Picking the appropriate Pet Insurance is very important, as the incorrect choice could have severe financial consequences later. However, having to go through various policy terms can take a lot of time!
In this article, we will be looking into Puffin Pet Insurance to understand what is offered..
We will also briefly describe the whole process of pet insurance, from requesting a quote to making a claim, so be sure to stay with us until the end!
Table of Contents
How Does Pet Insurance Work?
Before we jump into the review of puffin pet insurance, let’s first see how pet insurance works and how you will be able to make a claim. We created an easy step-by-step that even a newbie can follow. Let us begin:
Step 1: Find the right pet insurance
There are literally hundreds of pet insurance policies available, but not all of them may meet your and your puppy’s needs. So that is why you may benefit from reviewing a couple of pet insurance offers before you make your decision. We made a series of articles where we review some pet insurance providers in the UK – if you want to see all of the reviews, then you can find them on this link.
Step 2: Choose a plan
The second step that you must do is to pick the most fitting plan policy for your pet. There can be various cover policies, but the most important ones are lifetime, accident-only, and per condition. Let’s go through them one by one:
Lifetime cover- A lifetime policy will cover your pet for their entire life as long as you renew the policy each year. For example, if your pet develops an ongoing illness, then the pet insurance will cover that condition throughout their whole life.
Lifetime cover is an alternative for anyone looking for a good and comprehensive pet insurance plan.
Accident-Only Cover – This type of cover will cover your pet if an unexpected accident occurs. However, if your pet accidentally gets a disease, then the pet insurance won’t cover any treatments bills.
Per Condition – It provides a set amount of money towards veterinary treatment for each condition or disease within the policy year.
Step 3: Request a quote
The next thing to do is request a quote from the pet insurance you’ve selected. When requesting a quote, most pet insurance companies will require you to enter a few details concerning you and your pet.
- The pet’s specific breed;
- Where are you located;
- Age of your pet;
- Any previous diseases;
- etc.
The pet insurance company will usually get back to you immediately if you have requested a quote on-line and email you a detailed document where you will be able to see the monthly fee, premium, insurance coverage, insurance exclusions, etc.
Step 3: Purchase the pet insurance plan
Once you pay your first monthly fee, the pet insurance starts. Depending on the type of policy, there will usually be a waiting period before your pet insurance officially starts. In most companies, you will need to wait a couple of days for injuries insurance and up to 14 days for any diseases.
NOTE: For some specific breeds, the waiting period can reach a few months.
Step 4: The pet insurance plan officially starts
When your pet insurance plan officially starts, your pet is covered from injuries and diseases up to the amount and type of cover you’ve selected.
Remember that even if your pet is healthy and well, you will still be required to pay your monthly fee.
Step 5: Unexpected injury occurs
Even if you have pet insurance cover, nobody wants to see their puppies or kittens get injured or ill. But for instance, let’s say that your puppy broke his leg. Normally, the very first thing that you do is immediately take them to the vet. The vet will have an initial look-over, and after that, the vet may order some tests to recognise the problem and prescribe the proper treatment for your doggy.
Step 6: Paying the bill
After the treatment, you will receive a receipt for the vet visit and treatment. Most of the time, you will have to pay that amount upfront to the veterinary. But there are some pet insurance companies that are working directly with vets to pay the bill. But this has to be arranged ahead of time, and the veterinarian needs to agree to the terms.
Step 7: Filing an insurance claim
Next up, you will need to fill out an insurance claim request, which can vary from one insurance company to another. Most of the time, you need to download the claim form through their official website and fill it together with your veterinarian. In addition to the insurance claim form, you will also need to provide the payment receipt from your vet’s office. (Most of the vets will take all the hard work for you and fill out all the paperwork for you, all you need to do is put the signature)
If you are making a claim for the first time, you might be required to include all your pet’s medical records from at least 18 months before starting the insurance plan.
Step 8: Getting reimbursed
The most beneficial step of having pet insurance is to get reimbursed for the vet bill. Once you send the claim, the insurance company will review it and see if it is genuine. They will also compare it to other claims of the identical injury or illness to see if the price of the treatment is correct. If your claim is approved, then the company will calculate how much you will be reimbursed. On the other side, If a claim isn’t approved, it’s time to file an appeal. Depending on the policy type, you will have anywhere from 90 days to six months to send your appeal.
Who Are Puffin Pet Insurance
Puffin Insurance is the trading name of Puffin Group UK Ltd who is based in Wales – authorised and regulated by the FCA. At the moment, they are an insurance organisation that offers both pet and travel insurance policies.
Their pet insurance company is underwritten by ETU Forsikring, regulated in Denmark but is fully permitted to operate within the UK. It is a pet insurance company that focuses on giving customers more than they paid for.
Puffin Pet Insurance will insure 400 different breeds of dogs and all types of cats.
Puffin Pet Insurance Covers
Puffin Pet Insurance offers two types of insurance policies, including Lifetime and Condition Limited.
Before you even request a quote, here are some of the criteria in order to get accepted:
- You must be a permanent residents of the UK.
- You must take all the reasonable steps to maintain your pet’s health and prevent accidents, injury or illness.
- When registering for an insurance policy, your pet must be older than two months and younger than 14 years.
- Your pet shouldn’t be used for track racing or been the subject of any complaint to the police.
- You must keep the Pet’s vaccinations up to date and in line with the vet’s suggestions
- Your pet must be micro-chipped.
The lifetime policy is more costly (and usually considered as the most comprehensive cover) because if your pet develops a long-lasting medical illness, then the Lifetime policy will cover vet costs each year (up to a specific yearly limit), as long as you renew your policy. There are 3 different packages that you can select from:
The Bronze policy will cover any type of vet fees up to a maximum limit of £1,250.
The Silver policy covers any new medical conditions up to a maximum limit of £3,500.
The Gold policy will pay for veterinary fees for each new medical condition up to a maximum limit of £4,500.
If you choose the lifetime plan, you will also get additional covers:
– The complementary treatment is covered up to £1,000 and includes homoeopathic or herbal medicine as advised by your main vet.
– Up to £250 cover if your furry friend gets stolen or strained
– The policy will cover the cost of dental treatment up to 40% of the cost
– If your pet dies due to an accident or disease, then the pet insurance will cover up to £250.
– MRI and CT scans claims are completely covered up to the maximum vet fee limit.
– It has a public liability of £1,000,000.
The cover amount will be reset each year as long as you continue to renew your policy.
The condition-limited policy will only cover the costs for one particular condition. And once you reach your vet fee limit for that particular condition, you won’t be able to make any further claims even if you renew the policy. As with the lifetime policy, there are different types of packages for the condition-limited too.
The Bronze policy will cover vet fees up to £1,000 per condition with a maximum limit of £1,250.
The Silver policy will cover vet fees up to £1,500 per condition with a maximum limit of £3,500
The Gold policy will cover vet fees up to £2,000 per condition, with an overall maximum limit of £4,500
If you choose the condition-limited plan, you will also get additional covers:
– Complementary treatment up to £1,000
– Up to £250 cover if your pet gets stolen from you or strained
– The policy will cover the cost of dental treatment up to 40% of the cost
– If your pet dies because of an accident or illness or then the pet insurance will cover up to £250.
– MRI and CT scans claims are completely covered up to the maximum vet fee limit.
– It has a public liability of £1,000,000.
How Much Does Puffin Pet Insurance Cost?
The cost of Puffin Pet insurance varies depending on a range of factors, and in order to know the precise monthly fee for your lovely pet, the best way to do it is by requesting a quote from their official website (here is the link).
However, to provide you with a sample of their pricing, here are some quotes for various cats and dogs as of July 2021.
Puffin pet insurance starts as low as £14 per month for the condition only plan and up to £25 per month for the lifetime policy.
- Condition cover (Silver) – we requested a quote for our Mongrel Dog, which is five years old, and they have given us a quote of £193.32 per year.
- Lifetime cover (Gold) – we requested a quote for our Mongrel Dog, which is five years old. They have given us a quote of £214.55 per year.
- Condition cover (Gold) – we requested a quote for our Moggie cat, which is one year old, and they have provided us with a quote of £134.80 per year.
- Lifetime cover (Silver) – we requested a quote for our Moggie Cat, which is one year old. They have given us a quote of £144.80 per year.
- Condition cover (Bronze) – we requested a quote for our Mongrel Dog, which is five years old, and they have provided us with a quote of £123.50 per year.
What Do Customers Say About Puffin Pet Insurance?
Over 9.000 people have reviewed Puffin Insurance on Trustpilot, and the average rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars – which is pretty decent, and it shows that they are engaged with their customers in order to fulfil their needs and provide them with the good service.
After reviewing hundreds of customer reviews, we found out that the most of the negative reviews were about the huge renewal prices, longer waiting times for documentations, minor administration errors, and a confusing experience while making a claim for their pet.
An independent financial reviewer has given perfect Pet insurance’s Lifetime policy 4.5 Stars. While their condition-limited policy has only received 2.5 stars.
Let’s go through some of the reviews that the customers provided:
“They really have great customer service. The only thing that I’m not satisfied with is that the renewal price doubled since the first year, and it is growing a lot more than expected. I haven’t made any claims yet, but overall a decent experience with Puffin Pet Insurance.” – Brad A
“I found that the overall process of requesting a quote for my lovely cat pretty straightforward. I easily ticked a couple of boxes that applied to me and the type of cover I was looking for. It is positively one of the most affordable pet insurance around, this is my first year, so we will see how the whole journey will go. Thanks again!” – Lucas S
“Easy to apply, and the whole process is straightforward. The only thing that I have to mention is that I’ve waited for over 1 month to get my policy cover documents. But other than that they are really great people, and I must say it has been a great experience for now. We will see how things will go.” -Megan F
Most of the customers appear to be really happy with the service they have received from Puffin Pet Insurance. The main problems were about high renewal prices. So if you are looking for more affordable pet insurance while still offering great quality, then we have the perfect alternative for you below!
Alternative To Puffin Pet Insurance
So know that you know all of the features, policies, and cost of Puffin Insurance; let’s compare them with Emerald Life.
Here at Emerald Life, we believe we are offering a comprehensive package at affordable pricing.
- Four levels cover up to £7,500
- Monthly instalments at no extra charge
- 10% multi-pet discount
Puffin pet insurance doesn’t insure your pet for the following issues:
- No euthanasia cover
- No cover for advertising and reward
- No cover for emergency boarding fees
Another disadvantage of Puffin Pet insurance is that their lifetime policy can cover only up to £4,000, while Emerald Life’s policy can pay up to £7,500. This is a huge gap and can mean a lot to someone if their puppy develops a serious ongoing illness.
If you want to learn more about Emerald Life, then be sure to check this blog, where we briefly describe everything. And if you’re interested in getting a quote, then click here.
Conclusion
It’s important that you read the whole review carefully, as it covers a step-by-step process of picking appropriate pet insurance company for your pet. We have done our best to give you a clear picture of who is Puffin Pet Insurance, including their pricing, cover plans, alternatives, etc.
FAQ
Let’s look at the most asked questions on the internet about Puffin Pet Insurance:
How do I cancel the Puffin Insurance contract?
In order to cancel the Puffin Insurance contract, you will need to contact their customer support within the first 14 days waiting period, and they will be able to cancel your whole policy and refund your premium.
If the waiting period is over, then you will be able to cancel the cover by providing a cancellation request, but just remember that your premium may not be refunded even if you haven’t made any claims.
Will the policy cover my pet’s pre-existing medical conditions?
Like many other insurers, Puffin Pet Insurance won’t cover any type of pre-existing medical conditions of your pet. The pre-existing conditions are prescribed as conditions of which you were aware before the policy start day or conditions that you have been expected to occur.
Is there a waiting period before I am covered?
Yes! Puffin Pet Insurance policy has a waiting period. For the first five days of the cover, you won’t be able to make any type of claims for any accidental injuries that might occur on your pet. Also, you won’t be covered for any type of diseases for the first 14 days of the policy.
Is the Puffin Pet Insurance policy wording easy to understand?
The Puffin Pet Insurance policy consists of 12 pages, and it is pretty easy to understand. However, be sure to read the whole document so that you know what is covered and what is excluded.
Are there any discounts with Puffin Pet Insurance?
Puffin Pet Insurance does not appear to have discounts, but be sure to keep an eye on their official website for more information. They might throw a 10% discount every now and then.
