Ontario SPCA Pet Insurance – OSPCAInsurance.ca review: This Company is a Huge Scam 28

This company is disorganized and the hoops you must jump thru to get to submit a claim is a joke.

Customer reps NEVER follow up on what is said or promised.

AVOID...save your money and either find a reputable pet insurer or pool for funds and pay the vet bills directly.

OSPAC insurance is a rip off.

ABSOLUTELY ABSURD.
DO NOT EVER USE THEM FOR PET INSURANCE... MAKES ME WONDER IF ALL COMPANIES ARE LIKE THIS.
I got my Yorkshire Terrier in Sept 15th 2014, and she has been with this company and has held a policy since July 2015.
At the time, she had the premium plan for approx 50 dollars a month. Within the first year, the premiums jumped by $50. When I called to inquire, they let me know that the premiums go up according to current market, and also by the age of my pet. So I down graded from their premium to the tier right below. Still paying $68 / month. Between her original policy, and her down graded policy, she developed a Luxated Patella. Now that it is time for her to get her surgery I sent in the Pre Approval, only for it to be denied.
The reasoning behind the denial is that the Luxating patella was found with her first policy, and when I down graded any pre existing issues were not covered. I have in turn spent approx $1840 on her insurance for them to deny a $1000 surgery.
I'm upset because I completely feel like I was scammed. However, am relieved that I found this out now rather than 18 years from now... as this is her expected life span. If I had kept her policy... and since the premiums go up every year with her age... I have saved approx $18000 on her policy.
I wish I had read the above comments prior to choosing OSPCA as my pups insurance company.
Absolutely defines why "insurance" companies look bad.
No attempt in trying to meet me half way or resolve the issue when I said I'd rather cancel my policy. The customer service supervisor said "well thank you for being with us, a confirmation of your cancellation will be mailed out"
All I can say is "wow"

I totally agree. Total SCAM! We got this policy for our 2 year old dog who's only complaint over 2 years was an ear infection after he had played roughly with another dog and got it scratched up and it got infected. Four months after we got the policy (a year after the ear infection) he got a horrible stomach rash which the vet said looked like possible seasonal allergies. They denied the claim (around $200) because they said the original ear infection was a possible sign of allergies! (news to me AND my vet)
After I started talking to my friends about my bad experience I discovered that my friend also got this policy for her puppy when he was 6 months old. Before he was six months old he managed to chew on a bar of soap (those puppies are quick) and vomit because he ingested it. When he was 1year (6 months after she got the policy) he was vomiting (they do not know the reason but there was no soap involved) and they said it was pre-existing! Wish I had known this before choosing this provider. They put everything down as pre-existing in order not to pay. Do NOT waste your money.

Submitted a claim over a year ago and was told it was a pre existing condition. I've had to file mounds and mounds of paperwork to get this rectified. It's been 14 months since the original claim and I'm STILL waiting. I call weekly now to see what's going on. No one seems to know what the hold up is.
The best part is when they upped the monthly fee in the middle of all this by $25 to "stay competitive". I can't even cancel the policy because now it actually will be a pre existing condition. SO frustrated with the way this is being handled. I would NEVER recommend this company.

This spca insurance is not even useful. This is bad insurance. They easy deduct money from the account and the time of claims so much asking of papers to submit. I have to submit 2 times of the same papers and still the claims is denied. I will not recommend this insurance. This is just waste of money. Sucking money from the policy holder and no benefits to claim after. Spca insurance in dorval oakville stop your operation because you are useless to people who are struggling money to pay insurance and at the end still no claim from the simple sickness of the pets. You are worse insurance ever. Aside of paying for this kind of insurance use the credit card to pay for hospitalization because it seems that paying for insurance plus hospitalization of dog means paying double as cost of expenses.

I had the premium unlimited plan with this insurance company for 2 years. It started out at $68/month, and my claims were taking approx. 24 days to process. Not bad, it was good for the first year, then at renewal the premium jumped to $78/month and as with all things insurance it always increases but never decease. The real change was in Sept 2016 when they changed to submitting claims online, which should make things quicker, but instead it got worse. Claims were taking 60+ days to be paid and on top of that they increased my premium to $123/month and did not notify me. I found out yesterday that not only did the premium increase in Sept, but they also decided to change from my credit card to taking the premiums from my checking account without my authorization. That was it for me, I'd be further ahead to take those premiums and put them in a tax free savings account. Not very honest or straight forward. I do not recommend this insurance company. Untrustworthy to say the least.

I'm having the exact same problem with this company! Claim my dog's condition is pre existing, denying important medication she needs and increasing our monthly premium to "match industry averages". Now I'm stuck with them because if I change insurance companies all her issues will ACTUALLY be pre existing. My vet has written letters, the rest of the staff has argued my claims with them, I've argued my claims with them. All I get are stall tactics!

I adopted two cats from EHS in June 2016, took the free 45 day OSPCA insurance. Upgraded shortly thereafter to insure that I had proper coverage for my kitten. I was told that 6 accidents were covered, ingestion of foreign objects being the main one. Wouldn't you know it, two months after I take out insurance, Bernadette Sassypants is vomiting, and really sick. I rush her to a vet, who in turn sends her to the Emergency Vet Clinic. After 48 hours of IV, x-rays, and an enema, the vet confirms she ate string and potting soil. I was relieved to have insurance, as the bill was over $1300. I filed everything, records and paid invoices. The wait of 45-60 days was tough as interest was accruing on my credit card. As the 60 day limit approached, I was emailed that medical records were requested. They were sent, the emergency hospital sent the records as well. Then I get an email that the claim is completed. I go online to the portal and see no amount paid out. I called them and was told my claim was denied. The reason? Richview Animal Clinic didn't send the records. I assured them that they were sent. And I blew up on the phone when they said the claim was denied for that reason. I threatened to sue them. That made the individual at OSPCA nervous. He was apologizing and saying the claim would be reopened. They called Richvew asking for the records again. But everything is in order, its plainly stated by the vet that Bernadette ate string and expelled it.

So, knowing that I had seen something on Facebook about issues others were having with the OSPCA, I went looking for it. And here it is. I called a lawyer to see if a suit can be launched. I will hear back from the law firm. After the scare, the money, the wait, and the denial of my claim, I can't say enough negative about OSPCA. This insurance is a joke. But I'm not done. Done with the insurance, but not the fight. If you got caught in this scam, you have my sympathy.

stay away from this company! I put a claim thru and it took them 3 months to re-imburse me, and only because I called to complain otherwise I don't know when I would have received it. Now I noticed they took more then they should have taken from my account without consent! When I called them they said that my 10 1/2 year old dogs premiums went up double. I didn't receive any notice to inform me of the increase. They should be shut down, they should not be allowed to do this to consumers! I'm sure they picked out all the senior pets and increased their policies so the consumer is stuck and can't really start up with a new policies at the dogs age with existing illnesses.
Vwey upset and disgusted!

I am waiting for a claim to be paid out that happened in May 2016. They didn't receive any paperwork from my vet, apparently, in that month. I thought everything was underway and know it takes at least 1.5 months to get a cheque in the mail. By early July, I remembered that I had not received a cheque for my claim. I contacted my vet to ask if they sent it in, they did, and they sent it again. Two weeks later, nothing had happened in my customer portal with the new claim, so I asked the vet if everything went through, it did and they sent it again. I contacted OSPCA through live agent chat and they had to search their faxes/email for the documents from my vet. They found it and managed to add it to my claim list to be paid out. This was August 2016 already, they told me (and I saved this chat log) that it would be paid in August. One day my claim finally made it to "in review". That was over a month ago. We are now nearing the end of September 2016. I've practically forgot about this claim, again. I used their contact feature on their website and sent through three requests. They responded within 24 hours to all my requests. They mentioned how they have 60 days to process and pay out our claims - their words. So basically I have another 3 weeks to wait. Oh and by the way, you can submit a claim, but they don't start counting down the 60 days until they actually manage to put it in the system...which is NEVER unless you hassle them!1

I have managed to get 100% reimbursed for all vet expenses (except the yearly check up). They used to be better at paying stuff out back in 2014 - still slow though. Back then, she was a little kitten with an eye infection, no way was there previous history of sickness.

I wanted to give you guys an update that it's been over 2 months now and my claim still has not been processed. I keep getting the same answer that it is "in review" and that they will "expedite it". Very frustrating to say the least. Does anybody know what the policy is? Eg. how long they have to review a claim? And what we can do if it's not completed within this timeframe?

I am willing to file a complaint! They are still stalling on paying a claim from December 2015. I have called 5 times and no one has resolved this issue

Hi, I am trying to get enough people with the same problem to file a complaint against OSPCA insurance. Basically, my premiums increased over 40% this year with the excuse that they have to be competitive with the market and their prices were too low to begin with. I want to call B*LL[censored] on them. I think it's an excuse because they had to pay for my dog's ultrasound last term for $750. I went to the Better Business Bureau and saw a few complaints from customers with the same issue. One customer had their premiums increased back in 2015 so why didn't mine double in price in 2015? Why is it only happening now that I had to submit a larger claim for $750?
The other issue is that, if they are collecting more money from us now, why do I still wait 40 mins on the phone to speak to someone? Why don't they spend that money on hiring more employees to answer their phones and more claims adjustors to process our claims. And why is it taking 45 days and counting for them to process my claim? Why are they using every excuse to stall the reimbursement? Is this a sign of a troubled company about to go out of business? Or just super smart money hagglers?
If everyone can write in their complaints on the Better Business Bureau regarding their premium increases year after year, the coverage level you have and if you've ever submitted any claims and the details of these claims ($ amounts) then maybe we can get some justice from this company! - or at least warn everyone else.

Lord, this company should be investigated. I have not had the experiences that are stated above, but I am in the middle of a small claim that is quite cumbersome to deal with. It has taken TWO MONTHS(!) and nothing is happening. I am on the verge of cancelling the policy regardless if I get my claim paid out or not. You are never able to talk to an adjuster and always get the same answers (likely auto-generated). I will not allow another premium to be charged to me until the claim is settled. I would advise pet owners to look elsewhere for insurance needs. There are too many flags that should make customers turn and run!

This company is IMPOSSIBLE to get through to! Denying claims is what they do best. When they do decide to pay it takes FOREVER! Take your business elsewhere.

Horrible experience, had coverage for my pet for couple of years with premiums being raised at least annually ~10% but then in May 2016 they DOUBLED the premiums for the highest level coverage which we had. As usually the rationale provided is to stay competitive in the market and to provide better service bla bla bla... This is where we drew the line and cancelled the policy. I'd never recommend this insurance company to anyone.

I adopted a dog from a shelter 3 years ago, she came with the introductory OSPCA insurance which I decided to continue. Three years ago I paid $660 including wellness, last year I paid $800 for the same plan and this year I got a bill for $1300.00 for the exact same plan...what will it be next year?The only claim I have ever submitted is for the wellness portion and this year it was denied because I went to the vet April instead of May. They base their claim for the yearly wellness NOT on the calendar year, but on the month and year you purchase the plan. So if you have bought your plan in the winter or fall, you should be fine but if you bought it in the spring/summer, their policy will determine when you can go for your shots.

Been a policy holder for one year had level 4 paying $56 per month referred 4 clients and this year we were told we have compared prices with other companies and we have adjusted rates to $115 per month ...ARE YOU KIDDING SCAM SCAM SCAM stay away

I agree these scam artists. Blame everything on preexisting conditions. Even after my vet sent multiple e-mails. Saying that there was no preexisting condition. Put your premium in a saving account for pet emergency. Bet you end up way ahead of the game. They should be shut down. Common thieves

They offered up a discount when I cancelled my policy and then sent me an email saying they have stopped the $100.00 per incident deductible. Don't fall for it! We are doing so much better depositing the monthly premium amount into our own pet care bank account. I can't believe this company is still in business!

I pay about $700 per year to purchase highest coverage for my now 2 years old dog which includes wellness up to $500 per year. Today, I paid three year premium. In May 2015, I went to a vet clinic for vaccination and a skin infection at the paws. The bill is $483. It took two months to receive a letter saying that the claim was denied due to that fact that the claim for July 2014 had been processed and settled. I called to clarify and they confirmed their mistake as they took the last year claim for review (ridiculous!). They confirmed my May 2015 bill was received and agreed to review again. After numerous phone calls for months, I August they told me a payment of $350 was approved and a cheque will be mailed to me in a few days. So on and so on ... Today (Sept. 15, 2015), I still see no cheque in the mail. Last week, I called they said they will review the claim again and asked me to wait for 3 to 5 business days. I am sure I call later they will tell me to wait in the mail. They use delay tactic to wear out their clients! I am tired! Conclusion, save your money with this pet insurance company.

OSPCA are just dishonest. I have been a customer for 3 years, and received a "re-issued policy due to corrections" today which basically included all conditions for my past vet visits as now being "coverage restrictions" therefore they are not going to pay the 5 invoices I have had outstanding since November, 2014. They told me today it takes 80 days for them to issue a cheque for repayment if of course they decide to pay at all. They claim everything to be a " pre-existing condition" to get out of paying, but promptly deduct the monthly premium from my account. Just a bunch of scammers!

I concur with all the statements above. This company labels everything a "pre-existing condition" and refuses to pay. I have 4 dogs insured under the plan. My collie became ill and was later diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Because she had had one two years previous, it was labelled as a pre-existing condition. Are you kidding me? It's a bacterial infection and the same as saying anyone who has ever had a cold has a pre-existing condition. Run, run, run from this company. SCAM!

Same here. I adopted a dog, had her for 2 years. I applied for OPSCA, sent them all her medical records and then 5 months later my vet diagnosed her with hypothyroidism. She needed bloodwork, meds and special food. Of course when I filed the claim, they said it was pre-exsisting!
I call BS.

I have been an OSPCA Insurance policy holder for 2 years. In July the company sent out a dire straits letter explaining that due to the rising costs of care they had no choice but to raise the premiums. Fine, it was just a few dollars, so what's the big deal.
What they didn't mention was that if you were to join the program today, the premiums have been drastically reduced. For ~$30/month a new client would get $10, 000 worth of coverage, I was paying the same amount for $2, 500. Again, the company just sent out a letter stating that rates HAD to increase. Hypocrisy!
So I learned the hard way that if I had called to complain about the premium increase in July, I would have been offered the $10, 000 coverage for the same price as a way to retain my business. After incurring unexpected vet bills totally over $6, 500, I was offered to upgrade to the unlimited policy for only $11/month more.
My claim was partially paid with little hassle, but they conveniently forgot to include the last whooper bill.
OSPCA Insurance is owned by PetCare, which they claim only happened a few months ago, but that is BS. Since I started my policy 2 years ago, my Visa statements all say - PETCARE. I just don't understand why PetCare's premiums are still up to 3 times the amount the OSPCA is offering.
If you received their increase letter, make sure you call them right now and complain. Better yet, go to their website first and see what the rate you are paying can get you today.

I have had the same issue with this company. After adopting a 2 year old cat from the Toronto Humane Society I decided that I should invest in the insurance since I have had two cats before that cost a lot of money (diabetes and thyroid problems). I thought I was going to be covering myself.

When I adopted him he had feline HIV (very common for cats that come from shelters). Also when I adopted him, he was covered by this exact insurance. I was given that 6 week trial period, to which I continued into a full plan at the end. He was taken to the vet 6 months later and was issued some medicine for the feline HIV. They told me this was preexisting of the insurance. However, for the entire time I have had him, he has been covered by the insurance.

Recently I had to take him in for his annual vaccinations. I got a letter back from them stating "Please be advised we are unable to respond to the portion of your claim for Titan's Annual Exam and Vaccine as per your selected policy terms and conditions, routine, elective and preventative care is not available for coverage". I looked to their website to understand why, it's only available if you select the unlimited insurance (I have coverage 1). However, it is my understanding that if I did not do the annual check ups and vaccines he would default for insurance (nice loop hole).

Continuing with his sickness - he required an enema, as well as some x-rays and some medicine and prescription food. I sent in claim of $216.97. After the deducible of $100.00 I got a cheque for $23.90. They claimed that his prescription food did not qualify "Please note that 75% of the prescription diet (Gastro) is represented in the declined amount "..."the insurer will not be liable for Food with the exception of 25% of the cost of prescription diet to a maximum of six consecutive months". So when you see food listed on the coverage, you should know that you will be paying 3/4 of it. ( see http://www.ospcainsurance.ca/pet-insurance-for-cats.asp)

I have had nothing but problems with this company. For the $30 I give them a month since April 2011 to when I had the incident in January 2012, I have paid $300. I could have paid the vet bill entirely with that money and avoided the hassle. I would NOT recommend this company to anyone with an animal.

I need to know Intro Insurace cover for my 2 dogs i just receive?

I got the insurance for my dog Lilly who has been generally healthy. I only had insurance for 3 months and I only had one claim not even 300 dollars. My claim is denied because I am not able to give this company all the medical records. I tried to get the medical records but not successful. I don't understand why do they need whole history of the pet to decide to pay a claim for an infection due to ingrown hair. I am very unhappy with this insurance company.