Moving Stories case 1103073 : Mitch A. from San Francisco

“Moving” Stories case 1103073 : Mitch A. from San Francisco

I found a service provider who quoted me lower than many others and decided to try them out. They took an online payment, a deposit they said, and I got my papers via fax.

My mover told me the insurance I got was no good and even told me they would not work with the service unless I gave them a waiver of some sort. This was odd, I thought, since the stories I heard from friends usually had the insurance disapproving the mover. Turns out the moving insurance I had gotten was from a fly-by-night outfit some jerk was running out of his bedroom pc. That was the last time I bought anything online.

The next morning I went out to an agency referred to me by a friend. This nice lady gave me the usual spiel about needing protection and coverage from theft. I had nothing better to do that afternoon so I sat in on her explanations of their process, besides they had pretty good coffee. I found out that there was a rising number of rogue movers out there matched by a lot of fly-by-night insurance agencies, one of which I had fallen victim to. I was thinking of letting the “deposit” I paid slide but after hearing this lady’s words I was fired up. I wanted my money back.

It was a long and convoluted process and I was eventually able to reclaim only part of what I paid for “deposit” after the credit card charges, but I had satisfaction from shafting the wiseguy.

So the movers came and packed my stuff. One of them broke a vase my sister gave me one Christmas, I didn’t cry for it but I claimed on that. They packed all my furniture and kitchen stuff, and thanks to my paying attention to the insurance lady I kept my own list of items and had the crew chief sign off on it.

Valuing your items for a Moving Insurance

Valuing your items for a Moving Insurance

You can do this by (1) writing down all significant pieces of furniture; glassware, appliances, electronics, personal effects, etc…, (2) give each a mark and an approximate weight. If you have a large number of books that you’ll be packing into boxes, (3) assign each box an approximate weight and state it on the outside of the box. This can be applied to clothes, kitchen items, tools and other loose items. (4) mark each box an approximate replacement value, it would only aid you in the workers handling of your items. Be careful when you price a high value item as the mover may not give you a value you would be comfortable with.

In case you are moving specific and expensive items like works of art or jewelry you must be exact in your details of the item. Some movers would require you to produce an appraisal by a third party of their choosing. Upon approval you must provide specific instructions regarding the handling of the item.

Replacement value means the cost to replace the item with another item of comparable material and quality. The replacement must be used for the same purpose. This applies unless the cost to repair or replace the damaged item is less at the discretion of the insurer.

It is a good idea to take photos of all pieces, especially items of sentimental value or high appraisal. This will assist in keeping track of your inventory despite the list supplied to you by the mover. The idea is to have your own independent system to countercheck the movers and keep them honest. This will help if you need to make a claim.

Claiming on your Moving Insurance

Claiming on your Moving Insurance

If you are deliberating on a need for insurance before you relocate, remember that no matter how careful you are in selecting a moving service, accidents can happen. Boxes can be dropped and will shift during transport, nothing will guarantee the safe arrival of your goods like a proper moving insurance. You cannot control how effective your moving company will be at reimbursing your claims but you could make sure you’re adequately covered should something happen.

When your items have arrived, pay extra attention to your decision making. Before you sign the inventory sheet, report the facts in detail on the original inventory sheet. If you notice damage after unpacking, a claim must be filed usually within nine months after delivery. It is best to report any complaints as soon as possible. The mover must acknowledge receipt of your claim within 30 days and issue a reply; a denial or an offer within 120 days of receipt of your claim.

Refer to the liability amount you declared on your shipment when making a claim or considering a settlement. For example, if the value declared on your shipment was $8,000 and the mover’s maximum liability is $5,000 then your claim for more than the liability amount will be declined. Make sure you’re adequately covered with a separate and independent third party moving insurance policy.

It’s good to know that most moving companies automatically provide “valuation” not insurance. Valuation is the negotiated and agreed upon limit of liability as stated on the moving contract and/or bill of lading. By default, this is part of the contract at no extra cost. In most cases, valuation has no relationship to the actual value of your goods as movers tend to undervalue your items for the benefit of their liabilities.

Moving Stories case 1103001 : A. Tanner from Wichita

Moving Stories case 1103001

Last summer, my office sent me to train in Kansas City for a year and I had to bring my daughter in tow. Now Wichita is a long way from Kansas City and I couldn’t bear to leave my girl that far away and she felt the same. I didn’t have anyone to leave her with and we are so close I wouldn’t have left her behind if I did. So I claimed my deposit from where I was renting, packed us up in my truck and drove away. It took two days to get there and I realized I’d lost track of some household things and lost them somewhere along the way. Just small things mind you but they held sentimental value; my mom’s brush that she gave to my baby girl, my dad’s pocketwatch that kept time better than any of those digital things people carry around everywhere. Just a few small things.

We got to the big city and eventually found our way around. I got us a nice apartment in a complex a stone’s throw from the freeway that had a pool and a minigolf course. I unloaded everything to realize some fool had been stealing from the truck after every trip to and from the apartment. I lost a lamp, the TV and some shoes. I went to bed that night with my truck’s radio under my pillow.

The next morning I shopped around for a school for my girl. Luckily our new digs wasn’t too far away from the local public school and we did the interviews that day. The next day I dropped my darling off and got to the training center where folks were friendly. Some even offered to put us up but I’d only just met them. One dude in particular was pretty vocal about how I survived the trip without moving insurance. He was surprised I didn’t lose everything on the way over and I told him that made two of us.… Continue reading

Moving Insurance Equals Less Stress

Moving Insurance Equals Less Stress

Relocating is very stressful. It involves packing everything you own and transporting it to a different location. No matter where your destination, it is good to think about the requirement of moving insurance protection so that you can cover the belongings that you are transporting.

Keep in mind that accidents can happen, and to avoid having to replace your things one should put some serious effort into picking the right moving insurance package prior to beginning the transfer. It is one of the most overlooked parts of the relocating process. It entails obtaining the right moving insurance protection policy for your specific relocation. It doesn’t matter if you should be using a professional mover or doing it yourself; you might want to have coverage that will guard all of the items that you own in the process. It will be bewildering, but one can find several possibilities that help people to find enough coverage when they are moving. Perhaps you already have existing insurance policies and their specific firms can aid your decision in selecting an appropriate moving insurance.

There are a lot of selections open for choice nowadays when one wishes to relocate. First, there is mover’s valuation that you are able to acquire directly from the long distance moving companies you plan to hire. These companies value a certain replacement cost per pound for each item that you are having them transport for you. It is the cheapest alternative but it is also the one which will net you the least for replacement of your things in case of incidents that damage or break them in the course of the relocation.