Frequently asked questions

The key information required to complete your claim form is:

1. Policy number
2. Your contact details
3. Your pet’s details
4. Your pet’s full clinical history where applicable
5. Relevant invoices or receipts where applicable

And please don’t forget that you must sign and date the form.

This is the amount you must pay towards the cost of your pet’s treatment for each illness or injury you claim for. For our Premier and Premier Plus plans the excess will be applicable in each policy year. Your excess amount is shown on your Certificate of Insurance.

We aim to settle 90% of our claims within five days of receiving a completed claim form. In some circumstances, for example where we require additional information, it may take a little longer.

Please rest assured, we will never penalise you for making a claim which helps to care for your pet’s health. The amount you pay is in no way connected to any claim you need to make on your policy. To put this into context, if you have two pets of the same breed and age, you will pay the same premium for both, even if one pet has claimed every year and the other has managed to avoid illness or injury.

We know how busy our pets can keep us, so we give you plenty of time to make a claim. You have 12 months from the point of the illness or injury taking place in which to submit a claim; this will be based on the start date of the treatment.

Payment will be issued by cheque usually within 5 days following assessment. It can take anything up to 10 working days for a claim payment to be received. Alternatively we can pay your vet directly. We aim to settle 90% of our claims within five days of receiving a completed claim form.

We can pay most veterinary practices directly so you can focus entirely on helping your pet get better. Simply ask your vet if they are happy to receive payment directly from us and, if so, please indicate this on your Veterinary Fees claim form under Section 3, General Information, Payee Details, by ticking ‘Please pay vet’. The payment will be net of any excess.

We are unable to make payments directly in to your bank account.

Payments will be net of any excess. Your excess amount will be deducted from any claim payment made to you or your vet. Payments can be made either to yourself by cheque, or your nominated vet by cheque or BACS.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your claim, please call us and we’ll be happy to discuss this with you. Alternatively, you can write to us at the following address:

Springbells's Pet Insurance
2537 Mayfield Road
Oxford, OX2 7DY, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

If you feel that your claim has been wrongly assessed please call us, and we’ll advise you on the next steps in our reassessment process. 

We accept claims from any Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) registered veterinary practice. You can check whether your practice is registered by visiting the RCVS website. Alternatively, you can ask the veterinary practice direct.

Yes, you can claim for two conditions on one claim form.  If you are claiming for more than two conditions at a time, you will be required to complete another claim form. To simplify this process for you and your vet, our claim forms indicate which questions need to be completed for continuous claims.

Any treatment that your pet receives needs to be signed off by your vet. The signed claim form is a declaration from them that the treatment is necessary and has occurred. As not all treatment will happen at once, multiple claim forms may be required.

Before taking out insurance with us for your dog or cat, you must tell us about any previous conditions or treatment they have had. Though your pet’s previous clinical history will not affect your premium amount, like all other pet insurance companies, illnesses and injuries suffered before you start your pet’s insurance will unfortunately not be covered.

Any exclusions placed on your policy will be clearly stated on your Certificate of Insurance. You should check this when you take out your policy to ensure you know what is and what is not covered for your pet.

Your insurance policy provides cover for new illness or injury that your pet has not previously suffered from, or been diagnosed with, before your insurance started. By having a full clinical history for your pet, we can confirm the cover that we can provide for a particular claim.

The Veterinary Fees section of your pet insurance policy provides veterinary treatment for illness and injury. Although we appreciate that some owners opt to have their pet spayed / neutered, this is not defined as your pet becoming ill or suffering an injury and needing treatment in either instance.

We need your fully completed claim form. You may also need to supply any relevant invoices or receipts, as well as your pet's full clinical history, where applicable.
 
Remember to sign and date the form. For veterinary fees claims, your vet must sign and date the form as well.

If you need to change or update your policy for any reason, our Customer Service team will be happy to help. Call us and we'll address this.

Renewal documents will be sent to you by post 7 –10 working days before your policy renewal date.

If you need to change or update your policy for any reason, our Customer Service team will be happy to help.

No changes or updates required

If you pay by Direct Debit, you don’t need to do anything; we’ll automatically renew your policy unless you call to advise us otherwise. If you don’t pay by Direct Debit, and would like to renew your policy, we give you 14 days from receiving your renewal documents to make your payment. If you do not want to renew your policy with us for any reason, you should call us before your renewal date to let us know.

If you’d like to cancel your policy, you can do so, with no cancellation fee, at any point during the policy year by calling our Customer Service team, or by sending written confirmation to the address below.

If you cancel your policy within 14 days of first purchase or renewal, you will receive a refund of any payment already made during that policy year. If you cancel after this 14 day period you will still be eligible for a refund, however this is subject to terms and conditions.

Our address is:

Springbells's Pet Insurance
2537 Mayfield Road
Oxford, OX2 7DY, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

By complementary treatment, we mean; Acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy and osteopathy. All treatments must be carried out by a registered veterinary practice or by a member of our recognised associations.

With Springbells's Pet Insurance, you can insure up to six pets on one policy, regardless of their species (cat or dog), cover level (Standard, Premier or Premier Plus), or additional cover options. This means you will have just one policy number and one renewal date to remember.

Even better, the more pets you insure the more money you save! You’ll be entitled to a discount of $1 per pet per month; for example, if you have a policy with three pets you will receive a $36 discount in your policy year.

Your details will be stored on our computer system to administer your policy but will not be kept any longer then necessary. All data is handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act (DPA). We can only discuss your personal details with you or a named person specified by you.

We may share your details with other insurance companies, directly or through a number of databases. This allows us to check information you give us and also helps us prevent fraud.