Price of loving a pet

WHEN our cat Boots died a few years back, I was tearful for days.

It was devastating to think that he would no longer be there to greet me (usually with a cold stare) when I walked through the door.

So I have a lot of sympathy for the people we feature on pages 39, 40 and 45, whose pets are an important part of their families.

But now it seems that some vets and insurers may be exploit-ing the close bond between Brits and their pets.

Treatment bills can easily run into thousands of pounds for what often seem like minor procedures, so pet insurance appears to be a very sensible idea.

But something has gone wrong. Vets know most owners pay for cover and so are likely to agree to more costly treatments than if they had to foot the bill themselves.

After all, if you have cover and can keep your Boots- equivalent alive for even just a few months longer, why wouldn’t you?

Yet these extra therapies, such as hydrotherapy, acupuncture and even homeopathy, come at a price. Insurers hike their premiums to astonishing levels and people

without cover are paying ever more exorbitant charges to the vet.

Now, families face a dilemma. Do they scrap their pricey policy and risk having to put down a pet if they cannot afford the vet bills?

Or do they scrape together enough to cover premiums, which can run into thousands of pounds a year?

Clearly, something needs to be done to limit the spiralling costs.

In the meantime, the very least that insurers can do is offer better value for money. That means no hidden catches, no unfair exclusions and no attempts to wriggle out of claims.

Scam crackdown

A HEARTY well done to Swansea Trading Standards for catching a gang of cold- calling sharks who preyed on elderly households and tricked people into handing over hundreds of pounds.

Its success comes as the Mail yesterday revealed how fraud victims are being betrayed by police, with one force failing to investigate 96 pc of cases it was sent by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. This type of crime may not be flashy, it may not ‘bang, bleed or shout’, but, as we show on pages 48 and 49, the damage is still devastating.

It is vital that police adjust their thinking and start holding these criminals to account.

For now, a judge must use the sentencing of the Wind Street gang this month to send a clear message to all scammers that their actions have severe consequences.

Complain to gain

LAST week, we revealed how becoming a master complainer had earned retired headmaster John Green, 69, thousands of pounds in compensation over 40 years.

Well, move over, John, because Money Mail reader Michael, from Tadworth, Surrey, says his tally is £2,274.17 for this year alone.

This includes £50 from the tax-man, £25 from his energy provider and £100 from his bank. In fact, since March 2, 2011, Michael has been given a total of £12,041 from 99 successful outcomes. As I said when I featured Michael here on Boxing Day, his approach may seem a little over-the-top, but, given that he is £12,000 richer simply for refusing to accept poor service, who are we to judge?

No-fuss refunds

SPEAKING of not settling for poor service, it is great news that millions of disgruntled broadband and landline customers will now receive compensation auto-matically for faulty services.

Major providers, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, agreed to start paying customers from Monday, April 1.

Vodafone is expected to join the scheme later this year and EE in 2020.

A missed appointment will get you a £25 credit and, for every day you are without service after switching provider, you’ll get £5.

Watchdog Ofcom has promised to monitor firms, but we want to hear how you get on, too. Email me at