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/li> 0 comments   It doesn't matter whether your cat is a Persian blue or more at home in an alley, pets are part of the family and no-one wants to see them suffer. However, there's no NHS for animals. If Fido or Puss is hurt in an accident or becomes ill, you are responsible for paying the vet's bill. And that can be very expensive. For example, the cost of an X-ray alone is around £160 and an overnight stay at the vet's could cost set you back £386. The most common knee injury suffered by dogs - a ruptured cruciate ligament - can cost anything from £500 to £2,500 in vet bills. Every year, one in eight cats and dogs under the age of three suffers from some form of medical condition, so it's important to get covered. Kittens: cute but do they really need insurance? What pet insurance covers It has been estimated that 40% of the cost of owning a dog goes towards unforeseen vet's bills but only 12% of the UK's 13m dog owners i

/li> 0 comments You couldn't help but feel sorry for Julie Pullman at first glance. She has had eight dogs and every single one of them suffered from a broken leg. But at least she was insured. The 40-year-old from Dorset successfully claimed a total of £37,000 to cover the cost of treating her animals. Brilliant, you might think. Except the dogs never suffered the injuries that she claimed they did, mainly because they never existed. Dog's life: Con artists are increasingly inventing claims to treat pets - who often do not even exist (Picture posed by model) Pullman is a convicted conwoman who is serving 38 weeks in  jail. She was sent to prison at the end of September after a court heard how she had systematically set about defrauding a pet insurance company. She not only invented the dogs and their injuries, but also drew up fake vets’ bills — even having a special stamp made up at a local stationery shop to make the invoices look official. In the end,

/li> 36 comments With more dogs and cats being bought at Christmas than any other time of year, insurance companies are busy promoting the benefits of pet cover. The market is highly profitable for companies selling the policies, but does this insurance stack up financially for the pet owners? Zoe Fox certainly thinks so. Her dog, Marley, likes to snack on things he shouldn’t. Usually this means small toys, which don’t cause a problem for the 18-month-old labrador. Unfortunately, one day it was a conker, and that was a problem. Four days later Marley was being uncontrollably sick. After a scan costing £600, the vet confirmed the conker was stuck in his gut and needed surgical removal. Zoe, 31, a physiotherapist from Batley, West Yorkshire, says: ‘The vet called and said, “We need to talk costs.” Pain relief: Zoe Fox was glad she didn't have to pay for expensive surgery that Marley needed after eating a conker ‘Luckily, I was able to say that  Marley was insure

/li> 5 comments Owners who insured their pets with Lloyds or Halifax and whose animals are receiving treatment are being urged to complain and demand compensation after the cover was withdrawn suddenly. Consumer campaigners say Lloyds Banking Group, which owns both brands, is leaving some insurance customers high and dry. They are calling on the Financial Services Authority to step in and order the State-owned bank to treat its customers fairly. Financial Mail revealed last October that the group was pulling out of the pet insurance market. But customers whose cats and dogs have medical problems are unable to get cover elsewhere because no insurer will cover a pre-existing condition. Worry: Julie Knox with Tasha and Jack, front, has complained over loss of cover These owners must choose whether to pay for their pet’s treatment, which could run into thousands of pounds – or make the grim decision to have the animal put down. Lloyds and Halifax pet policies were

/li> 4 comments My dog Robin had an operation a few months ago, which cost me hundreds of pounds. I tried to make a claim under my pet insurance with Argos to cover the cost, but I was turned down. Four years ago, Robin was given pills for a very minor ailment which I had totally forgotten about. But Argos argues both illnesses are linked and insists I should have disclosed this when renewing the policy. Even Robin’s vet says there is no link between the illnesses, but Argos won’t give way. M.W., Totnes, Devon. Dog operation: Argos won't pay out for my dog's operation (stock image) Happily, after we contacted Argos, the insurer confirmed it would meet your costs in full. It agrees it was wrong to refuse your claim and says that there is no evidence to suggest either condition was linked.   More... Pet insurance: what you need to know Pet owners urged to demand compensation It urges all customers to disclose previous health conditions when buy

/li> 10 comments Senior bosses at Lloyds have been ordered by an angry City regulator to ‘sort out’ the Halifax pet insurance fiasco that has led to dogs and cats being put down or handed over to rescue charities. Sources at Lloyds say the Financial Services Authority is ‘losing patience’ with the bank and demanding that it ‘gets a grip’ and provides ‘fair, reasonable solutions’. The crisis emerged last year when Lloyds abruptly stopped offering pet insurance through its Halifax and Lloyds brands. Nightmare: Gail Skinner, who had Halifax cover for Stitch, left, Phee and Kis, says she would struggle to pay vets' bills if the dogs became ill Existing policyholders whose animals suffer costly, ongoing conditions cannot now find alternative cover – and must pay cash for any treatments, or face having their pets put down. Insurance regulations include a broad principle relating to firms’ long-term commitments to consumers and it is believed this has prompted

/li> 4 comments I have two pedigree Scottish terrier dogs which I insure for £42 per month. Their cover is coming up for renewal, should I compare pet insurance in the same way that we compare providers of electricity, gas, house or car insurance? What criteria should I look for in a policy as I have always used the insurer that the breeder recommended? S.M, via email Barking mad: Should you buy pet insurance via a comparison website. We answer the question. [Picture posed by actors] Linda Mckay of This is Money replies: Given that you can now buy pet insurance from your breeder’s recommendation, your local supermarket or even a squiggly TV cartoon character it is worth considering what is on the market; how it best suits your needs as you have two pets and might be able to gain a multiple pet discount; the age of your dogs and if there are any pre-existing conditions. A quick online survey gave me price variations of between £4, £12 and £16 per month for some ba

/li> 15 comments Pet owners are being warned about insurance clauses which could invalidate their cover and allow insurers to wriggle out of potentially huge bills. In April, Sara-Leigh O’Shaughnessy's nine-year-old springer spaniel Poppy had 16 fits in one day and ended up in intensive care at her local veterinary hospital. The first thing Sara-Leigh did was ring her insurer Argos, who told her that Poppy was covered and that they could continue with the treatment. But now the insurer has wriggled out of paying, claiming epilepsy was a pre-existing condition, despite it never having been diagnosed with. No payout: Argos say that Poppy's condition was linked to previous fits Sara-Leigh's case highlights how pet owners should disclose any problems their animal has had, even if they have not been officially diagnosed, as otherwise insurers can find wriggle room to not pay bills. After Sara-Leigh rushed Poppy to the vet's in April, she needed to go

/li> 89 comments Insurance giant Churchill has told a pet owner it won't cover his bulldog - despite the breed being the firm's mascot. Call centre workers said 'Oh no, no, no' to Timothy Taylor when he tried to get his six-year-old Monty covered. Mr Taylor, 55, of Rothley, Leicestershire, said: 'It’s ironic that Churchill’s mascot is an old bulldog that says 'Ohhh yes'. Churchill Insurance has its famous 'nodding dog' for a mascot and logo but won't insure six-year-old Monty 'Bulldogs usually live to about 12 and Monty has just been given a clean bill of health by the vet, so he’s a pretty safe bet for insurance. 'In the end I got a very good deal elsewhere,' he told The Sun. Churchill said it does insure bulldogs, but rejected Monty because he is over the maximum age for new policies.   More... 'He's slow, deaf and blind and his breath smells like a sewer... but I love him': A foreign correspondent

/li> 0 comments New clause: Pet owners are increasingly required to have written permission to put down their animal Pet owners who have to go through the heartbreak of having their beloved pooch put down are being refused payouts because they failed to get the green light from their insurers. The independent Financial Ombudsman Service has warned that insurers are increasingly writing clauses into policies instructing owners of larger and more valuable animals that they require written permission to put down their animal. Owners can still have their pet put to sleep in an emergency, but afterwards the insurer retains the right not to pay out if it judges the animal could have received alternative treatment. The trend came to light after a surge in complaints to the ombudsman. Campaigners fear that animals may be left to suffer while insurers and policyholders wrangle over cover. In one case, an owner whose pony was put to sleep because it was diagnosed with a de

/li> 18 comments With households budgets squeezed tighter than ever some people have found new ways to make extra cash in the run up to Christmas. One This is Money reader has revealed how a little bit of money saving work throughout the year allowed her to buy £500 worth of presents for just £100.  Heather Morris, who lives in Wales with her three year old daughter, does market research online to earn extra cash throughout the year to provide some extra money to spend at Christmas. Heather from Wales takes money saving to a new level: She managed to spend just £100 on £500 worth of presents this year Heather, 29, earns the majority of cash through market research websites. This year, she earned £80 on ShopandScan – a website which pays members for scanning in their shopping each week.   More... Amazon is ranked best online Christmas shopping experience as retail websites close doors to last-minute shoppers You can take back granny's Christmas jumper: What t

/li> 18 comments Hundreds of eBay users have flocked to the auction website to sell their unwanted Christmas presents. One love-scorned user listed three presents from her ex-boyfriend, without even unwrapping them first, in a one-day auction on the website. eBay member, treasure*seaker, said: ‘It's a 1 day auction as I just want them gone. I have no idea what's in them but they are from a scumbag ex who thinks presents will win me over!!’ Case of the ex: One eBay seller has listed three Christmas presents from an ex-boyfriend that have not been opened in a Boxing Day clear out. She added: Needless to say, he's wrong. Must have been wrapped by someone else as he's not clever enough to have done them.’ Over 350 eBay sellers have listed gifts on the website under the term ‘unwanted Christmas presents’ as thousands of shoppers head out to brave the high-street sales. Many of the items listed on eBay are unopened - which means those bidding on the good

/li> 38 comments Christmas is over and you're already worried about your finances in the New Year? Well, don't fret because This is Money has five ways to help cut your bills in 2013. All worn out: The stress and bustle of Christmas is over so what about your finances in 2013 - we have the answers. Switch bills If you’ve never switched energy companies before, then you could save up to £364 by moving to a different supplier, according to comparison website Energy Helpline. You can use the This is Money fuel finder to compare prices. How to switch energy bills: a quick and easy guide As well as switching energy suppliers you might also consider finding a cheaper home phone, broadband an TV deal – do you need your current package or is there a way to swap and save money? Remember, will have to be outside of the minimum term of your contract before you can leave without paying a fee. You could also save money by switching all three of the services to one su

/li> 103 comments Sign up to more than one cashback website to ensure you always get the best reward possible. Each site tends to agree its own exclusive deals with retailersDon't shop somewhere just because you can earn cashback by doing soDouble up your cashback by spending on a credit card that also pays money back to you Like most families with three young children, Richard and Lucy Gilliard are always on the look-out for easy ways to save some money. They have used credit cards that give cash back on their purchases and they cut out vouchers to use in the supermarket. So, when they heard about new websites that combined these two perks, they signed up. Six years on and this gamble has made them £7,000 richer. 'USING CASHBACK WEBSITES SAVED ME THOUSANDS'  Enlarge   Smart saver: Louise Bye shops online and gets cash back from her purchases, which has been handy for Christmas shopping. Mother of two Louise Bye, 39, has had an account with Quidc

/li> 17 comments Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Wine specialist Oddbins is giving five groups of people – mums, bankers and journalists, Germans and gingers – a discount through weekends in January, in a fresh twist on money-off promotions. In a ‘love letter’ to shoppers on its blog announcing the stunt, it said it wanted to give something back to gr

/li> 15 comments Another year, another present disaster! Without going into embarrassing details I have been given the weirdest, the wackiest and possibly the most unwanted gifts for Christmas over the years. This time the highlight was a rubbish bin! So my New Year resolution is to turn my unexpected gifts into most needed cash for January. Can you help with the best ways to turn my presents into something I can use? Via email Time for giving: If you're unhappy with your Christmas gifts there are options - we explain how to make money in January. Linda Mckay of This is Money replies: Oh haven’t we all been there with cries of ‘Just what I wanted’ when in actual fact it is just what you didn’t want – or expect. So now, without sounding ungrateful in the season of giving here are our options for recycling for 2013. We could start with the site we have all heard of: eBay. If you have ever tried in the past to sell something online, this may have been your first p

/li> 10 comments Cashback provider TopCashback has launched a partnership with supermarket Tesco to allow users to convert the cash rewards they have built up into Clubcard points - potentially increasing their value several times over. To get maximum value out of the deal users must abide by the rules of the Tesco scheme - but for hardcore money savers there could be plenty of value to be had. As with other cashback providers, TopCashback gives shoppers a percentage of their money back on online purchases when they are made through its system. Rewards: TopCashback customers can now exchange their cashback for Tesco Clubcard points, giving them the opportunity to more than double their money. Normally, customers transfer the money they earn into a bank or PayPal account. Alternatively, TopCashback users can choose to convert the money into Amazon or Love2shop vouchers with 5 per cent extra added on top. The Tesco tie-up allows users to add yet another laye

/li> 3 comments Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Would you be happy to forward marketing emails for discount offers to friends if it meant you got more money off yourself? In a first among group-buying websites, Wowcher is hoping to persuade its users to help spread its marketing emails among their friends via social media with the offer of points that

/li> 11 shares 3 comments A date has traditionally been a chance to impress by splashing out, but it seems singletons are shaking off the stigma around money-saving and opting for cut-price methods to woo potential partners. One cashback website has reported that an increasing proportion of its members are willing to produce a discount voucher to reduce the cost of a first date. And their choice of venue also shows signs of thrift. TopCashback.co.uk revealed the three most popular discount codes from the week beginning 7 February - when many couples made plans for Valentine’s Day - were a 20 per cent off voucher for Frankie & Benny’s followed by 20 per cent off all food at Harvester and three courses for £12.95 discount at Pizza Express. Discount dating: Frankie & Benny's has proved popular with dating couples. It said that it is now common practice for cash strapped would-be couples to use discounts vouchers on a date - with a third of its

/li> 9 shares 27 comments Savvy shoppers who research items in-store and then buy them cheaper elsewhere are having a significant negative impact on high street retailers, a new report has claimed. Almost 70 per cent of people in the UK admit to ‘showrooming’ - using stores as a way to view or try items, but not buy them, according to research by global research firm TNS. Over half of showroomers admitted using their mobile to conduct price comparisons with rival retailers or to take a photo to help them decide on a purchase. Classic showrooming: The practice is when shoppers try out a product in-store before buying online, often using their mobile phone to record information. The tactic is leaving traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers in the position of becoming merely 'loss-making display cabinets', the researchers said. Government figures out yesterday showed that the UK economy has avoided a triple-dip recession, growing by 0.3 per cent between

/li> 40 comments Diagnosed with cancer? Burgled in the night? In such awful circumstances, you would hope your insurance company would settle your claim swiftly. Don’t bet on it. At Money Mail we have been inundated with your stories of insurers wriggling out of paying claims. Lauren Thompson investigates. 'Our young son's illness should be covered': Case study below 'Our son's illness should be covered' Dan and Alissa Ellis, from East Sussex, have been given the heartbreaking news that their four-year-old son Arthur has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This is a type of muscle degeneration that results in difficulty walking and breathing, making it likely Arthur will be wheelchair-bound by the age of ten. The couple, pictured with Arthur and their other children Poppy, ten, Hector, nine, and six-year-old Lola, have been paying Scottish Provident £160 a month since 2005 for a critical illness policy. This is supposed to pay out £20,000