Vet is saying the insurer hasn’t paid, insurer is saying they have paid. What to do?

[ED94]

Hi all,

My rabbit was involved in an accident just under 3 months ago resulting in her leg being amputated. The bill came to £1400. Luckily I have insurance. The vet submitted the claim direct with the insurer and I received an email from the insurer confirming payout directly to the vets bank account at the end of September.

2 weeks ago the vets called me to say they haven’t been paid by the insurer. I forwarded them the email confirming the payout (although they had already been cc’d in). After much back and forth speaking with the insurer I am at a stalemate. The insurer is insisting they have paid but the vet is insisting they haven’t.

It seems to be an issue with the insurer and the vet and I am stuck in the middle. I keep getting calls texts/calls from the vet and I keep relaying to them what the insurer tells me. I’ve authorised the vets to speak to the insurers about my policy and have asked the vets if they could call the insurer themselves to confirm bank details were correct etc but they seem reluctant to do this for some reason.

I really don’t know what to do next and I cannot find anything online… Does anyone know where I stand legally? Will I have to foot the bill?

Thank you!

How annoying, you must be stressed out. Not sure what to do but bumping for you.

Surely the vet needs to call the insurer directly. The insurer is saying it paid. The vet said they didn't get it.....so someone is using/looking at the wrong bank account. You can't fix that.....

@gamerchick Thanks for the bump!

@Mumdiva99 My thoughts exactly. I can only assume somewhere along the line the vets bank details have been entered incorrectly. I have explained this to the vets multiple times and asked them to speak to the insurers direct but they keep insisting I need to call the insurer to nudge them. I cannot understand why they are so reluctant to call - it’s infuriating! I don’t want to p* them off as they are the only rabbit specialist vet near me and now that I have a disabled rabbit I will probably need their services in the future…

Can you go into the vets, and call the insurers from there so they can hear the conversation, and you can pass the phone over to them to check the bank details?

I agree with @Maflingo Arrange a meeting with whoever is dealing with this at yours vets and go in and call the insurance people with them.

Also, when you say the insurers have emailed your proof is this a screenshot of the proof of payment or just them saying in an email that they’ve paid? If they haven’t emailed you both any actual proof yet then I would be hassling them to do that.

Thanks both for the advice. I’ll see what they say about a meeting but I have a feeling they won’t accept. The vets are being ridiculously strict about COVID restrictions and still won’t let anyone inside. You have to hand the rabbit over at the door and either stand outside or sit in your car in the car park outside. The vet then speaks to you outside.

@JewelleryBox The email I got from the insurer was titled “Claim Completion Notification”. It basically says sorry that your pet was injured, we have assessed and approved your claim. It then includes a financial statement saying it will be paid into your nominated bank account (which in this case is the vets).

This was meant to be the simple option. I wish I had just paid upfront and claimed later 😅

Good luck. These things are so frustrating as you can't fix it.

I would ask them for proof of what amount exactly was paid into which account, and what reference number they used. Is it possible they paid a lesser amount (e.g. deducted an “excess” that you need to pay directly)