cannot think of, however with all these you do have to read the small print and stick to the rules, so you will probably find someone with a horror story with each of these companies who has not done the above.

Bottom line is do your homework on choosing a company and also do your homework before a claim!

E&L I would not touch with that bargepole, got stung with my first horse, found dead in a field after a thunder strom, carried out all the correct procedure ( postmortom etc ) was cound to have died of a broken neck, E&L did their best not to pay out and it took over a year until after a battle to get them to do so.
 
Jade&Syrah said:
Never touch E&L they're cheap but I wouldn't touch them, i've never heard a story of them paying out. My friend was with them and they used any excuse to get out of paying (for example, horse being turned out at night)

I'm with PetPlan Equine and i've never had any trouble. I've also heard NFU are good, however they don't insure the older horse for as much as i'd have liked.
Click to expand...



Echo this, they do make any excuse to not pay out!!
 
I'm with PetPlan and they were excellent with my claim for my youngster. I wouldn't go with E&L personally, as have heard too many awful stories about them.
 
NFU aren't one of the cheaper ones but they're very very good. They've paid out a fortune for my mare over the years! She had to have remedial shoeing when she was 16 due to a balls up by the farrier, but NFU paid for the whole lot, plus paid for the physio she needed and all our travelling costs to get us to the farrier's base!
 
Echo NFU, been with them for years, and when I had an accident with the trailer paid all my legal costs to get my compensaton. According to my solicitor most Insurance companies would have dropped the case when costs really started mounting. They have also paid out promptly with no question on various smaller claims over the years.
 
All I can suggest is choose a couple of the good ones named in previous posts and actually read ALL the terms and conditions. Yes, there are long and boring but you will know what you're signing yourself up to. So many times people are upset because a company wouldn't pay out for things but if its not covered by the terms then they don't have to pay you!

I used to work for an equine insurance company and sooooo many times on the claim form when it asks about previous insurance etc, it used to say they were with E&L and swapped to us! Saw so many people that had left them I wouldn't ever insure with them...but then again I have heard of people that haven't had any problems with them!
 
Another vote for Petplan, they are great. I had my renewal through this week, which I was dreading (they paid out full £5k last year on a chipped pedal bone and I have a claim going on now, which is currently around £2k) and it is only going to cost me an extra £60 this year. Their staff are extremly helpful and I have always had my cheque within 2weeks. They are more pricey than most others, but definately worth it :)
 
I'm with Petplan and over the last year they have paid out well over £6,000 on the two claims which I have ongoing at the moment, and my pony's a veteran! They're also apparently the only company which will insure your horse into its twenties. They also paid out the full £5k on my friend's mare which had navicular including MRI and everything. They can be quite disorganised and have been known to lose claim forms (like when I urgently needed a pro forma doing) but I think paying out is the most important thing.
I have heard good things about NFU and only bad things about E&L. My vets won't accept payment from E&L and if you insure with them you have to pay upfront for any treatment as they've had so many problems in the past.
 
Another vote for petplan!!

Brought horse with a tumour on his eye, did 5 stage vetting and as it was in whites of his eye, didn't appear! They paid for everything! And this was literally a month after taking out the cover.

When I got my youngster, he went with Petplan, as an unbroken, ferral 3yr old. Now, at 4 yrs, I wanted to insure him for over £3k, and was told i needed a 5 stage vetting, personally i think thats a stupid rule, considering the circumstances, and changed to NFU, who I can't comment on as had no claims with, but very friendly people so far!!

I would also steer clear of E & L, as well as horse insurance online (are they even still running) My mate had a horse insured with them, to be told when it broke its leg they didnt send a final letter in, so was not covered!!

bexcy-bee x
 
KBIS. Outstanding service, cheque for vet fees paid within two DAYS and twice, with a loss, full payment within a fortnight with no quibbling. Always very helpful and sensible to speak to; been with them for over 10 years and wouldn't change.
 
Has anyone used animal friends for horses? My dog is with them but have not heard much about their horse insurance before but they seem to be WAY cheaper so I'm slightly suspicious!
 
Im insured with petplan - much more expensive (treble) than what i was originally insured with but ive heard its brilliant so helps me sleep at ngiht!
 
Maesfen said:
KBIS. Outstanding service, cheque for vet fees paid within two DAYS and twice, with a loss, full payment within a fortnight with no quibbling. Always very helpful and sensible to speak to; been with them for over 10 years and wouldn't change.
Click to expand...

I second the service and quick no quibble payout with KBIS. They are very thorough and professional too, not sure I would change unless they become too expensive :)
 
Amtrust are good. I've had a couple of major claims over the last couple of years and they have paid up very quickly.
 
I've used SEIB for 2 of mine for years now- really cannot fault them,never had any probs if they've needed treatment, always paid out etc.

My youngster is with NFU as they offered me a good price- not the cheapest, not the most expensive & *touch wood* have not had to use them so cannot comment as to what they are like!
 
Ive heard bad things about NFU and Petplan too.
I am with E&L and to be truthful,they processed my claim within 3 days and I recieved my cheque approx 2 weeks later,no problems. Theyre NOT as bad as your all saying. If that was the case then they would of been shut down...
There are no guarentees any company will pay out,
Ive had NO PROBLEMS WITH E&L
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top