PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd.

Upon receipt of this inquiry, we carefully reviewed the issues raised by our customer.     The policy is a 12 month policy that automatically renews each year.  A new policy packet for the upcoming term was provided to the customer, along with notice of a rate increase and...

new underwriter for the policy. With a new underwriter, the products were evaluated, which did result in a rate increase to more accurately reflect the value of the coverage. This information was provided in August 2016, more than 60 days in advance of the new term set to begin on October 19, 2016, to provide the customer ample advance notice of the changes and give her an opportunity to contact us with questions or take other actions.    Based on the customer’s letter, we reviewed the account.  We were not able to locate where she withdrew her previous authorization to bill her payment method on file, nor was there a request to cancel or select a different coverage.  With no direction from the customer otherwise, per the notice, the payment method was automatically billed on  October 19, 2016 for the new plan period. Finally, the customer referenced a claim that was recently submitted.  We reviewed the claim in question and confirmed that it was processed accurately.  A large portion was not eligible because it was for wellness treatment which is not covered under the policy terms and another portion was applied to the annual deductible. We will again reach out to the customer to discuss her concerns.[redacted] Customer Solutions Specialist[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  Any resolution is better than none as this has completely frustrated me with their claims handling process.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because I have never received any renewal package nor agreed to policy extension.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted].  They have also directly contacted me regarding this matter, and we were able to resolve the issue.  Thank you so very much for your assistance with this matter.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

After I found these unauthorized charges, I called 24 petwatch to cancel in earlierin February,  the first week I think. And they were argumentative,  and shows how deceptive they are, I got off the phone thinking it eas cancelled,  and your response from them says they are canceling it now....I am guessing the pet shelter I adopted my dog from enrolled me in this without my knowledge. I have never used their services and want these unauthorized charges credited back.
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent experience with us. Please be advised that we did receive a completed claim form, invoice #[redacted] for $31.46, invoice #[redacted] for $66.34, invoice [redacted] for $10.25, invoice #[redacted] for $12.88 and medical records with the customer’s third submission on July 13th, 2016.
As per the selected policy terms and conditions:
Section 8 – How To Claim We will write to You with our decision within 60 days after submission of a completed claim form and supporting documentation We have contacted the customer via phone to review all claims submitted and processed.
On our path to delivering the best customer experience possible, Pethealth has made changes to our processes, both internal and external. We are proud to say that our latest development, our self-serve Customer Portal has already seen major improvements to the claim submission process. The Customer Portal allows you to submit your claims and check on their status. We encourage the customer to visit www.mypethealth.com for any future claims.
[redacted]
Customer Solutions Manager [redacted]
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent claims and service experiences.    On July 4, 2016 the customer submitted a claim form and invoice to us.  Unfortunately, the necessary medical records were not provided; therefore, we did not have sufficient...

information to process the claim.  In order to successfully process a claim, and as per the customer’s policy Terms and Conditions, a full claim includes: a completed claim form, an itemized invoice and complete medical records.   We reached out to the customer’s veterinary clinic in an attempt to obtain the missing medical records. They were able to assist and send us all necessary information.   On July 14, 2016 the customer’s claim for Hyperthyroidism and Acute Renal Failure were completed. The client will receive reimbursement in the amount of $274.18 via check.    We would also like to address the customer’s concerns about our business and customer service. 24PetWatch is a Pethealth Inc. company with a head office located in Ontario, Canada with a second office operating in Illinois. The NY address that appears online is for a P.O. box made available to our customers in the United States wishing to mail documents to us. This location allows for easy mail transportation between the US and Canada.   From time to time, we experience a spike in call volume that is difficult to anticipate. We apologize for any delays in reaching our customer service team. The Live Chat option is increasingly popular, and while we encourage our customer’s to explore this option, it will also see a higher demand from time to time. When operators of Live Chat are all assisting other customers, the option to contact us this way is removed on the website. There is already a plan in place at 24PetWatch to help us better meet this demand.   Thank you for reaching out and providing your feedback.   [redacted] Customer Solutions Manager [redacted]
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer recent claim experience. We would like to clarify that we did not receive a claim from the customer in January 2016. The customers claim for Foreign Body Ingestion was received on April 25th, 2016 and processed on April 26th, 2016 and reimbursement in the amount of...

$53.20 was made via check [redacted] As per the customers selected policy terms and conditions: Section 8 – HOW TO CLAIM All claims for an active Policy must be submitted within 90 days of Treatment being given, unless state or provincial law provides for a shorter or longer period. We have reassessed the invoices previously declined for late claim submission in the amount of $958.79 and reimbursement has been made in the amount of $651.77 has been made to the customer. In the future we would like to encourage the customer to reach out to our customer care team regarding any concerns they may have with regards to their policy or claims. Our customer care team can be reached at [redacted] option 3. [redacted] Customer Solutions Manager [redacted]
[redacted]

I have had this insurance for my cat since I adopted him more than 7 years ago. The cat has been healthy so I have not needed to use the insurance. I received a letter in October 2016 stating that my current insurance would be discontinued and to ensure continuity with coverage they provided me with options. All options were at least 4 times the amount I am currently paying. I did a lot of shopping and comparison, which included [redacted]. I called [redacted] to confirm the information on the letter (2 separate calls with 2 different representatives, I figured it could not be right). They confirmed the pricing and even agreed that it was an outrageous increase. They quoted me policies on the phone as if the cat was a brand new client. This is the same cat that they have been insuring for the past 7+ years! They were the most expensive provider from the 10 that I looked (half of them better rated than [redacted]). They argue that the coverage was enhanced and therefore the price increase. As I reviewed the coverage, the only change introduced was reimbursement changing from 70% to 80%, everything else was the same. I am sorry, this does not justify increasing a policy price 400%!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent claims and service experiences. 

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On July 4, 2016 the customer submitted a claim form and invoice to us.  Unfortunately, the necessary medical records were not provided; therefore, we did not have sufficient information to process the claim.  In order to successfully process a claim, and as per the customer’s policy Terms and Conditions, a full claim includes: a completed claim form, an itemized invoice and complete medical records.
 
We reached out to the customer’s veterinary clinic in an attempt to obtain the missing medical records. They were able to assist and send us all necessary information.
 
On July 14, 2016 the customer’s claim for Hyperthyroidism and Acute Renal Failure were completed. The client will receive reimbursement in the amount of $274.18 via check. 
 
We would also like to address the customer’s concerns about our business and customer service. 24PetWatch is a Pethealth Inc. company with a head office located in Ontario, Canada with a second office operating in Illinois. The NY address that appears online is for a P.O. box made available to our customers in the United States wishing to mail documents to us. This location allows for easy mail transportation between the US and Canada.
 
From time to time, we experience a spike in call volume that is difficult to anticipate. We apologize for any delays in reaching our customer service team. The Live Chat option is increasingly popular, and while we encourage our customer’s to explore this option, it will also see a higher demand from time to time. When operators of Live Chat are all assisting other customers, the option to contact us this way is removed on the website. There is already a plan in place at 24PetWatch to help us better meet this demand.
 
Thank you for reaching out and providing your feedback.
 
[redacted]
Customer Solutions Manager
[redacted]
[redacted]

Our pet insurance policies provide our customers with access to the best possible care for their pets, and enable them to have peace of mind knowing that they can rely on our products throughout the duration of their pets’ lives is of the utmost importance to us.As mentioned in the letter that the customer received, we have recently changed underwriters in the United States. With this change, our product offering was reviewed and it was determined that our previous underwriter’s policies would no longer be available. For our customers who are currently on these policies, we suggested a comparable product to the coverage they previously had that would be underwritten by our new carrier, The [redacted] Insurance Company. The customer’s current policy offers fully comprehensive coverage with lifetime limits where our new products offer fully comprehensive coverage with renewable limits each policy term.As per the customer’s selected policy terms and conditions:                Section 9 – Our Service to You                NOTICE OF CHANGE                We reserve the right to make any changes to the Policy upon notice,                including but not limited to Rates, Premiums, Fees, Coverage, Exclusions,                Maximum Benefit Amounts, Deductibles, and/or Co-payment. If we increase                Your renewal premium, or make a change to Your Policy we will mail or fax or                email written notice of our offer to renew 60 days before the effective date                of the change. Notice will be delivered to Your last known contact details on                file.If the customer wishes to continue coverage for their pets, they can contact our Customer Solutions Department to accept our renewal offer.  If the customer accepts the offered product, we can continue to provide coverage for any ongoing conditions that were eligible under the customer’s current policy.Unfortunately, we cannot provide a refund of premiums collected as coverage was available to the customer since their inception date in 2006; the customer has also been paid for claims submitted while their pet was covered under their policy.We encourage the customer to reach out to us and are committed to working with the customer to help them understand their renewal options.  [redacted]            Customer Solutions Specialist[redacted]
[redacted]

I received a notice in the mail on November 26th that my [redacted] insurance policy for [redacted] had been canceled. The effect date of cancellation was 11/4/16. No explanation, just canceled.
I called [redacted] on Monday morning thinking maybe my credit card information had expired and I needed to update the information and get [redacted]’s account reinstated. What I found out was shocking. I have read other complaints on this site and I am not the only one who is living this experience.
According to [redacted] all customers were sent a mailing notifying them that their policy would be discontinued and they would need to sign up for a new policy. I never received this information in the mail or via email. Even if I had received this notification I would have been sick to see that I was now being offered a new policy, with different coverage, at a senior rate which is triple the amount I have been paying. So after eleven years with this insurance company they have dumped the [redacted] policy and my dog. They will reply that they have new underwriters and this is what was recommended to bring their company up to date and in line with today’s pricing. It’s a lot of blah, blah, blah from a big insurance company that figured out a way to discriminate against the older clients that they did not want to cover anymore. This was very underhanded and heartless of the administration/board members of [redacted]. Long time policy holders should have been grandfathered into a new policy at a slight increase in rate.
Somehow I think those of us with senior pets were accidently on purpose left off the mass mailing that went out. I would never have ignored a mailing from [redacted] because I have a claim with them and am still awaiting reimbursement, hence when this envelope arrived I opened it immediately.
My calls to customer service solutions only informed me of what had transpired with an offer to sign up for the new policy at $106.86 a month. Spoke with another service rep who researched other options which came back with very minimal coverage at double my monthly payment.
Today I was checking my bank account to see when the last payment was withdrawn from my account and as I was online a pending withdrawal from [redacted] popped up for $106.86. Back on the phone, I was talking with a customer service solutions to remove that charge from my account immediately. Somehow [redacted] activated a new account for me without my approval and charged me. So, the service rep had to cancel my already canceled policy and put through a credit to my bank which unfortunately will take five to seven days. REALLY!!!!
So, my twelve year old Katrina rescue [redacted] who has been the healthiest dog I have ever owned (thank God) is now uninsured at the age of 84 (human years) because executives decided an eleven year old policy was obsolete (too much coverage with too low a premium).
Now get ready for the blah, blah, blah response from [redacted]. The Revdex.com will say their reply makes total sense and clear the complaint. It doesn’t matter if we received the mailing or email in advance, this was a dirty, underhanded thing to do to long time customers. I will never use pet insurance again and will spread the word to anyone I know who owns a pet.
Please post a comment if you have been affected by this scam!

After attempts to contact the customer to discuss their concerns and coverage, our Veterinary Advisor reviewed the claims and medical history on file for [redacted]t.  As per the selected policy terms and conditions: “In the event of any disagreement between the Insured and the Insurer, the matter will be referred to our Veterinary Advisor.” Based on this review, we have reassessed the customer’s claim submitted in the amount of $352.00 under Infectious Disease coverage due to the nature of the treatment provided for the condition.  A portion of the customer’s claim was applied toward the $200 deductible; reimbursement is being paid in the amount of $152.00 via check. We take our customers’ feedback very seriously as we are constantly looking to improve our product and service offerings.     [redacted] Customer Solutions Manager [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent claim experience.   On April 26th, 2016 we received a completed claim form, paid invoices and medical records for treatment on April 21st, 2016 and April 26th, 2016. As this was the first claim that we had received for [redacted] we...

do require his full medical records in order to be able to process the submitted claim.   As per the customer’s selected policy Terms and Conditions: Section 8 – HOW TO CLAIM Your Pet’s complete medical history/records are required to process Your claim.   On May 24th, 2016 we emailed the customer to request the additional medical records. On May 25th, 2016 the client called and advised that the clinic would be faxing us the required medical records, however no records were received. On May 27th, 2016 the clinic called to advise that they would be sending in medical records. The records received were for the April treatment dates only. Since full medical records were not received, the claim was completed and declined until the full medical history could be obtained.   We contacted the [redacted] Animal Hospital and requested and received full medical records on June 15th, 2016.   The customers claim was reassessed on June 15th, 2016 and reimbursement of $535.31 was made via check.   [redacted] Customer Solutions Manager [redacted]
[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent experience. We have provided the customer with a credit for the overdraft fees incurred to their method of payment. This credit was to be applied towards her next month’s premium.  Unfortunately, due to a system error this...

credit was not applied. We are in the process of investigating this situation further and will ensure that a resolution is provided to our customer in a timely manner. We have reached out to the customer to extend our sincerest apologies for the error. [redacted]         Customer Solutions Specialist[redacted]

We apologize for the customer’s disappointment with their recent experience.  The customer spoke with a representative on June 22, 2015 and signed up for our 24PetWatch Essential Policy, effective June 23, 2015.  On this call, the customer was read a checklist indicating the customer’s...

policy will continue to run until the policy holder contacts us to advise otherwise.  Each renewal the customer would have received policy documents which also indicate the policy will automatically renew unless the customer mentions otherwise.  As per the customer’s selected policy terms and conditions:    Section 9 – Our Service to You    POLICY RENEWAL    Upon each anniversary date of the Policy Term, the Policy and payment method will be extended for a further Policy Term, subject to and in consideration of the receipt of          premium, unless we are advised otherwise by You, in writing. Prior to expiration of the Policy Term, We will provide notice to you with full details of Your next year’s Policy premium, deductible and co-payment and any other changes to the Policy for Your renewed term.        We did not receive any communication from the customer about cancellation until their call on January 27, 2017; where the customer was advised we can cancel the policy; however, it would be moving forward.  As per the customer’s selected policy terms and conditions:        Section 10 – Your Right to Cancel    Please note the following with respect to cancelling Your Policy;    2. If You cancel Your Policy, We will refund You any unearned premium paid subject to the retention of a minimum of one month premium as soon as practicable.We have cancelled the customer’s policy effective February 22, 2017 and no further premiums will be charged to them.  The customer will receive a cancellation letter in the mail.  There has been no information submitted to the credit bureau regarding the customer’s account.We take our customers’ feedback very seriously as we are constantly looking to improve our product and service offerings.[redacted] Customer Solutions Specialist[redacted]
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  Although they've now refunded the money for the cancelled policy which was posted June 8th, 2016 and paid out the claim I want it noted that it wasn't until the media became involved that they willingly paid out the claim.  I am adamant that they not be able to close this claim and continue to have an A+ rating when the only reason they eventually paid out the claim was under the pressure  and scrutiny of the Revdex.com and the advocacy of [redacted] from [redacted]   I honestly believe that they made every effort to delay paying out our claim using stalling tactics pressuring the consumer into either giving up on the claim or in the case of some consumers being unable to support their claim with the paperwork as we did.  Although they still claim that they did not have all the supporting records and documentation in their response and that it wasn't until they called our vet in June that they were able to have the necessary documentation to adjust our claim and eventually pay it out, our vet has a date stamped facsimile showing that they sent the information to 24Hour Pet Watch previously, which demonstrates their dishonesty.  I question whether just because they've now paid out the claim that they should now be able to retain an A+ rating with the Revdex.com considering the documentation we have in place to support their dishonesty.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11944706, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I just do not understand wny you would apply the 26. and some odd cents towards a deductible on a urinary tract infection, which is NOT a continuing condition, but a treatable passing condition that is 100% CURED with antibiotics, which is the reason for the medication?
Sincerely,
Rosemary Ginko