First insurance claim, help!

[BillyBraggisnotmylover]

Our lovely dog has had a minor op this week to remove some lumps and bumps that were in awkward places and were causing discomfort. We’ve had them sent away for testing to check it’s not anything nasty.

We’ve never had to make a claim for her before. We have lifetime cover, presumably claiming will lock us in with the same insurer or risk not having her covered for similar issues in the future? But if I don’t claim we’ll still have to declare it when applying to other insurers which will bump up premiums. At the moment it’s gone on a credit card pending us making a claim!

What are people’s experience of premiums after a claim, and did you find it still worth claiming anyway? Feeling clueless so any advice welcome.

Some numbers for context - annual premium less than £250. Dog is 8 so this will go up anyway. Op was £850. Excess is £75. So I guess unless the premiums triple it will be worth claiming? How likely is that?

Make the claim, it won't triple. Otherwise why are you paying for insurance? If you can afford to write it off you'd be better saving a few grand in an account for this sort of thing and hoping it doesn't happen.

I'm with petplan. I've found claiming very simple, they pay quickly and my premiums haven't increased on account of me claiming. And I've made a lot of claims due to chronic conditions, investigations before one of the conditions was diagnosed and because the big idiot likes eating all sorts of things he shouldn't. I am locked in to this insurance company because of having lifetime cover (and have since I first claimed 5 years ago), but if I swopped it would have to be cheaper by £100's a year for me to account for losing the chronic illness cover. I'd say claim, otherwise what's the point of paying in.

Thanks both - you’re right, daft not to use it after paying all those premiums!

My vet did all the insurance stuff. I just had to give them permission.