It’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare – an emergency trip to the vet after discovering your lovely pet is severely ill or injured. These times are traumatic for you and your pet, and the last thing you want to worry about is how to handle the vet expenses.
Like other insurance types, pet insurance is the transfer of risk to a third party – the insurer – in exchange for paying a premium. In other words, you, the pet owner, are paying a premium to the pet insurance company for them to cover a portion of your pet’s medical expenses. Neither you nor the insurance company wants your pet to be sick or injured, so they will often give well-being tips or have extras designed to keep your pet in tip-top condition.
With the high costs of vet services, not having insurance could mean the risk of being hit with a pretty expensive bill if an unfortunate worst-case situation happens.
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What Is The Best Pet Insurance Company?
So in order to avoid this, you may want to look at buying policy from a pet insurance company, and there are a lot available that you can choose from.
A pet insurance company is originally designed to cover the cost of vet fees for the treatment of disease and injury. Other insurance companies can include a payout for death by accident or illness, a stolen pet, and paying for things such as looking after your animal if you must go into hospital.
It’s vital to remember that not all pet insurance policies are created equal. Selecting the most suitable pet insurance company can help you cover a big portion of such costs.
One of the biggest and most reputable pet insurance is John Lewis. In this article, we will be discussing what different types of insurance they’re offering, what is the initial cost, how can you register, and also mention some alternatives.
What is the purpose of pet cover?
The main purpose of pet insurance is to give you peace of mind and minimise the overall cost of veterinary expenses.
- You have peace of mind of knowing that you and your pet should be covered if your pet becomes severely ill or injured.
- Your pet gets the treatment they deserve rather than choosing treatment plans that don’t cover much.
- It could save your pet’s life. Some pet owners have had to make the tough decision to euthanize based on financial rather than medical needs.
- It’s a form of budgeting as it lets you know your veterinary costs in advance and spreads the cost. Budgeting for vet care can be challenging as you never know when your pet will become sick or have an accident. Pet insurance makes costs more predictable and easier to budget for.
- Save you money. Vet treatment and medicines for serious injuries or illnesses can be pretty expensive, and having pet insurance can save you from having to fund any unexpected expenses.
- Planning ahead is financially prudent. As your pet ages, it will have more problems and getting cover then might be difficult. It is more cost-effective to insure your pet when they are young.
John Lewis Pet Insurance
John Lewis Finance is a British institution that is founded in 1864, the department store is well-known and widely recognised, and the retailer now offers financial services like pet, home, and car insurance.
They are a business that is trusted by many and known for strong moral values. It often isn’t the most affordable option, but you are getting a pretty good set of features that costs a bit more.
John Lewis only insures dogs and cats, and they offer lifetime policies. So if your pet develops a continuous condition, they should payout year after year, up to the limits and subject to the terms set out in the policy.
John Lewis Pet Insurance Plans
John Lewis offers three different levels of cover, and those are Essential, Plus, and Premier. And the Lifetime insurance option is available for all of the three cover levels.
First, you have the essential cover. This is maybe the most affordable form of coverage available and has great coverage of what you might consider to be the necessary stuff. Here’s what you can expect it to cover:
- Up to £3,000 of cover.
- Death from disease up to £500.
- Death from accident up to £500.
- Accidental injury up to £250.
- Loss or theft up to £500.
- Public liability of £1 million.
- 24-hour veterinary service.
Next up, you have the plus coverage. This is a little more pricey than the essential plan, but it does include more in terms of protection against diseases and unwanted accidents. Here is what you can expect it to cover:
- Up to £7,500 of cover.
- Death from accident up to £1,000.
- Death from diseases up to £1,000.
- Accidental injury up to £500.
- Loss or theft up to £1,000.
- Public liability of £2 million.
- PitPat activity monitor.
- 24-hour veterinary service.
Finally, you have the premier plan. This tends to be the most expensive model of pet insurance coverage, but it does offer you a lot more in terms of pet protection. Here is what you can expect it to cover:
- Up to £12,000 of cover.
- Death from an accident up to £1,500.
- Death from diseases up to £1,500.
- Accidental injury up to £750.
- Loss or theft up to £1,500.
- Holiday cancellation up to £3,000.
- Public liability of £3 million.
- PitPat activity monitor.
- 24-hour veterinary service.
How Much Does John Lewis Pet Insurance Cost?
Usually, their Lifetime cover starts from around £350 a year which is above the average cost of pet insurance in the UK and goes up to around £600. But quotes for getting pet insurance may be different for various pets.
The price you pay will usually depend on many factors, including;
- Breed
- Age
- Where you live
- Any existing illnesses
- Whether or not they have been neutered/spayed
A recent price comparison for a 1-year-old mixed breed dog by Nimblefins revealed costs of:
- Essential: £31.83 per month (up to £3,000 of cover).
- Plus: £49.34 per month (up to £7,500 of cover).
- Premier: £58.99 per month (£12,000 of cover).
So while John Lewis Pet Insurance can be a great option for your pet because it has a good number of policies to choose from, big discounts, excellent levels of coverage, great customer satisfaction rates, it can be a lot more expensive than other providers. In fact, it is frequently the most expensive pet insurance in the UK for some customers.
Even though everyone loves their pet and wants to provide them with the best pet insurance, most of the pet owners won’t be able to handle the fee of the John Lewis pet insurance.
There are plenty of more affordable options, but not all of them will provide you with the quality services as John Lewis pet insurance.
What Do John Lewis Customers Say?
The insurance company itself has an average rating of 3.5 on Trustpilot.
The Plus and Premier cover for both cats and dogs are ranked 5 stars on Defaqto, while the Essential cover option is rated 4 stars.
Most of the customers say that the whole process of signing up and insuring their pet was easy. And their customer service was great, and their payout is quick without fuss. 95% of the claims are being paid within 5 days.
By far, the biggest complaint about John Lewis’ pet insurance policies is the high renewal prices. Many customers complain that their renewal price more than doubled, despite not even making a claim. So even though they offer a great service, they can be quite expensive for the average person.
What is the best alternative to John Lewis?
So, which pet insurance policy do you choose that will be an affordable alternative to John Lewis’s pet insurance? Well, we think the pet policy we offer at Emerald Life is the most fitting option for you.
At Emerald Life, we prefer to guarantee consumer satisfaction by clearly placing our customers in the driving seat. Our entire company is set up to serve customers by providing them with an inclusive insurance solution that is available to all.
If you feel you have been left outside the insurance loop based only on who you are, we can help. Moreover, any client can come to Emerald Life and be treated like a real person, and not just like another number.
And to back our statements, we have a 4.9/5 rating on Feefo.com, 5/5 rating on SmartMoneyPeople, and 3/3 on FairerFinance.
- Four levels that cover up to £7,500
- Monthly instalments at no extra charge
- 10% multi-pet discount
- Cover starts from only £1.75 per week****
These are some of the most important highlights of the Pet insurance packages. If you’re interested in knowing a lot more about their pet insurance policies, then just read on.
Once you read all the pet insurance policies and covers, you can get a quote from EmeraldLife Pet insurance for free.
FAQ
What is the best lifetime pet insurance for me?
So overall, John Lewis pet insurance provides their customers with a great lifetime pet insurance. It covers your dog or cat on a wide range of diseases and injuries throughout the whole life. We feel EmeraldPet offers a similar alternative that could potentially save you money. But as always you should compare multiple quotes to get the right policy for you and your pet.
Is John Lewis Insurance any good?
As we stated above, John Lewis insurance can be a great place for your beloved pet. But the prices for your pet insurance can be quite expensive as time goes on. Be sure that you review their basic info and price for their lifetime cover.
Does John Lewis’s pet insurance premium increase?
Yes, over time John Lewis pet insurance is likely to increase each year due to pets usually having more health problems as they age; plus, a lot of the customer who bought John Lewis pet insurance were complaining that their premium doubled after the first year. Claims also have a big impact on premiums.
What Is The Most Suitable Insurance for Older Pets?
John Lewis sells their Lifetime insurance policies for pets throughout their whole lives— so there is no maximum age limit for new policies, so even “older” pets can get Lifetime cover.
However, older pet owners should be ready to make bigger contributions towards health care costs. Once your pet is in the “older” category, the amount you pay towards vet bills rapidly increases. Owners of older pets are liable for paying £60, £80, £100, £140, £250 or £500 of each condition each policy year, depending on the level of excess chosen, OR 20% of the treatment costs—whichever is greater.
John Lewis treats pets that are aged 9+ years as “older.” It is also worth noting that Death for Illness cover will not be available for older pets—that is, owners of older pets won’t be paid for the purchase price upon death due to illness or accident.
Is there a discount code for the John Lewis pet insurance?
As we reviewed, John Lewis often provides their customers with discount codes, and you can find those by applying online with John Lewis Finance. And in order to obtain it you will need to register online at their website.
How do I cancel John Lewis’s pet insurance?
To cancel John Lewis’s pet insurance call 0330 102 2745 or 01422 501 069. They are available to take your call on from Monday to Friday 8 am-8 pm, Saturday 9 am-5 pm, or Sunday 10 am-4 pm.
Summary
John Lewis Finance provides some of the most comprehensive pet insurance cover on the market. And they are a well-known and genuine business that pays out their customers almost immediately.
But their higher prices are something that a customer concerns about. So if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, then Emerald Life is the way to go.
Notice: Emerald Life Limited is regulated by the financial conduct authority as are all insurance companies. Subject matter: John Lewis pet insurance review/Other pet insurance review.
