One of the things most customers require clarity on is what insurances are available when they hire a house removal service in the UK and the US.
You should consider these following points when you are purchasing a service for your house move.
Before you actually make the move
Take an inventory of all your items you will be moving along with their conditions and market value, this is to ensure that if disputes arise you can use your inventory list to back up your claim.
Insurance
There are some fundamental insurances which the company you hire should have, to give you the peace of mind that your items are covered from any damages, it is always recommended to find a company that has these coverages before you hire them.
- Public Liability insurance: An insurance which covers the business from claims against activities made in the public that caused personal injuries, death, loss or damage properties in the UK
- Goods in transit insurance: An insurance which covers the goods against loss, theft or damages whilst it is being transported from one location to another in the UK.
- Release value coverage (or basic carrier liability): A fixed value insurance that covers your goods at 60 cents per pound for the move in the US, this is a basic coverage and it is advised that you find a company that also offers Full value protection.
- Full value protection: An insurance that covers the goods at market value against theft, loss or damages in the US.
- Separate liability insurance: This is a catch all term for optional insurance that the movers can offer you, treat this as an additional insurance for your goods to make you whole in case anything happens with the items being moved, always read the terms of the policy. This type of insurance is most common in the US.
Damage and claims
Your items were damage during a move, now what?
1. Ensure that you review any terms and conditions again over the situation, there is usually a time limit to any claims.
2. Speak with the mover and communicate your issue in writing, an email should suffice.
3. Attach any evidence to support your claim such as photographic evidence.
4. Your mover should respond within 30 days on your claim.
5. If a settlement cannot be agreed you can opt to reach out to an Ombudsman service if it was promised as part of the move.
What is an Ombudsman?
An Ombudsman is a service which can resolve disputed complaints, this service is usually used if not settlement can be reached over issues during a move, some mover companies may have a third party to provide such service.
In some rare cases, the insurers may step in with a loss auditor who will assess the damages to help settle the claim against the insurance as well. If you are reading this article because you have a dispute, I wish you the best of luck in resolving that dispute with your movers.
