
Your premium and costs
Will my premiums stay the same each year?
That's unlikely. Pet insurance premiums are worked out just like car and home insurance premiums. They're based on our overall claims expenses and any additional admin costs. We'll send you details of your renewal premium shortly before your renewal date.
Is there any ‘no claims’ discount with Virgin Pet Insurance?
No.
We don't want you to worry about breaking your 'no claims' history because your pet needs some treatment.
And the price of your insurance won't go up because you've had to make a claim.
Are there any discounts if I already have Virgin’s home, car or annual travel insurance?
Absolutely. Having one or more of these policies will give you 10% off your pet premium.
What’s the excess on my pet insurance?
The excess is the part of a claim you pay.
Virgin Pet Insurance has a standard excess of £50 for cats and £60 for dogs for each injury or condition. And if you have a dog, there’s an excess of £250 on liability claims.
You can choose to increase your excess to get a lower premium if you like. This ‘voluntary excess’ is paid for each injury or condition as well as the above standard excess.
Cover and exclusions
What does Virgin Pet Insurance cover?
We offer three levels of cover – so there’s bound to be one to suit your pet and your pocket.
Accidental injury
This is designed to help with one-off, unexpected costs if your pet is involved in an accident - whether it’s a bad landing from a tree or a scrape with a passing motor.
We’ll pay up to £1,500 towards vet’s fees for each injury caused by an accident, for up to 12 months. And there’s no limit on the number of injuries you can claim for.
Accident and illness
This has limits on both the length of time and the amount we’ll pay out for a claim, to help keep premiums affordable.
It covers accidents that might happen to your pet, as well as the costs of them being ill. We’ll pay up to £3,000 for each condition for up to 12 months. There’s no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for.
Accident and illness extra
If you’re the sort of person who wants maximum peace of mind at a competitive price, this is the one for you. It offers the most comprehensive cover, paying all vet’s fees for accidents and illness up to £6,000 for each condition – no matter how long the treatment goes on for. And of course there’s no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for.
Whatever cover you take out, it always includes cover for accidental death, theft and straying, kennel or cattery costs if you go into hospital, and the expense of cancelling or cutting short your holiday because your pet has an accident. It also includes liability cover for dogs – so if your pooch knocks down a neighbour’s fence or takes a nip out of the seat of their pants, you’re covered.
If you take your pet on hols with you, you can add ‘Pet travel cover’.
Check out what's covered or the policy document for more info.
Am I insured if my pet goes missing?
Yes. If your pet goes missing or is stolen, you can claim for up to £500. This includes reward money of up to £50 and advertising costs.
Am I covered for problems my pet has suffered in the past?
No.
We’re sorry but we can’t cover any conditions or symptoms your pet suffered from before you took out the cover.
Do you cover hereditary or congenital conditions?
If you didn’t know your pet had a hereditary or congenital condition when you took out your insurance, and symptoms don’t start in the first 14 days of cover, our Accident and illness or Accident and illness extra policies would cover this.
But if you know your pet already had this condition, or if symptoms begin in the first 14 days of cover, or you have our ‘Accidental injury’ policy, these conditions wouldn’t be covered.
Can I cover my pet if I take it on holiday with me?
Yes. You can add ‘Pet travel cover’ to our Accident and illness or Accident and illness extra cover. This covers you travelling abroad with your pet.
Pet travel cover insures you against emergency expenses abroad, quarantine costs, replacing a lost health certificate, repeat tick and worming treatment, and the cost of laying your pet to rest if the worst happens while you’re both out of the country.
There are some restrictions, and you’ll have to make sure your pet is microchipped before your trip. Check out our policy document to find out more.
A few things aren’t covered, for example:
- any existing condition your pet has,
- any illness or disease in the first 14 days of cover,
- routine treatments like flea cover, neutering or vaccinations,
- behavioural problems,
- pregnancy, or
- food and dental treatment (unless due to accidental external injury).
Please also see the exclusions sections in the policy document.
Are there any age limits for Virgin Pet Insurance?
Yes. Your pet needs to be between eight weeks and nine years old when cover starts.
Once you’ve taken out Virgin Pet Insurance, you can keep insuring your pet with us to any age.
Do you insure any animals other than cats and dogs?
Not at the moment.
Our pet insurance offers cover for dogs and cats only.
Can I insure more than one pet?
Yes. We’ll give you a separate policy for each pet. The good news is, for each pet you insure after the first one, you get 5% off.
To do this online, just get a quote for your first pet. If you're happy with it just start your plan. You can then get a quote for another pet and we'll take 5% off the premium for you.
Or give us a ring on 0800 051 9004 and we'll give you a quote for each pet.
If I change my mind about Virgin Pet Insurance, can I cancel the cover?
Before you take out your cover, please make sure you read the policy wording to check you're happy with everything.
After you've taken out cover, you'll have 14 days to change your mind. You can cancel and get a full refund, as long as you haven't already made a claim.
Please note that during this time there's no cover for illness or disease that develops, though accidental injury is covered from the start of all our policies.
Making a claim
What happens if I need to make a claim?
Get in touch and let us know. We'll send you out a claim form. Remember to keep all your receipts and attach them to your completed form. (It's best to keep copies for your own records too). Pop these in the post to us, and we'll pay you back for each valid claim.
If you want to make sure your pet is covered before starting any treatment, just give us a call.
If you already have Virgin Pet Insurance and need to make a claim, please call us on
0870 600 1341 Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. Please have your policy number ready (it’ll be clearly marked on the top of your policy schedule).
For ongoing treatment, do I need to wait until the treatment has finished before I can make a claim?
No.
Give us the details as soon as your pet starts treatment and we’ll start your claim. We can settle any initial costs, then make more payments later as more treatment is needed. (Remember there is a maximum amount for each claim though).
The most important thing is to give your pet the best care immediately, and you peace of mind. That’s what pet insurance is all about.
What if I need to make a claim when I’m on holiday?
You need to have ‘Pet travel cover’ on your policy to claim when you’re abroad with your pet.
Just deal with the incident as you would at home – the first priority is to get your pet looked after. Remember to keep any receipts, invoices or other evidence linked to your claim. (Don't worry if they're not in English. We'll translate them for you as part of the service.)
You don’t need to let us know about your claim until you get back home.
Helplines
What’s the ‘Pet minder’ helpline?
How does the ‘Find a vet’ helpline work?
Because you never know when or where you might have to call on a vet, this helpline is your shortcut to peace of mind.
If you and your pet are away from home, you’ve just moved to a new area, or for some reason your usual vet can’t help, call our advice line – we can give you details of vets throughout the UK.
You’ll find the number under Contact us.
What can I call the ‘Pet legal’ helpline about?
Being a pet owner can be a bit like being a parent. They’re a joy, but they’ve got their own way, and you get held responsible for their actions!
To help, your policy gives you access to practical legal advice. Our legal professionals are on hand to explain complex issues in a helpful, friendly and easily understood way.
You can ask for professional advice on anything to do with pet ownership. In fact, you can also talk about any personal problem, whether it relates to an incident involving your pet or not.
You’ll find the number under Contact us.
What’s the ‘Pet bereavement counselling’ service?
Losing a pet is never easy. They can be a big part of your life. Sometimes it’s difficult to know who to talk to about it. Much as we love our pets, we’re also famous for our ‘stiff upper lips’. Which is why this helpline is there for you, staffed by professionals offering counselling, advice and support.
You’ll find the number under Contact us.