Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Bought paw protection pet insurance on 7/6/25?for two dogs. Paid $150.00upon reading more about the company I felt that I was scammed . I called paw protect 7/7/25 7/8/25 7/9/25 all of the calls I spoke with a woman and said I want to cancel the policy as the terms are unclear and connection a stranger company to my bank accounts leaves me vulnerable to thief. They put me on hold and never came back . Now I know I have been robbed . I tried the website and nothing I do gets me into it to find a cancellation tab! Calling gets me no where. They are 9 to five what if a dig is sick after hours ? I get no assistance or reassurance during those times . Dogs can only get help if they get sick between 9 to five . There are co traditions regarding they pay the vet indirectly . On the other hand they state the dog owner must lay first and maybe paw protect will pay me back!! Embrace I surace and paw protect are robbing my money and I will not let them get there hands directly into my bank because they robbed me ! The rude and conning customer service reps know exactly what they are doing ignoring my calls and ripping me off with inconsistency in their rules . They need to be sued arrested and shut down . I’m writing the attorney general too . Then I’ll sue in court for fraud wire fraud and extortion . Embrace ins the parent company are doing the exact same thing stonewalling my right to cancel ! Both are conning me out of my money and health coverage if my pets . This company is a scam of all scammers and I’ll put every federal agency out there responsible to protect me from con artist thieves stealing. Y money and causing my dogs to suffer being robbed by law protect and bad reviews scam artist long con . I demand my money back in full they have 24 hours to return every dollar and purge my data and personal info or I sue them for $150 million dollars in court

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/14/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,  
  Paw Protect is responding on behalf of American Modern to
  the complaint filed by Lorraine Koebel on July 9th, 2025, regarding
  the above-captioned matter. Paw Protect is fueled and managed by Embrace Pet
  Insurance.
  Thank you for the opportunity to address the concerns shared
  with your office. Ms. Koebel’s policy was canceled per her request on July 9th,
  2025. The premium amount of $149.94 was refunded to her account on file on July
  10th, 2025 and we have removed all her data from our system as a
  final resolution to this case.
  Please be advised that the information contained herein is
  meant to be responsive to your inquiry. It is not meant to constitute or be
  construed as a waiver of any other defense available to the Carrier. The
  Carrier expressly reserves all rights to assert any provision, limitation or
  defense provided for under the Policy and/or applicable law.   
  If anything further is required, we are happy to
  assist.   
  PAW PROTECT

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/15/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  What a bunch of nothing in their response . Double talking legal smack. They did answer any concerns typical 
  * ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/17/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was 2 months behind with my payment. I reached out to their customer service last 12/13/2024 @ 11:52 am EST requesting for assistance in updating a payment method and asked if they can take 1 payment that day and another on 12/21/2024. The CSR I spoke to advised that per her lead they do not have an option to do that. I asked then if I could just make the payment for the 2 months on 12/21/2024 instead, they have agreed and approved and advised that if a payment is not made on 12/21/2024 the plan will be cancelled.
  
  Last 12/15/2024 I woke up and my bank was negative $435 because *** ******* took out the payment instead of 12/21/2024 like we have agreed.
  
  I could not call anyone since it was a Sunday and they were closed. I had to wait early morning of 12/16/2024 only to be told that of course they were sorry and it was a system glitch!
  
  Since I do not have funds to cover the fees they took out I will be overdrafter until 12/20/2024 and my bank charges $34 daily if i am overdrafted by more than $50.
  
  Horrible customer service and horrible way to treat their members and no one even wants to take ownership of this error and at the end of the day I am being penalized for someone else's negligence and incompetence. The lead who approved this should be liable since the lead should have made sure that the payment will be taken out on 12/21/2024 since it was the lead who approved it.
  
  I ended up missing work last 12/16/2024 trying to take care of the mess they did which I had to use 8 hours of my PTO.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2024

  Dear ********,
  
  Upon reviewing
  your account, we do see that this matter has already been escalated to a
  manager in our Contact Center. We see that you have continued to be in contact with this team member both via email and phone call regarding the concerns outlined in this complaint. We hope that our resolution that is in progress regarding this situation has been determined to be satisfactory. 

  Regards, 

  The Embrace Team 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/02/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******** ***** *****
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/28/24, Embrace (Paw Protect) charged my card in the amount of 249.69 after I have stated that I no longer wish to be insured by them.
  
  I have placed a lock on my credit card but they (Embrace) authorized my card to process the transaction for 249.69.
  
  Unfortunately, this is a very unscrupulous company that changes names at least once every few years. I wish to report them for their fraudulent billing practices and request a refund for the above mentioned money.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/03/2024

  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  Embrace Pet Insurance is responding to the complaint filed
  by Mr. Julio Perez on 11/28/24 regarding the above-captioned matter.
  Thank you for the opportunity to address the concerns shared
  with your office. We have responded to *** ***** directly as we are prohibited
  by law from releasing personal information without a signed third-party release
  and we will move forward with the cancellation of his policy.
  Please be advised that the information contained herein is
  meant to be responsive to your inquiry. It is not meant to constitute or be
  construed as a waiver of any other defense available to the Carrier. The
  Carrier expressly reserves all rights to assert any provision, limitation or
  defense provided for under the Policy and/or applicable law. 
  If anything further is required, we are happy to
  assist. 
  EMBRACE PET INSURANCE

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  7/1/2024: Pet Insurance Claim ***********: $1,539.62
  7/1/2024: Pet Insurance Claim ************ $450.43
  8/30/2024 Pet Insurance Claim *********** $1,089.19
  
  Total of $3079.24 of claims they have refused to cover
  
  Claims denied due to pre-existing condition of vomiting which was originally described to us that if it was related to a chicken allergy it would not be covered, or because of a parasite. We have multiple MD records stating that these issues are neither of these things and they continue to come back reporting that they will not cover anything related to vomiting, even to the point of telling us that if our dog was diagnosed in a few years with stomach cancer and caused vomiting that it would not be covered. They have misrepresented coverage, we have been told different things from different adjusters, we have had to file appeals multiple times because their customer service representative did not follow through. We are hoping to be recouped for our money. We have now cancelled our policy with them because there is no point in paying for an insurance policy when they have refused to cover nearly all of our claims.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/29/2024

  Dear BBB,

  I would be happy
  to discuss the case with you. ******** policy started on 11/25/23 and the
  waiting periods ended on 11/27/23 (accidents), 12/9/23 (illnesses), and 5/25/24
  (orthopedic conditions). Our policy requires a medical review for all pets
  before we can process an illness claim, so we can determine any pre-existing
  conditions since those are excluded from coverage. This
  review can be requested by the policyholder during or after signup and if not
  requested, it is not completed until the first eligible illness claim is
  received.

  *** **** requested a medical review for ******, which was completed on 1/31/24 and
  he was sent an email outlining any pre-existing conditions on the policy. The
  email provided listed several pre-existing conditions, including a food allergy,
  roundworm infection, giardia infection, and undiagnosed vomiting. A
  pre-existing condition also excludes any related conditions or clinical signs
  and with the vomiting exclusion specifically, because vomiting is pre-existing,
  all conditions to which vomiting is a clinical sign are also excluded from
  coverage. I have included the relevant terms and conditions below.

  FROM
  YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS DOCUMENT:
  
  PART
  I – DEFINITIONS
  
  8.
  Chronic Condition is a detectable condition that, once developed, is deemed
  incurable or likely to continue for the remainder of a Pet’s life.
  
  10.
  Clinical Signs means changes in a Pet’s normal healthy state, bodily function
  or behavior observed by you, a Veterinarian, or other observer.
  
  27.
  Pre-existing Condition(s) means:
  a.
  A Chronic Condition observed by you or your Veterinary Provider prior to the
  end of the Waiting Period for your Pet(s) and any related conditions: or
  b.
  An Illness or Injury that first occurred or showed Clinical Signs prior to the
  end of the Waiting Period for your Pet and any related conditions.
  c.
  Undiagnosed conditions with the same Clinical Signs as those in a. or b. above
  are also considered pre-existing.
  
  29.
  Temporary condition means an abnormal clinical sign or diagnosis, which is
  likely to resolve. A Temporary Condition may become a chronic condition.
  
  31. Undiagnosed means the underlying of
  causative condition has not yet been identified.
  
  34.
  Waiting Period means the time period where the policy’s Coverage is restricted.
  For this policy, the time period is two (2) days for Injuries and fourteen (14)
  days for Illnesses, except for Orthopedic conditions for dogs where the Waiting
  Period is six (6) months.
  The
  Waiting Period starts from the Pet Original Start Date. Conditions that occur
  during the Waiting Period will be excluded from your policy’s Coverage as
  Pre-existing Conditions. The Waiting Period also applies to Coverage increases
  but is waived for policy renewals and Optional Coverage renewals.
  
  PART
  IV – EXCLUSIONS
  1.
  Pre-existing Conditions:
  
  For
  the purposes of these exclusions, Temporary conditions that started prior to
  the end of the Waiting Period that have not shown any Clinical Signs for a
  period of twelve (12) consecutive months shall not be considered Pre-existing
  Conditions. Specific situations include but are not limited to:
  
  ii. If your Pet has been treated for
  Undiagnosed vomiting and/or diarrhea prior to the end of your Pet’s Waiting
  Period, your Pet must be free of conditions with the same Clinical Signs for
  twelve (12) consecutive months before any conditions with the same Clinical
  Signs may be covered again.
  
  Mr.
  Winn submitted a claim for ****** for 7/1/24 with a diagnosis of diarrhea. A fecal
  sample was not run on this date and because diarrhea is a clinical sign of
  roundworms and giardia infections, we were unable to cover the claim due to
  roundworms and giardia being pre-existing conditions and not being able to be
  ruled out as a cause. Another claim was submitted for 8/30/24 with diagnoses of
  diarrhea and vomiting. Again, a fecal was not done on this date to confirm the diarrhea
  was not due to giardia or roundworms. Since roundworms, giardia, and vomiting
  are all pre-existing conditions, this claim was also not eligible for coverage.
  Additionally, for the claim for 8/30/24, a food allergy causing the gastrointestinal
  signs was also not ruled out, so since the issues could have been related to
  this pre-existing condition as well, coverage was not able to be provided.

  An
  appeal was submitted for both claims and the information was reviewed by an
  adjuster and our chief underwriter. Unfortunately, they were unable to overturn
  the claim decisions. While the underwriter agreed that the food allergy and
  parasites were unlikely to be the cause of the gastrointestinal issues, vomiting
  is still a pre-existing and not covered condition and has been undiagnosed
  since prior to the policy start. As such, we are unable to determine whether
  the current vomiting and the pre-existing vomiting share the same underlying
  cause and therefore cannot provide coverage. Additionally, upon further review
  of the medical records it was found ****** was noted to have loose stool
  (diarrhea) prior to the policy start. This exclusion was missed during our
  initial coding of the medical records but is a pre-existing condition.

  We
  have decided that because the diarrhea exclusion was missed due to an error on
  our part, we will make a concession and allow coverage for diarrhea for the
  claims from 7/1/24 and 8/30/24; however, going forward diarrhea is excluded
  from coverage as a pre-existing condition. Our claims team is re-opening the
  previous appeal to provide coverage for any diarrhea-related charges and the
  claim should be finalized in the next few days.

  If you have any
  additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

  Warm Regards,
  ****** ********* *****
  Technical Claims Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/17/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Paw protects agreement states that pre existing conditions will be covered if they have not required treatment for 12 months and are outside of the illness waiting period. I met their criteria and they still denied the claim. Treatment was not necessary until my pets Annual check up, where it was then determined to be necessary. They didn't even address the tooth removal, just denied the whole claim. She had no pre-existing dental issues pertaining to broken teeth. Her other issues did not require treatment or pathology because they were so small when discovered, well over the 12 month requirement. I didn't buy pet insurance just to pay another bill on top of the vet bills. The issue they stated that the masses were not biopsied, I didnt see that anywhere in the paperwork that I signed and I shouldn't have to hire a lawyer to find all the loop holes before signing an agreement for pet insurance. They paid nothing and, I'd like my premiums returned because I'm getting nothing for them. I told them I'm filing a complaint, now they want to pay for the tooth removal but want me to break down the surgery and figure out just the cost of removal. That's the insurance company's job, they can contact the vet themselves. I didn't get pet insurance to do all their legwork while paying all my own vet bills..

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/11/2024

  Dear BBB,

  I would be
  happy to discuss the case with you. This pet’s policy started on 12/29/23 and
  the waiting periods ended/ends on 12/31/24 (accidents), 1/12/24 (illnesses),
  and 6/29/24 (orthopedic conditions). Our policy requires a medical review for
  all pets before we can process an illness claim, so we can determine any
  pre-existing conditions since those are excluded from coverage. A medical
  review is also performed upon request from the pet parent once the illness
  waiting period has ended. If a medical review is not requested by the pet
  parent, one is not completed until the first claim is received.

  Our policy
  states temporary conditions may be eligible for coverage once a pet has remained
  free of the condition for 12 consecutive months. Pre-existing conditions are grouped
  into two categories, temporary (conditions that can resolve) and permanent
  (conditions that cannot resolve).

  *** ****
  filed a claim for ***** on 4/24/24 for date of service 4/23/24 for a dental
  cleaning and mass removal. Since this was Sissy’s first illness claim, Embrace began
  gathering medical records to perform our review. *** **** received an email on
  5/2/24 letting her know the medical review could take up to 30 business days to
  complete. *** **** contacted Embrace on 5/6/24 asking for an update on the
  claim and a claims administrator responded to let her know we were working on
  the medical review. The medical review was completed on 5/16/24 and *** ****
  was sent an email outlining any pre-existing conditions on the policy. The
  review found that ***** had pre-existing conditions of an undiagnosed skin mass
  located on the right hind leg, and undiagnosed lower eyelid mass, a skin tag,
  anxiety, and osteoarthritis of the stifles, which are all chronic conditions
  and therefore, permanent exclusions. As such, they would not fall under the
  temporary guidelines to which a condition can be expired should it remain
  resolved for 12 months.

  *** ****
  called Embrace on 5/17/24 and asked to have the policy cancelled, which was
  done and was effective 5/17/24.

  The claim
  for ***** was placed on hold pending more information from the veterinary
  clinic. The dental procedure was one group charge and under the policy, Embrace
  cannot provide coverage for the specific dental cleaning charge. In an effort
  to try to provide more coverage, the clinic was contacted for a breakdown of
  the charge; however, we have not received any response. The claim has not yet
  been finalized since we had been waiting for more information, but an adjuster
  has been notified to process the claim with the information on hand and it
  should be completed within the next few days.

  I have
  included the relevant terms and conditions below.

  From your Terms &
  Conditions:
  PART I – DEFINITIONS
  8. Bilateral
  Condition is a condition or disease that affects both sides of the body.
  9. Chronic
  Condition is a detectable condition that, once developed, is deemed
  incurable or likely to continue for the remainder of a Pet’s life.
  11. Clinical Signs means
  changes in a Pet’s normal healthy state, bodily function or behavior
  observed by you, a Veterinarian, or other observer.
  25. Orthopedic
  Illness means an Illness affecting or manifesting from the
  musculoskeletal system, which is made up of the body's bones (the skeleton),
  muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints, including, but not limited
  to intervertebral spaces.
  32. Pre-existing
  Condition(s) means:
  a. A Chronic
  Condition observed by you or your Veterinary Provider prior to the
  end of the Waiting Period for your Pet(s) and any related
  conditions; or
  b. An Illness or Injury that first occurred or showed Clinical Signs prior to the
  end of the Waiting Period for your Pet and any related
  conditions.
  c. Undiagnosed conditions
  with the same Clinical Signs as those in a. or b. above
  are also considered pre-existing.
  34. Temporary
  Condition means an abnormal Clinical Sign or diagnosis, which is
  likely to resolve. A Temporary Condition may become a Chronic
  Condition.
  36. Undiagnosed means the underlying or causative condition has not yet been identified.
  39. Waiting Period means
  the time period where the policy’s Coverage is restricted. For this
  policy, the time period is two (2) days for Accidents and fourteen (14)
  days for Illnesses, except for Orthopedic conditions for dogs
  where the Waiting Period is six (6) months.
  The Waiting Period starts
  from the Pet Original Start Date. Conditions that occur during the Waiting
  Period will be excluded from your policy’s Coverage as Pre-existing
  Conditions. The Waiting Period also applies again when there are Coverage increases but is waived for policy renewals and optional Coverage renewals.
  PART III
  – COVERAGE
  1.Coverage
  We
  will reimburse you for Allowable Charges in excess of the Deductible amount,
  subject to Reimbursement Percentage amounts, for Treatment(s) performed for
  conditions that started after the Waiting Period and during the policy period,
  which result from:
  
  f.
  We will reimburse you for eligible Veterinary Treatment expenses caused by
  Dental Illness in excess of the Deductible amount, subject to Co-Payment
  requirements and a $1,000 Annual Maximum sub-limit, for all Treatment(s) except
  dental prophylaxis, for conditions that started after the Waiting Period and
  during the policy period.
  PART IV – EXCLUSIONS
  1. Pre-existing
  Conditions;
  In addition, the
  following Illnesses or Injuries shall be considered Pre-existing
  Conditions:
  a. If your Pet has had Clinical Signs, prior to being insured, of a Bilateral
  Condition on one side of the body, she/he runs a higher risk of the same
  condition on the other side of the body and future occurrences of the same
  condition will not be covered. For example, but not limited to, if a dog has
  been diagnosed with a cruciate tear in his left leg before the end of the Waiting
  Period, a subsequent cruciate tear in his right leg shall be considered a Pre-existing
  Condition;
  c. If a Pet has
  had Undiagnosed masses prior to the end of the Waiting Period,
  any mass, or condition where a mass is a Clinical Sign, is not covered,
  including those caused by cancer. If the cause of the mass that occurred prior
  to the end of the Waiting Period can be diagnostically narrowed down via
  cytology, un-related conditions may be covered.
  For the purposes of
  these exclusions, Temporary Conditions that started prior to the end of
  the Waiting Period that have not shown any Clinical Signs or
  received Treatment for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months shall
  not be considered Pre-existing Conditions.

  If you have
  any additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

  Warm
  Regards,
  ****** ********* *****
  Technical Claims Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a Paw Protect plan for my cat on 6/3/2023. One of the reasons that I purchased this plan was that it advertised as covering routine exams. My cat received a yearly exam on 12/22/23. I received a receipt delineating the charges. It clearly states the code for health exam and I have submitted several receipts and notes from my veterinarian. After many months of "review," I was told that "Some of the items on this claim are only eligible for reimbursement through our Wellness Rewards program. Titine's policy does not have Wellness Rewards at this time. Wellness Rewards can be added at any time depending on your state of residence."
  On the website, it says that exams are covered. I have screenshots to back up this claim. Now I'm being told that I had to purchase a "wellness program" to receive that benefit. I would not have chose this company had I known that this was a bait and switch/scam.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2024

  Dear BBB,

  I would be happy
  to discuss the case with you. This pet’s policy started on 6/3/23 and the
  waiting periods ended on 6/5/23 (accidents), 6/17/23 (illnesses), and 6/17/23
  (orthopedic conditions).

  Our policy terms
  and conditions define a physical examination as “an exam, check-up,
  physical consultation, health inspection, office visit, office call, after-hour
  fee, referral, telemedicine consultation, telemedicine service fee, or recheck
  for otherwise covered conditions”. The insurance policy provides coverage for
  accidents and illnesses unrelated to pre-existing conditions and excludes
  coverage for preventative care items, including wellness examinations. In the
  screenshots provided by the owner for this complaint, the areas referencing
  coverage for examinations are regarding the illness policy; therefore, the
  coverage for the exam must be related to a covered condition. Additionally, in one of the screenshots
  provided, it lists the optional routine wellness plan separately from the
  coverage of vet examination fees. I have highlighted this portion in the attached picture. 
  
  I have provided the applicable terms and conditions below
  regarding examination coverage and preventative care.

  From your Terms &
  Conditions:
  PART I – DEFINITIONS
  1. Accident(s) means an unexpected
  or unintended event, which is specific as to place and time causing Injury to
  your Pet.
  18. Illness means
  sickness, disease, or any change in a Pet’s normal, healthy state, which is not
  caused by Injury to the Pet.
  11. Clinical Signs means
  changes in a Pet’s normal healthy state, bodily function or behavior
  observed by you, a Veterinarian, or other observer.
  28. Physical
  Examination means an exam, check-up, physical consultation, health inspection,
  office visit, office call, after-hour fee, referral, telemedicine consultation,
  telemedicine service fee, or recheck for otherwise covered conditions.
  30. Preventative Care
  means any Treatment, service or procedure, routine exam, Physical Examination,
  Medication, surgery, inoculations, or laboratory procedures, for the purpose of
  prevention of Injury or Illness or for the promotion of general health, where
  there has been no Injury or Illness.
  PART III – COVERAGE
  THE FOLLOWING
  COVERAGES APPLY SEPARATELY TO EACH PET.
  1.Coverage
  We will reimburse you
  for Allowable Charges in excess of the Deductible amount, subject to
  Reimbursement Percentage amounts, for Treatment(s) performed for conditions
  that started after the Waiting Period and during the policy period, which
  result from:
  g. We will reimburse
  you for the cost of Treatment your Pet receives in the current period of
  insurance for an Illness or Injury that first showed Clinical Signs after the
  end of the Waiting Period.
  2. Benefits
  We will reimburse you
  for Medically Necessary Treatment, including tax, for:
  a. Physical
  Examination, if Coverage is shown on your Pet’s Schedule of Insurance of the
  Declarations Page;
  PART IV – EXCLUSIONS
  2. Preventative Care
  including, but not limited to, wellness exams or tests, preventative Treatment,
  tests or diagnostic procedures, vaccinations, flea and other parasite
  prevention, spaying or castration (including preventative sterilization
  surgery, such as for Treatment for cryptorchidism, chimerism, or chromosomal
  abnormalities), grooming and de-matting, and dewclaw removal;

  Unfortunately,
  the policy is very clear that wellness examinations are excluded from coverage; therefore, coverage for the routine examinations cannot be provided by the policy.

  If you have any
  additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

  Warm Regards,

  ****** ********* *****
  Claims Technical Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/21/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My dog was adopted from the humane society. Vet records, exams, vaccinations etc were provided to paw protect. A month or more after the policy was in effect my dog went to an emergency vet. I paid $150 for two months of this policy and $1000 for an emergency vet visit and tests, as we thought my dog swallowed an earring. They refused (after many records were sent to them from the humane society) to count them as a vet exam (in which she had many by them before being released for adoption with a clean bill of health). They also guarantee a $2000 debit card with “no credit check” in which I was denied as a full time college student, yet they had no problem with me paying $80 monthly for a full coverage policy. No matter how many managers i spoke with, there’s still been no resolution. This company is fraudulent and needs to be put out of business. I want all of my vet bill reimbursements and my policy money back that I paid for apparently no reason on a healthy one year old dog.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2023

  ******* ******s policy with Paw
  Protect began on 10/22/23. The policy is for *** *****’s 1-year-old mixed-breed
  dog, ********. ********’s coverage had a 2-day accident waiting period, which
  ended on 10/24/23, a 14-day illness waiting period, which ended on 11/5/23, and
  a 6-month orthopedic waiting period, which ends on 4/22/24.
  
  Every policy with Paw Protect requires
  at minimum one documented physical exam within 12 months of the policy start or
  within the illness waiting period for the policy to be validated. Upon
  purchasing the policy, an email was sent to *** ***** on 10/21/23 stating “Your
  pet(s) need to have had a full, documented physical exam in the 12 months prior
  to enrollment. If they are newly adopted or did not have a visit in that time,
  then they must be seen by a licensed veterinarian for a physical exam within
  the first 14 days of your policy term. Please note that a visit to a
  spay/neuter or vaccine clinic might not count.” A follow-up email went to
  *** ***** on 10/22/23 stating that claims cannot be processed without
  ********’s medical records. On 11/5/23 a third email was sent to *** *****
  stating that a medical history review is required to process any claims and
  this review can be done upfront by request, or the review would be performed at
  the time of the first accident or illness claim. An upfront medical history
  review was not requested by *** ***** following this email.
  
  The first illness claim was received
  on 11/21/23, at that time a review of pre-policy medical records began. At the
  time of this review, the only medical records we had on file were from the
  shelter’s spay/neuter clinic and the records specifically noted “no vet
  consultations”.  A claims adjuster
  reached out to *** ***** on 12/6/23 inquiring if ******** had been seen by another
  veterinarian prior to the end of her waiting periods; addressing the fact that
  the medical records from the shelter did not have a documented physical exam. No
  response was received following this email.
  
  Regarding the denial of Paytient line of credit, we reached out to
  Paytient and this is the information provided, “we were unable to pass
  him through our onboarding because he failed our ability to repay (ATR) check
  that requires income and debt information to be disclosed. It had nothing to do
  with his status as a student”

  Please let us know if you have any additional questions!

  Sincerely, 

  ******** ******* ***

  Senior Lead Claims Adjuster

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/21/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

  Paw Protect herein alleges that the AHS Newark is a
  “spay-neuter/vaccine clinic.” Please contact *** **** *** ****** *** ** ************ to inquire about my dog's health upon release to my care.
  The place from which my dog was adopted is a full-service shelter that also
  serves underprivileged communities in need.
  
  My dog is 100 percent vetted, spayed, and was examined by
  on-site licensed veterinarians and staff prior to her clearance
  for adoption on 8/25/2023— which includes my dog having been cleared
  for orthopedic issues. I provided Paw Protect all the SOAP records (Attached, EXHIBIT
  1) as they requested on several occasions, but it has gone nowhere. It seems
  there was always an excuse to reject the notes (i.e., "there are no
  recorded consults") so that they didn’t have to reimburse
  my legitimate claims for an emergency visit to VEG (Veterinarian Emergency
  Group) in Hoboken, New Jersey on Nov 19, 2023. This was NOT her first
  vet examination as they are trying to allege. This visit was for an emergency
  visit because we had thought my dog swallowed a foreign object.
  
  PAW PROTECT has been resistant in rejecting these documents from
  AHS-Newark and VEG of Hoboken, hoping I would give up on getting
  reimbursed for the emergency vet visit. Paw Protect has tons of
  complaints online that brings the legitimacy of their business practices
  into question—and I can see why. I read the fine print, and I did as they told
  me to get reimbursed—still, they are being difficult. For example, in an email
  dated 01/02/2024 someone with PawProtect/Embrace emailed me stating: "We
  are unable to process ********'s claim because we are missing full pre-policy
  medical history through the end of the illness waiting period. This claim is
  now on hold but can be reopened once we receive the required medical history.
  To process this claim, we require a complete and legible copy of detailed
  medical history from all veterinary offices where ******** was examined 12
  months prior to the start of your policy through 11/5/2023, the end of the
  illness waiting period. Your policy began on 10/22/2023.IF YOUR PET IS LESS
  THAN TWELVE MONTHS OLD, OR WAS ADOPTED LESS THAN TWELVE MONTHS AGO, WE REQUIRE
  ALL MEDICAL RECORDSSTARTING FROM THEIR FIRST EXAMINATION BY A VETERINARIAN."
  (attached, EXHIBIT 2).
  PawProtect has been given all the relevant medical history
  given that I've only had ******** for less than a year, and she was a year old
  when she was dropped off at AHS Newark as a stray-- therefore, there is no
  medical history dating back to a year or older. Paw Protect/Embrace is aware of
  this, but still seems to attempt to find loopholes in order to not fulfill the
  agreement to reimburse.
  
  Referring back to the Emergency vet visit on 11/19/2023-- My dog (********) was
  brought there, as my mom and I thought she swallowed an earring. An
  X-ray cost me $700 out of pocket. I was also refused their
  “guaranteed credit card” to pay for the aforementioned visit. I was told
  there's no required credit check— they appear to have done the total opposite.
  Note also, that on physical exam at the Veterinary Emergency Group, they
  reviewed her musculoskeletal systems—according to the visit summary ********’s
  exam was “Ambulatory x4 with no appreciable lameness. No pain or crepitus
  palpable. BCS =4/9. MCS = 2/3,” indicating a normal review of system. (See
  attached, EXHIBITS 3 through 5, respectively).
  
  Please reopen my complaint and contact me via email and at my home mailing
  address below, as these emails were buried under hundreds of miscellaneous
  others in my inbox.
  I would like to be reimbursed and to move on with my life.
  
  Thank you.
  
  ******* ***** 
  *** ****** *** **
  ********* ** *****
  ***** ********
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2024

  Hello BBB,
  I would be happy to provide additional information regarding the case.
  On 10/21/23, *** ***** purchased a policy with
  Paw Protect for his dog ********, coverage took effect on 10/22/23. The policy
  had a 2-day accident waiting period ending on 10/24/23, a 14-day illness
  waiting period ending on 11/5/23, and a 6 month orthopedic waiting period
  ending on 4/22/24.
  On 11/21/23, *** ***** submitted his first claim
  for ********. As is our policy, which is disclosed in an email at the policy
  start, we waited until the first claim to review ********’s medical history. An
  adjuster reviewed the medical history on hand for ******** on 12/6/23. At this
  time, it was found there was no detailed records and exam findings for an
  examination performed by a veterinarian at Associated Humane Societies.
  ******** may have been examined; however, they have no records containing the
  exam findings, which is also a requirement of the policy according to the Terms
  and Conditions. Adjuster ****** *. emailed *** ***** to ask him if ******** had
  been seen anywhere else to fit this condition of the policy. This email was
  forwarded to him again on 12/7/23 after a phone call to us asking about his
  claims status. The adjuster never received a response; therefore, the claims
  were put on hold. On 12/13/23, *** ***** again was emailed to verify if
  ******** had been seen elsewhere or not prior to extending his waiting period.
  *** ***** then cancelled on 12/20/23 after discussing there was no examination
  with the required notes at Associated Humane Societies.
  Since it appears *** ***** did not have ******** seen
  anywhere else and we still do not have detailed medical history containing exam
  findings from Associated Humane Societies, the adjuster finished ********’s
  medical history review on 1/29/24 and the claims were processed on 1/30/24.
  Unfortunately, his illness waiting period did have to be extended to 11/19/23
  due to not having the required exam findings. Due to the policy’s illness
  waiting period being extended and only being effective for accident coverage
  until 11/19/23, a refund of $13.29 in premiums has been set up for *** *****.
  As far as the claims decisions are concerned, your results are available in
  your Embrace portal online, and email was sent to you. Additionally, I will
  have them mailed to your residence listed as well.
  Regarding the notations *** ***** makes several
  times about ******** being cleared orthopedically, in order to shorten the
  orthopedic waiting period, we need a veterinarian to complete the orthopedic
  report card on an exam preformed after the policy was purchased. Since the
  veterinarian at Associated Humane Societies saw ******** prior to the policy
  purchase, any exam potentially done there would not count for the purposes of
  shortening the orthopedic waiting period. Additionally, we never received an orthopedic
  report card for ******** for the visit on 11/19/23, which would be required.
  As you were advised in your prior complaint
  regarding the line of credit, you failed the ability to repay (ATR) check that
  requires income and debt information to be disclosed. The ATR check (where you
  disclose income and debts) is not a credit check, neither a soft nor a hard
  check. Unfortunately, that meant you were ineligible for the credit.
  I hope this helps clarify and correct the
  situation, but if you have any further questions, please let me know.
  Sincerely,
  ******* ****** ***
  Senior Claims Adjuster

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/10/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company is a disaster with customer service. I called to make my late payment and they tried to collect it 5 days later. And when they tried to collect it, there was no money available. I called them and told them that they had to collect the money immediately and they told me that this was not possible. They sent me a notification by email indicating that if the arrears were not paid by Monday, July 10, the policy would be cancelled. The past due amount was around $36. On Thursday, July 6, I submitted the payment online. And I called them to tell them that I sent the payment. And the representative Christina told me that although I made the payment on July 6, if they did not process the payment by the 10th, the policy would be cancelled. Christina told me that the payment would take up to 5 working days. Which is absurd to me. Every company applies payments that are made the same day and not when they receive it. Today is July 10 and they canceled the policy and never collected the payment that I submitted on July 6 with a credit card.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2023

  Hello!
  
  My name is ******* and I am a Supervisor in the Customer Service department of Embrace Pet Insurance. Unfortunately our systems do not allow us to do on demand payments, you were given the correct information and approximate time lines for how long it can take. I looked at your policy and it has not fully cancelled yet - there is still time to get it up to date. I did reach out to our billing team to see if they had an update on the payment, and they did try to process it today, but it got declined for insufficient funds. If you would like to keep your policy active, please reach out to us either at 800-511-9172, or you can email me directly at ****************************** and let me know you would like us to process the payment, keeping in mind it does take a couple of days for us to process. I can extend the cancellation date to Friday 7/14/23. But if I do not hear from you by end of day Thursday 7/13/23, I will not be able to stop the cancellation of your policy.
  
  Warm Regards,
  *******
  Team Lead, CCE
  ***** ********
  EmbracePetInsurance.com
  Embrace Agency Number 0G89328
  Rated 5-Star Pet Insurance by
  Forbes

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  ********* ******
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/11/2023

  RECEIVED VIA EMAIL BY BBB STAFF MEMBER:

  Hello,  after I accepted the business resolution where ******* offered extended the policy cancelation until Friday June 14 giving them time to process the payment.  I received a policy cancellation message effective yesterday June 10. Basically she doesn't keep her works. 
  
  Look the screenshot 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Hello!
  
  I do see where that cancellation email was sent out. I apologize for the confusion this has caused. However, it seems that email was sent out before my response to you yesterday and was delayed in its delivery. I have just double checked, and your policy has not been cancelled yet and is delayed to cancel as we discussed. I do have the billing team updated and set to try the payment again Thursday. As long as that payment is able to go through, the policy will not cancel. I would like to take this opportunity and remind you that your normal payments are due on the 15th of each month, so normal billing will resume then. 
  
  Warm Regards,
  
  *******
  Team Lead, CCE
  ***** ********
  EmbracePetInsurance.com
  Embrace Agency Number 0G89328
  Rated 5-Star Pet Insurance by
  Forbes

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/11/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* ******