Bought By Many offers vet video consults to pet owners

Pet owners with insurance from Bought By Many can now access free video consultations with fully qualified vets.

Bought By Many has teamed up with FirstVet to provide its pet insurance policyholders with access to the health startup’s video calling app, which connects owners with UK-registered vets to check an animal’s symptoms, get advice on treatment they can carry out at home, or find out if they need to be referred to a local vet.

To access the service, policyholders can download the free FirstVet app and select Bought By Many as their insurer when signing up. They will then be able to use the service as often as they like without incurring FirstVet’s standard consultation costs of £20 to £30 per call.

Bought By Many customers can save time, money and potential stress to their pet by using the free FirstVet service. When a referral to a local vet is needed, FirstVet provides detailed notes of the initial consultation to both the owner and the vet.

FirstVet is a rapidly growing startup. Launched in the UK earlier this year, it delivers more than 11,000 consultations every month to 150,000 users across Scandinavia and the UK. 

The partnership originates from Bought By Many’s research into the Swedish insurance market ahead of a planned launch there this year.

David Prien, chief executive officer and co-founder of FirstVet, commented: “FirstVet couldn’t be more excited to offer our veterinary video consultation service together with Bought By Many in the UK. From our first meeting with the Bought By Many team, we knew that our values were aligned. We both share a mission to bring the best that technology has to offer both to pet owners and to the veterinary care process.”

“Offering pet owners the chance to speak face-to-face with an experienced veterinarian via a video call is a great way to make sure that all pets are getting the right treatment, as fast as possible, in the right location.”

Steven Mendel, chief executive officer and co-founder of Bought By Many, added: “Our pet insurance is more than a financial service, we want our policies to improve the lives of pets and owners. We’re delighted that our partnership with FirstVet gives all our customers free access to a vet using a simple video call. The service is a great fit with our insurance and allows owners to get convenient, expert veterinary advice. Customers this year voted us the most trusted pet insurance provider in the UK and our partnership with FirstVet shows we’re always looking at how we can use technology to improve our service.”

Mark Dugdale