Agria Pet Insurance Review: Great Value for Your Dog or Cat
Agria Pet Insurance Review: Great Value for Your Dog or Cat
Good for
- Good value
- Dental cover
- Having a long time to claim
- Out-of-hours cover
- Euthanasia cover
- Sensible terms
- Customizable cover
- Winner of Moneyfacts Consumer Award 2018 and 2019 for "Best Claims Service"
- 97% of claim paid
Bad for
- Variable % excess/copay in addition to a fixed excess
- Older pets can't sign up
The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
Is Agria pet insurance any good? They generally have rave customer reviews and a solid set of features, but there are some drawbacks to learn about before you decide if Agria is the best pet insurance for you.
In This Review
- Overall Review
- Policy and Coverage Options
- How to Claim and Other Useful Info
- Comparing Agria to the Competition
There is no one "best" pet insurance—the best for you will depend on factors like price points and features that you might find valuable. Please use the information in this review to help you learn about pet insurance and narrow down your choices.
Agria Pet Insurance Review
Agria is a Pet Insurance specialist with 125 years of experience, a UK-based staff and industry partnerships—and one of our favourite pet insurers. Compared to the dozens of insurers we've researched, we think Agria provides the kind of cover you'd want for a beloved pet—their terms and conditions seem very sensible, plus while their prices are not cheap, they are competitive for what you get.
Agria only insures pets using Lifetime cover—arguably the best type of pet insurance. Agria's Lifetime plans are just about the most comprehensive in the market, and include the following features as standard:
- dental illness AND injury
- a 24-hour vet line advice
- euthanasia
- farewell cover
- EU travel
- prescription food
- advertising & reward
- travel expenses to see a referral vet
- third party liability
A number of features are available as optional add ons, which means pet owners who don't want these features don't have to pay for them and can get a cheaper premium. Optional features include Death and Loss, Overseas Travel, Boarding and Holiday Cancellation.
In addition to offering solid cover to help pay the vet fees when your pet is injured or falls ill, we found that, generally speaking, Agria's exclusions are less restrictive than some other insurers. For instance, take the situation where your pet falls ill late at night outside of your vet's normal hours but you're worried enough to take him/her to a 24-hour vet. Agria's terms & conditions basically state that they'll cover this scenario (details below), versus many insurers that state out-of-hours treatment is only covered if your pet falls ill with a life-threatening condition. When your pet falls ill at 11 p.m. you shouldn't have to wonder if your insurance will cover any veterinary treatment.
While of course there are exclusions, there is nothing highly unusual that we noticed relative to other pet insurers. It's always a good idea to read through the terms & conditions yourself, however, to pinpoint any exclusions that may apply to you and your pet. Like most pet insurers, Agria will pay your vet directly, provided your vet is in agreement.
Why Agria Might Not Be For You
One of the primary reasons that Agria might not suite some people is the 10% copay that's payable by pet owners in addition to the fixed excess as standard. Apparently you can call to negotiate a 0% or 20% variable excess instead, which would serve to raise or lower the premium, respectively. There are two choices of fixed excess, as you can see below, both of which incorporate a copay element:
| Standard Excess | |
|---|---|
| Dog |
|
| Cat |
|
The 10% copay amount is calculated after the fixed amount has been deducted. Here is an example:
| Agria Excess/Copay Example | |
|---|---|
| Vet Fees | £500 |
| Fixed Excess | £95 |
| 10% Copay | 10% of £405 = £40.50 |
| Pet owner pays | £95 + £40.50 = £135.50 out of £500 |
| Agria pays | £364.50 out of £500 |
The plus side of having a variable excess/copay component is that the premium should be lower as a result. If you agree to pay more of any claims, the insurance company faces less of a potential burden so should charge less.
If you're trying to decide which fixed excess amount is more suitable, consider how many times you expect to claim a year and the amount you'll save in premium by choosing the higher £160 excess amount. Generally speaking, we've found that if you'll claim once per year (or not at all) then it ends up cheaper to go for the higher fixed excess/lower premium option; if you'll claim 2 or more times per year then you'll save more with the lower excess/higher premium option.
Agria Pet Insurance Key Facts
- Occasional Promotion: 50% off first two months
- Choice of three Lifetime plans: £3,000 (for dogs only; not available for cats), £6,500 or £12,500 of vet cover
- 97% of claims paid (direct to vet possible)
- Can pay direct to vet
- 6+ months to submit claims (the latter of 6 months and the end of your policy year)
- A copay/variable excess (standard is 10% but you can also choose 0% or 20% by calling) taken after fixed excess of £105 (or £95 for cats) or £170
- 24-hour Pet Health Helpline
Customer Reviews and Ratings
| Agria Customer Reviews and Ratings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot customer reviews | 4.6 out of 5 | |
Agria is rated highly be existing customers, over 5,000 of whom have rated their pet insurance with 4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Over 80% of customers rated Agria as "Excellent" and only 4% have rated Agria as "bad"—these are very good metrics compared to other pet insurance companies.
Complaints range from prices increasing at renewal (this is common across the industry because pets tend to have more health problems as the get older) or customer being unhappy with the excess. What we like to see are the comments saying that vets are recommending Agria—they should know better than anyone. Here are some real customer comments:
"I also saw advertised on Crufts and the local vet also recommended and said pay out on most cases - so hopefully this will be the case should we ever need to use. Simple to do."
"Your company was also one of only two recommended by my Veterinary Practice."
"Agria provided a very good range of different life time covers at very competitive prices and I understand they have a very solid pet insurance background."
"Had to make claim last year dealt with friendliness and very quickly."
"Used this company for my previous two dogs so they were the obvious choice this time."
"Fabulous Insurance cover at very reasonable prices.""Try as I might I can not stop all the messages and emails I keep getting."
"Check out the small print (regarding) the excess..."
"Agria is one of those insurance companies that will delve into your pet’s medical history..."
Agria Price Comparison
We've researched prices from dozens of pet insurance policies, and found that Agria policies are in line with Petplan (another highly-regarded pet insurance company). While prices aren't the cheapest, given the offering we believe they offer good value for money. Here are some sample prices for Lifetime cover for a young, healthy cat and dog for Agria's three Lifetime plans and how they compare to other offerings in the market.
Direct quote comparisons can be tricky for pet insurance, since coverage levels, features and excess amounts vary across insurers, but this should give you a rough idea of how prices compare in the chart below.
We should point out that we think Agria offers some attractive features relative to the 'cheaper' options even if prices are a bit higher than the average cost of pet insurance—in other words, we think ManyPets offers good value for money. For example, Tesco was cheaper in our tests but Tesco only gives you 60 days to submit claims, and they don't cover dental illness on most of their policies. Same goes for Scratch & Patch, the other 'cheaper' option in our tests.
But keep in mind that Agria's standard 10% copay means you'll pay more out of pocket towards any reimbursable claims. But this keeps their premiums lower than they'd otherwise be. It's a trade off that may or may not work for you.
If Agria plans are outside of your budget, there are many cheap Lifetime pet insurance options available in the UK that you may find more suitable.
FAQs
Agria Notable Features
Below is a brief overview of the more notable features of Agria dog and cat insurance. For a complete rundown of the details and exclusions, please refer to the policy documents.
| Agria Pet Insurance Features | |
|---|---|
| Dental Cover | Cover for dental injuries and illnesses, provided your pet had a dental exam by a vet in the 12 months leading up to the injury/illness |
| Holiday Cancellation | OPTIONAL Cover for the cost of travel and accommodation expenses you lose up to £1,000 or £3,000, depending on plan, if you have to cut short/cancel a trip because you pet needs emergency lifesaving treatment and/or surgery while you're on holiday or in the 7 days before your holiday starts |
| Boarding Fees if You're Unwell | OPTIONAL Boarding costs up to £1,000 or £2,000, depending on plan, if you or an immediate family member are in hospital for 3 or more consecutive days, excluding:
|
| Death and Loss | OPTIONAL cover for the purchase price up to £1,500 or £2,500, depending on plan, if your pet strays or is lost, stolen or sadly dies from illness or injury |
| Travel | OPTIONAL Cover for up to 120 days per policy year when travelling to member countries in the EU through the PETS travel scheme; provides up to £2,000 for emergency expenses, money towards a replacement pet passport and quarantine costs. |
| Congenital & Hereditary Diseases | These are not excluded, so long as your pet showed no signs before your policy started or in the first 10 days of the policy |
| Prescription Diets | 50% of the cost, up to £250 per injury/illness over life of pet |
| Cremation, burial and a house visit by a vet to put your pet to sleep | Up to £150 |
| Euthanasia | Covered |
| Pet Health Helpline | Agria's 24-hour vetline can be reached at 0333 0332 1947 when you need advice regarding your pet's health |
To give you an idea of the costs of the optional extras, we've gathered sample quotes for a healthy, young animal.
| Approximate Additional Annual Costs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Death and Loss | Overseas Travel | Boarding Fees/Holiday Cancellation | |
| Dog | £23 | £14 | £14 |
| Cat | £12 | £5 | £5 |
Agria Coverage Amounts
| Policy Name: | Lifetime £12,500 | Lifetime £6,500 | Lifetime £3,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Fees, up to | £12,500 | £6,500 | |
| Third Party Liability, up to | £3,000,000 | £2,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
| Advertising, up to | £1,500 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Travel or Accommodation, up to | £300 | £300 | £300 |
How does Agria Insurance Compare to Competitors?
To better understand the value of Agria pet insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared it to other plans in the market so you can see which may be more suitable for you.
Agria Insurance vs PetPlan Pet Insurance
PetPlan Pet Insurance is the largest insurer of dogs and cats in the UK. Due to this, many vets are accustomed to submitting claims on behalf of pet owners, which might make getting reimbursed a bit easier. PetPlan policies include dental illness and injury but don't cover euthanasia. However, older pets (i.e., dogs aged 5 or 8 depending on breed, cats aged 10) are not eligible for new Lifetime policies and can only sign up for a Time Limited policy.
Bottom Line: If you want a lower upfront premium, Agria can be a good option with its 10% variable excess—but you'll have to pay a larger share of any vet bills that arise as a result.
Agria Insurance vs John Lewis Pet Insurance
John Lewis Pet Insurance offers comprehensive Lifetime plans with £3,000, £7,500 or £12,000 of vet cover. Pet owners have a long time to submit claims and have their choice of excess—so those hoping for a lower excess can choose one as low as £60. The excess will rise for older pets, however, becoming the higher of your fixed £ excess and 20% of the vet bill for each condition each year. Other features include travel for up to 3 trips up to 60 days each with your pet to EU countries that are part of the PETS scheme, dental injury (but not illness), a 24-hour vetfone, euthanasia cover, cover if your holiday is cut short due to your pet being ill and boarding cover if you are hospitalized unexpectedly. Expect to pay around £375 for £3k of cover with a £60 excess or £550 for £7.5k of cover. A higher excess will bring the price down.
Bottom Line: Another solid option but you may prefer Agria if you want a pet specialist.
Agria Insurance vs Animal Friends Pet Insurance
Animal Friends Pet Insurance is another specialist pet insurer, whose plans stand out for lower-than-average premiums (partially achieved through per condition limits, even on Lifetime plans) and they publicly state on their website that they don't penalize for claims by increasing premiums upon renewal. Those with older pets can insure their cats and dogs, as there is no upper age limit for new policies, even Lifetime cover. They don't have dental cover or a vet line to call with queries, however, plus claims need to be submitted more quickly, within 90 days. Our price check showed a range of £130 to £390 for Lifetime cover for a healthy, young crossbreed dog, significantly lower than average.
Bottom Line: Those looking for a lower-priced Lifetime plan might also want to consider Animal Friends, or those looking to insure an older pet—if you're comfortable with per-condition annual limits on Lifetime plans.
How to Claim and Other Useful Information
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