Pets Best

I am writing again to say that my dr. wrote «the most probable reason for Nobu
to get such a deep ulcer is from trauma… You just don’t want to pay
for this… Please I hope this review helps others to beware of
trusting Pets Best. they turned it around so that they don’t have to pay
for this trauma to my dog. .when it is in black and white from the doctor.
The only thing that makes me feel better is to keep writing these awful reviews.
I JUST CALLED AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY NEVER GOT THE APPEAL.
THIS IS THE WORST WORST COMPANY I HAVE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE
OF WORKING WITH. I WILL NOW TAKE TO THE STATE BOARD. THEIR IMCOMPETENCY
IS BEYOND FRUSTRATING…

I really wish I came here to read other reviewers whom were in the same exact situation I have been in.
Use anyone else, stay far far away from these scammers.
Very excited to get some insurance that will actually pay my claims.
«So you’re willing to take my money but you won’t remind me of the one thing that hurts me the most. You casually record our conversations about pre-​existing conditions and the forms we need to fill out for early enstatement. Your forms only benefit you. You are so scared of getting ripped off by your customers… you record our conversations and save them to remind us what we said.»
I tried to ask for help and got turned down. I had better luck negotiating better terms with my personal doctor’s billing office, the IRS, etc than these people in Boise.
Note: It’s illegal to record us without dual consent
CALIFORNIA LAW: INVASION OF PRIVACY ACT
Penal Code § 632, enacted under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, makes it illegal for an individual to monitor or record a «confidential communication» whether the communication is carried on among the parties in the presence of one another or by means of a telegraph, telephone, or other device. California is known as a «two-​party» state, which means that recordings are not allowed unless all parties to the conversation consent to the recording.
Under Penal Code § 632©, «confidential communication» includes any communication carried on in circumstances as may reasonably indicate that any party to the communication desires it to be confined to the parties, but excludes a communication made in a public gathering or in any legislative, judicial, executive or administrative proceeding open to the public, or in any other circumstance in which the parties to the communication may reasonably expect that the communication may be overheard or recorded.
A violation of Penal Code § 632 can lead to a fine of up to $ 2,500 and/​or imprisonment for up to a year. In addition, the violator may be subject to civil liability in the amount of $ 3,000 or three times the amount of any actual damages sustained as a result. Under the California Public Utilities Commission General Order 107-​B (II)(A)(5), a recording is allowed if there is a «beep tone» warning. Under California Penal Code § 633, state law enforcement officials may eavesdrop and record telephone conversations.
Other states are known as «one-​party» states in which the consent of one party to a conversation is all that is required in order for the conversation to be legally recorded. Federal law also allows recoding of telephone conversations as long as there is consent of at least one party to the call. 18 U.S.C. 119, § 2511(2)(d).

This is unbelievable! Pets Best is still insisting on their situation claiming it is all at the Vet’s records. Well guess what. I spoke with the vet twice while waiting for your «decision» and he said it was NOT a pre existing condition and the appointment I made was for a regular check up. The vomit happened technically on the 8^th which is the day the policy became active.
If you are trying to justify the lack of good service that’s fine that’s why I am not with the company any more. But saying the vet said something and he didn’t then it is something else.
Pets Best sent me an appeal application today although I made it clear to the lady on the phone I am not doing it because I spent way too much time on this matter. Also I won’t ask the vet again for more paper work because they went out of their way few times to talk to insurance about this and let them know it was not a pre existing condition. So what else can he provide?
Pets Best got 89 reviews and average is 2 stars, there is a reason for that and I suggest you look seriously into it.

I’ve been with them for a year. I went in on my one year to date with my dog having a limp. They won’t cover his surgery or any of his visits even with the 12 month waiting period. Stay far far away from this scam of a company. I talked to the supervisor and she was useless.

Your vet mentioned some things in his review that we spent the time and money on to rule out and your vet mentioned these things in your argument to not pay the claim. So science doesn’t apply from what I can tell. I also took the time to have not only the records reviewed by a vet but your vets explanation and he disagreed with your conclusion. If there was any connection your vets explanation wasn’t it… Your customers speak loudest with their check books. I have cancelled my policy and am happy to move one from Pets Best!

Wow… really wish I had came here to read other reviewers whom were in the same exact situation I have been in. Pets Best will do everything in their power to nickel and dime you and to not approve a claim. Firstly the refused my claim for our first visit due to the cough being a preexisting condition, this is labeled in the contract so I am fine with this. But then the games began and I saw the true reality of this glorified scam. Every visit all 5 all for various differing reasons and NONE related to the pre existing condition were denied. First they could not read the bill, then they were denied because of various excuses ranging from comical to just plain shameless.
Please note my profile and notice I am a fair reviewer and have never given a one star review to any service I have had, until now.
Use anyone else, stay far far away from these scammers.
Very excited to get some insurance that will actually pay my claims.

Read all these reviews and it states bold and clear when you sign up it won’t cover anything the first (month I believe) and you have to do a wellness check list to bypass that.
I’ve had pets best for close to 3 years and I will never switch companies. I have 2 pups on there with a $ 50 deductible and 80% reimbursement for pretty cheap. They’re very understanding and actually care about the dogs. They understand what it’s like to go through hard times with your dog.
Thank you pets best!!!

I would just like to say that they are dishonest and my puppy did NOT have a pre existing condition. She went to the vet on the 28^th and she was showing signs of eye itchiness on the 26^th which is when I received the email she was clear of the 14 day waiting period. She was not bad enough to think I would have to take her to the vet on that day. She was just pawing at her face… no redness or swelling. This company is so manipulative and dishonest… then they try to deface your review by lying some more. Disgusting practice. Stay away!!!

Unfortunately, my dog became ill a few weeks after I obtained the insurance. Pet’s Best claimed that the condition occurred before the waiting period was over. I submitted proof that it did not. Despite having never paid for services and turning down all claims they still would not refund the money I had paid.
I was hoping that pet insurance would provide me peace of mind that in the case my furry family members fell ill that I simply would not have to worry about it because I had made the investment to provide care for them. Unfortunately, it was an awful experience which has only added more stress in a difficult time.

Our bulldog had a stroke six weeks ago. I went ahead and paid almost $ 7,000 out of pocket since I was insured for up to $ 5,000 of the cost.
It seems to take a long time to get claims processed and requests for unrelated information extend the delays immensely. It has been over six weeks and the claims are still not resolved.
I suspect they will eventually pay but this process is even worse than health insurance claims for humans.
The company offers a direct deposit option for claim reimbursements. It seems comical that they offer this service which shaves a couple of days off the payment cycle when the claims duration is measured in weeks and months.
Update from 1÷12÷16: My last open claim was paid today, 52 days after submission. I think two stars is appropriate. The claims process is just too inefficient to warrant more. It seems simple because they only ask for a copy of the invoice. But they don’t mention that additional details are required to process the claim. I have a dental policy that requires that I submit my own claims. But they give me a form that I take to the doctor to be completed. Once I send in the completed form, my claim is usually paid in about 2 days. In my opinion, the key to a good insurance company is to exceed the customer’s expectations. Since the claims process appeared very electronic and efficient, my expectations were set accordingly. When the process ballooned into almost two months of back and forth, I was very disappointed.
One more anecdote… I had an auto claim a few years ago and was shocked when the company paid the amount of my estimate from the body shop without even so much as a phone call to the shop. I had a check in my hand three days after my claim. I asked why they weren’t inquiring further into my claim and I was told that they figured out that the cost of examining every claim was higher than watching claim patterns and accepting the occasional fraudulent customer. I’m glad I’m honest and I’m thrilled that my insurance company trusted me. That experience was a five star result. I think there’s something to learn for other insurance companies in that example.
UPDATE…
I had to update my review and lower my rating to a ONE. In fairness, the insurance company finally paid my original claim. However, now I’m trying to submit two claims for physical therapy, which is covered under my policy, and the insurance company is denying them. They paid for physical therapy with the same doctor a few weeks prior. But now, all of a sudden, the records I’ve provided and/​or the records the doctor has provided are not adequate «verification» of the treatment performed. The invoice I’ve already provided includes the clinic, the doctor, the treatment, the dates of service, and the charge. But apparently that is not «adequate». For my $ 80 claim, I must do the following according to the rep at Pets Best:
quote:
«Under „Your Duties In The Event of a Loss“ within your policy documents it clearly states on item #6, you authorize us to obtain any additional records or other information we deem necessary and refusal to do so will result in denial of the claim.
I apologize for any inconvenience, however we will need you to provide us with complete medical records to be able to reprocess these claims.»
This type of response for this type of claim is certainly bad faith. I cannot recommend this insurance company as they appear to have NO interest in paying claims. I’ve not had a single claim go through without first being denied and then re-​opened.

Terrible. Purchased a policy for my two 5 month old puppies on 11/​19/​2015. My 14 day waiting period to file a claim was up on 12÷4÷15. One of my puppies became extremely sick and eventually diagnosed with septic arthritis on ¹²⁄₁₀. Vet bill was close to 3K. Submitted the claim to Pets Best on ¹²⁄₁₅.
Fast-​forward to today, I get a note that there would be no reimbursement from the claim because «Medical and illness coverage is effective 14-​days after the Pet Start Date. The amount of time required for this condition to develop indicates that the condition existed before the effective date of the policy and is not part of policy coverage.»
The companies justification for not covering this was reaching so deep down in the depths of bs that I couldnt do anything but laugh and call and cancel the insurance immediately. The woman on the phone even had the audacity to say «You had a policy for $ 5,000 annual coverage for both dogs — do you have access to $ 5,000 if something should happen?» — they surely werent concerned if I had $ 3,000 to cover this medical expense.
What a scam. I would not recommend this company to anyone.

I should start by saying that I purchased my Pet’s Best insurance policy almost exactly one year ago. It wasn’t the cheapest policy, but given that my dog was already ten years old I found the cost to be very reasonable. I previously had VPI insurance and their pay-​table system of reimbursement was ridiculous — they would often cover less than 10% of what I paid based on their fee schedule (really VPI? — you offer a «cancer policy» and then only pay $ 300 for a surgery? That doesn’t even cover the cost of walking into a veterinary ER). Because of that negative experience I found that the straightforward $ 500 annual deductible /​90% bill reimbursement offered by Pet’s Best was very appealing.
I was devastated when I recently learned that my dog had a cancerous tumor of his right front paw. I was told he would need an expensive surgery (and possibly chemotherapy and radiation). I completed a pre authorization request for the surgical procedure and sent in all the relevant veterinary records to Pet’s Best via e-​mail and was approved for the surgery in less than a week. I had several conversations during this time with their customer service staff and found them to be very compassionate, helpful, and knowledgable.
In the last 30 days my dog had surgery for his mast cell tumor. Unfortunately he suffered complications arising from the surgery, resulting in a grand total of almost $ 8000 in veterinary expenses over the last month. True to form, Pet’s Best has reimbursed me for exactly 90% of those bills, including the unforeseen costs of my baby’s postoperative complications (not serious, he is now doing very well)!
From the very beginning, I’ve had only good experiences. I find the online interface to be extremely simple to use, and I submit all of my claims using only my iPhone and it’s camera. I’ve found that they reimburse me in a very timely fashion, although sometimes it has taken longer than their quoted five business days (but never longer than a couple weeks). As I mentioned, the customer service staff has always been compassionate, knowledgable, and helpful. I would recommend them without reservation (and in fact I already have to all of my friends).
To those reading these reviews, please consider the source. There are a lot of people on Unilocal who complain: they didn’t cover a pre-​existing condition, they didn’t cover a problem that arose during the 14 day waiting period, they didn’t cover an illness when someone accidentally purchased an «accidents only» policy. At the end of the day this is a business, and they aren’t going to just give away their money. But if you are an educated consumer and understand the benefits and limitations of the policy you are purchasing, there is no doubt in my mind that you will be pleased. My only criticism is that I purchased a policy with a $ 20,000 annual limit, and it looks like the maximum they currently offer for new customers is only $ 10,000 per year.
Thanks so much, Pet’s Best. You’ve taken away some of the anxiety and fear associated with treating my pet’s cancer, because I know I can give him the best treatment available without having to worry about the cost.

Just stay away.
I only had Pets Best Insurance for a few weeks. I learned my lesson quick. I purchased the «wellness» option as I knew my puppy would need some routine vaccinations and this would reimburse at least part of this cost. My claim was denied as his vet appointment was 12 days after my policy started and I apparently needed to wait until 14 days until I could use it. The literature I got after I signed up listed that I had to wait 14 days for «illness» claims, but this was not an illness — just a routine office visit with vaccinations. Even though it was only a two day difference, they would not budge and wouldn’t cover it. I basically paid for insurance I wasn’t allowed to use.
The only thing good they did was refund my money. Though I would have saved more if they covered these vaccinations.
I can’t believe how unclear their policies are and how strictly they are enforced. I now have another pet insurance company for my policy and have so far been DELIGHTED with everything they’ve done.
Give your business to someone with a heart and cares about your dog — these people just see the dollar signs. No thank you.

11÷3÷2015: I did what the denial said to do. It said to resubmit the claim with a diagnosis. Even though the previous claim shows a diagnosis, I sent out a new one. I got an email today saying that it is a duplicate claim and it has been deleted from my account. There is no way to resubmit the claim as they asked, because then they say it is a duplicate. I emailed them yesterday and haven’t heard back. The denial note doesn’t even mention appeal. It just tells me to contact my state’s department of insurance if I feel that it is unfair. Okay, then.
11÷2÷2015: Updated again. Downgraded to 2 stars after my last experience. I will not be changing that in the future, no matter what they say or do.
So, once again, they have denied a claim for the same treatment/​diagnosis that was previously covered. The big difference this time is that I have a phone message, which I saved, that says this doctor will be covered for the treatments going forward. There were 2 delays with this claim. Both claimed to be regarding needing to contact the vet. The denial came today, 11÷2÷2015 for the claim that was electronically sent on 10/​15/​2015 with the reason given as no diagnosis. I put the same diagnosis that I always put. CLEARLY, THEY ARE PURPOSELY LAGGING FOR PAYING FOR CLAIMS. APPARENTLY, I WILL NEED TO FILE AN APPEAL FOR EACH CLAIM GOING FORWARD.

Every time I submit a claim, Pet’s Best request «medical records from Denver’s vet».really? (blank stare). Why do you request the same medical records time after time?! It’s an eye infection — dogs get them for no reason! It’s called stalling and a lack of interest in paying claims.
But they sure know how to stalk me for premium payments. I’m switching to my company’s pet insurance plan.

I am not one to write reviews, I had to open an account to do this. I would not recommend Pets Best Insurance to anyone. After almost 3 years of paying $ 60/​month for insurance for my AKC Certified Rhodesian Ridgeback, which I was going to be breeding this year, Pest Best Insurance was a horrible choice. I would recommend VPI Insurance. My dog was going through a suto pregnancy or false pregnancy, and after 3 weeks the vet told us to bring her in, we us Torrey Pines Animal Hospital. The vet was so worried about the health of the dog because she thought that the uterus was infected and pretty much made us do an emergency surgery. Even though it was a spay, it was a mandatory for the health of the dog.
After around a $ 700 dollar vet bill, Pets Best Insurance says they only pay $ 100 towards it because it is a «wellness» claim and not a medical. This was a medical claim we would be breeding the dog now if it wasn’t.
Don’t use Pets Best Insurance they will find any way to use the fine print.

STAY AWAY! — they will increase your rates to unacceptable levels, no additional coverage or additional value.
I’ve been with Pets Best for all three of my dogs for almost eight years — I have faithfully paid every premium and every increase — even tho we have barely used it and filed only a handful of small claims for wellness visits — this year the premiums were increased $ 700 a quarter or $ 2800 for the year that is just plain crazy. I do understand that as pets age, they MAY possibly need more care — but this latest increase is too much.
Gauging your long standing clients when they actually need your service the most is just plain bad business.

For us the insurance was close to worthless. They will look deeply into the medical records
to find a reason not to pay. It just so happened that our dogs’ right eye area required a medication to heal some inflammation. That same eye one year earlier had an unrelated
problem…sorry, «pre– existing». Stay away

I submitted a claim a month ago. They have dug up every vet record on our dog that they could. Still no decision on our claim. I’m getting tired of waiting and will be looking into filing a complaint with the BBB or attorney general.
Oh wow, now our vet bill has been reduced to $ 1300 instead of $ 13 000. I wish. Now when do we get the rest?
Finally! Pet’s Best is paying our claim. It took 6 weeks. That’s 6 weeks we could have been not paying interest on our credit card. I have bumped up my rating to 3 stars. They would get more if I hadn’t needed to nag them to get the claim processed.

I’ve been paying into this insurance program for several years and have received virtually nothing from it. My dog had 2 expensive surgeries and Pets Best did not reimburse me anything.
Pre-​existing conditions are not considered, and now that my dog has had spinal surgery, the premium went up to $ 798/​year.
I think this company is basically a sham and cannot recommend it.