Gaia FamilyReviews of gaiafamily.com

Suprised to hear that they're ageist with the add on option that if you have <7 mature eggs you may undergo an additional free cycle ONLY if you're <38 yrs old. Not sure where they pulled a random age from. Moreover, it wasn't any cheaper than paying out of pocket. I do appreciate there are additional services offered including nutritionist and a nurse available, however, I can't understand how you exclude someone based on age, thereby creating unequal opportunity. Quite a shame...

I was explicit in my questions about what was included and not included, extra fees etc. Only once money was paid to Gaia did I find out there would be additional costs incurred that I specifically asked about. I was refunded and so things made right but the program premise is no hidden fees, clinics and Gaia need to be on the same page.

It's a scam. Please avoid if you can. It sounds incredible when you read their online advertising, but I have never ever had an insurance or loan that exploits desperate people like they do. Most people undergoing IVF will have some form of individual difficulty as to why you are struggling to get pregnant. This is NOT catered for at all. If you fall outside the norm, there is a long list of what is not included, how I had to potentially pay more to Gaia, how it took weeks of hazzling back and forth with the clinic because I needed an extra 3 days of IVF, and it was such a hazzle for Gaia to even pay for anything. The clinic I worked with was amazing, and Gaia made my whole experience more stressful. I really felt like an outcast with how I was treated by Gaia. Also the premium cost is meant to protect you, but when you are paying a premium of £2600 for this "protection" when the final bill is only £4000+ is actually insane. Don't be fooled, the only one proper cashing in on this is Gaia.

If you’re looking to use this company PLEASE look into the interest and APR. My treatment was going to cost me for one egg collection and one transfer £160 a month for EIGHT YEARS!!! This is £16,000! Taking a huge advantage and NOT accessible for all. I would recommend choosing a clinic and looking at their financial options.

Poor execution of what appears to be a good idea. Like most other people I probably fell for their constant social media advertising. Filled in the form which asked for very limited information (not enough to be able to assess someone properly - less info than I give to my travel insurance provider!) to receive an email declining my application and implying that my chances of having a child are low. The email says that the higher your chances of having a child the lower the premium, my premium is apparently >40%. I’m 32, average BMI etc. and no warning signs according to my check up. They’re creating more stress around an already difficult and stressful process. What a disappointment for something that could be such a brilliant idea.

The concept of Gaia is great, however don’t go into it blindly. My partner and I (both women) saw Gaia being advertised on social media. We’re at the start of our fertility journey & so have been looking for the most cost effective / least stressful route we can. Ideally we’d like reciprocal IVF but are also considering classic IVF for reference. Neither of us have fertility issues. Gaia sounded great initially (love the concept), but after doing some digging into it - it became clearer that the service is not without its flaws. If we were to have 2 rounds of reciprocal IVF for example, the baseline cost of this treatment would be circa £18,000. If we were successful via Gaia after 2 rounds, we would end up paying £344 a month for 8 years. Total repayable would be over £38,000 with interest added. TWENTY GRAND in interest over 8 years (the cost of FOUR rounds of reciprocal IVF). If you need 4 rounds of IVF via Gaia, you will end up paying close to £700 a month for 8 years - total repayable close to £65k! Now if we were to go directly to the SAME clinic, they offer a 0% interest payment scheme. If the rounds fail, you will need to pay them all back granted, however the cost works out significantly less. 2 rounds of reciprocal IVF directly with the clinic costs £220 a month over 36 months, with 0% interest. 4 rounds, £440 and so on. It feels disingenuous from Gaia’s part that they dress themselves up as a lifeline for those that can’t afford to have IVF, but in reality, their service is only helpful if your rounds end up being NOT successful. Which of course is not the outcome anyone who is going through IVF hopes for. If you ARE successful, you will pay over the odds in interest rates and basically be struggling to pay your child off for 8 years. Gaia - I understand you have to make money somewhere as you cover those that don’t have to pay it back - but COME ON. Twenty grand in interest in just 2 rounds of IVF? Even though it’s legal, it’s one of the most unethical things I’ve ever come across. If you’re reading this and considering Gaia… just make sure you read the fine print and do your own research with your chosen clinic directly. Edit after Gaia responded: -> Gaia, the fact that your interest rates are not fixed is even more unethical. This means that someone with a poor credit rating or a lower salary will likely have to pay even more back than what I quoted above, to offset the risk to your lenders! We were quoted 19% interest (100k joint household income and near perfect credit history). This begs the question, how high do the interest rates go up to?! I would imagine those that need your service the most, pay the most. It’s great that you offer a no fee early repayment option, but honestly please think about your business model and its purpose. If your customers could afford to pay for IVF in one lump sum, they wouldn’t be using your service. Therefore I would imagine those that take advantage of this benefit are a TINY percentage of your customers - basically those that have known fertility problems and have a very low likelihood of getting pregnant (and therefore want to go via Gaia so they might not have to pay for failed rounds). However, the average joe is likely to use Gaia because they can’t afford the treatment cost in a lump sum and see it as a way to pay back their treatment monthly. So early repayment, whilst honourable, is genuinely irrelevant and not something that can justify your mega high interest rates. Once again, 0% interest is great whilst you’re having the IVF, but the ultimate aim of IVF is to have a child. If this happens, you’re then stuck with 8 years of mega high interest rates and piling debt. You’re kind of achieving the opposite of what I guess you set out to do - you’ll end up with customers that are subconsciously worried about falling pregnant due to the extortionate monthly costs and huge interests rates! Isn’t that totally unethical?

I was not satisfied

Basically disappointed to be told I do not qualify based on whatever data they've calculated to determine how much my premium will be. I've been told by my clinic how to fill the simple form with bare minimum information - to then, after 40 mins and without any detail, being rejected........Sadly impressed with how their process works - it's supposed to be supportive & premium rather than saying no to us without a proper explanation. Agree with the below lady about the fact that this is nothing premium at all. They judged us by name and weight; maybe our age is too old - 44?? And clinic name only - embarrassing. Terrible impersonal judgement and non-compassionate treatment. I work in pharma, and I'll make sure I spread the word to my colleagues as many couples are struggling to conceive too, and HR was looking for this type of option - a big NO, sadly.