Our Verdict
Tesco Pet Insurance received an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5. In this guide, we will explain how we arrived at this rating and why the insurance company received such a high rating. With the information contained in this guide, you should be able to make a conclusive judgement on the insurance company.
Summary
| Policies | 4/4 |
| Benefits and Small Print | 2.5/3 |
| Renewal Premiums | 1/3 |
| Customer Satisfaction | 3/3 |
| Excess and Contribution | 2/2 |
| Total out of 15 | 13 |
| Star Rating out of 5 | 4.2 |
Policies
Tesco Pet Insurance has four different levels of cover. These are the Premier lifetime policy, the Extra policy, the Standard policy, and the Accident and Injury policy. The Premier policy is the highest level in this company, and it includes £7,500 to £10,000 in vet fees. The Extra plan is a per condition policy. It covers dental costs, but only those caused by accidents. The Standard plan is a time-limited policy which includes £3,000 for vet fees, even if the costs are incurred outside the UK. The Accidents and Injury policy will cover up to 3,000 for vet fees resulting from accidents and injuries only. It is also a time-limited policy.
Benefits and Small Print
Except for the Premier policy, all the other ones will only cover dental costs resulting from accidents. The company does not have an upper age limit for new policies, even the Lifetime insurance policies. If you need to make a claim, make sure you submit it within 12 months of requiring the payout. Prescription food is not covered under Tesco Pet insurance policies.
Treatment of your pet’s behavioural problems cannot be covered under the company’s insurance policies. According to their website, they can only offer professional advice on the pet’s behaviour through the Vetfone line.
The death and loss benefits in this company are calculated based on the purchase price of your pet and not its market price. They also don’t use a sliding scale.
Renewal Premiums
At Tesco Insurance, the premiums will be increased upon renewal, but most people have noted that the increases are reasonable. The policies from this company are underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance, the same company that owns More Than brand. The More Than brand has grown to be infamous because of its excessive renewal premium increases. You should compare the More Than brand with Tesco to see how their increases differ so that you can make a more informed decision on which service to go with. Some factors which contribute to the long-term cost of your pet’s insurance include the pet’s age, their breed, their sex, any existing health conditions, and your postcode.
Customer Service
In this company, you can get 24-hour access to Vetfone. Through this UK helpline, you can receive professional advice on your pet’s behaviour and condition. Online reviews of this insurance provider are average, with many people complaining about the failure of the company to pay out on claims. Regardless, a good percentage of the customers have noted that they would recommend the service to their friends and family.
Excess and Contribution
The excess in this company is below the industry average of the UK. While the average excess fee is £75, the fee in this company is just £60. You also get the chance of paying higher excess fees of £120, £200, £300, and £500. If you select a higher excess fee, your premiums will be lowered since you will be committing yourself to pay higher portions of future vet bills.