Pet insurance should make life easier, not harder. But too often, pet parents get frustrated — by small print, confusing claims, or cover that doesn’t work the way they expect.
At PetsOnMe Insurance, we’ve seen what goes wrong at the big-brand end of town… and built something simpler. Below we tackle Common Pet Insurance Complaints & Solutions
1. “My claim was denied for a pre-existing condition.”
Most insurers define a pre-existing condition as any sign, symptom or diagnosis that existed before your policy started. That can be tricky — even if your vet didn’t label it.
Fix: Get your pet covered early, ideally before any illness develops. At PetsOnMe, you can also request a pre-existing condition review to clarify what’s covered after waiting periods end.
2. “I didn’t realise there were sub-limits for consults.”
Some insurers quietly cap how much you can claim per vet consult. It means you could hit that cap fast — especially for specialists.
Fix: PetsOnMe has no sub-limit on consult fees, across all plans. See for yourself on our compare cover page.
3. “My premiums jumped at renewal.”
It’s one of the biggest complaints across the industry. Premiums often rise as your pet ages and vet costs climb.
Fix: Ask your insurer upfront how pricing is calculated. At PetsOnMe, we keep pricing transparent and give you tools to adjust — like changing your excess or plan type between our Accident, Classic and Deluxe options.
4. “I didn’t know about waiting periods.”
Every pet insurer has waiting periods to prevent claims for existing or recent issues. But not everyone makes them clear.
Fix: We spell out every waiting period in plain English in our PDS & FSG — and if you’re switching from another provider, we can often waive them when you’ve held cover for 12+ months.
5. “My claim took forever to be processed.”
We’ve all heard the horror stories: forms, vet notes, then weeks of waiting.
Fix: With PetsOnMe, most eligible claims are paid the next business day once we’ve got your documents. You can submit claims online in minutes via your pet portal.
6. “I couldn’t use my regular vet.”
Some providers have preferred networks, which can make finding a clinic harder — especially if you live regionally.
Fix: With PetsOnMe, you can visit any licensed vet in Australia — your local clinic or specialist. No networks. No restrictions.
7. “I thought dental cover was included.”
Dental illness is a common surprise exclusion across many policies.
Fix: At PetsOnMe, Deluxe plans include dental illness cover (annual limit applies). Because we know dental disease is a big part of your pet’s long-term health.
8. “Customer service was impossible to reach.”
No one wants to chase call centres when their pet’s unwell.
Fix: You can reach our team directly at 1300 489 873 or via our contact page — no robots, just real people who care about your pets.
9. “Too much fine print.”
Insurance contracts can feel like a maze of exclusions and definitions.
Fix: We cut the jargon and publish every detail upfront — including what’s not covered. Check our easy-to-read Dog Insurance page or Cat Insurance to compare.
10. “I didn’t know I could start a free policy from my breeder.”
Many pet owners don’t realise they’re eligible for free trial cover through their breeder.
Fix: If your pup came from one of our registered partners, you may already have 2 months free pet insurance. Just activate your policy and keep it going beyond the trial period for seamless cover.
Most pet insurance frustrations come down to two things — unclear information and slow service. PetsOnMe was built to fix both.
We’re upfront, Australian-owned, and focused on making pet cover as simple and fast as it should be.