just been made to renew my dead horses insurance for a year!

L

luckilotti

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 January 2006
Messages
2,176
Location
Lancashire
hillhousestables.co.uk
i'm sat here crying!
i lost my horse of a lifetime a few weeks ago, it was actually the day the insurance was up for renewal and i was on the phone to them renewing it when i had the call to get to the yard pronto, needless to say the lady in the office said to get to the yard and we would speak later and i could pay then, i got to the yard a few minutes too late. my mum however spoke to the lady again at the office and she said that she would speak to me the following week about the other horses i have insured/were renewing etc. The lady never called but i have just called to sort it alll out, finish making some changes to the policy etc.
I have been made to renew my dead horses insurance policy for a year????? I really didnt get what the girl was on about and ended up crying, in the end i have just said whatever and given them my card details but why on earth do i have to pay for another year? its not a huge amount but he died before the renewal date etc. The girl seemed to be saying that they should have been notifed but they were, my mum called them whilst my horse was still on the ground outside the field, he was still warm inside his mouth etc.
i cant see how or why i have been made to insure him for another year :(
 
brighteyes said:
Ring up and ask to speak to the manager. Agree with Amymay - bang out of order!
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Or get your ma to do it if you think you might end up in tears (I know I would!). This is completely out of order and their is no way they should even be considering making you renew insurance for a horse that has just passed away!
 
Competely out of order, there is no way you have to pay for a horse that is no longer with you.
Get back on that phone, and speak to a manager now, not only do you want that money returened asap you want a letter of apology for the upset they have caused you in their callous attitude
 
My renewal was 2 weeks before my horse died. I rang (or OH did) and informed them he had been PTS and my vet rang and said it had been done to BEVA guidelines.

I paid my premium on a monthly DD (NFU) and had to continue to pay while the claim went through (which took a couple of months). Once I got my cheques I rang them, had his policy cancelled and they back dated and reinbursed me the the money that I had paid since he had died.

Is this what they are wanting? You to keep paying until claim sorted? They should then reimburse you....
 
When I think I've got it bad, something like this makes me feel like I should be on cloud nine in comparison.
I would be fighting tooth and nail to speak to the manager. This is an horrendeous situation and I feel for you.
x
 
It's NFU, was my local office but a younger sounding girl who i havent dealt with before. She said what i will have to do is call the claims line and ask them to now remove him from the policy and then try and get a refund - but its not right, plus i imagine they will take admin charges off the refunded amount etc!
i just dont get it :(
 
You have a 14 day period of cooling off - so worst case tell them you don;t want it any more etc etc and they have no way to say no!! B*******S. Get your mum to do it, as crying will not help (sorry about you horse though that is so sad). They do not have a leg to stand on.
Good luck -let us know what happens!
 
luckilotti said:
It's NFU, was my local office but a younger sounding girl who i havent dealt with before. She said what i will have to do is call the claims line and ask them to now remove him from the policy and then try and get a refund - but its not right, plus i imagine they will take admin charges off the refunded amount etc!
i just dont get it :(
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If you are not making a claim on his destruction - then you do not need to do this. He can be removed instantly.

I was with NFU. They paid out a big claim on my horse 3 months before he ws put down. I cancelled my policy the day after he was destroyed and my policy was cancelled straight away. I even received a rebait for part of the month. (I was actually expecting to have to keep on paying for a few months because of the claim, but was told no).

Speak to a senior agent.
 
luckilotti said:
It's NFU, was my local office but a younger sounding girl who i havent dealt with before. She said what i will have to do is call the claims line and ask them to now remove him from the policy and then try and get a refund - but its not right, plus i imagine they will take admin charges off the refunded amount etc!
i just dont get it :(
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I expect it's the same as me then.... you have to keep the policy going until the claim is sorted. Then they will reimburse you (I had nothing deducted)


I also had a similar thing with a mare I sold. Had a claim going through. Rang and told them I had sold her on X date, but kept the policy going until I received my cheque, then I called them and they reimbursed the amount I had paid since I had sold her.
 
Oh Sweetie!!

OK, Hugs, big ones.

Now, pull yourself together for a bit, ring them explain and insist on your money back. Do not talk to whoever answers go straight to at least shift manager. Threaten them with their regulatory body and national press through equestrian magazines, this would hit their pockets.

If no success sit down and write to them. Whoever pts your horse or removed him will be able to certify the date for you in writing. Get this, enclose a copy. Also enclose a little statement from your mother re her call to them and what was said. Give dates and approximation of times of calls as they will have recordings and will be able to track them. Request copies of these recordings in order that you may use them as evidence if you have to issue a small claim in the county courts to recover your money (as you paid this may be difficult to actually do but you can threaten)

They WILL refund. Horsey world is too small for them to risk reputation.

Then you can cry some more for your horse.

GOOD LUCK. please update us.
 
galaxy23 said:
My renewal was 2 weeks before my horse died. I rang (or OH did) and informed them he had been PTS and my vet rang and said it had been done to BEVA guidelines.

I paid my premium on a monthly DD (NFU) and had to continue to pay while the claim went through (which took a couple of months). Once I got my cheques I rang them, had his policy cancelled and they back dated and reinbursed me the the money that I had paid since he had died.

Is this what they are wanting? You to keep paying until claim sorted? They should then reimburse you....
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they sent me a claim form but as i just told the lady, we are not planning on claiming i dont think :( (mainly as i cant cope with it all and i very much doubt they would pay out anyway)
 
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That's disgusting:mad: How tactless! And as for 'trying' to get a refund - I don't think so - it should be automatic, the horse died before the renewal date so what is there to 'try' about?:confused:

I had my car written off on the day one policy expired, and the new policy was simply cancelled and refunded. Why should horse insurance be any different? I would get your mum to ring them. I had a right time trying to get a quote off NFU, I'm not surprised it's them tbh.

So sorry you have been upset:(
 
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.....

My horse had to be PTS last year under BEVA guidelines...I rang PP up, told them what had happened- the lovely lady cancelled the policy there and then, I didn't have to pay any more monthly payments AND they paid out within 6 weeks.

I'm sure you shouldn't be paying a full years insurance- perhaps until the claim has been settled maybe, I could understand that at a push....

(((hugs)))
 
luckilotti said:
they sent me a claim form but as i just told the lady, we are not planning on claiming i dont think :( (mainly as i cant cope with it all)
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Well it if your not claiming, defintily cancel! But it may be because you have opened a claim by requesting a form? You need to get the claim cancelled. You certainly won't be able to claim if you cancel the policy.

I didn't fill out a claim from because of his death. His death was related to a claim I already had going for vets fees so had details. My vet phoned them and said it met BEVA guidlines and faxed over confirmation of the PTS date. That was all that was done. I received a cheque for his full value no questions asked (£3000 for a 17yr olf NF PC schoolmaster. But was still expecting someone to query his value...) So it may not be stressful if that's what's putting you off.

hugs. x
 
they just send me a claim form automatically.
They actually sent me a claim form a couple of years ago along with a letter to say they were sorry about his death - all we had done then was call to say he had been injured in the field and the vet was coming, poss to PTS. thankfully the vet managed to fix him, we told the insurance but they still sent me a letter about his death.

i really dont think i can face calling them back, i cant get hold of my mum to do it for me either. maybe i should try emailing the office?

i ''think'' they have automatically just renewed him even though he has passed away and they knew, and want me to maybe pay for the last few weeks (since the renewal date?) and then i can ask for the other 11.5 months back?
 
So sorry to hear about your horse =[ *hugs!*

I recon she pushed for you to renew, as she gets a certain amount of commision from the renewal - horrible way to do it if that is correct!

As other's have said, I would ask your mum to call for you, and ask for manager, explain situation, and see what they have to say for themselves!!

bexcy-bee x
 
get your vet to write a letter confirming the date he was PTS and you will get a refund (I am certain, having easily got one twice) from that date.

Still think as you are not claiming, you shouldn't have paid at all. Think the woman in the office is being thick. I would write a letter of complaint. She needs to have her info corrected if nothing else!!!!
 
bexcy-bee said:
I recon she pushed for you to renew, as she gets a certain amount of commision from the renewal - horrible way to do it if that is correct!
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i hope thats not the case, mind you, it's a policy with 11 horses on (just moved 3 others over to them on the same call!) so i dare say it would be a bit of commission? IF that is the case, i dare say me breaking down in tears will make her think twice in the future. I did say in my teary voice 'i bet you havent got horses' and she hadnt. only a horsey person would understand the bond you get with some.

maybe i should dig out the claim for and fill it in? maybe they expect you to do that and then sort it out from there? but in my mind, he dided just before the renewal, a claim hasnt been put in, and so there is nothing to renew.
 
I never speak to the local NFU branch and they've always been fantastic to deal with despite multiple claims etc. Get your mum to ring up for you and explain the situation hopefully this can be quickly resolved without causing you any further distress.
 
galaxy23 said:
get your vet to write a letter confirming the date he was PTS and you will get a refund (I am certain, having easily got one twice) from that date.

Still think as you are not claiming, you shouldn't have paid at all. Think the woman in the office is being thick. I would write a letter of complaint. She needs to have her info corrected if nothing else!!!!
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the lady was saying/implying that its done as a whole policy... for all of the horses as i have a few, hence had to be paid all at once if i wanted the others covering. I questioned it, she said the same again, and i said 'but i still dont understand, he is dead, died before the renewal, the office was told within the hour...' but she still maintained it was as a whole.

i might try and see if my dad can call from work, but he will loose him temper with her about it :/
 
luckilotti said:
maybe i should dig out the claim for and fill it in? maybe they expect you to do that and then sort it out from there? but in my mind, he dided just before the renewal, a claim hasnt been put in, and so there is nothing to renew.
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They will still have the sent out claim form on file so, yes, fill it in and claim. It's totally stupid not to claim when that is what you insure for after all. Once settled, his policy should be cancelled and you refunded the claim plus the premium you have paid on him this time.
 
Out of order! When Dylan was pts we phoned the insurers (who still haven't paid out, btw) and they cancelled the policy then and there, when it still had 6 months to run.
 
Not sure how "local" your office is, but I would be tempted to go in to the office in person and demand to see the manager. Take some moral support with you, sounds like the person you got is in dire need of training and you need this sorting for you and an apology. You may need to add the words "financial ombudsman" into the conversation.

TBH I am currently with NFU and from what I have been hearing over the past few months about them, I'll be swapping at renewal. I went with them originally as they had a good reputation, and I would rather pay more and deal with a more professional company. Losing a horse is difficult enough without having to deal with muppets! Hugs xx
 
brighteyes said:
Ah, it might be different with a multi-horse policy - do you/can you add one on if you buy another? I have only ever done individual horses on separate policies...
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i started off as seperate policies with them, back when i just had the two (horse in question being one of the two.... hes been insured with them for at least 8 years if not more!), but then on the renewal they put them down under 1 policy, ever since, if i have added to my numbers then i have just called and they add them on, i pay whatever extra for that horse until the renewal date and then its a one price, but i still get a break down normally of it all.
I havent a clue what i have just paid them... either total of for the extra horses i have just added.
 
cyberhorse said:
Not sure how "local" your office is, but I would be tempted to go in to the office in person and demand to see the manager. Take some moral support with you, sounds like the person you got is in dire need of training and you need this sorting for you and an apology. You may need to add the words "financial ombudsman" into the conversation.

TBH I am currently with NFU and from what I have been hearing over the past few months about them, I'll be swapping at renewal. I went with them originally as they had a good reputation, and I would rather pay more and deal with a more professional company. Losing a horse is difficult enough without having to deal with muppets! Hugs xx
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it's about a 45 minute drive away on a good day, so not very local :(
i have never had a problem with them before, except when they assumed my horse was dead a few years ago (the same horse that i have just lost). Having said that, i have never claimed, i never claimed when i lost my young ISH which i really should have done but i lost her suddenly just before i gave birth to twins, and i had pregnancy complications, one of the babies wasnt getting enough through his cord, then when i did give birth a few weeks later i nearly died etc so 'life' took over with her. She passed away a month before the renewal date and from memory, it just wasnt renewed for her, not totally sure as my hubby dealt with it as i was in hospital.
 
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