Petinsurance.com.au

⭐ One‑Star Review: Petinsurance.com.au – A Serious Warning to All Pet Owners I have insured my Great Dane, Freya, with Petinsurance.com.au since 2019. For years I paid **$174.34 per month (over $2,092 per year) believing I was protecting her. When she was diagnosed with cancer, I finally learned how outdated, restrictive, and misleading their… Read more

legacy policies are, and how little support they provide when your pet actually needs help.

1. Outdated Policy With Harsh Sub limits - Including a $4,000 Cancer Limit! My Certificate of Insurance shows a $4,000 cancer sub limit, which is shockingly inadequate:

> Cancer – $4,000.00 > Total Annual Benefit Limit – $25,000.00

Cancer treatment for dogs routinely costs $15,000 to $20,000+, and even the initial staging and diagnostics cost us over $3,000. These sub limits have clearly not been updated in years, despite rising veterinary costs. They are not fit for purpose and leave customers massively out‑of‑pocket.

2. The $25,000 Annual Limit Is Misleading - You Can’t Actually Use It Although my policy advertises a $25,000 annual benefit limit, every illness is restricted by tiny sub limits. This means:

- You cannot claim up to $25,000 for an illness - You cannot combine sub limits - You cannot use multiple categories even if multiple conditions are present

The annual limit is effectively useless unless your pet suffers a qualifying accident, because illnesses are capped by harsh sub limits that run out instantly.

When Freya was diagnosed with cancer, I attempted to claim under:

- Skin Conditions - Other Conditions - Cancer

to try to access more of the policy I had paid for.

Petinsurance.com.au refused, stating that everything related to the cancer diagnosis would be retrospectively classified under a single sub limit, even if multiple symptoms or conditions were involved.

This makes the advertised $25,000 limit extremely misleading as you will never reach it for illnesses.

3. Claim Incorrectly Processed Under Other Conditions — Only $1,200 Covered When our vet submitted the invoice for cancer staging, Petinsurance.com.au’s automated system incorrectly classified the claim as Other Conditions, which has a tiny $1,200 sub limit.

This error left us $2,900 out of pocket immediately.

When I called to fix it, I was told:

- Claim review would take 15–30 calendar days - There is no claims department I could speak to - I could not access the vet’s notes submitted with the claim

This is unacceptable during a cancer diagnosis, and it shows how broken their claims process is. If anyone from Pet Insurance actually wants to do the right thing and investigate this claim: claim No. PCC109723544

4. Staff Couldn’t Even Find My Policy’s PDS — They Didn’t Know My Cover Existed - I have Vet Select Cover - a cover that no longer exists for new customers only legacy customers.

When I first called to request pre‑approval, the representative couldn’t even locate my PDS. They told me my policy was so old that they didn’t recognise it and had to escalate the issue because they had never seen that cover before.

If the insurer’s own staff cannot identify the product they sold you, how can they possibly manage claims correctly?

5. No Notification About New Policies With No Sub limits Petinsurance.com.au now offers a modern policy called Best in Show, which does not have sub limits for illnesses. This is exactly the type of policy we would have switched to years ago - if they had ever told us it existed.

Instead, they simply kept renewing our outdated Vet Select policy year after year:

> Your policy will automatically renew each year…

No communication. No comparison. No advice. No upgrade options. Just silent renewals of an inferior product.

6. Underwriter Change That Quietly Split Customers Into Two Classes Their own documentation states:

> Policies before 7 November 2023 are issued by Hollard. > Policies after 7 November 2023 are issued by PetSure.

This means long‑term customers like me are stuck on outdated Hollard policies with harsh sub limits, while new customers get modern PetSure policies with far better coverage.

Yet no one ever informed me that I could switch and if it was even possible to switch.

7. Now That My Dog Has Cancer, I Am Trapped - I Cannot Switch Insurers Freya is now 7 years old, and with a cancer diagnosis, so I am completely trapped:

- Every other insurer will treat her cancer as a pre‑existing condition - All illness policies have waiting periods - No insurer will cover her cancer treatment - I cannot upgrade or transfer to a better policy - I am stuck with a policy that is effectively unusable

Petinsurance.com.au’s failure to notify me of better policies has left me with no options at the exact moment I needed help the most.

8. Premiums That Don’t Match the Value Despite paying $175 per month which has increased dramatically over the time period. The one time we needed meaningful support, the policy was practically useless. The cancer sub limit alone makes the policy not fit for purpose, especially for large‑breed dogs who are statistically at higher risk of cancer.

Final Verdict Petinsurance.com.au has:

* Outdated policies with unrealistic sub limits * A misleading $25,000 annual limit that cannot be used for illnesses * Staff who cannot even locate old PDS documents * Poor claims processing and slow review times * No accessible claims consultants * No transparency about new, better policies * No proactive communication about underwriter changes * No meaningful support when your pet actually needs help * Left me trapped with an unusable policy due to pre‑existing condition rules

I am extremely disappointed and want other pet owners to avoid the mistake we made. If you are considering Petinsurance.com.au, make sure you understand the sub limits - they can leave you thousands out‑of‑pocket even for serious illnesses like cancer. If you are on a legacy policy like myself, hopefully you can switch to a more up to date policy so you don't get caught out.

This is a one‑star review, and if I could give zero stars, I would.

Very helpful, patient and thorough getting me the best insurance. Show reply

Once upon a time, little Amelia's parents chose Pet Insurance hoping we would never have to use it. Then, last Friday, our worst nightmare became reality. IVDD knocked on our door. In the blink of an eye, we found ourselves facing every Dachshund owner's greatest fear. It didn't matter how many ramps we had, how careful we were, or how strictly… Read more ·  1

we prevented jumping. The moment every dog parent hopes will never come had arrived.

To make a long story short, Amelia needed emergency spinal surgery on Friday night. Along with the heartbreak and uncertainty about her condition came the overwhelming stress of the hospital bill.

Today, I can only say thank you. Choosing Pet Insurance was one of the best decisions we ever made. In the middle of one of the hardest moments of our lives, the pre-approval process and GapCover were incredibly smooth, allowing us to focus on what truly mattered: Amelia's recovery.

I honestly can't imagine what this experience would have been like without insurance. Thank you, truly, for making such a difficult situation just a little bit easier. Your efficiency, compassion, and seamless claims process helped us through one of the biggest storms a pet parent can ever face.

We are forever grateful.

Our cavoodle was very sick and we are so grateful to have had this cover, our vets processed the claim for us and it was all taken care of when we picked her up. Show reply

The go gap claim process was all organised by my veterinarian team & made the whole process very easy as I didn’t have to do anything. Love it Show details ·  1

AMAZING! Helped me out with my gorgeous Bug's car accident. Ended up having to have pins in his broken femur, but he is at home recovering now Show details ·  1

I have been so thrilled with how Petinsurance.com.au have looked after my Frenchie Bob. They covered Bob's BOAS surgery, which then resulted in quite a lot of complications and extended stay in ICU. This was extremely stressful for me, especially as cost mounted. However my policy has now covered 80% of these costs - saving me 10s of thousands of… Read more ·  1

dollars. I am so happy with them that I am going to add my other dog to the policy. I truly recommend these guys.

I have had both of my Chihuahua's insured with PetInsurance.com.au since I received them. I have made claims for my Eldest dog (5 years old) for both an undetermined ED visit and surgery for Elbow dysplasia, which involved x-rays and CT scans under anaesthesia. The claims were settled online and with the Vet Clinic doing all the work and me just… Read more ·  1

paying the gap. There were no issues or problems and everything worked very smoothly. More recently, my younger dog (3 years) has had major surgery for a Grade 4 MPL and is scheduled to have further surgery for a Grade 3 MPL as well. There was also a need for considerable scans to be taken as well, also under anaesthesia. The insurance claim was again handled by the Vet Clinic and I just paid the gap, which was much less than I thought it would be. There have been no issues at all with the insurance to date and everything has worked extremely well.

Our 10mth Border Terrier decided to swallow an entire (raw) chicken wing with only minimal chewing beforehand. It lodged momentarily in her throat before she was able to swallow it. This was enough to both frighten and hurt her to the extent she was shaking and wanting to hide, making me think there might still be an obstruction And, of course,… Read more

this happened out of our Vets normal clinic hours. I called the Vet who met us at the clinic where X-Rays were performed. There was the chicken wing, in it's entirety, lodged in her belly. A big relief to all. Our Vet utilises the "gap only" system which meant my out-of-pocket costs were minimal, and the account was immediately settled. Considering the cost of an emergency consult plus the X-Rays, and also a drug to help settle her digestive system, I was dreading the bill. I was very thankful to have organised her insurance only a couple of weeks prior to this happening. Our yearly premium was almost paid for entirely from the rebate we received! Thank you for a great product!

Have used insurance twice recently for 2 surgeries. Used Gaponly and it was brilliant. All done and dusted within 10 minutes. Show details ·  1

I have nothing but sincere thanks for this company at a very stressful time. My not even 2 year old dog without doubt would be dead as I would never have been able to afford his emergency care. I can’t recommend them highly enough. If you are wavering about getting insurance for your pet imagine a bill of close to $20000 and how you will pay it. He has pretty much made a complete recovery and I’m incredibly thankful. Show details ·  1

After an emergency visit to VECA in Campbelltown, so happy with the quick and easy service. The Vet submitted the claim on my behalf and it was all settled within 24-48hrs. Thank you! Show details ·  1

Signed up to PetInsurance.com through AHM promotion in 2021, where policies are issued by PetSure. Our pets annual premium in 2021 was $634.40, with 2026 policy renewal offer for the exact same policy being $2199.67. The policy name has changed since this time, however it is still only basic Accidental Injury and Illness. No contribution to… Read more

check ups, vaccines, skin conditions or dental.

The first time I did need to claim for a new illness, PetInsurance denied the claims resulting in months of stress, internal and external decision reviews until ultimately an expert panel ordered PetInsurance to reimburse cover. Since this time we have been unable to move to another provider because of existing illness not being covered, where we have had no choice but to be bullied into outrageous premium increases. Our dogs illness has not flared up again (yet) and has had no ongoing costs.

On another occasion I requested pre approval to claim a 1.5k operation to remove a large lump on my dogs chest, but was then declined after the biopsy came back inconclusive. This should have been good news, however instead meant we had to absorb the full cost and related injuries went on to be declined. Decision reviews were unsuccessful, and not worth the time and stress I know PetInsurance would put me through again.

Aside from this, we have had no benefit or claims from our policy, yet premiums have gone up by almost 250% in 5 years. No amount of inflation or economy changes can justify this. My dog is healthy, relatively young, and we have not made a claim in years.

The website is inaccessible, they don’t respond to emails, and there is no pathway to cancel without a phone call to customer service. Customer service are always lovely, yet clearly have no power. I feel sorry for them, where they must be exposed to customers frustrations and struggles caring for their pets through a cost of living crisis daily, and there is nothing they can do to resolve concerns other than waiving the odd month of premium charge.

Unfortunately, our pet will now need to risk going without insurance because of the greed of the decision makers at PetInsurance, and their priority for shareholders over customers.

I wish I made the decision to create a dedicated bank account for my pet earlier, where I have paid thousands to be preyed on, and receive no peace of mind.