NFU won't offer insurance if you'd claimed in past

[DZ2]

Just called NFU to get a quote to cover the horse I've just bought. First thing they've asked was whether I've made any claims on any equine insurance in past 3 years. I honestly answered yes (I had a smallish vet fees claim about 2 years ago for different horse, and with different insurer). The guy said sorry we can't offer you a quote; company policy forbids offering any insurance products to customers who've made any claims in past 3 years, even if that was different horse from the one you're trying to insure right now.

I was really surprised, is this normal? Do other companies follow the same rule, or is this just NFU? Aren't they going to run out of customers if they only insure the people who never claim?

 

[TWMD]

If that's the case why have I been allowed to renew my policy with them? I've made quite a few claims over the years for the same horse!

 

[DZ2]

If that's the case why have I been allowed to renew my policy with them? I've made quite a few claims over the years for the same horse!

Maybe because you are existing customer, so renewals are OK, but not completely new policies.

 

[Nasicus]

I was able to insure mine with them (NFU) after two claims the previous year with KBIS. This was a couple years ago though, maybe they've changed their policy?

 

[Shavings]

i claimed for Levi my old TB 2 years ago, i brought chance (cob) August last year and they where happy to insure him with out any bother!

i would be asking to speak to a manager as it doesnt sound right to me

 

[AdorableAlice]

I can trump that one.

All mine were insured with NFU for years. Lost one in 2004, colic, operated on but lost a few days later in second attempt of surgery. NFU were brilliant, all paid out direct to vets and a cheque to me for value. Policy cancelled and had a nice letter from them, sorry for my loss etc.

Fast forward to 2012 and I buy a nice maxi cob, I contact NFU to insure her and was told they don't want to deal with me and won't insure anything for me. Why ? apparently I owed them £16.00 cancellation fee for the dead horse policy. I could pay it over the phone and they would then quote for the new cob.

 

[criso]

If it is a policy, it's a new one as I have got a quote several times from them for my current horse despite multiple claims on a previous horse. However what I find with them is that if you have claimed on another horse, then they raise your premiums significantly as you are seen as a high risk owner so I didn't stay with them.

 

[wattamus]

I’ve claimed loads from NFU for one of my horses, close to 12k.
When I asked for insurance for my new horse (this time last year) I was never asked about previous claims with other horses. It was also a new policy as the old one had been in my parents name so everything was done from scratch.
Did you ring the main number on their website?
You tend to get a better response and price if you ring a local branch, not the main number.

 

[Bernster]

Blimey, that does sound a bit bonkers. I've stayed with them for years mainly due to the claims handling experience which was very good although the premiums are now pricey.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I posted about similar last year when we bought our weanling. Current ridden horse is with NFU, with no issues whatsoever so naturally figured I'd insure the newbie with them too to make life easy. Unfortunately we had lost a previous youngster (who wasn't even insured with NFU) through no fault of ours a couple of years before, so declared this as part of getting a quote for the new horse only to be passed to their underwriters who declared us "high risk" and increased the premium by a crazy amount. We ended up going with SEIB in the end who had no issue with our previous claim.

 

[planete]

I asked for a quote to insure my dogs a couple of years ago and was told they would not insure my dogs until I had a house insurance with them. I declined.

 

[Peter7917]

I asked for a quote to insure my dogs a couple of years ago and was told they would not insure my dogs until I had a house insurance with them. I declined.

I also had this some years back. They said we couldn't have horse insurance unless we took out another type of insurance with them. We argued it out and managed to just take the horse insurance. Seems pretty absurd to try and cross sale in this manner.

 

[AandK]

I asked NFU for a quote for my new boy in March (I also have a 22yo and 29yo, not insured for several years now), they asked if I had made any claims recently, I said no as others are not insured. Was then asked if I'd had any vets bills other than routine, well yes, 22yo lost an eye last year which cost about £2.5k, plus a couple of other minor things. They quoted me double other insurers as I am high risk apparently! I don't see the logic there to be honest, no other insurer asked about any prior claims or vet bills. When 22yo was insured way back when I also asked for a quote, which was high due to existing exclusions which I can understand, but not for a new horse and new policy. Someone else at the yard had the same after losing a horse last year, I won't bother asking them for a quote in future.

 

[Nudibranch]

Last time I phoned up for a quote, it was either NFU, Petplan or SEIB, they asked if I'd EVER claimed. As in, for any horse, nothing to do with the one I wanted a quote for. Ever?

I don't bother now. I just put money away.

 

[Abi90]

Last time I phoned up for a quote, it was either NFU, Petplan or SEIB, they asked if I'd EVER claimed. As in, for any horse, nothing to do with the one I wanted a quote for. Ever?
I don't bother now. I just put money away.

I’m discovering more and more equine insurers won’t insure my horse because I’m in the Forces! I’ll soon be doing the same at this rate!

ETA - they won’t insure my trailer either and it’s kept behind the wire with an armed guard at the gate!

 

[vmac66]

Nfu refused to quote me for car insurance as my postcode isn't rural enough despite having fields to 2 sides. The yard I keep my horse at has insurance with them. They are a 2 minute drive away up country lanes

 

[teddypops]

I wouldn’t say that’s normal at all! If it was, there would be very few people left for them to insure. I insure all mine with Petplan and have made lots of claims. When I get a new pony, I insure them with Petplan no problem at all and at a reasonable price too.

 

[ester]

I wouldn’t say that’s normal at all! If it was, there would be very few people left for them to insure. I insure all mine with Petplan and have made lots of claims. When I get a new pony, I insure them with Petplan no problem at all and at a reasonable price too.

nail head, they aren't that keen on doing horse insurance anymore, their first tactic a couple of years ago was a big price hike.

 

[MuffettMischief]

Yep I had the same from them. Even though this is a new horse to us. Also had another insurance company say they won’t insure my area postcode! And KBIS seem to think I owe them £100 from a previous policy 5 years ago but can’t tell me how or why! Never had a letter/call/email about it so told them where to go!

 

[MuffettMischief]

To add, I went with petplan in the end. No issues at all!

 

[Goldenstar]

The NFU make no money on horse insurance .
They really are only interested in new clients who insure lots of stuff with them now houses land farms art cars ok we do a loss leader on the horse .

 

[conniegirl]

I've just reinsured with petplan, they came in at more the £150 cheaper than any other company.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I wonder if the NFU really aren't actually interested in the 'smaller' customer. They are very much known for their work with big farms and the farming industry. A pony in a paddock is probably just a pain in the rear end compared to the income available from multi million pound farms and machinery.

 

[eggs]

I've been with NFU for about 17 years now but haven't had to get insurance for a new horse for over 10 years. At one point I had 13 horses and my vet excess got doubled for ALL horses as I had made a couple of claims for two of them in one year (one horse had an abscess and was broken leg lame and I couldn't get hold of my blacksmith and another had a cut that needed stitching). I have stuck with them though as they are easy to deal with.

 

[vhf]

I’m discovering more and more equine insurers won’t insure my horse because I’m in the Forces! I’ll soon be doing the same at this rate!


Where do they think you are going to take your horse?!

 

[Laafet]

So NFU basically treated me so bad I had to go to the Ombudsman, I am apparently high risk now, one previous claim for 2k on a different horse before the one claim where they tried to make me out to be someone committing insurance fraud (I wasn't at all). They won't insure me now. My friend who has had multiple high value claims on different horses over a much shorter time period than I had been with NFU, never has a claim quibbled etc. The difference between me and her, her family own a farm and they are insured through NFU too. She laughs, said that it doesn't matter how much she claims they will always pay out because they don't want to lose the farm account.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I also had this some years back. They said we couldn't have horse insurance unless we took out another type of insurance with them. We argued it out and managed to just take the horse insurance. Seems pretty absurd to try and cross sale in this manner.

I had the same a few years ago so changed to Petplan. Oldie is no longer insured since their premiums became unsustainable a couple of years ago and new one is with Carriage House.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Whilst we are on the subject of insurance, SEIB won't lift an exclusion on a cob I have. In 2014 she had a tiny tear in her meniscus, was diagnosed in hospital, (I found her in field with a stiff gait and enormous skid marks in field). Although not unsound she had a few months off and has never had another issue. I expected an exclusion which duly came through at renewal. Whole pelvis, both hind legs including feet, all soft tissue and ligaments.

In 2017 and 18 my vets wrote to SEIB confirming horse is fine and asked for review, answer was no. Renewal due now, premium £650 and once again refused to review. The cob is my old ladies hack, we bumble, slowly, around the lanes. With guidance from vet I have decided not to insure half a horse anymore. I wouldn't send her to colic surgery as she is far too big and I have had a bad experience with colic surgery on heavyweight horses.

I need to maintain 3rd party on her from 15th July. The other bigger cob also has non reviewable exclusions and he won't be reinsured a little latter in the year. Can anyone recommend a suitable 3rd party insurer please. I have been a gold member BHS in the past, but with the horses all fully insured the BHS would not have covered any incidents so I cancelled it. I have a friend who exercises both of the cobs for me and she holds her own rider only policy. Many thanks for any guidance.

 

[ester]

BHS gold/WHW/harry hall I think are the current options AA

 

[maya2008]

I insured a new one last summer, no worries. This time went to insure and they wanted to know about every vet visit on any horse I owned. They ask for full vet history for every claim anyway so...? Spent thousands last year on an oldie who eventually was pts and it was so much more pleasant dealing with the vet ourselves and not having to worry about insurance forms, what would/wouldn’t be covered etc.