Unhappy Thread

[Newportnobby]

I thought next door was having a BBQ but it must have been the smell of those Tuareg campfires

[Browning 9mm]

not wanting to worry you Mick @Newportnobby ...

but I have heard rumours that a Foreign Legion company is marching in your direction to build a fort to protect your little oasis from marauding Bedouin.
better lay in a stock of red wine.

[dannyboy]

I have a partial bottom dental plate which decided it would break. Of course, this was Saturday teatime when I could do nowt about it. So, this morning, I am outside the dentist before they opened and walked in as soon as I saw signs of life. The receptionist was not too happy that I had just turned up, rather than make an appointment, telling me that Catherine, (the lady dentist that looks after me), was very busy. Yet, within five minutes, I was sat in the chair with Catherine saying it was 12 months since it last broke. Whilst in the chair, she took a slight sharp edge off the one molar I have left. The tooth is not in the best of condition, but she does not want to do too much with it because it is my only molar. A few minutes later I am with the receptionist again, who was as nice as pie - probably because she was asking me for €100, (for five minutes work)  . Even though I have a free medical card, trying to find a dentist here who will give 'free' treatment is a bit like trying to find an NHS dentist in England  . Anyways, I have arranged to collect the repaired denture - and pay - Wednesday morning. Just thought I would have a moan. 

[Newportnobby]

When I moved into this area some 15 years ago I couldn't find an NHS dentist so had to go private. I dread to think what I've shelled out in those 15 years, not least for 4 crowns where the medics smashed my teeth trying to intubate me during my bypass op. I guess the alternative could have been a lot worse

[Browning 9mm]

another Yokel drama

hope they don't charge by the mile, but seems to have had a nice ride around sussex yesterday

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[stevewalker]

Our neighbour has been away and was due back today, but we have seen no sign of him yet, so I went down the path at the side of his house to check whether his bins needed putting out tonight (they didn't). As I walked down the path in the dimming light, I walked into a huge spider's web, across my face, causing me to fling my hand up. That made my wedding ring fly off, hit the fence and disappear. Myself and two of my sons searched for it by the "torches" on our mobile phones, but the whole area is badly overgrown and we couldn't find it. I've ended up ordering a cheap metal detector for delivery tomorrow.

[Trainfish]

We're still waiting. Did the metal detector find the ring? 

[Trainfish]

The insurance on 1 of our 3 cats has almost run out. The new quote, £96.60 is almost exactly 50% more than last year £64.43. Apparently it's due to her now being just over 10 years old. I've had a look around but only found 1 quote about £2 cheaper.

Plus, and this is the worst part, it seems now that whoever you use they have an excess PLUS you have to pay 20% of the remaining amount! Seeing as we've just claimed on 1 of the younger ones, Betty who is of course black, for an ear infection where the cost was about £1000 with a £125 excess so that's all we paid. A similar claim next year will cost me £300! Scandalous. They know you won't let a pet suffer but this is outrageous. It almost went in @Browning 9mm's angry thread 

[The Q]

We gave up with dog medical insurance when we had 6 collies, we just put the amount demanded into an account, and saved that.. it's paid for itself many times over, even though we just have the one dog now.

Strangely when you pay the vet yourself the bill is mysteriously smaller than when the insurance company is supposed to pay.

[Newportnobby]

@Trainfish I'm damned sure they do the same to humans with motor insurance. They just want to get us oldies off the road

[njee20]

Pet insurance is a pretty immoral industry! They effectively pray on the fact that people love their pets, so they just hike the premiums knowing people will likely pay. People get het up about the motor insurance industry and what a racket it is, but the profit margins on pet are astronomical, and it basically never makes a loss!

[Browning 9mm]

the first dog SWMBO and I had was Jet, an ex RAFP dog, in 1970, and ever since we have always, with the exception of the odd couple of weeks where we have been looking for a replacement for a lost one, had at least one, and often two dogs.

I did look at pet insurance, but found it far too expensive, and we never insured any of our dogs.

over the years, even with the occasional bill having to be paid, we must have saved thousands.

we just opened a savings account, and paid a small amount in each month. when a bill was due, it was paid from the ballance.

worked for us, and I've heard horrendous stories over the years of insurance claims and excesses.

just my experience, but I agree with @The Q

[dannyboy]

I think pet insurance is probably the most expensive form of insurance anyone could buy. We have had 3 dogs and I don't know how many cats over the years we have lived in Ireland. Apart from the first couple of years, we have never had pet insurance. As has been stated, if and when one of our pets has needed treatment, the cost came out of our savings. Even when our cat, Bella, had to have an eye removed, which was expensive, the cost was a lot less than what we would have paid in premiums over the years. Incidentally, Bella is still with us and she is 23 years old now. 

[Papyrus]

Yes, it's quite the conundrum. I've often felt I should try 'self-insurance' but never quite had the bottle to take the plunge. I just feel that, knowing my luck, as soon as I cancelled the insurance one of the dogs would be hit by a car and need a trip to Noel Fitzpatrick... Also, during the last 2 years of our old cat's life she was on fortnightly injections and we were getting more money back from the insurance company than we were paying in premiums, and they never quibbled. But yes, on balance we have paid out far more than we got back, but that is the way of insurance.

Cheers,

Chris

[stevewalker]

We're still waiting. Did the metal detector find the ring? 

Sorry, I'd forgotten that I'd posted it on here.

No it didn't.

However, a call out for help on the local area's Facebook group soon found someone with a better detector and practice using it and he finally found it. It took him an hour and a half and he did say that he was happy to do it just for the fun of it and to help out, but I gave him £40 for his time and effort.