0:00:02 > 0:00:04I've been fighting your consumer battles for years,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08but there are still many companies out there trying to get one over on you.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12As long as the cash register goes "ching, ching, ching", that's all they care about.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Thousands of you are still subject to an array of unfair treatment,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19from poor customer service to hidden small print
0:00:19 > 0:00:20and faulty products.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26What can we do? Make a complaint maybe that will get lost in the telecommunications abyss.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30'These companies simply don't seem to care and are causing you,
0:00:30 > 0:00:36'the consumer, a lot of unnecessary stress, but never fear...'
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'll take on your consumer battles to make sure that you don't get done.
0:00:43 > 0:00:49Whenever you get a new pet, you'll welcome it into your house like another member of the family.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53And being a responsible pet owner, you'll probably want to get pet insurance,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56but just when you think you're automatically covered for a claim,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58you might find you're barking
0:00:58 > 0:01:03up the wrong tree. Eh, Freddie? Barking up the wrong tree... I know!
0:01:03 > 0:01:09'This is Carolyn Veebel who lives with her two sons, Ross and Luke, in Leicester.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14'They have a dog, Archie, a young and chirpy spaniel that they all adore,
0:01:14 > 0:01:19'but looking after him has proved to be more challenging than any of them were expecting.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24We bought Archie in March 2011
0:01:24 > 0:01:28and we did go to see him when he was a tiny puppy.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32And then we went to pick him up in the March of 2011,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34brought him back here
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and he became a significant part of the family.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40They give you a reason to get up in the mornings.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43They give you a reason to come home.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47When you come in the front door, they're always excited to see you.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51'As a responsible pet owner, Carolyn had Archie fully insured as soon as she got him.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56'She had insurance via The Kennel Club and when it came close to renewal time,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01'she looked on the internet and found a similar policy was available from someone she trusted.'
0:02:01 > 0:02:06I read down the list of the various different insurance premiums
0:02:06 > 0:02:12and I saw that Sainsbury's was on there and as Sainsbury's is one of my trusted companies...
0:02:12 > 0:02:18I shop with them, I have my house insurance with them, I've had all sorts with them over the years.
0:02:18 > 0:02:25They provided insurance for long-term care. Their premium was reasonable, so I chose to go with Sainsbury's.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Archie, come on, walk!
0:02:27 > 0:02:31'Archie's new insurance policy was set to start on the same day his old one ran out.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36'It seemed a straightforward decision, but to Carolyn's horror,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38'it later had massive significance.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43'A short time after the new policy started, Archie was diagnosed with cancer.'
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I did think we might lose him.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51You do start to think then that it might have spread,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54then you start worrying about what you're going to do with him.
0:02:54 > 0:03:00'She hadn't expected to have to make a claim on her new insurance so soon, but when she did,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'she was in for a shock.'
0:03:03 > 0:03:09And it wasn't until just after Archie had had
0:03:09 > 0:03:13all the initial investigations with the vets at Solihull
0:03:13 > 0:03:16that they turned round and said no, they weren't paying.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21I was devastated. I wasn't sure what I was going to do.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The boys, Luke and Ross, were just adamant
0:03:25 > 0:03:29that he should go ahead and have all the care that he needed
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and I shouldn't think about the cost.
0:03:33 > 0:03:40'Claiming on the insurance didn't go as smoothly as Carolyn hoped and she has ended up having to call me in.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Poor little old Archie, the Springer spaniel has been a little bit Tom and Dick - sick,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48so I've come to Leicestershire to meet his proud owner Carolyn
0:03:48 > 0:03:53and find out about the problems she's had with Sainsbury's pet insurance.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- Morning! Carolyn?- Hello. Pleased to meet you.- And lovely to meet you.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07- It's taters out here. Can I come in?- Come in.- Taters in mould - cold!
0:04:07 > 0:04:12- Where did the name Archie come from? - The boys chose it.- OK. - I wanted to call him Logan.
0:04:12 > 0:04:18- They wouldn't let me. They chose Archie. I don't know why. They just wanted to.- Cool enough name.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22'There's an awful lot of love for Archie in this family, but not a lot of money.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28'I need to establish a few facts to see why the family's pet insurance won't pay out
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'when their pet needs it most.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:35So when did his Kennel Club insurance run out and the Sainsbury's one start?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- On the 7th of April.- That's when the Kennel Club insurance ran out?- Yes.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- When did you get the Sainsbury's one to start?- On the 7th of April.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- So there was no period when he wasn't insured?- No.- Good for you.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48So what went wrong?
0:04:48 > 0:04:54About a week after the Sainsbury's insurance started,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58my eldest son came running out of the house carrying Archie
0:04:58 > 0:05:04- because in his saliva he'd got blood running down his face.- Right.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08We took him inside, bathed his mouth, looked inside his mouth, couldn't see
0:05:08 > 0:05:12anything, assumed he'd scratched himself as he'd been in the garden.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16And that was it, no more sign of any blood.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20But to be on the safe side, on the Monday, I rang the vet
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and said, could I come down and have Archie checked out?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26And they said that he'd got a lump on his gum
0:05:26 > 0:05:30which had become infected, hence the blood.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31At this point, how old was Archie?
0:05:31 > 0:05:37- A year and five months. - So he should be really in the prime of his life and very healthy?- Yes.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43So they then had him in to our local vet's to do a biopsy and X-rays.
0:05:43 > 0:05:49The biopsy was sent off to the labs, but at this point, they then knew that it was almost certainly cancer
0:05:49 > 0:05:53because the X-rays showed that the bone was too light.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57On the X-ray, you get a dark to light and the bone was too light.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00At this point, had you been paying the vets for these inspections?
0:06:00 > 0:06:06Yes, at this point, I'd been paying them, but I had made Sainsbury's aware after the biopsy
0:06:06 > 0:06:11that it was likely that he might have something wrong with him
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and at no point did they say you weren't covered.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Were you also quite confident that, whatever the problem was,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20you had an insurance policy that would pay for it?
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Yes. The only thing that was worrying me was that Sainsbury's weren't coming back to me.
0:06:25 > 0:06:31They weren't saying anything, and every time I phoned to say, "Is the claim OK,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33"can I take him to the specialists,"
0:06:33 > 0:06:36they were saying, "It's still being looked at."
0:06:36 > 0:06:39'With the list of expensive treatments for Archie building up,
0:06:39 > 0:06:45'no wonder Carolyn was keen to get confirmation from Sainsbury's that they were covered.'
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- How many times did you have to chase them?- Ten times, probably.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55- Easily.- And when you told them how much the bill was likely to be, how much was that?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59At this stage, I think we were on about 2,500.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Are you saying by that it's still rising?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Yes. The vets warned me that if they could operate, it would be another £3,000.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- £5,500?- Yes.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Can you afford that?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13No, I can't afford it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18'And with the bills rolling in, Carolyn heard from Sainsbury's.'
0:07:18 > 0:07:22At this point, had Sainsbury's said to you they wouldn't cover Archie?
0:07:22 > 0:07:28Yes. Once they got the actual invoices from the specialist vets
0:07:28 > 0:07:34for this initial CAT scan and everything, they turned round and said they weren't covering him.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'It seems there was a clause in Archie's insurance policy.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:42What was the exclusion, written in the T's and C's, obviously? What exactly was it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:48That if an animal has a condition which then becomes apparent within the first 14 days of that policy,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53they will not pay anything towards that condition at all, ever.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55How do you feel about that?
0:07:55 > 0:08:01I think it's disgusting. If you had no knowledge of an animal being ill when you took that insurance out
0:08:01 > 0:08:07and you had insurance up to the day that you took the new insurance out,
0:08:07 > 0:08:13how can they say you should be aware of a pre-existing condition and that they won't cover it?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It completely negates the reason for having insurance.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21'The clause is designed to stop people taking insurance out when they find their pet is already ill,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23'but that's not what happened here.'
0:08:23 > 0:08:29Common sense says if you knew something was in the background, you wouldn't suddenly change company.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31- No.- It ain't rocket science.- No.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Sainsbury's should be looking at this sympathetically.
0:08:35 > 0:08:42'Carolyn didn't have any savings to cover the cost of the treatment, so someone else paid Archie's bill.'
0:08:42 > 0:08:48It came down to my son to give up his savings that we had been saving for him since he was a baby.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- How old is your son?- 16.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52What was he saving up for?
0:08:52 > 0:08:58It was for his future, so, for university, house, car.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02'But for Ross, it was a no-brainer.'
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Ever since I heard that he had cancer, I was devastated, absolutely devastated.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10The insurance wouldn't pay for it, so Mum was saying, "What are we going to do, then?"
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I said, "The only option is my savings." I offered.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18I didn't care about the money. I just wanted him to be safe.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21What have Sainsbury's said? Have you had a moan at them about it?
0:09:21 > 0:09:27I went down the correct route. I wrote to them and said I wasn't prepared to accept
0:09:27 > 0:09:32that they weren't going to cover him and that I would take it further. They were warned.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Having got an answer from them for that, I went on the Insurance Ombudsman's site.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41It recommended on the Insurance Ombudsman's site that before you wrote to the Ombudsman,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46you had to contact the insurers and get their underwriter to look at it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50'She contacted Sainsbury's, hoping their underwriter would look at it,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53'as the Ombudsman's website had advised.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58'After a long wait, the only reply she received was to tell her that she should be writing to AXA
0:09:58 > 0:10:03'as they underwrite Sainsbury's pet insurance. The letter has been sent
0:10:03 > 0:10:06'and Carolyn is still waiting for a reply.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- What does Sainsbury's as a brand mean to you? - We do all our shopping there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13My parents and I have always shopped at Sainsbury's.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19They started the financial services. I have their Nectar card. I have had their credit card.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I've had loans from them.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27I have my house insurance through them and I've had car insurance through them before.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33- You liked them, you trusted them and you did everything you could do via them?- Yeah.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37'Rules or no rules, I think Sainsbury's is in danger of losing a good customer here,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42'but I want to get involved for her sake, Archie's and her son's savings.'
0:10:42 > 0:10:47When I get on to Sainsbury's insurance company, I can't say to them they've done anything wrong.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52It seems very, very unfair. I can see why they've got it in there.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58What I can do is explain your situation which I'm hoping might be what's happened.
0:10:58 > 0:11:04Yours has gone into the system, it's happened within 14 days, not covered, please tell her, end of.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08I think people need to look at your case on its merits.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12The dog was insured, he's very young, you knew nothing about it, you were very honest,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14you reported the illness the second you saw it,
0:11:14 > 0:11:20you had insurance prior to that and you're an existing and very loyal customer to Sainsbury's.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25But don't hold your breath because it's the sort of thing we might not be able to sort out.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30- It might be all we can do is highlight it to people.- That's fine.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- OK, I'll see what I can do for you. - Lovely. Thank you very much.- OK.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Oh, a bit of an awkward one, this, because Sainsbury's haven't actually done anything wrong.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47They're just sticking to their rules and the T's and C's, but Carolyn is way out of pocket.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51I've got to try and get Sainsbury's to turn their decision round. That'll be a tough one.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56'Sainsbury's is, of course, one of Britain's biggest food retailers,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'but they're also putting their name to insurance products,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03'in this case backed up by the giant AXA group,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05'another household name.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10'The size of those two might put some people off, but that's exactly why I want to highlight this case.
0:12:10 > 0:12:17'I want to get Sainsbury's on the phone. Carolyn found their insurance department tricky to get hold of,
0:12:17 > 0:12:22'but I'm hoping to be able to jump the queue and get through to the right people.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Hi, it's Dominic Littlewood calling from the BBC.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30I wanted to speak to somebody about a customer who has a complaint with pet insurance. Who would that be?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I do. Carolyn Veebel.
0:12:33 > 0:12:40'I can't play the call centre worker's voice to you, but she wants me to send over some e-mail details.'
0:12:40 > 0:12:43She seemed to go totally on the defence when she realised it was me.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46She didn't want to give names out and was very...
0:12:46 > 0:12:51She sounded like she was shook a little bit just by the name.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Whether it was the BBC or mine, I don't know.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56'Maybe I'll try a different line of questioning.'
0:12:56 > 0:13:00You might be able to help me. I might not even need to ring them.
0:13:00 > 0:13:07With your yearly insurance policies with pets, when it says "yearly", does it cover you for 52 weeks?
0:13:07 > 0:13:13'There's a lot of "umming" and "ahhing" on the other end of the phone, but no straight answer.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'Someone's going to call me back.'
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Can't you even answer that question?
0:13:18 > 0:13:23'More "umming" and "ahhing" and she's still refusing to answer a simple question.'
0:13:23 > 0:13:27OK, that simple question you can't even answer.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32'She's absolutely insistent that someone else will have to answer my very simple question.'
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Thanks for your time. Bye-bye.
0:13:34 > 0:13:41You heard the question. I said, "How long does your yearly insurance plan cover somebody for?
0:13:41 > 0:13:47"52 weeks?" I even gave her the answer and she said, "Somebody else will give you the answer to that."
0:13:47 > 0:13:51They're on the back foot. This is a big company. Come on, Sainsbury's!
0:13:55 > 0:13:59' I've been told I need to ring Sainsbury's Bank Press Office.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04'Sainsbury's have done nothing wrong here and I want to explain that we understand their policy
0:14:04 > 0:14:08'of not paying out for new diseases is to stop potential fraudsters,
0:14:08 > 0:14:13'but when I get through, I want to explain to their press officer, Natasha,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17'that there was clearly never an attempt at fraud here.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:23I think that's right and what you're doing is covering yourselves 100% for new policies.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27In her case, it's pretty obvious that wasn't what happened
0:14:27 > 0:14:30because no-one would change insurance companies
0:14:30 > 0:14:33if they knew they were about to make a claim.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36No-one in their right mind. You'd agree, Natasha?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40'And she's telling me... Well, nothing much, actually, because she won't comment.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Yeah, OK. I know you don't want to actually say it,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48but no-one would change their policy if they knew their animal was about to become ill.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53We can safely say this is just an unfortunate set of circumstances.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58'I want to give Sainsbury's an idea of what sort of person Carolyn is
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'if I'm to stand any chance of changing their minds.'
0:15:02 > 0:15:05She's not just insured her dog with you.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09She's also currently got her house insurance with Sainsbury's.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14She's had a Sainsbury's credit card, she's had her car insurance and a loan with Sainsbury's,
0:15:14 > 0:15:19plus she shops there weekly and she can prove that with her Nectar card statement.
0:15:19 > 0:15:26She's as loyal as she could be to Sainsbury's. I'll let you know what I'm hoping for as an outcome.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I would just love Sainsbury's to look at this case sympathetically
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and take into account everything that's happened,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37her history with Sainsbury's, it's pretty obvious it's not a scam,
0:15:37 > 0:15:43and see if you could, however you want to word it, put it as a goodwill gesture or whatever,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46if we could try and get this bill paid.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Thanks, Natasha. Bye-bye, then.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54What I like about this job is when you eventually speak to somebody who's really nice and charming.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59That was a lady called Natasha. She called me back from Sainsbury's, so I returned her call.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03She was 100% lovely, charming,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07and I feel relieved because most of my calls are full of aggravation.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13We know that Carolyn's dog wasn't covered for illness in the first two weeks of her policy
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and we've seen just how badly that all turned out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21But the question is, had she used a completely different insurance company altogether,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24would she have avoided the problems?
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'I've given Carolyn a bit of a homework assignment.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34'She's going to research three insurance policies provided by completely different companies
0:16:34 > 0:16:37'and see if they would have covered Archie for the first two weeks.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42'She'll feel pretty sick if she finds out that all the other
0:16:42 > 0:16:44'companies would have paid her costs.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:47We're starting with Aviva.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49'Carolyn's looking through their site
0:16:49 > 0:16:54'to see if it actually displays the information about what they won't cover you for.'
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I've found it. It's saying if your animal falls ill
0:16:58 > 0:17:02within the first ten days of the policy, you are not covered.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06'Ten days. And how easy is it to find out important details like that?'
0:17:06 > 0:17:13If you were taking out this insurance and you actually went and had a look at the policy conditions,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16you would have to search through until page 16
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and read the whole policy and understand it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24'Let's see what other insurers are offering.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26'How about another household name?'
0:17:26 > 0:17:33I'm going to search Tesco's pet insurance and see if they have any general exclusions.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I found it. It is on page 16.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39This time, it is Section three.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45"The cost of any treatment for an illness that first showed clinical signs
0:17:45 > 0:17:51"within 14 days of the date your pet's insurance started," you are not covered.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56'So, Tesco's insurance also has an exclusion period at the start of a policy.
0:17:56 > 0:18:02'The next insurance company up is Petplan and again we're checking if there are any exclusions
0:18:02 > 0:18:04'at the beginning of their cover period.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09'Carolyn's finding it hard to get that crucial information on exclusions.'
0:18:09 > 0:18:15If I can't find it within the next couple of pages, it looks as though I'll have to ring them to ask them.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Hello, yes... I'm looking at your policy terms and conditions.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27'I think the information is there, but Carolyn can't find it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32'I'm beginning to see it's not so simple to find out what's excluded from your policy.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:36What I need to know is whether there's an exclusion
0:18:36 > 0:18:40in terms of an amount of days when the policy first starts.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'Sure enough, like the other two, they also have an exclusion period.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50'It looks like Carolyn didn't just choose a duff policy. Exclusions like hers are common practice.'
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Right, so that's the same as everyone else.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56They have a 14-day exclusion policy
0:18:56 > 0:18:58and she actually stated
0:18:58 > 0:19:05that if your dog was diagnosed with diabetes eight days into the policy
0:19:05 > 0:19:11that that diabetes would not be covered under the policy as a pre-existing condition.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17It shocks me that the insurance industry as a whole actually all apply this exclusion clause
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and that they have been allowed to do it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24'So, Archie here wouldn't have been covered by any annual policy
0:19:24 > 0:19:28'which bugs Carolyn and probably other dog owners too.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33'Maybe an expert can explain why policies are set up like that.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36'I've come to the Association of British Insurers.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40'I'm here to meet Adeola Ajayi, their media relations executive.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- Adeola, lovely to meet you. - Good to meet you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:49'I hope she can shed light on why an unpopular practice is so common with pet insurance companies.'
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Why is it that some insurers, if not all of them,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56are putting a two-week clause in at the beginning of a policy?
0:19:56 > 0:20:01The first thing is insurers want you to understand your policy when you take it out.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06It is standard, however, for pet insurance policies to have a two-week period
0:20:06 > 0:20:11where you can't claim for any illnesses. Any injury is covered in that two-week period.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14To put it frankly, it's to prevent fraud.
0:20:14 > 0:20:20That means people are paying for 52 weeks' cover, but they're only covered for 50 weeks,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22as far as illness is concerned.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28I think it's important to remember that in the first two weeks of a pet insurance policy,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32you are covered if your pet has an accident or an injury.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38Now, we don't have this cover for the illness in the first two weeks and there's very valid reasons for that
0:20:38 > 0:20:40in terms of preventing fraud.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45Last year, I think we detected about £800,000-worth of pet fraud,
0:20:45 > 0:20:51but most claimants are honest and we want to make sure they don't end up paying for those that are not honest.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'The insurance companies think not covering the first two weeks
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'will stop people from discovering their pet has an illness,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'then taking out an insurance policy to cover vets' bills.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08'That would be classed as fraud, but most people don't seem to realise about this exclusion
0:21:08 > 0:21:11'and insurers aren't exactly shouting about it.'
0:21:11 > 0:21:15I think people, yes, do need to be aware of the exclusion.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20So, the only way somebody can be 100%-insured all the time is never to change policy?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23You're still insured during the two weeks for injury,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27but not for pre-existing conditions to prevent fraud.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Or not for any new illnesses that rear their ugly head in that period?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34But you can claim after the 14-day period has ended.
0:21:34 > 0:21:41I need to hammer this home - only if the illness rears its ugly head after the 14-day period.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48'We've asked Sainsbury's if they would reconsider their decision
0:21:48 > 0:21:53'and they came back to us with an offer of around £3,000,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56'but the total bill came to £5,000.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00'I've had to e-mail them back and ask if they would increase their offer - awkward.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04'I've heard back from them and I'll be updating Carolyn in a moment.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08'Now, I think this is an issue that could be affecting thousands of pet owners.'
0:22:10 > 0:22:14With so many different pet insurance companies out there,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19what exactly should we be looking for when we're thinking about taking out a policy?
0:22:19 > 0:22:23And how can we be sure we're paying the right money for the best one?
0:22:23 > 0:22:29'Robin Hargreaves is President-Elect of the British Veterinary Association.'
0:22:29 > 0:22:34If a problem arises during the waiting period, they won't be covered
0:22:34 > 0:22:39and that's disappointing if you've taken out a policy and are committed to a 12-month standing order.
0:22:39 > 0:22:45There's very little you can do about that. The best prevention is to get the healthiest puppy you can.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Go to a reputable breeder, do your research.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53Get something that looks right. If it looks right, there's a better chance that it is right.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57'But is insurance for pets the right idea?'
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The key benefits of pet insurance
0:22:59 > 0:23:03are obviously worry-free access to the best care your vet can offer you.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08You'll get third-party liability in case your pet causes an accident on the street.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'Robin has a warning for all of us.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Be careful about shopping around for insurance. We're all encouraged to look for lower premiums
0:23:15 > 0:23:21for house and car insurance, but it's a different game with pet insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24If you shop around and find a cheaper policy,
0:23:24 > 0:23:30anything recorded on your history at your veterinary surgeon before that date is a pre-existing condition.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33This won't be obvious when you go on a comparison website.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39The danger is you go for a cheaper premium and you lose the cover for pre-existing conditions.
0:23:39 > 0:23:45'Think hard about whether you need to make that change. It turned into a lot of trouble for Carolyn.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50'Speaking of Carolyn, I've got some news to give her from Sainsbury's.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56'And I'm looking forward to seeing my buddy Archie as well.'
0:23:56 > 0:24:01- Hi, Carolyn. How are you doing? - Hello.- Archie, come on in, buddy. How are you doing?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- Come on, then. - He's all excited, isn't he?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Come on, then.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12Archie, I've got to say, you are looking very, very well-behaved.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The last time we met, your situation wasn't that great.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18You were £5,500 out of pocket for operations on Archie,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- money which you didn't have, so you had to borrow it off your son.- Yes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26He was only 16, so it came out of his savings for university.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30- It was all a bit of a mess, wasn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- There was no real light at the end of the tunnel.- That's right.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39You had a very good argument. He was insured right up to the point when you took out Sainsbury's insurance
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and that's what I said to them when I spoke to them.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I had to be quite careful about what I said.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49I said to them, "Carolyn has been an exceptional customer,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53"she's had store cards, loans, she shops with you, her parents shopped with you.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58"She likes you as a company, she changed her insurance to you and lo and behold, you've not covered her.
0:24:58 > 0:25:05"It's in your T's and C's, but I think your case needs looking at."
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- That's what you've been arguing all along.- Exactly.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Well, Sainsbury's have got back to us.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16I was talking to them this morning on the phone because I want them to address the situation
0:25:16 > 0:25:21and say, "Are you going to change this policy?" I haven't got a "yes or no" answer on it.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26It's still something I've posed to them as a question and they haven't given me an answer.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31That's something you felt strongly about. You want to see this changed.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36I do. I want it changed, if not completely changed, at least changed in a certain way.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- £5,500 you spent on his operation, didn't you?- Yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- You didn't have the money.- No. - You had to borrow it off your son.- I did.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49Our only option, apart from putting him down, was to borrow Ross's money.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- Right.- And he's probably 18 months from going to university.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- Sainsbury's have sent you a letter. - Right.- It hasn't arrived yet?- No.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59So I'm going to tell you what it says.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- It says they're going to give you all your money back.- Oh, wow!
0:26:03 > 0:26:05SHE LAUGHS
0:26:05 > 0:26:07That's fantastic.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09That's unbelievable!
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Very, very happy.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- How happy? - Do you want me to do this again?
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Do whatever you want to do. Go on, then.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- Thank you so much.- Not a worry.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25- That's such brilliant news.- I thought you'd be pleased with that one.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28That so...so helps.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29It really does help.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34You're going to get all the money back. They're not obliged to do so.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39- No.- They're doing it as a gesture of goodwill. You know that, don't you? - I do know that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43They did listen to the points I raised with them
0:26:43 > 0:26:46and I think they've shown sympathy and they've done the right thing.
0:26:46 > 0:26:53- Yeah.- OK, that's fair enough, then. Archie looks quite content, look, there on the floor.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57- Is it a big relief?- A big relief. A massive, massive relief.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Yeah, yeah, huge.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Got a message for Sainsbury's?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Thank you. Just thank you so much.- Yeah.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Please, please look at... The whole industry, please look at what you're doing to people.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13Point well said.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16'We asked Sainsbury's for a statement and they told us...'
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- And how's Archie today? - As bouncy as ever.- Yeah.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- He's got a spring in his step. - He has. He's definitely a Springer.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57- You've got a big smile on your face, so it's probably time for me to leave.- Thank you so much.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00My pleasure. See you later, Archie. You behave yourself.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'I knew that would make her happy.'
0:28:03 > 0:28:09Carolyn is chuffed to pieces, Archie is looking a fine figure of a dog and there's a lesson for all of us.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14If you're taking out pet insurance, have a look at those T's and C's.