Full Valuation & Moving Insurance

You want your belongings as safe as possible during your move. If anything happens and something is damaged, then you want to make sure your items are repaired, replaced or that you are at least compensated for the loss. In the moving industry this is done primarily through “Full Valuation” coverage.

There are ultimately two solutions to cover the risks of loss during your move. There are valuation products and insurance products. Unfortunately, the insurance industry rarely offers coverage for moving, and so valuation has been the leading solution for decades. You can purchase full valuation coverage from your mover or find an insurance product through an agent of your own.

Basic Valuation – Free of Charge

If you do not purchase any additional coverage, then your goods will be covered at a rate of .60 cents per pound. This is the federal required minimum level of coverage the law mandates movers supply to all customers for every shipment.

For most people, .60 cents per pound is such a low level of coverage that full valuation options are the obvious choice for insuring your belongings during a move. If you have a household of furniture, multiple bedrooms, living areas, dining and kitchen furniture, appliances, etc… then your home is full of thousands of dollars worth of valuables. These things should be properly covered in the event that something happens.

If you are comfortable with .60 cents per pound, then you are all set. When you sign your contract you will have to decline the additional coverage offered by your mover.

Full Valuation – Entire Shipment

Full valuation coverage is provided by your mover directly on a per job basis, at a rate based on the level of coverage you choose. Most movers base the coverage on the weight of the shipment multiplied by the dollar amount offered.

At The Deland Mover, we offer $6.00 per pound Full Valuation coverage. If you have 10,000 lbs of furniture, which is the average 3 bedroom home, your coverage would be $60,000. This would cost 1% to insure during your move at a rate of $600.00. There are no deductibles if a claim is to be made.

Full Valuation – Single Item Coverage

We also offer single item coverage for just a few pieces of furniture. If you are only concerned about a few high value items then this is a great option for you.

Just ask your mover about single item valuation and add it to your order. The cost is a little higher, costing a rate of 3% of the insured level of coverage. If you have a dining room set that weights 1,200 lbs, your items would be insured at $6.00 per pound bringing your level of coverage to $7,200. At a 3% rate, this would cost you $216.00 to insure these particular items.

Avoiding Claims

At The Deland Mover, we have an extremely low claim rate. We average only one or two claims per year. We service hundreds of moves per year, which brings our claim rate to a noteworthy number less than 1%.

The average claim rate in the moving industry is 10%! This should bring you great comfort knowing that your mover works extremely hard to keep our customers goods safe. We have several processes in place to ensure our shipments arrive safely to their destinations.

The most common items that are damaged during a move:

1. Glass Shelving & Table Tops
2. Mirrors & Artwork
3. Marble, Stone & Granite Tops

These types of things are easily damaged when they are not processed and handled properly.

Protecting The Most Delicate Items

At The Deland Mover, we make sure all glass, mirrors, artwork, marble, stone, etc.. is boxed. If you do not protect these items, they will break.

As a customer, if you pack your own things, please remember to protect these types of items with cardboard. If you do not, then they will not be covered in the event something happens.

There is a high likelihood that your movers will demand you protect these types of items. We are very strict about handling our customers things properly, even if you, the customer do not. We take great pride in our job.

Of course there will be a small cost that comes with wrapping these items in cardboard, but it is well worth it.

Protecting Furniture and Appliances

Wooden furniture and appliances can easily be scratched during a move. That’s why we wrap all furniture and appliances in moving pads. Your goods will be properly protected before they leave your home.

When your items are in transport they will be secured tightly and packed safely in our truck. Our professional drivers will avoid all pot holes, bumps and otherwise dangerous road hazards as much as humanly possible.

Upon unloading your items will be staged and then stripped of all padding and protection. This ensures your things arrive in the best condition possible. There is no safer way to do this.

If you don’t protect your items 100% of the course of the move, then expect damages to occur.

The Claim Process – If Something Happens

First, you have to look at your level of coverage. Did you purchase full valuation? Did you pack yourself? Items not packed by your mover are not insured. This is a very important factor.

If you are covered, the next step is to look at what was damaged and how. Was the item protected properly? Did you decline the proper protection? If you had your item protected properly and it was still damaged, then you would have a legitimate claim. These things do happen unfortunately.

The next thing you do is fill out a claim sheet and send it to your mover. Once your mover reviews the claim, there will be a course of action taken to remedy the claim.

Your mover has 3 options for rectifying a claim.

1. Repair
2. Replace
3. Pay Compensation

It is highly likely your mover will attempt to repair any damages immediately. You can even settle any damages in your bill on-site if the opportunity occurs, avoiding any further need for dragging the process out.

If the item cannot be easily repaired, then a replacement may be sought out. Your mover will most likely need a week or two to find a sufficient replacement. If the item is irreplaceable or the customer is not satisfied with the offered replacement, the only solution is to pay out the level of compensation your item was covered at.

If your mover decides to pay out a claim, then the items weight will be multiplied by .60 cents or $6.00 depending on your level of coverage. You will most likely receive a check for the damages within a few weeks.