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Please note that Petcover has previously been known as Petplan. All reviews for both trading names can be found on this page.
We orginally signed up with pet cover after 6 weeks free trial, as they were affordable but also covered our dog enough in the worst case scenario of IVDD for our dachshund (unlikely as our breeder has all the breed history and no cases of it) we didnt expect our beloved puppa would need surgery for something else but she picked up and swallowed… Read more
something on a walk that my husband couldn't get off her and unfortunately turned out to be a corn cob that had to be removed from her stomach. The claims process has been great and quick from start to finish. Only suggested improvement for pet cover would be developing some sort of gap payment system as it was hard to find the 5k upfront, other than that they have been helpful and efficient and we are very glad we had the cover. Our policy pays 80% back, minus excess, we have had policy for 2 years, so definately value for money. Thanks again.
Absolutely appalled by PetCover’s dishonesty and misrepresentation. We took out a policy in good faith, only to find that the cover did not match what was advertised or explained on the phone when we committed to purchasing the policy. Critical information was hidden in fine print, and when we lodged a claim, it was declined on grounds that… Read more
completely contradicted the original policy advice. PetCover admitted their dishonesty and misrepresentation, yet still refused to honour the claim. The matter has now been referred to the ombudsman. We feel completely misled and let down. Worse, our puppy suffered needlessly purely because of their lies.
Worst rip off ever – Been with petcover 7 years. Latest claim they decided to split one invoice and vet admission in to 3, then apply the excess to each . So for one vet visit, they've charged me the excess 3 times and reduced the whole claim by $600. How is the legal??? Show details
The worst Pet Insurance company - The worst experience m- The worst claims process - Ever decreasing cover – I am in shock. I have been made to feel so stupid and so ripped off, especially when I read all these terrible reviews about the same thing. My lovely Staffy Charlie is like my support dog hes been there for me through a lot with Lymes Disease put up with little exercise and just sat with me always with a loving smile and a lick. I paid for… Read more
insurance as I could not work much and needed the peace of mind, I also had Pet-Plan in England for 11 years without a claim. I paid for Charlie for 7 years roughly so that's 18 years of paying insurance to pet-plan.
I was aware of the increased age discrimination only allowing a 35% payout and the $150 excess, but I had NOT noticed the $10,000 cap. When on earth did that creep in? They change the rules as they go along to suit them, and you are trapped into an ever-increasing policy once your dog is too old to be moved to another. Or when the competition is gone, they hike up the rates and lower the proportion paid. Should the length of payments not be explored here? It's outrageous the control they have at changing things after your agreement. The claim experience was terrible and there was no one to speak to. The vet specialists were apologizing to me for my experience when it was not their fault, but I had to make a decision about treatment before the insurance confirmed what I am covered for.
So instead of about $7500 contribution I had to pay $15,400 - Thanks for nothing PetPlan! DO NOT USE THIS INSURANCE BETTER TO SAVE THE FUNDS INSTEAD
I am taking this further. I am a Credit advisor with my own credit license.
DO NOT USE PETCOVER! They change the terms and penalise you – I have had pet insurance with different mobs over the last couple of decades and Petcover is without a doubt the worst insurance I have ever had. I insured my dog when she was a few weeks old as I bred her and read through the policy to ensure there were no penalties for aging dogs and the cover suited my needs. I initially paid $98 a month with… Read more
an 85% rebate but when my dog got older the fees went up and the amount I could claim was reduced until I was paying $750 a month and I could claim a pathetic 35%. When the insurance went up it would have been impossible for me to cancel the insurance and go with another insurer because they don’t insure older dogs especially my breed so I was basically stuck with Petcover and they knew this. To increase my rates to $750 a month and reduce the amount I can claim to 35% is beyond outrageous because they are exploiting our love and dedication to our dogs knowing I could not insure my dog with any other insurer.. I don’t understand how this can legally be possible because it’s exploitation.. I could use another term but I think product review would not like it. I am warning everyone who is thinking of insuring your dog with Petcover, DONT! They will change the terms of the insurance whenever they want and rip you off.. like I have been for many years. If I knew the terms would change so ageing dogs are penalised I would have gone elsewhere. Go elsewhere because other pet insurers have more integrity.. JUST DONT USE PETCOVER!
They dont cover ear or eye infection for exotic pets – I started my pet insurance for my pet rabbit in late December 2023. I was hoping that I could claim on my vet bills for his eye infection and ongoing ear infection. To my shock they do not cover for pre-existing medical conditions, vet bills prior to taking out pet insurance on x date, do not cover eye infection, ear infection, desexing surgery,… Read more
general health check and vaccination. I am currently dealing with ongoing vet bills for my pet rabbit expecting x-rays next month (vet bill expected $780!) and I have already been told that I will not get any claims successfully accepted for his ear infection which is ongoing and continuous. I'm already stressed out of my mind and cannot claim any of his current vet bills and get the funds reimbursed to me. I'm struggling enough and I was hoping Pet Cover Group insurance for my pet rabbit would reduce the stress of his vet bills - but its just dont the opposite. Its pointless and i pay $21.90 a month auto-debit and cannot claim for anything other than injuries and illness. The sheer fact I cannot claim for legitimate vet bills is stupid and frustrating. Pet Cover Group is a terrible pet insurance and I do not recommend them!
Good but you need to be patient – Hell, my claim was sent in, assessed, and approved. You do need to be a bit patient as they seem to be a little short staffed, like many places I have seen of late. They are very nice folks, do get back and no issues. Show details · 1
Treatment overlapped renewal date. Have to pay excess twice? – Treatment for an infected ear took 4 weeks. This happened to fall across the renewal date, which apparently means you have to pay the excess again. Questions on the email? Minimum 2 week reply time, and never actually answer the question asked. Hold times on the phone? More than 30 mins hold time - never did manage to speak to anyone. Show details
Good morning Pil, we're sorry to hear of your recent… Read more
Money grabbing and no customer service – I have had pet insurance with Petplan, who recently merged with Petcover, since 2008. I took it out when my dog was around 4 months old. His insurance premium is due in the next few weeks, and the premium has increased significantly since last year ($1871 to $3163). I rang them on 11 November 2021 to query why the increase was so big. Yes, it has… Read more
increased every year since I've had it, but not by such a significant amount. The woman I spoke to on the phone said there could be a mistake with it, as that had happened to a number of customers with the changeover/merge of companies. She said she'd call me back "later today" (on 11 November) and let me know. I also requested a copy of what my premiums were every year since I had taken it out with them. I'm still waiting to hear back from them.
I sent a follow up enquiry via email on 16 November 2021. Guess what? I'm still waiting for a response to the email, as well. I'm hearing crickets (sorry, had to put an animal joke in there).
Now, I'm not saying pet insurance isn't worth the money. But if you do take it out, try to take it out when your animal is as young as possible - because ANY accident/injury your animal has had will be considered a "pre-existing injury" and you won't be able to claim for it for the rest of their life.
But do your research, there are plenty of different pet insurance companies around, and think long and hard about whether it's worth paying the premium or whether you should just set up a pet "rainy day" account. For my older dog, we made one claim before he was 10 years old, and multiple since then (now 13). Of course, being an insurance company, they know that the older an animal gets, the more health issues they will have, so they "age discriminate" by making sure they don't have to pay out as much as your animal ages. For example, with dogs, once they are 8 years old, you will get 20% less back. Once they are over 10 years old, you will get 35% less back. Additionally, they make you jump through hoops before they do a pay out (eg want your vet to provide your animals entire vet history once the animal is older). I know my vet isn't a fan of this particular company because they can't lodge paperwork automatically, they have to email the company and myself with documentation when it is requested. So with my older dog, if I had just put aside the same amount of money as what I'd been paying in premiums, I would have been just as well off. But there are no guarantees in life, and you can't know in advance if your pet will have health issues or accidents.
For our younger dog (now 11), we've gotten back more in claims than we have spent on premiums - including getting $11K back from a $17K vet bill last month (yes, I almost died at that amount too). Besides the "before we further consider your claim" stuff, generally the payout will happen within a couple of weeks.
Read the small print as well. This company won't reward you for doing the right thing as a pet owner (worming, vaccinating, flea treatment, etc). If your dog has a dental issue, then you will only be able to make a claim if you can prove you've regularly had the vet clean your dogs teeth, etc.
But if you have any doubt whatsoever about what is important to this insurance company, let me tell you this. It is sales, not customer service. This is very clearly indicated in the email they send you with the paperwork for your insurance renewal - their customer service hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm, yet their sales centre (spelt center) hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 10:30pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Yep, that tells me what's important to this company and it certainly isn't my continued business as a customer/client.
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re very sorry… Read more (+2 replies)
No cover is better than Petcover – Premiums paid to Petcover Australia is a complete Waste of money. Out of $900 vet bill to desex my Maltese x Poodle , Petcover awarded $50 !!! What a joke. Please Don’t waste your hard earned money and look for a legitimate insurer. Show details
Hi Natalie, we're sorry to hear about your disappointing… Read more
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We are deeply sorry to hear about your experience and… Read more (+1 reply)