Animal Friends Reviews

Name: Animal Friends
Rating: 1.65

1.7 Rating 579 Reviews

15 %

of reviewers recommend Animal Friends

Company Reviews

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1.7

Based on 579 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Courier
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Live Chat, Email
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.2 out of 5

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Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

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“I would not recommend this company. Our dog was diagnosed with a slipped kneecap in May 2018. They have refused to pay stating it was a pre existing condition even though I'd been to my vet 4 times previously. I made a formal complaint and they use the vets notes and correspondence but did not address my issues. I have heard on various forums that they don't pay for claims so be warned.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“My dog was insured by Animal Friends. He developed a leg issue whilst under their policy. They decided to disallow a genuine claim based on a technical issue and then went even further and advised that they would also exclude the condition from any further coverage. Terrible company with no compassion or intention to assist. Clearly just making money with no focus on pet care. Could have lived with the first issue - but then to decide to disallow a genuine condition because they now know about it - cold and money focused.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“6 month old pup jumped over a wall and banged his mouth and ended up having to have his roots removed after his teeth fell out. Small print says they don’t cover dental work despite it being an accident. Looking forward to not renewing.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Never claimed before and refused a rather small claim of just over £40 (after excess) as they claimed it was for dental treatment (as some tartar was picked picked up on the teeth) even though it was clearly an infection. The vet wrote twice to clarify but the claim was refused. I would not recommend this company to anyone.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“I left an earlier 1* review for Animal Friends following their decision to refuse a claim for my sick cat on the basis that his gastro-enteritis could somehow be interpreted as an underlying condition. I made a complaint through their system and, much to my surprise, they upheld my complaint and made a payment of £400. In fairness to Animal Friends I am giving them 3* for having a complaints system which, at least in my case, can result in a changed decision. So my advice would be that if you have a claim turned down, don't necessarily assume this is the final word”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Had the same as all these complaints, they will not pay out on my £700 vet bill. FUNNY HOW ALL 5 STAR RATINGS ARE ANONYMOUS. COULD THEY BE WORKING FOR ANIMAL FRIENDS.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Well whot can I say having looked at all the reviews I wish I had read this before I took it on I am the same as everyone they will not pay out now my dog is very ill and I thought I had took a good incurance out when we took her to the vets for a lump on her head witch she had to have removed and found out it's cancer they will not pay out saying it's a on going condition whot lies what with the upset of hearing the sad news now the upset of them refusing to pay out I would never recommend them to any one they are robers”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Avoid this company at all costs. It looks really good value on the face of it but they will do anything to avoid paying a claim. They are refusing to pay for my dog's treatment right now. She had surgery costing £1,500 a month ago to remove a foreign body from her stomach and they are refusing to pay as she was treated for a slight sickness bug over a year ago when she was 8 weeks old. I now have an exclusion on my policy against any digestive health problems due to something completely unrelated to my claim. My vets are currently fighting with them to try and get my completely valid claim paid out. As soon as I can cancel I will be leaving this awful company.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Friendly and helpful. Would recomend”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Been with for about 4 years paying just over 30 pound. Tried to claim twice. Declinded. Vets have advised any half decent insurance would cover a virus... but no not these guys. Watch out conmen. Go elsewhere”

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Posted 6 years ago

“I wouldn't recommend to my worse enemy. They may seem cheap but it's a false economy and their cheapness extends to their attitude, behaviour and their willingness to pay out on valid claims. My complaint regarding them is similar to others, they will take every opportunity, manipulating, deliberately misinterpreting everything and anything possible in order to use it as an excuse not to pay up. This is not only the opposite of treating their customers honestly, but it endangers pet's lives.. avoid all costs because once you have made a claim you are trapped because your pet has a pre-existing condition.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Insured for many years with our dog, never had a claim or anything....Our Dog had a slight white patch approx 2-3mm in the corner of her eye, was not bothering her or anything not inflamed or weeping, just a visual thing that I had noticed. Well when she went to the vets for her annual booster and health check the vet noticed her eye , had a look and e act words was nothing to worry about will monitor it, no treatment needed ( I know this as asked for my pets records). Well this year she went for her annual booster and health check again, the mark had got slightly bigger but still not bothering her at all, this time the vet asked if we had insurance for her, to which we had so referred us to another vet.. To which this vet said cream for a month etc and come back and we look to see what we can do..Maybe just a simple operation but as it's not bothering her it may be not worth doing....We paid the vet ourselves for the immediate treatment and told to claim this invoice back and they will settle direct with the vet on the rest of the treatment.. However when we contacted to make a claim we was told the policy only carries a 365 day claim period from the initial contact and they are counting the examination saying no treatment required as the first contact even though the qualified vet said nothing required.....So even though the vet said nothing needed doing or treating they are saying this is the first contact even though nothing was required but at 380 days later it does count...So can't claim so even if your vet tells you not to worry about it no treatment required and we will monitor it..It doesn't matter you are not covered...”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Supported me through my claim and paid out no quibbles. Highly recommend”

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Posted 6 years ago

“The premium is low for a life time care policy and the vet fee limits are per condition! And they give money to animal charities”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Lets not get a good story get in the way of the facts. Cat: Burmese Male Name: Gatsby Age:Under 1 years old as provided by documentation. Cost £700.00 - Gatsby was a gift given by brother in law during his stay with us- proof of receipt declined by Animal Friends Pet Insurance. Cause of death: Assumed Hit by a vehicle. Body recovered and verified chip by vet. Claim submitted: Within specified time according to their terms and conditions. Reason Animal friends are refusing to pay: Gatsby was a gift and therefore has no value. Animal Friends insurance clause exactly as quoted by Animal Friends in their refusal to pay letter: "Section 2: Death OF Dog Or Cat From Accident Or Illness; 2.1 Cover We will pay a percentage of the market value, the price paid or the amount specified in your schedule (whichever is the lesser) if your pet dies during the policy year or is put down for humane reasons because of injury or illness that happened or started during the policy period taking into account age, breed and condition of your pet and as further detailed below:- Up to 1 year 100%" Please check out Section 2 but quoted further within terms is a declining scale due to age only. Refusal to pay quote within letter from Animal Friends Pet Insurance: "Regrettably, in view of the documentation provided in support of your claim, we consider the claimable amount to be £0 and therefore no payment is due." Phone conversation regarding the case: Since Gatsby was a gift in lieu of possible rent charged, it appears we have have suffered no financial loss in the eyes of Animal Friends Pet insurance. My View: If I were given a car as gift or even as a replacement for rent and insured said car was written off I would expect that the insurance company would pay out. If my house were a gift and I insured it and it happened to burn down then I would expect that my payment in advance to the insurance company would cover my loss. Further if I had received an object or a living creature (lets call it a donkey) and it had been vandalised or stolen, would the police be concerned that either I had paid for it or it had been donated as a gift? Whether I have worked hours and paid for the car or house or pet, or inherited or been given the same is irrelevant- if it is no longer there and available then I have suffered loss since it will cost to replace the loss. Effectively I am placing a bet- as here, I am betting our pet will die - the insurance company are betting it will not. If I take out life insurance then I am betting that I will die- if I take out a house insurance policy then I am betting my house will be destroyed but all will be OK since "I'm covered" and actually without hassle- why else would I pay for this policy? Regardless of the payment method, I have suffered loss and we won't go into emotional since it isn't covered in the policy- lets stick to the facts. So lets go back to section 2 as quoted by Animal Friends pet Insurance. "We will pay a percentage of the market value, the price paid or the amount specified in your schedule (whichever is the lesser)" Specifically lets discuss the term " the price paid" - do you see here the specific phrase as per terms and conditions "the price paid by you as undersigned"? No and neither do I. Gatsby dude I buried you myself in our garden in a pillowcase from my 9 year old son whose bed you slept in and woke with him every morning. Found you on the side of the road with blood on your shoulder drenched in rain with your fur matted- will miss you sitting on my shoulder like a pirate parrot curious about everything. Man I loved everything about you. Yes I'm angry but when it came to fulfilling a bet- Animal Friends Pet Insurance have massively let me down and added to the stress- I haven't finished with them yet. Buts lets deal with the facts T's & C's hope I covered them all and thats why this is going further.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“I took out their basic policy three years back. Bad move! My cat was very poorly over Easter with a viral infection and high temperature. He had to spend a couple of nights at the vets which, with a whole array of tests, meant a bill of over £1000. I foolishly assumed this was where my insurance policy would come in handy, but no. The vet's notes included a reference to gastro enteritis. As this catch all term has been used before (though without me claiming) Animal Friends turned down my claim. I pointed out that gastro enteritis is not an underlying condition, but to no avail. In effect if your cat has ever had sickness or diarrhea (and what cat hasn't) that's it. I've now cancelled my policy - why throw good money after bad? - and would strongly recommend that you look elsewhere for cover. Or put the premium money in a sock as at least that way you'll get something back!”

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Posted 6 years ago

“Changed my cover when my dog turned eight so I now have to pay 20% . It was not highlighted at the date of renewal. Also no dental or gum treatment cover.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“These guys are crooks, beware. I have been paying them for 8 years, never claimed anything off them. My dog got a cist just over a year ago, but it was tested and benign and the vet said since she is quite old and it is not causing her pain or discomfort there is no need to remove it, unless it gets infected or starts to cause her pain. A week ago it got infected, we now have to have it removed. The operation is quite costly and AF are refusing to pay. They added an exclusion for cists and warts so that when the policy renewed they would not have to cover the removal of the cist if it was required. Honestly shocked & disgusted that this is how they treat a customer who has been paying them for almost a decade.They are not cheap either. If you love your pet and want to make sure they are covered, stay clear of these cheats. I have paid them well over £3500 over the past 8 years in fees, which is significantly more than the cost of the operation. Disgusting. I was told had I removed the cist immediately it would have been covered, but why would I put my dog through unnecessary pain and discomfort at her age just to satisfy the requirements of the insurance company. I was also not informed of this at the time. I have lodged an official complaint and will be following up with the ombudsman. Save yourselves the trouble I am going through and find somebody else.”

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Posted 6 years ago

“My dog had an exploratory op on his paw under anaesthetic in 2018 after it became infected after a cut at the beach, my vet thought that there may be a foreign body in the wound. Animal friends refused to pay out as he had been treated for a 'pre existing condition'. In 2014 he was treated on a different paw for a small cut which I didn't claim for as it was so minor. My vet rolled his eyes when I told him and said that Animal Friends are a nightmare. He complained on my behalf as he said this was a nonsense argument. They have still refused to pay up. I have not made a claim in the 8 years that I have been insured with them. Be warned!”

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Posted 6 years ago

“I was recommended animal friends by college and at first impression everything was great, easy to set up, low policy fees and then my colleague had issues making a claim to do with a pre-existing condition. I called and spoke to a young girl who quite frankly I doubt had a single brain cell so I asked to speak to a manger and was eventually called back by a girl called Laura who said she was "Team Leader" if shes an experienced team leader I will eat my hat! She had no idea what was going on, no medical experience and quite frankly gave me the worst customer service I've ever experienced. My colleague was right, they do scam you out of money! Stay away from this company! They will scam you and not pay out.”

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Posted 7 years ago

Animal Friends is rated 1.7 based on 579 reviews