I half heard an ad on the TV the other day for RSPCA Pet Insurance which I was certain stated that a portion of the first year’s premium goes to the RSPCA in stark contrast to the previous ads which clearly stated that a portion of your premium goes to help the RSPCA so I just checked their website.
Sure enough it now states “A portion of first-year premiums help support the RSPCA”.
I suspect that they have been caught out unless they actually only recently changed it to the first year only.
Either way, it seems a scam to call it RSPCA Pet Insurance after the first year’s premium.
I wonder how many pet owners are under an illusion that they are actually supporting the RSPCA every year.
This has been long known in this family. Hollard Group’s Insurance Underwriting run almost all if not all these pet insurances you see promoted on TV. RSPCA, et al are just getting small snips of the cash that flows, the fact that it is only a part of the first year’s worth or an ongoing small piece is sadly the outcome it has been for as long as they have been running them. I guess RSPCA et al deems the small amount (comparatively to premiums) as better than none at all.
Mind you Hollard are Sth African so most profits from this insurance end up flowing out of Australia.
For a more comprehensive listing of businesses in insurance they are part of see the following links:
Perhaps the Insurance Underwriting of Hollard might be the real worthy Shonky, not Australian yet much of it’s product is seen as Australian, no excess on pet insurance because you pay 100% of the bill up front and they reimburse 80% if you meet the criteria and don’t fall into an exclusion, money leaves Australia for distant shores…
I’m sure most of the partner brands are a similar situation re the benefit they get as the RSPCA one. Though most aren’t charities so free money just from using their name. AustPost, BUPA, HCF, HIF among them
I would expect that the RSPCA would give me short shrift but perhaps Choice could ask them.
Disgusting that they are getting a pittance for allowing the use of a nationally recognised and trusted name, with many consumers probably thinking that they are actually dealing with the RSPCA, especially after the first 12 months.
Far worse if the insurer has only been giving the RSPCA a peppercorn for the first year only whilst not stating the fact in their ads.
I used to be to have pet insurance with the RSPCA, it was alright for first few years, a couple of years ago I went to put in claim for cancer removal on 10 year old Staffi Cross dog that costed $1200 to remove, then I was told by the Insurer that I was no longer covered for illness after the dog turned 8 years old, this cover that I paid for! I wouldn’t recommend pet insurance again! I recommend to use your netbank saver account and put away the same amount that you pay for insurance premiums ever fortnight into that account.
I’ve had the Insurance since 2012, The insurances premiums rose as the dog got older, I only had accident and illness cover, I was never informed that illness cover had ended once the dog turned 8. I was still paying for it!
Formally request a refund of any payments since your dog turned 8, especially if the RSPCA would/should have known your dog was over 8. For example the policy says the dog’s age/date of birth, the policy names the dog and has been held over 8 years. Use the ACCC wording in the request as outlined in this other post…
I don’t see this as a shonky being run by RSPCA. It is a scam being run by insurance companies. Permanent disability insurance. Extended warranty. Pet insurance and many others.
I believe that Choice when investigating this pet insurance business has had a consistent position of not recommending ANY of them due to the restictions and exclusions.
RSPCA really rely on some commercial arrangements and sponserships for funding their operations. I am sure they would not promote something that was totally useless. Best with all things insurance, read the details.
Why? They rely on commercial arrangements, and the RSPCA as well as the motoring clubs and so many others compete selling the same policies for differing prices with the major differences being the logo involved.
While most orgs try to provide value, their priority has become income. In cases their version of a policy might be better than some but still sadly lacking in the basics.
Mean or a window into reality? There are many including…
and I trust the point is made. Those selling policies add their logos, get a commission and provide a smiling salesman’s face, and you can inspect all the different PDS to see the policy and what it covers. It is a business, no more and no less.
What I mean is that customers of motoring organizations pay for their services. I’ve yet to see a customer of an animal welfare shelter, cat, dog, horse, whatever, able to pay for their shelter, food, vet care. The money to do this is substantial and has to come from somewhere. I help out RSPCA by both giving my time for free as a shelter volunteer, and also adopting animals and paying for it.
