The wheels of justice grind slowly. Almost 18 months after her insurer abruptly withdrew her ?lifetime? pet insurance, Fiona Delaney has been trying to get redress for her four-year-old Munsterlander dog, Paddy.
As reported by the Telegraph , Ms Delaney was one of hundreds of pet owners who were left facing crippling vets' fees, while her case was heard by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The problem involved the sale of so-called ?lifetime? pet insurance.
This was sold by both Halifax and Lloyds as well as Thistle Insurance, the company behind the PetGuard policy bought by Ms Delaney. With these insurers withdrawing from this market completely, owners found themselves unable to get comprehensive cover for their pets, as any new insurer would automatically exclude any existing health problems.
However, these policyholders would have had cover for such treatments, on renewal of their original pet insurance plans.
Last November the ombudsman published a final ?test? case on this issue. This stated that insurers should pay for veterinary treatment for such existing conditions, up to any set limits specified in the original policy.
In addition, the ombudsman said he expected the insurer to reimburse any such fees already paid, with 8pc interest on top. While Ms Delaney was initially delighted to see this ruling, it has proved to be a hollow victory so far.
Three months later and Ms Delaney as well as many other PetGuard policyholders still hasn?t received a penny, and with Paddy needing specialist treatment her vet bills are escalating.
Link: Pet owners left waiting for compensation - Yahoo! Finance UK
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