Click the play button on the video window to the see the storyAHWATUKEE, AZ -- Stephen Edwards bought his Lhasa-Poo, Gucci, back in April.
Shortly after that he bought insurance for his pet, just to be on the safe side.
The company he chose is called
Veterinary Pet Insurance, or VPI.
"After talking to them two or three times, it seemed like all of the items would be covered if something were to happen to her," said Edwards.
Then in early August, Gucci developed a problem. She began to limp for no apparent reason.
The vet discovered that she had a bone defect in her hip that prevented proper blood flow and she would need surgery to correct it.
Edwards was stuck with the full bill.
It turns out that VPI's policy states that coverage on hereditary problems did not happen until after one year of coverage.
"None of that is indicated, none of that's in the paperwork, none of that was disclosed to me at all," said Edwards.
That information is stated on the company's website, but the Edwards bought their policy over the phone, and thought that they had asked all of the right questions.
According to VPI, it is standard practice for their phone operators to include the information regarding the hereditary conditions when dealing with customers, and since they do record all of their incoming calls, they say they can confirm that the Edwards were told of this clause during their call.
The Edwards say that even if this is in their policy, it isn't right.
"I have major medical insurance, I paid upfront, you wanted my money now and you don't want to pay for her surgery?" said Edwards. "It's, it's just pretty disgusting to say the least."
This case serves as a good reminder to always read the fine print before signing anything.
