Woman’s cat passes away. Then she tries to cancel her cat’s health insurance plan with Banfield: ‘You have to buy your way out’

‘There’s a reason that Chewy is my preferred for everything pet-related.’

A pet owner says she expected a difficult day after losing her cat, but she never imagined one phone call with Banfield would leave her even more frustrated.

On July 16, @lacroix_goth shared her experience in a TikTok video that quickly drew over 3.3 million views as of this writing after she compared the vastly different responses she received from two pet care companies following her cat’s passing.

“My cat died this morning,” she said. “So there’s been a lot of logistic calls to make.”

How Did the Woman’s Experiences With Chewy and Banfield Differ?

She explained that one of the first calls, to the company Chewy, involved canceling prescription medications that had been set to renew automatically. According to the creator, the company immediately expressed sympathy and handled nearly every step for her.

She said the representative apologized for her loss, refunded the most recent prescription order, canceled future refills, and even offered to deactivate the account so she would not continue receiving reminders tied to her late pet.

“And knowing this company, they’re probably still gonna send, like, a goodbye card,” she said. “We’ve lost an animal before, and they went out of their way to send a grievance card.”

The second call, she said, unfolded very differently. The creator said she contacted Banfield to cancel her cat’s preventive health plan after six consecutive years as a customer. She claimed she never missed a payment during that time, but the company told her she could not simply end the plan because her pet had died.

“They said, ‘Oh, you can’t just cancel. You gotta buy your way out of the plan,’” she explained. “You owe us $100 for the next three months of care that you’re not gonna receive because your animal died.”

She also said she asked Banfield to close her account so she would not receive future appointment reminders. According to the TikToker, the company declined that request and instructed her to delete the account herself.

The experience left her questioning what she viewed as a lack of compassion during an already painful moment. She argued that companies should show empathy when customers lose a beloved pet, especially after years of loyalty.

“So anyways, Banfield [expletive] sucks,” she said.

She contrasted that experience with her praise for Chewy, saying the retailer has consistently delivered better customer service and value.

“There’s a reason that Chewy is my preferred for everything pet-related,” she said. “The customer service at Chewy, the prices at Chewy—it’s worth it. It is so worth it.”

How Do Chewy’s and Banfield’s Policies Regarding the Loss of a Pet Differ?

Banfield’s published information states that customers can cancel an Optimum Wellness Plan if a pet passes, but the company notes that any remaining financial obligations depend on the terms of the plan. Its FAQs say pet owners should contact Banfield directly to discuss cancellation and any outstanding balance.

Banfield also explains that Optimum Wellness Plans are preventive care memberships rather than traditional pet insurance policies. Depending on the contract and services already used, customers who cancel before the end of the 12-month term may still owe money.

Chewy operates differently because it primarily sells pet products and, separately, offers insurance and wellness plans through third-party providers. Cancellation policies vary depending on the insurer or wellness provider, rather than a single company-wide contract.

For example, Chewy says some wellness options can be canceled at any time, although customers may owe money if claims paid exceed premiums already collected.

The company has also built a reputation among pet owners for compassionate customer service, including widely reported gestures such as sending sympathy flowers or handwritten condolence cards after the loss of a pet. While those practices are not guaranteed in every case, they have helped distinguish Chewy’s customer service from competitors in the eyes of many consumers.

AllHipHop reached out to @lacroix_goth for comment via TikTok direct message and email, and to both Chewy and Banfield via email. We will update this story if any party responds.

@lacroix_goth Customer service actually does matter because brand loyalty does not get built upon whatever they were doing #chewy #banfield #petloss #catmom #petcare ♬ original sound – MuryClur♉️

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