There is no such thing as a stupid question – but there is such a thing as funny questions!
If you’re looking for a giggle (and some clarity) here are the most frequently asked, but also funny questions or other things we’ve heard at Oneplan Pet Insurance.
As a popular pet insurance company in South Africa, we truly have heard it all!
At Oneplan, we pride ourselves on being open and honest communicators, which is maybe why people feel so comfortable asking us anything. We know that not everybody understands pet insurance – and why would you need to until you get a pet?
For any new pet parents out there or for people who just can’t wrap their heads around pet insurance, we’ve put together our answers for strange but frequently asked funny questions we get!
“Why would you get pet insurance for your pet? Like really?!”
This is a common question and we can understand it, to a certain extent.
Some people believe in the misconception that pet insurance is some fancy, luxurious addition that people only have when they want to throw their money around. Honestly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
For pet owners, pet insurance is not so much a luxury as it is a necessity. It’s actually designed for people who cannot afford the exorbitant costs of caring for a sick (and a healthy) pet.
Healthcare for pets is expensive – more expensive than the majority of people can even afford.
If you need further convincing, we would recommend checking out this blog: 9 most common pet insurance claims (and what they cost)
“Why not just save money every month in your own bank account?”
Well, you could. If you have a bank account that magically fills up every time you take money out.
That’s the catch with using your savings: once they’re gone, they’re gone. Some people will have a savings account dedicated to pet care and this MAY work for families who successfully deposit a sizable amount each and every month, and who have the capacity to keep doing this until the end of their pet’s life.
But hear us out: You have a dog called Teddy. Teddy goes for a routine check-up which costs you about R1500. That’s fine, you have enough in your savings. That same month, Teddy swallows a bird. That procedure (known as foreign body removal) sets you back R10 000. You don’t have enough in your savings – so you need to dip into another bank account.
The post-operative therapy costs you another R2000. The savings account means pretty much nothing at this stage – and you still need to think of adding to it next month in case something like this happens again.
“My dog is very healthy, he doesn’t need this”
Yes, your dog is healthy TODAY. That doesn’t mean your dog will be healthy tomorrow.
Now we don’t like to sell our product by being doom and gloom – we aren’t into scare tactics. But we are in touch with reality and the reality is that bad things do happen.
Plus, pet insurance isn’t just for sick pets! It’s for healthy pets who need to stay healthy. Routine care and regular visits to the vet are JUST as important as emergency pet care – if not more!
Regular care is preventative care, and that is the best way to make sure your pet is well taken care of.
“Do you pay out a lump sum if my pet dies?”
Pet insurance is similar to health insurance or medical aid, but they obviously have key differences. One of them is that no, you do not receive money or life insurance if your pet passes away.
The legalities behind this are that your pet does not earn an income or support you financially, so their death will not leave you in a compromising financial position.
If your pet dies, we offer you cremation and burial cover. If they’re very sick and beyond veterinary care, we also offer cover for medically justifiable euthanasia.
For more info, read this: Does Pet Insurance Cover the Loss of a Pet?
“Pet insurance is a scam. They never want to pay”
If that was the truth, we would all be in jail.
Pet insurers can’t NOT pay you for what is outlined in your policy and within your limits. The people who believe this are more often than not people who haven’t read their policy properly or have missed paying premiums.
We aren’t here to scam you – we’re here to help you and more importantly, to help your precious pet.
We hope that our answers helped you out in some way, and that these funny questions and statements made you chuckle- and if they didn’t help you out, we’re only a phone call away!
Yours in affordable pet insurance,
Oneplan
